Chicago Shakespeare Theater had a resounding success last year when it reached outside the Bard's collected works to produce Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. The production, directed by Gary Griffin, extended. Recently, it was announced the show would play London's Donmar Warehouse in 2003.

Now, Griffin and CST have their second Sondheim smash. The new mounting of Sunday in the Park with George—the composer and James Lapine's look at post-impressionist George Seurat and the creation of art in general—has extended a full month to Feb. 2, 2003. The praised show began on Oct. 4 for a proposed run through Jan. 5, 2003.

The show runs in CST's 200-seat upstairs theatre in its Navy Pier complex.

The first act of George examines the creation of Seurat's masterpiece, "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." The huge, pointillist work in question resides in Chicago's Art Institute.

Leading the ensemble of Sunday in the Park with George are Robert Petkoff as George, Andrea Burns as Dot, and Joseph Anthony Foronda as Jules. Also in the cast are Jodi Jean Amble, Annabel Armour, Marilynn Bogetich, Jeff Dumas, Christopher Garbrecht, Cory Goodrich, Derek Hasenstab, Timothy Jon, Ginifer King, Sean Allan Krill, Kelli Eileen LaValle, and Susan Allison Miller. The newly-released tickets to these performances are now available and may be purchased at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater Box Office by calling (312) 595-5600, or by visiting the Theater's website at http://www.chicagoshakes.com.

—By Robert Simonson