“Illinoise” returns – Sufjan Stevens dance musical “Illinoise” will return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater for a run from Feb. 9 to March 14, 2027, as part of the venue’s 40th anniversary season. The Tony Award-winning choreography will be remounted under director and choreographer
The dance musical “Illinoise” is coming back to Chicago Shakespeare Theater, with a remount scheduled for Feb.. 9-March 14. 2027—an answer to the demand that built after its 2024 Chicago premiere sold out before the production moved on to Broadway and. just before the awards deadline. won a Tony for choreography.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announced the return Friday, positioning the production as a highlight of its 40th anniversary season.. Artistic Director Edward Hall said the show “was born at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. ” then left “very quickly” amid the pressures that come with taking a production onward. adding that “All of us felt that it was unfinished business.” The musical. staged with a live band and dance chorus. is based on the genre-bending Sufjan Stevens album of the same name.
Justin Peck will direct the production, but casting has not yet been announced. Several high-profile local musicians, including Tasha Viets-VanLear and Shara Nova, performed in the Chicago staging in 2024, when the premiere drew enough attention to sell out.
The timing of the announcement also sits close to another Broadway move from Chicago Shakespeare Theater.. Within days. the theater is sending to Broadway its co-production of the horror-themed “Paranormal Activity. ” written by Chicago’s Levi Holloway.. The same 2026-27 season is set to include the world premiere of a Pat Benatar-backed “Heartbreakers. ” based on the classic “Romeo and Juliet.” Hall said the musical will pull from the rock catalog of Benatar and her creative and romantic partner Neil Giraldo. described by Hall as “known as the Romeo and Juliet of rock and roll. ” and it will unfold as a 1980s-themed musical set in a dance hall.
The theater’s season planning also reaches for bilingual audiences.. Next season. the starcrossed lovers return a second time in the bilingual “Romeo y Julieta. ” directed by Henry Godinez. with the theater building on momentum with Spanish-speaking audiences.. Hall pointed to strong sales of “Hamlet” by Peru’s Teatro La Plaza in March. saying. “There’s a big appetite for bilingual Shakespeare on stage.”
The 40th anniversary season will kick off in September with “Play On. ” a Duke Ellington-themed retelling of “Twelfth Night. ” created by Sheldon Epps.. Starting in October. the theater will stage its first repertory run. pairing consecutive productions of “The Winter’s Tale” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream. ” starring the same 14-person cast under Hall’s direction.. Hall said the theater will offer at least five marathon days, letting audiences see both productions back-to-back.
The theater is framing the season around ensemble work and local reach. with Hall saying. “The work that Shakespeare has made is so famous all over the world is rooted in the idea of an ensemble. and Chicago has such a strong relationship and tradition of ensemble acting.” He added. “We’ve never done this before at CST. and for our 40th anniversary. it seemed like a beautiful moment to do that.” Executive director Kimberly Motes said the theater wants its stages to reflect the breadth of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. and she said. “I think this season really does continue to demonstrate that commitment to our Chicago communities.”
A tight pattern runs through the season’s announcements: “Illinoise” returns for a second Chicago run after its 2024 premiere sold out and then moved to Broadway. while other productions are also being routed outward—“Paranormal Activity” heads to Broadway and the season’s Shakespeare choices stretch between repertory pairings and bilingual work—before returning to the same central promise of expanded access. including at least five marathon days and $30 tickets for audiences under 30.
The theater also plans ongoing programming for different audiences, including a “Short Shakespeare” program for student field trips, a multipart “Demystifying Shakespeare” course for curious adults, and $30 tickets for audiences under 30.
Illinoise Chicago Shakespeare Theater Justin Peck Sufjan Stevens Tony Award 40th anniversary Broadway Paranormal Activity Heartbreakers Romeo y Julieta bilingual Shakespeare