ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar
HARRIS THEATER FOR MUSIC AND DANCE PRESENTS
JOFFREY AT THE HARRIS: MATTERS OF THE HEART
Image credits (from top left, clockwise): Chanel DaSilva (credit: Stephanie Diani), The Main Squeeze, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (Joe Shults), Broken Wings (Rosalie O’Connor)
Dynamic two-act program showcases World Premiere of Wabash & You, a Chicago love story by Chanel DaSilva with on-stage funk band, along with Midwest debut of Frida Kahlo-inspired Broken Wings, by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
FIVE PERFORMANCES ONLY, NOVEMBER 6-9, 2025
The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance proudly presents what is certain to be a highlight of its Harris Theater Presents 2025-26 season – Joffrey at the Harris: Matters of the Heart – a dynamic program featuring The Joffrey Ballet performing works by two of today’s top female choreographers, Chanel DaSilva and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.
Drawing on themes of love and resilience, The Joffrey Ballet will perform the world premiere of DaSilva’s Wabash & You, a love story set in Chicago featuring live, on-stage accompaniment by The Main Squeeze funk band.
In addition the Company will perform the Midwest debut of Lopez Ochoa’s Broken Wings (2024), inspired by the life and art of Frida Kahlo and set to a score by in-demand UK-based ballet composer Peter Salem performed live by the Chicago Philharmonic, a Harris Theater Resident Company.
“This collaboration with the Joffrey, our neighbors whose flagship home is just down Randolph Street from the Harris, feels both natural and long overdue,” said Harris Theater President and CEO Lori Dimun. “At a time when the arts – and our world – are navigating new challenges, dynamic collaboration is essential to sustaining a healthy future. To have a partner like the Joffrey, willing to embrace the opportunity and risk of sharing such vital work, is a gift. The Joffrey was a founding resident company of the Harris, helping to shape the Theater’s design and stage accommodations in its earliest days. This partnership reflects not only that shared history, but also our shared commitment to Chicago, to elevating important choreographic voices in dance.”
"When Chicago's cultural institutions come together, the city is at its most inspired," added Joffrey Ballet President and CEO Greg Cameron. "Partnering with the Harris Theater for Matters of the Heart reflects the strength and unity of our cultural landscape and is a testament to what's possible when organizations work in concert: beautiful storytelling, creative spirit, and powerful connections between artists and audiences. This is Chicago at its best: collaborative, creative, and committed to community."
"Welcoming back Chanel DaSilva and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa is a celebration, and a reunion, of two visionary artists whose stories pulse with fearlessness and beauty," said Joffrey Ballet Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE. "In Matters of the Heart, Chanel and Annabelle's works speak in two different choreographic languages, but both strike the same universal chord: heartbreak is timeless. Matters of the Heart illustrates how powerfully women shape the stories dance can tell.”
The world premiere of DaSilva’s Wabash & You, set in downtown Chicago, is a modern twist on the classic girl-meets-boy love story, reminding audiences that love can find us anywhere at any time. But… does that mean that love will last forever? Wabash & You is a love letter both to the city of Chicago and to the hopeless romantics that live within us all. Notably, the music will be performed live by the dynamic and soulful Bloomington, IN-based funk band, The Main Squeeze. The band will be onstage with the dancers, both playing the soundtrack for the piece and being a part of the experience.
Lopez Ochoa’s Broken Wings tells the story of iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, highlighting her connection to her Mexican heritage through a unique blend of classical and contemporary dance. Originally commissioned by the English National Ballet, the work incorporates Mexican folk songs and draws on Kahlo’s paintings for its vibrant set and costume design. Broken Wings aims to capture Kahlo's spirit of resilience, pain, and love, transforming her story into a visual and emotional performance.
Joffrey at the Harris: Matters of the Heart will be presented in five performances only, November 6-9, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Street: Thursday and Friday, Nov. 6 and 7, at 7:30 PM; Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 PM and 7:30 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2:00 PM. Single tickets start at $46 (including all service charges) and are available at harristheaterchicago.org or by calling 312.334.7777. ASL interpretation and Audio Description will be available on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 PM.
Leadership support for the 2025-2026 Harris Theater Presents season is provided by: Irving Harris Foundation and Joan W. Harris, Abby McCormick O'Neil and D. Carroll Joynes, Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Family Foundation, The Harris Family Foundation, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Family Foundation and Alexandra C. Nichols, Jack and Sandra Guthman, ITW, Gregory J. O'Leary and Patricia A. Kenney, Nancy Dehmlow, William Blair & Company and Alaina Anderson, Reed Smith LLP and Peter M. Ellis, Marilyn F. and David J. Vitale, Bank of America, Gail Eisenhart Belytschko, Pamela Crutchfield, Ted A. Grady and Dr. Ross Slotten, Christine and Glenn Kelly, Merrillyn J. Kosier and James F. Kinoshita, Helen Hall Melchior, Frank Modruson and Lynne Shigley, The A. Montgomery Ward Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee, and Fifth Third Bank.
Joffrey at the Harris: Matters of the Heart is generously supported by Conagra Brands Foundation, Patricia A. Kenney and Gregory J. O’Leary, Gary Metzner and Scott Johnson, Courtney C. Shea, and Penelope R. Steiner, with additional support from Ted A. Grady and Dr. Ross Slotten, Merrillyn J. Kosier and James F. Kinoshita, Phil Lumpkin and Bill Tedford, and Mr. and Mrs. Alejandro Silva.
ABOUT THE JOFFREY BALLET
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for 70 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works. Founded in 1956 by pioneers Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey remains dedicated to artistic expression, innovation, and first-rate education and engagement programming. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE and President and CEO Greg Cameron. For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
ABOUT THE JOAN W. AND IRVING B. HARRIS THEATER FOR MUSIC AND DANCE
The Harris Theater is Chicago's home for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. An anchor institution of Millennium Park and the first multi-use performance venue built in downtown Chicago since 1929, the Harris was established in 2003 to create a much-needed home for the city's vibrant community of midsize performing arts organizations. Today, the nonprofit Harris Theater features some of the most diverse arts and culture offerings in the city, from its Chicago-based Resident Companies to the world-renowned visiting artists who perform on its stage through the Harris Theater Presents series. The signature Harris Theater Presents series has featured acclaimed artists and ensembles including Joyce DiDonato, Batsheva Dance, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York City Ballet, English National Ballet, Joshua Bell, Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras, Angelique Kidjo, and Paris Opera Ballet. The Theater's education and community engagement initiatives build bridges between artists and community members, providing master classes, artist talks, and free tickets for more than 35 partner organizations throughout Chicago.
To learn more about the Harris Theater, Chicago's home for music and dance in Millennium Park, visit harristheaterchicago.org and follow us on Facebook, lnstagram, and Linkedln.
No comments:
Post a Comment