Soprano Alfreda Burke, tenor Rodrick Dixon and Karen-Marie Richardson, along with pianist Alvin Waddle, who all helped make “Too Hot to Handel” successful, are back. They will join a huge choir and orchestra on the Auditorium’s historic stage for what many describe as a show-stopping, foot-stomping, feel good, rousing performance that has gained a diverse group of loyal fans, many of whom have seen the show multiple times. Sarah Siddons Board Member, Joan Curto is the Director.
DETAILS & TICKETS COMING SOON!
Please join us at Hyde Park’s Court Theatre on Sunday, December 8th for the 2pm matinee of Falsettos.
Tony Award-winning Falsettos is a tribute to family and its many forms; a playful interrogation of faith and identity; and a celebration of the beauty, complexity, and necessity of love.
The Sarah Siddons Society is extremely grateful to Theo and Cathy and Jeff LeCaptain for selecting us as the beneficiary of this performance of The Secret Garden. They felt the university theatre arts scholarships we fund are a very meaningful way to honor their daughter, actress Molly LeCaptain who passed away from Cancer in January of this year.
Wednesday, November 6
Reception at 6:00 pm
Program at 7:00 pm
The Arts Club of Chicago | 201 E Ontario Street, Chicago
Please join us on Sunday, October 6 for the Chicago premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at Writer’s Theatre in Glencoe.
12 noon- Buffet Brunch at Lucille Restaurant at Drury Lane
2:00 pm- Orchestra seat for Ain’t Misbehavin’
Stride along with the toe-tapping, finger-snapping revue that journeys through the Harlem Renaissance with the music of legend Fats Waller. Brimming with the energetic charm of jazz classics such as “Honeysuckle Rose” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” the crooners of Ain’t Misbehavin’ bring soulful melodies to life, capturing the essence of an era where the joint was always jumpin’.
Acclaimed author John Berendt’s iconic New York Timesbest seller becomes a seductive new musical.
Southern charm is bountiful in Savannah, Georgia. But behind polite smiles, the eccentric residents are filled with secrets and motives. When wealthy antiques dealer Jim Williams is accused of murder, the sensational trial uncovers hidden truths and exposes the fine line between good and evil – which sparks Lady Chablis and other Savannahians to change the city forever. MacArthur “Genius” grantee Taylor Mac, Tony Award winners Jason Robert Brown and Rob Ashford, and choreographer Tanya Birl-Torres bring the true-crime blockbuster book and its beloved characters to life in a new musical adaptation.
Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies…until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity.
Starring Tony Award® nominees Megan Hilty (Wicked, “Smash”), Jennifer Simard (Company, Disaster!), and Christopher Sieber(Spamalot, Company), with Grammy® Award winner Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child, Chicago), Death Becomes Her, based on the classic 1992 film, is a drop-dead hilarious new musical comedy about friendship, love, and burying the hatchet…again, and again, and again.
Please join us on Sunday, May 19 as we board The Twentieth Century
Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Music by Cy Coleman
Based on a play by Ben Hecht and Charles MaCarther and also a play by Bruce Milholland
On the Twentieth Century is a lively musical comedy set in the 1930s, featuring a glamorous journey aboard a luxury train where egos clash, romance blossoms, and theatrical shenanigans unfold, delivering a delightful blend of humor and heart.
Lunch preceding at the charming Uvae in Edgewater
This is our fourth trip, and they usually sell out very quickly! We will see four of the most in demand musicals of the Season (and the option to add a fifth show), enjoy one dinner and two luncheons, where we will have exclusive Broadway guests. This unforgettable weekend includes two nights at the beautiful InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel.
*Very limited capacity*
Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny is headed to Chicago! Rob McClure will reprise his Tony-nominated Broadway performance on tour alongside co-star (and real wife!) Maggie Lakis in this internationally acclaimed hit musical critics call “wonderful, heart-warming, and laugh-out-loud funny” (Manchester Evening News) and “a feel-good, family-friendly comedy that delivers” (The Hollywood Reporter). Based on the beloved film and directed by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks, MRS. DOUBTFIRE tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids. It’s “the lovable, big-hearted musical comedy we need right now,” raves the Chicago Tribune – one that proves we’re better together.
This year’s Sarah Siddons Society Swell Soirée highlights many of Chicago’s famed clubs from the 1940’s through the 1970’s, like Chez Paree, Mr. Kelly’s, London House and Robert’s Show Lounge. This evening of cabaret will feature some of Chicago’s most talented and experienced performers paired with musical theatre students from universities supported with Sarah Siddons scholarships.
Following the performance, join us for an intimate fundraiser dinner with the cast at one of Chicago’s best Chinese Restaurants, MingHin Cuisine - 1234 South Michigan Avenue
Join us as we set sail for the 90th anniversary production of Cole Porter’s smash-hit musical comedy. His iconic score includes a shipload of tunes that built the Great American Songbook including “Anything Goes,” “Friendship,” “You’re the Top” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
Noon - Lunch at Italian Village
2:00 pm - Boop! at CIBC Theater
For almost a century, Betty Boop has won hearts and inspired fans around the world with her trademark looks, voice, and style. Now, in BOOP!, Betty’s dream of an ordinary day off from the super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an extraordinary adventure of color, music, and love in New York City—one that reminds her and the world, “You are capable of amazing things.” Boop-oop-a-doop!
Come join us for the Chicago premiere of a new one woman play written & performed by: ALMANYA NARULA, a 2016 Sarah Siddons Scholarship recipient. The Chicago premiere is being produced by The Sarah Siddons Society.
'Noor Inayat Khan: The Forgotten Spy' premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival to much acclaim and sold out performances. It is based on the untold true story of Noor Inayat Khan, an Indian princess turned British WW2 spy who became the first woman to be sent out as a radio operator and was vital to the success in D-Day. She evaded the gestapo for months in France, while creating a network that would sabotage their plans until eventually she was caught, tortured, and executed in Dachau.
The Arts Club of Chicago
201 E Ontario Street, Chicago
*All Proceeds Benefit the Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Program.
You are invited to an intimate evening with the Tony Award winner, Stephanie J Block. There will be wonderful musical selections from her memorable shows (Into The Woods, THE CHER SHOW, Falsettos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, 9 to 5: The Musical, Wicked, The Pirate Queen, and The Boy From Oz) performed by some of Chicago’s most talented theatre stars. There will also be the induction of our 2023 Scholarship Recipients.
A Wonderful World is the singular story of jazz legend, Grammy Award winner, and American icon Louis Armstrong, as told by the women in his life. Armstrong's innovative musicianship and incredible charisma as trumpet player and vocalist would lead him from the early days of jazz in his native New Orleans to five decades of international stardom.
The Great American Songbook Is Alive and Well and Living in CHICAGO!
Beckie Menzie, Music Director
Carla Gordon, Director
This year’s Sarah Siddons Society Swell Soirée celebrates the Great American Songbook. This evening of cabaret will feature some of Chicago’s most talented and experienced performers paired with musical theatre students from universities supported with Sarah Siddons scholarships.
2:30 pm
Mercury Theatre | 3745 N. Southport Avenue | Chicago
Mark Twain’s timeless classic sweeps audiences down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim escape from slavery to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River. Their adventures along the way are hilarious, suspenseful, and heartwarming, bringing to life everyone’s favorite characters from the novel.
This is our third trip and they usually sell out very quickly! We will see four of the most in demand musicals of the Season (and the option to add a fifth show), enjoy one dinner and two luncheon, where we will have exclusive Broadway guests. This unforgettable weekend includes two nights at the beautiful InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel.
Reasons takes us on a journey of how Earth, Wind & Fire was formed from their humble beginnings, to become the musical revolutionaries that changed the course of music. They took a vision that no one said would work, and turned it into a musical powerhouse that still lives on today.
Join us Sunday, March 19th for the Paramount Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods. Preceding the show enjoy a special St Patrick’s Day weekend breakfast with a special guest.
A fantastical musical adventure inspired by a father’s incredible stories. Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, Big Fish tells the story of Edward Bloom, a charming traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest, and then some. Overflowing with heart and humor, Big Fish is the extraordinary story that reminds us why we love going to the theatre.
Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 3 pm
The Edge Theatre | 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago
Talkback following the show
Written by the late Jonathan Larson and directed by BoHo Artistic Associate Bo Frazier, tick, tick…BOOM! tells the autobiographical story of Jonathan, a struggling New York composer entering his 30s. The year is 1990, the AIDS crisis is escalating, and Jonathan is growing increasingly desperate to leave his dead-end job and write the next great American musical. Jonathan’s girlfriend Susan and his best friend Michael announce major life changes, and Jonathan begins to wonder if the ticking clock is running out on his Broadway dreams. In BoHo Theatre’s groundbreaking production, Director Bo Frazier reimagines this gripping rock musical as a celebration of trans joy, love, and creativity.
Tuesday, December 20, 4:00 pm CST via Zoom
There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is required.
Brief presentation of the year in review and plans for 2023.
Monday, November 14 at 6:00 pm
You are invited to an intimate evening with the three time Tony Award nominated, Sandy Duncan. There will be wonderful musical selections from her memorable shows (The King and I, The Boyfriend, The Canterbury Tales and of course, Peter Pan) performed by some of Chicago’s most talented theater stars. There will also be the induction of our 2022 Scholarship Recipients.
Please join us at Hyde Park’s Court Theatre on Sunday, December 8th for the 2pm matinee of Falsettos.
Tony Award-winning Falsettos is a tribute to family and its many forms; a playful interrogation of faith and identity; and a celebration of the beauty, complexity, and necessity of love.
The Sarah Siddons Society is extremely grateful to Theo and Cathy and Jeff LeCaptain for selecting us as the beneficiary of this performance of The Secret Garden. They felt the university theatre arts scholarships we fund are a very meaningful way to honor their daughter, actress Molly LeCaptain who passed away from Cancer in January of this year.
Wednesday, November 6
Reception at 6:00 pm
Program at 7:00 pm
The Arts Club of Chicago | 201 E Ontario Street, Chicago
Please join us on Sunday, October 6 for the Chicago premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at Writer’s Theatre in Glencoe.
12 noon- Buffet Brunch at Lucille Restaurant at Drury Lane
2:00 pm- Orchestra seat for Ain’t Misbehavin’
Stride along with the toe-tapping, finger-snapping revue that journeys through the Harlem Renaissance with the music of legend Fats Waller. Brimming with the energetic charm of jazz classics such as “Honeysuckle Rose” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” the crooners of Ain’t Misbehavin’ bring soulful melodies to life, capturing the essence of an era where the joint was always jumpin’.
Acclaimed author John Berendt’s iconic New York Timesbest seller becomes a seductive new musical.
Southern charm is bountiful in Savannah, Georgia. But behind polite smiles, the eccentric residents are filled with secrets and motives. When wealthy antiques dealer Jim Williams is accused of murder, the sensational trial uncovers hidden truths and exposes the fine line between good and evil – which sparks Lady Chablis and other Savannahians to change the city forever. MacArthur “Genius” grantee Taylor Mac, Tony Award winners Jason Robert Brown and Rob Ashford, and choreographer Tanya Birl-Torres bring the true-crime blockbuster book and its beloved characters to life in a new musical adaptation.
Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies…until Madeline steals Helen’s fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for.
After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored…and a grudge to last eternity.
Starring Tony Award® nominees Megan Hilty (Wicked, “Smash”), Jennifer Simard (Company, Disaster!), and Christopher Sieber(Spamalot, Company), with Grammy® Award winner Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child, Chicago), Death Becomes Her, based on the classic 1992 film, is a drop-dead hilarious new musical comedy about friendship, love, and burying the hatchet…again, and again, and again.
Please join us on Sunday, May 19 as we board The Twentieth Century
Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Music by Cy Coleman
Based on a play by Ben Hecht and Charles MaCarther and also a play by Bruce Milholland
On the Twentieth Century is a lively musical comedy set in the 1930s, featuring a glamorous journey aboard a luxury train where egos clash, romance blossoms, and theatrical shenanigans unfold, delivering a delightful blend of humor and heart.
Lunch preceding at the charming Uvae in Edgewater
This is our fourth trip, and they usually sell out very quickly! We will see four of the most in demand musicals of the Season (and the option to add a fifth show), enjoy one dinner and two luncheons, where we will have exclusive Broadway guests. This unforgettable weekend includes two nights at the beautiful InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel.
*Very limited capacity*
Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny is headed to Chicago! Rob McClure will reprise his Tony-nominated Broadway performance on tour alongside co-star (and real wife!) Maggie Lakis in this internationally acclaimed hit musical critics call “wonderful, heart-warming, and laugh-out-loud funny” (Manchester Evening News) and “a feel-good, family-friendly comedy that delivers” (The Hollywood Reporter). Based on the beloved film and directed by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks, MRS. DOUBTFIRE tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids. It’s “the lovable, big-hearted musical comedy we need right now,” raves the Chicago Tribune – one that proves we’re better together.
This year’s Sarah Siddons Society Swell Soirée highlights many of Chicago’s famed clubs from the 1940’s through the 1970’s, like Chez Paree, Mr. Kelly’s, London House and Robert’s Show Lounge. This evening of cabaret will feature some of Chicago’s most talented and experienced performers paired with musical theatre students from universities supported with Sarah Siddons scholarships.
Following the performance, join us for an intimate fundraiser dinner with the cast at one of Chicago’s best Chinese Restaurants, MingHin Cuisine - 1234 South Michigan Avenue
Join us as we set sail for the 90th anniversary production of Cole Porter’s smash-hit musical comedy. His iconic score includes a shipload of tunes that built the Great American Songbook including “Anything Goes,” “Friendship,” “You’re the Top” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
Noon - Lunch at Italian Village
2:00 pm - Boop! at CIBC Theater
For almost a century, Betty Boop has won hearts and inspired fans around the world with her trademark looks, voice, and style. Now, in BOOP!, Betty’s dream of an ordinary day off from the super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an extraordinary adventure of color, music, and love in New York City—one that reminds her and the world, “You are capable of amazing things.” Boop-oop-a-doop!
Come join us for the Chicago premiere of a new one woman play written & performed by: ALMANYA NARULA, a 2016 Sarah Siddons Scholarship recipient. The Chicago premiere is being produced by The Sarah Siddons Society.
'Noor Inayat Khan: The Forgotten Spy' premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival to much acclaim and sold out performances. It is based on the untold true story of Noor Inayat Khan, an Indian princess turned British WW2 spy who became the first woman to be sent out as a radio operator and was vital to the success in D-Day. She evaded the gestapo for months in France, while creating a network that would sabotage their plans until eventually she was caught, tortured, and executed in Dachau.
The Arts Club of Chicago
201 E Ontario Street, Chicago
*All Proceeds Benefit the Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Program.
You are invited to an intimate evening with the Tony Award winner, Stephanie J Block. There will be wonderful musical selections from her memorable shows (Into The Woods, THE CHER SHOW, Falsettos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, 9 to 5: The Musical, Wicked, The Pirate Queen, and The Boy From Oz) performed by some of Chicago’s most talented theatre stars. There will also be the induction of our 2023 Scholarship Recipients.
A Wonderful World is the singular story of jazz legend, Grammy Award winner, and American icon Louis Armstrong, as told by the women in his life. Armstrong's innovative musicianship and incredible charisma as trumpet player and vocalist would lead him from the early days of jazz in his native New Orleans to five decades of international stardom.
The Great American Songbook Is Alive and Well and Living in CHICAGO!
Beckie Menzie, Music Director
Carla Gordon, Director
This year’s Sarah Siddons Society Swell Soirée celebrates the Great American Songbook. This evening of cabaret will feature some of Chicago’s most talented and experienced performers paired with musical theatre students from universities supported with Sarah Siddons scholarships.
2:30 pm
Mercury Theatre | 3745 N. Southport Avenue | Chicago
Mark Twain’s timeless classic sweeps audiences down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim escape from slavery to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River. Their adventures along the way are hilarious, suspenseful, and heartwarming, bringing to life everyone’s favorite characters from the novel.
This is our third trip and they usually sell out very quickly! We will see four of the most in demand musicals of the Season (and the option to add a fifth show), enjoy one dinner and two luncheon, where we will have exclusive Broadway guests. This unforgettable weekend includes two nights at the beautiful InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel.
Reasons takes us on a journey of how Earth, Wind & Fire was formed from their humble beginnings, to become the musical revolutionaries that changed the course of music. They took a vision that no one said would work, and turned it into a musical powerhouse that still lives on today.
Join us Sunday, March 19th for the Paramount Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods. Preceding the show enjoy a special St Patrick’s Day weekend breakfast with a special guest.
A fantastical musical adventure inspired by a father’s incredible stories. Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, Big Fish tells the story of Edward Bloom, a charming traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest, and then some. Overflowing with heart and humor, Big Fish is the extraordinary story that reminds us why we love going to the theatre.
Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 3 pm
The Edge Theatre | 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago
Talkback following the show
Written by the late Jonathan Larson and directed by BoHo Artistic Associate Bo Frazier, tick, tick…BOOM! tells the autobiographical story of Jonathan, a struggling New York composer entering his 30s. The year is 1990, the AIDS crisis is escalating, and Jonathan is growing increasingly desperate to leave his dead-end job and write the next great American musical. Jonathan’s girlfriend Susan and his best friend Michael announce major life changes, and Jonathan begins to wonder if the ticking clock is running out on his Broadway dreams. In BoHo Theatre’s groundbreaking production, Director Bo Frazier reimagines this gripping rock musical as a celebration of trans joy, love, and creativity.
Tuesday, December 20, 4:00 pm CST via Zoom
There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is required.
Brief presentation of the year in review and plans for 2023.
Monday, November 14 at 6:00 pm
You are invited to an intimate evening with the three time Tony Award nominated, Sandy Duncan. There will be wonderful musical selections from her memorable shows (The King and I, The Boyfriend, The Canterbury Tales and of course, Peter Pan) performed by some of Chicago’s most talented theater stars. There will also be the induction of our 2022 Scholarship Recipients.
Please join us for the world premiere of the musical of The Notebook on Sunday, October 9. We will have lunch preceding the show at Lirica, Sable Hotel at Navy Pier.
12:00 PM Lunch at Lirica, Sable Hotel at Navy Pier with special guest Mary Ernster (Older Allie at our performance)
2:30 PM Orchestra seat for The Notebook at The Shed, Chicago Shakespeare at Navy Pier
5:00 PM - Dinner at South Branch Tavern and Grille, 100 South Wacker
7:00 PM - Orchestra Seat to Fiddler on the Roof, Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker
Join us for the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s North American premiere of a reimagined all-time classic, Fiddler on the Roof. Originally produced by Komische Oper Berlin, it will be directed by one of the world's leading opera directors, Barrie Kosky. Steven Skybell stars as Tevye, the role for which he won a Lucille Lortel Award for the 2019 off-Broadway Yiddish production; and Debbie Gravitte, a 1989 Tony Award winner for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, as Golde.
Please join us for the Pre-Broadway World Premiere of the new musical with music by Sir Elton John and lyrics by Paul Rudnick and Shaina Taub, The Devil Wears Prada on Sunday, August 21. This highly anticipated show stars Tony Award winner, Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom) as Miranda Priestly and Taylor Iman Jones (Groundhog Day, American Idiot) as Andy Sachs. It is directed Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro (August: Osage County).
11:30 am - Lunch at Mariposa Restaurant, 737 N. Michigan Ave
2:00 pm - Orchestra seat to Devil Wears Prada (Limited number of premium orchestra seats available) Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph
6:00 pm Reception
7:00 pm Special Performance by Kate Baldwin and Heidi Kettenring
Davenport’s | 1383 N. Milwaukee Avenue | Chicago
Join us for a very special and intimate evening, as the Sarah Siddons Society celebrates our seventieth anniversary. Since 1952, the Sarah Siddons Society has awarded over 300 scholarships to promising theater arts students, first at the Goodman School of Drama (now The Theatre School at DePaul University) as well as Northwestern, Roosevelt and Columbia College.
SKATES, co-created by Christine Rea (book/lyrics) and Rick Briskin (music/lyrics), with direction by Brenda Didier, choreography by Christopher Chase Carter (Siddons Artistic Council Member) and music direction by Daniel A. Weiss is a coming of age story with a twist. It’s 1994 and rock star Jacqueline Miller has a lot to celebrate. She’s headlining her first national tour, has a hit record and is riding high. In the midst of this, she has agreed to kick off the gala re-opening of her beloved childhood roller rink, Windy City Skates.
5:15 pm - Dinner at The Exchange in the landmark Railway Exchange Building with special guests to be announced.
7:30 pm - Join us for the world premiere of a new musical, Skates at the newly historic Studebaker Theatre. STARRING AMERICAN IDOL FAVORITES DIANA DEGARMO AND ACE YOUNG.
