Linda Fortunato News

Theatre at the Center's production of Annie Warbucks, the sequel to Annie, the 1977 Tony Award-winning smash Broadway hit, opened to a packed house Sunday, November 20. Based on Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie comic strip, the book is by Thomas Meehan with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin. Annie Warbucks opened Off Broadway in 1993 and broke records for the time with 200 performances.  The Jeff Recommended production will continue through December 18. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening festivities below!

Five Chicago actor-musicians made their Theatre at the Center debut in this production. Christine Mild as Rhetta Cupp, Shaun Whitley as Jim, Matt Holzfeind as Jackson, Matt Edmonds as L.M. and Cody Siragusa as Eddie are joined by Veronica Garza, who returns to the TATC stage to play Rhetta's sister Prudie Cupp. Directed by Brian Russell with musical direction by William Underwood, Pump Boys and Dinettes will continue through October 16.  Check out some songs from the show below!

It was a full house on Sunday, September 18, for the opening night of Pump Boys and Dinettes at Theatre at the Center in Munster. The audience was treated to a little slice of Americana with this upbeat roadside musical. Scroll down for photos from the opening night festivities!

Five Chicago actor-musicians make their Theatre at the Center debut in the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes.  Christine Mild as Rhetta Cupp, Shaun Whitley as Jim, Matt Holzfeind as Jackson, Matt Edmonds as L.M. and Cody Siragusa as Eddie are joined by Veronica Garza, who returns to the TATC stage to play Rhetta's sister Prudie Cupp.   The director is Brian Russell and William Underwood is Music Director. 

Five Chicago actor-musicians make their Theatre at the Center debut in the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes.  Christine Mild as Rhetta Cupp, Shaun Whitley as Jim, Matt Holzfeind as Jackson, Matt Edmonds as L.M. and Cody Siragusa as Eddie are joined by Veronica Garza, who returns to the TATC stage to play Rhetta's sister Prudie Cupp.   The director is Brian Russell and William Underwood is Music Director. 

On Sunday, July 17 Theatre at the Center celebrated opening night of the Neil Simon comedy classic THE ODD COUPLE. THE ODD COUPLE runs through August 14. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

BoHo Theatre completes its 2016 season with NEXT TO NORMAL, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt's rock opera about struggling with grief and mental illness in suburban America. The production is directed by Theater at the Center Artistic Director Linda Fortunato, who recently earned a Jeff Award for choreographing BoHo's KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and a Jeff Award nomination for directing BoHo's PARADE.

Theatre at the Center is announcing its first season under the leadership of new Artistic Director Linda Fortunato.   Theatre at the Center's 2017 season is comprised of a variety of works ranging from Broadway musicals to a Chicagoland premiere play and a holiday classic.  The season opens with My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, followed by Kander and Ebb's Tony Award winning Cabaret.  Next will be the Chicagoland premiere of The Tin Woman by Sean Grennan, then Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and closing the season is A Wonderful Life: The Musical.  Jeff award-winner Fortunato will direct three of the five productions.   William Underwood will serve as music director for the season.

?Actors Norm Boucher and George Keating will play the leads in Theatre at the Center's cast for the famous comedy classic The Odd Couple, the 1965 Broadway hit by iconic playwright Neil Simon.   Directed by Larry Wyatt, The Odd Couple runs from July 14 to Aug. 14.   

Theatre at the Center presents the Chicagoland premiere of the Broadway hit NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. This new musical features a book by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro, and a treasure trove of George and Ira Gershwin's most beloved, instantly recognizable tunes (Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, Someone to Watch Over Me, 'S Wonderful). NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT runs now through June 5 at Theatre at the Center. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

?Theatre at the Center announces the Chicagoland premiere of the Broadway hit Nice Work If You Can Get It.  This new musical features a book by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro, and a treasure trove of George and Ira Gershwin's most beloved, instantly recognizable tunes (Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, Someone to Watch Over Me, 'S Wonderful).  Nice Work If You Can Get It runs May 5 through June 5 at Theatre at the Center.

A hit on Broadway and in London's West End, the thrilling comedy, Alfred Hitchcock's THE 39 STEPS kick started Theatre at the Center's 26th season on February 21 and continues through March 20, 2016. This comedic spoof offers non-stop action and features four actors playing more than 150 different characters. The show is filled with an incredible series of lightning fast costume changes that make for a great deal of laughter and excitement. BroadwayWorld has a photo from the opening night festivities below!

A hit on Broadway and in London's West End, the thrilling comedy, Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" kick starts Theatre at the Center's 26th season beginning February 18 and continuing through March 20, 2016.  This comedic spoof offers non-stop action and features four actors playing more than 150 different characters.  The show is filled with an incredible series of lightning fast costume changes that make for a great deal of laughter and excitement.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's the TOP TEN HOT TOPIX for the last half of 2015! What are the shows and stories we've been most excited about? Here they are! I hope you have a happy new year. And I'll see you at The Call on January 10, 2016 for the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Details on the arrivals of 'Hamilton' and 'If/Then,' and Bill Pullinsi's and Michael Flatley's retirements mark the end of two eraa. 'Far From Heaven' and 'Heathers' will premiere locally, and 'Bel Canto' bows at the Lyric Opera. 'Daddy Long Legs' streams, 'Option Up!' debuts new works, and voting for the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards heats up!

Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana, one of Chicagoland's leading regional theatres, announces today that as of January 1, William Pullinsi will step down after over a decade as Artistic Director to dedicate his time to pursuing other opportunities while remaining Artistic Director Emeritus. Jeff Award-winner Linda Fortunato will assume the role of Artistic Director. During Pullinsi's time at Theatre at the Center he brought to the stage World Premiere musicals including Knute Rockne, All American and The Beverly Hillbillies; and Regional and Chicago Premieres including Ring of Fire, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, A Christmas Memory, Making God Laugh, Miracle on South Division Street, Fox on the Fairway, Do I Hear a Waltz, Leading Ladies, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What a Glorious Feeling and Nice Work if You Can Get It (which he will be directing during TATC's 2016 season).

As the grand finale to their spectacular 25th Anniversary 2015 Season, Theatre at the Center presents the beloved holiday classic, A CHRISTMAS STORY, running now through December 27, with a press opening this Sunday, November 22 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

As the grand finale to their spectacular 25th Anniversary 2015 Season, Theatre at the Center presents the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Story, running November 19 through December 27, with a press opening on Sunday, November 22 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana. Based on the award-winning film, the play by Phil Grecian tells the story of Ralphie Parker, who longs for a genuine Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The source material for the film was the warm and hilarious story collection In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by local Hammond, Indiana native Jean Shepherd. The holiday classic will be directed by Jeff Award-winner Linda Fortunato (Monty Python's Spamalot, A Christmas Carol, 42nd Street at Theatre at the Center).

 A massive hit on Broadway, playing over 1,500 hysterical performances seen by more than two million people, Monty Python's SPAMALOT continues Theatre at the Center's exceptional 25th Anniversary Season. The Monty Python-inspired farce of the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle and a fresh new score created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. The tale of King Arthur and his band of raunchy knights won the Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical, as well as the Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Musical Show Album. Jeff Award-winning Director David Perkovich and Jeff Award-winning Choreographer Linda Fortunato join artistic forces to put their creative spin on the irreverent musical parody, running September 17th through October 18th, with a press opening on Sunday, September 20th at 7 p.m. at 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, IN.

A massive hit on Broadway, playing over 1,500 hysterical performances seen by more than two million people, Monty Python's SPAMALOT continues Theatre at the Center's exceptional 25th Anniversary Season.