The Sufjan Stevens dance musical Illinoise has revealed the featured vocalists for its upcoming Broadway run. Transferring from an Off-Broadway run at Park Avenue Armory, the work begin performances at Broadway's St. James Theatre April 24 and open the same night—critics' reviews are set to release April 26. The strictly limited engagement will continue through August 10.
Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova, and Tasha Viets-VanLear will transfer to Broadway as vocalists. All three were part of the Park Avenue Armory and Chicago Shakespeare Theater productions, and Nova also sang and toured with Stevens for the original Illinois album.
The work is inspired by Stevens' album Illinois and features direction and choreography by Justin Peck (Carousel, West Side Story). The musical's story is by Peck and Pulitzer winner Jackie Sibblies Drury (Fairview). The production is set around a campfire as dancers, singers, and a live band lead audiences on an epic journey set to Stevens' music, arranged by Timo Andres. Read reviews for the Park Avenue Armory run here.
The dance ensemble for the Broadway bow will feature much of the performers from the show's earlier runs Off-Broadway and at Chicago Shakespeare Theater's The Yard. The company will include Yesenia Ayala (West Side Story), Kara Chan (Twyla Tharp Dance), Ben Cook (West Side Story), Gaby Diaz (So You Think You Can Dance?), Jeanette Delgado (West Side Story), Carlos Falu (West Side Story), Christine Flores (Dance Heginbotham), Jada German (Twyla Tharp Dance), Zachary Gonder (Pam Tanowitz Dance), Rachel Lockhart (Jacob's Pillow), Brandt Martinez (Aladdin), Dario Natarelli (Maestro), Tyrone Reese, Craig Salstein (West Side Story), Ahmad Simmons (Fosse/Verdon), Byron Tittle (Dorrance Dance), Ricky Ubeda (So You Think You Can Dance?), and Alejandro Vargas. Band members will be announced at a later date.
The creative team includes music director and supervisor Nathan Koci, music arranger and orchestrator Andres, scenic designer Adam Rigg, lighting designer Brandon Stirling Baker, sound designer Garth MacAleavey, costume designers Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung, prop designer Andrew Diaz, and mask designer Julian Crouch. Thomas Gates is production stage manager.
The work was co-commissioned by Fisher Center at Bard (where the piece made its world premiere in 2023), Park Avenue Armory, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Southbank Centre, TO Live, and Perelman Performing Arts Center. The show's Chicago run finished February 18.
Orin Wolf, John Styles, and David Binder are producing, in association with Seaview and Executive Producer Nate Koch.
Visit IllinoiseOnStage.com.
See pictures from the Chicago run of Illinoise below:
Company of Illinoise
Ricky Ubeda, Byron Tittle, Christine Flores, and Kara Chan in Illinoise
Shara Nova and Tasha Viets-VanLear in Illinoise
Ricky Ubeda and Ben Cook in Illinoise
Company of Illinoise
Elijah Lyons, Ricky Ubeda, and Ahmad Simmon in Illinoise
Gaby Diaz and Ben Cook in Illinoise
Company of Illinoise
