Cast Set For Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre's Production of Preston Max Allen's NEVER BETTER

The award-winning Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre today announced the cast and creative team of their latest presentation of a musical in development, Never Better, with book, lyrics, and music by award-winning writer Preston Max Allen (he/him). For the third consecutive year, Theo dedicates its opening production slot to the support of an emerging writer and the creation of new work. Never Better will run September 7 through October 13 at Theo's intimate cabaret venue at 721 Howard Street in Evanston.

Never Better previously received its first developmental reading as part of the 2016 New York Musical Festival, produced by NYMF and Megan Kingery, and directed by Portia-Krieger/">Portia Krieger. Songs from Never Better have also been featured in concerts at several New York venues including Lincoln Center, 54 Below, Joe's Pub, and the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

"By trusting a new musical with a full production, Theo has given Never Better - and all the new pieces this incredible theatre has supported - an opportunity so rare it's almost impossible to find," says Allen. "To be able to develop a new musical even for a moment is a gift, and the team we've put together alongside the opportunity to spend some time before production really diving in and exploring is truly the dream. After putting this piece away in 2019, I'm so lucky to have been given the chance to reinvigorate it with an updated perspective on today's world as well as the growth I've experienced as a writer and person. I really never thought I'd get that chance and out of it has come a musical I'm immensely proud of with collaborators I'm honored to create with."

Allen is no stranger to Chicago having written the Jeff Nominated The Rage: Carrie 2, An Unauthorized Musical Parody and most recently a reading of his new play Modern Gentleman at Theo's Inaugural WinterFest. Allen is a 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant Honorable Mention recipient and has also received audience acclaim for his Off-Broadway musical We Are The Tigers. Most recently, Allen was recognized by Windy City Times as a 30 Under 30 Honoree.

Landree Fleming (she/her) returns to the Director's table at Theo reuniting with Allen after directing the reading Modern Gentleman this past January.

"I'm a big fan of Preston Max Allen's writing. He has this unique ability to explore seemingly highly specific human experiences through a lens that illuminates their universality, creating channels of connection and understanding," says Fleming. "He treats all of his characters with deep respect, and even with the heaviest of topics, he finds the humor. With this piece specifically, I'm very drawn to the concept of hope for hope's sake - the value of having hope, in and of itself, no matter the outcome. Plus rockin' tunes."

J Alan (J/she; Associate Director/Choreographer), Ellie Kahn (she/her; Music Director/Conductor/Mom), and T.J. Anderson (he/him; Assistant Music Director/Sub Conductor) complete the artistic team. Theo welcomes Eleanor Kahn (she/her; Scenic Designer), David Goodman-Edberg (he/him, Lighting Designer), Uriel Gomez (he/him; Costume & Make-Up Designer), Isa Noe (they/them; Properties Designer) and Matthew R. Chase (he/him; Sound Designer) to the design team. Evelyn Ryan (she/her) is the Orchestrator of Never Better with Maddi Vogel (they/them) on Drums.

The cast features an array of familiar and new faces, and several actor-musicians. Making their Theo debuts will be Emma Samuelson (she/her; Davy) and Shawn Smith (he/him; Carter). Melody Murray (she/her; April) returns to the company's stage having recently performed in Sondheim Tribute Revue this past season. Theo audiences will also recognize Liz Bollar (she/they; Aynsley) from her recent turns in Assassins, The Threepenny Opera, and Things We Don't Say. The company features several talented actor-musicians including Jess Alexander (he/him; Dad/Guitar), Travis Shanahan (he/they; Ensemble/Bass/understudy Dad), and Ismael Garcia (they/he; Ensemble/Cello). Completing the cast will be Haven Sydney Denson (she/they; understudy Davy), Kate McQuillan (she/her; understudy April), Connor Ripperger (he/they; understudy carter), and Amelia Jo Parish (they/she; understudy Aynsley and Mom).

With this announcement, also comes the release of single tickets for the entire exciting 2024/2025 season. Available beginning today, single tickets for Never Better are $30 for previews and $45 for regular run performances. In addition, subscriptions remain available with packages ranging from $90-$180 per person. All tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at theo-u.com or via phone at 773-939-4101. Box office hours are Wednesday-Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m. The company will discontinue its pre-show dinner offerings, but the cash bar will remain open during all performances, with the addition of a light bites menu from Evanston restaurant partners.

Never Better is supported in part by the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals, a program of National Alliance for Musical Theatre - www.namt.org.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

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