SWEET CHARITY, PASSION, and More Announced for Blank Theatre Company 2025 Season

Blank Theatre Company has announced their 2025 season, featuring two full-length productions and one cabaret fundraiser, as well as company member promotions and other exciting partnerships.

Blank has announced that the company will now be residents at The Greenhouse Theatre Center, 2257 N Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park. After the fire at Invictus Theatre during Blank's run of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Blank performed at a few different venues throughout the city. The company is thrilled to have a long-term partner in housing the work of their 2025 season and beyond.

The season opens with the return of Blank's Cabaret series with "Journey to the Past: A Blank Cabaret Fundraiser, reliving and reprising roles from our history". It will take place on Monday, March 10th at 7:30 PM at the Newport Theatre, 956 W Newport Ave in Lakeview.

SWEET CHARITY is the first mainstage production of the season and runs May 9th - June 8th at the Greenhouse Theatre Center Mainstage space. Opening night is Tuesday, May 13th. SWEET CHARITY features music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, a book by Neil Simon, and is based on the original screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. SWEET CHARITY is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

SWEET CHARITY is a lively and heartwarming musical that follows the adventures of Charity Hope Valentine, an optimistic dance-hall hostess with a heart of gold, as she searches for love in New York City. This classic 1966 Broadway hit features iconic Bob Fosse numbers like "Big Spender" and "Rich Man's Frug." A perfect blend of humor, romance, and dazzling choreography, SWEET CHARITY offers an uplifting, spirited look at the resilience of the human heart.

Blank Theatre is thrilled to bring SWEET CHARITY to Chicago for the first time in a storefront venue and to reimagine it for a small space, like Blank has done successfully for shows like PROMISES, PROMISES and ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. SWEET CHARITY will have music direction by Aaron Kaplan and choreography by Lauryn Schmelzer. The director will be announced at a later date.

PASSION closes out the season and runs July 11th - August 10th at the Greenhouse Theatre Center Studio space. Opening night is Monday, July 14th. PASSION is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by James Lapine, and is based on the film "Passione d'Amore" (originally directed by Ettore Scola). PASSION is presented by arrangement with Musical Theatre International.

PASSION is an intense and hauntingly beautiful musical exploring the complexities of love, obsession, and desire. Set in 19th-century Italy, the story follows a young soldier, Giorgio, who becomes entangled in a passionate and consuming relationship with Fosca, a sickly but deeply emotional woman. With a lush and powerful score, PASSION delves into the darker, more vulnerable sides of human connection, offering an unforgettable journey into the nature of love and its transformative power.

Returning to the Blank Theatre stage is company member and Managing Director, Rachel Guth (The Mad Ones) as Clara and Brittney Brown (MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG) as Fosca. PASSION will be directed by Blank's Co-Artistic Director Danny Kapinos with music direction by Aaron Kaplan. Blank Theatre is excited to produce PASSION (Stephen Sondheim's least produced musical) for the first time in a decade, as the last production in Chicago was in 2014 at Theo Ubique.

"We're thrilled to revisit the work of writers who have played a key role in our past successes with Neil Simon, Cy Coleman and Stephen Sondheim. This season, we wanted to highlight complex, resilient women at the center of each story. SWEET CHARITY showcases Charity's unbreakable optimism amidst life's challenges, while PASSION gives voice to two powerful women who profoundly shape the decisions of one man's life. The intimacy of PASSION's dark, private moments between characters will be intensified by our small space, allowing audiences to be fully immersed in the raw, vulnerable connections on stage. Both productions provide meaningful roles for the remarkable women in our community, and with SWEET CHARITY, we're thrilled to reimagine a musical known for its iconic choreography within our signature, stripped-down style," says Dustin Rothbart, Co-Artistic Director.

Along with the season announcement, Blank is also excited to announce that Rachel Guth will now be Blank Theatre Company's Managing Director. "On stage and off, Rachel is enthusiastic and helpful in all aspects of Blank. She steps in and steps up to make the company successful, so we couldn't be more excited to have her in this role," says Halli Morgan, Blank Company Member and Marketing Coordinator.

For more information and ticketing, please visit blanktheatrecompany.org.

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