Music Theater Works Presents MAMMA MIA!; Creative Team Announced

Music Theater Works presents MAMMA MIA! at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston, June 6, through June 14, 2020.

Set on a remote Greek island, bride-to-be, Sophie, is on the quest to discover who of three men may be her father so he can walk her down the aisle. Add in an unsuspecting mother, her two best friends, and the story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs, you will be propelled into this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. The score features ABBA classics like "Dancing Queen", "Super Trouper", "Waterloo", and of course , "Mamma Mia!". This smash hit musical is sure to have you dancing in the aisles!

2020 marks the first season with Kyle A. Dougan as Music Theater Works' Producing Artistic Director. Mr. Dougan's inaugural season begins our 40th year for Music Theater Works.

"Music Theater Works has been my home for close to a decade and I am grateful for the opportunity to build upon the great work that the company has done in the past as we move into the future." - Kyle A. Dougan, Producing Artistic Director

KYLE A. DOUGAN (Producing Artistic Director) Kyle worked as casting associate and events manager for Music Theater Works, and rejoined the company in 2018 as Producing Artistic Director Designate, following a two-year stint in academia. He relocated to Chicago in 1999, after completing his Masters in Musical Theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he produced and directed a workshop of new musicals. He also stage managed a series of new musicals with Perfect Pitch: New Musicals at Trafalgar Studios. In the Chicago area Kyle has directed, associate-directed and assistant-directed shows for Chamber Opera Chicago,Theatre at the Center, Big Noise Theater and The Music Theatre Company. He has served as artistic producer for a series of new musicals with Midwest New Musicals, as executive director of FWD Theatre Project and as co-owner of Style Theatrical Casting, a professional casting company in Chicago.

Justin Brill (Director) is working with Music Theater Works for the first time. He is currently on the Musical Theatre faculty of Columbia College Chicago, and has performed all over the Midwest since moving to Chicago in 2013, with appearances at Drury Lane Theatre, Theatre at the Center, The Marriott Theatre, The Fireside Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Prior to moving to Chicago, Justin lived in
New York City where he performed on Broadway (RENT, ALL SHOOK UP, HIGH FIDELITY) and with the Metropolitan Opera. He appeared in the national tours of WICKED and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and the Las Vegas companies of SPAMALOT and MAMMA MIA! Directing credits include a re-imagined concert reading of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ALLEGRO at Columbia and LYSISTRATA JONES for Refuge Theatre Project. He was assistant choreographer on SPAMALOT at Mercury Theatre, and co-produced Steven Strafford's Jeff nominated solo show METHTACULAR! with About Face Theatre.

Linda Madonia (Conductor / Music Director) returns to Music Theater Works, where she conducted JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, LERNER AND LOEWE'S GREATEST HITS, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU: Jule Styne'S GREATEST HITS and HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST SONG HITS. She has served as assistant music director and pianist on many other Music Theater Works productions. As a music director and conductor in the Chicago area for the past 30 years, she has collaborated with many companies, including Chamber Opera Chicago, Porchlight Music Theatre (where she also serves as an artistic associate), Mercury Theater, Theatre at the Center, Drury Lane Oakbrook and the Broadway Playhouse, to name a few. For the past 15 years, she has been the music director for Chicago's Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards. She is the voice coach for the master's degree Music Theatre program at Carthage College and owns American Eagle Productions, a touring theater company that has been taking shows and workshops directly into schools for 28 years, currently presenting 150 performances each year.

Shanna VanDerwerker (Choreographer) is working with Music Theater Works for the first time. She is an educator and choreographer in Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Point Park University. Her most recent choreography credits include SUNSET BOULEVARD at Porchlight Music Theater and SPAMALOT at Mercury Theater Chicago. Shanna received a Jeff Nomination for her choreography on LYSISTRATA JONES for Refuge Theater Project, and was the associate choreographer for PIPPIN at Venus Cabaret Space, MATILDA and JOSPEH at the Drury Lane Theatre. She choreographed CAN CAN for Porchlight Music Theatre and multiple shows at the Fireside Theatre in Wisconsin; favorites there include SINGIN' IN THE RAIN,
NEWSIES, 42ND STREET and most recently SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Shanna was Christopher Gattelli's associate for over 10 years, working on AMAZING GREACE and HIGH FIDELITY on Broadway, and SILENCE! THE MUSICAL at the New York Fringe Festival. Shanna was recently named an Inaugural Honoree of the Rachel Rockwell Foundation's Fierce Women Behind the Table by Porchlight Music Theater. After over four years as the dance captain of the first national tour of WICKED, Shanna relocated to Chicago where she is on faculty at Lou Conte Dance Center, Dovetail Studios, the Chicago Conservatory of the Performing Arts of Roosevelt University and Columbia College Chicago. She also choreographs and teaches workshops for studios across the country.

For more information visit MusicTheaterWorks.com

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