World Premiere Adaptation of The Last Wide Open at American Blues Theater Through August 18, 2024

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American Blues Theater to produce the World Premiere Adaptation of Audrey Cefaly’s play with music

The Last Wide Open

directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside

featuring Dara Cameron, Michael Mahler, and J.G. Smith

July 5 – August 18, 2024

at American Blues Theater’s new building, 5627 N. Lincoln Ave.

American Blues Theater announces the World Premiere of the Polish version of The Last Wide Open by Audrey Cefaly (book & lyrics), Matt M. Nielson (music), and Katarzyna Müller (Polish adaptation and consultant). The production, directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with music direction by Ensemble member Michael Mahler, will be the first production to be held in the studio theater at American Blues Theater’s new permanent home, 5627 N Lincoln Ave in Chicago.

The Last Wide Open will run July 5-August 18, 2023. Tickets are on sale at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

A diner. 10PM. Chicago. What if you found your person, but the timing was off? Three times! Lina and Mikołaj’s lives intersect and parallel as three alternate realities unfold in this beautiful love story with music. This worn-out waitress and Polish immigrant dishwasher show us the mystical ways the universe conspires to bring us all together. You’ll be charmed by this quirky, heartfelt, made-for-Chicago World Premiere! If you like “Groundhog Day” and “Sliding Doors,” you won’t want to miss this must-see romantic comedy. 

In the original version of The Last Wide Open (which premiered at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Audrey Cefaly wrote the immigrant character as an Italian immigrant, setting the play in an Italian restaurant. American Blues Theater received permission to adapt the play with an immigrant from Poland and set in Chicago to reflect the large population of Chicago’s Polish-Americans.

The cast includes Ensemble members Michael Mahler (Mikołaj), Dara Cameron (Lina), and J.G. Smith (Stagehand).

The creative and production team is Grant Sabin* (co-scenic), Marcus Klein (co-scenic & scenic charge), Christopher Neville* (costumes), Katy Viccellio (lights), Rick Sims* (sound), Elyse Dolan* (props & set dressing), Matilda Szydagis (dialect coach), Richard Lundy (stage manager), Michael Trudeau* (technical director), Rachel West* (lighting supervisor), Lily Walls* (wardrobe supervisor), & Joe Court (audio supervisor).

 *Denotes Ensemble member or Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater

 

About the Artists

AUDREY CEFALY (Book & Lyrics) – Her plays include The Gulf (Edgerton, Lammy, Charles MacArthur Nominee), Alabaster (NNPN Record-Breaking RWP, Kilroys, Calicchio Prize, and Pulitzer-Prize Nominee), Maytag Virgin, The Last Wide Open, The Story of Walter, Tell Me Something Good, Trouble (Blue Ink Featured Finalist), and Love is a Blue Tick Hound. Cefaly is a Dramatist Guild Foundation Traveling Master. She is published by Concord Theatricals and TRW and her plays have been produced by Cincinnati Playhouse, Florida Studio, Florida Rep, City Theatre, Penobscot Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse, Merrimack Rep, Signature Theatre, Barter Theatre, Peterborough Players, Vermont Stage, and countless others. Her play Alabaster received a 10-city Rolling World Premiere, the largest in NNPN history.

MATTHEW M. NIELSON (Music) – Off-Broadway sound design and original music credits include The Public Theater/NYSF, Lincoln Center Theater and 59E59 Theaters. Regional credits include Denver Center Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Barrington Stage, Round House Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Studio Theatre, Theater Alliance, Olney Theatre and Contemporary American Theater Festival. Film and television credits include Death in Time, Elbow Grease, Blue, Epix Drive-In, From Hell to Here and Too Like the Lightning. Matthew is the creator of the audio drama series Troublesome Gap. He has won several awards for his work in the Washington, DC area, regionally and in film. He is currently enrolled in the Songwriting and Music Production program with the Berklee College of Music Online. Samples can be heard online at CuriousMusic.com.

Cefaly worked extensively with adaptor and American Blues Artistic Affiliate Katarzyna Müller to immerse the production in the Polish community in Chicago. The adaptation is more than a mere translation. The adaptation dramatizes the Polania diaspora and Chicago’s rich and vibrant Polish customs.

KATARZYNA (KATHY) MÜLLER (Polish Adaptation & Consultant) – is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. She was born in Poland and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. English is her second language. As an emerging playwright, she writes and workshops plays in Chicago and New York. Kathy also works in other media, including award-winning short films. Most recently, her short screenplay Again (Znovu) has been recognized internationally: Best First-Time Screenwriter, Košice International Film Festival (Slovakia); Runner-up, Best Short Screenplay, Polish International Film Festival (Poland); Finalist, Big Apple Film Festival (NYC); Official Selection, Pasadena International Film Festival; among others. Artistic Affiliate, American Blues Theater. BA, PhD, University of Chicago.

Polish adaptor and American Blues artistic affiliate Katarzyna Müller and her sister/production dialect coach Matilda Szydagis (The Sopranos, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)—are first-generation Polish immigrants raised in the Marquette Park neighborhood in Chicago. More about their experience as Polish immigrants in Chicago can be read here: https://americanbluestheater.com/2024/06/03/interview-with-katarzyna-muller-matilda-szydagis/

GWENDOLYN WHITESIDE (Executive Artistic Director/Director) is an Ensemble member of American Blues Theater and has served as Executive Artistic Director since 2010. In her tenure, she created the nationally-recognized Blue Ink Playwriting Award and new work development program, implemented community service into the company’s mission, and adapted the arts education program. She led American Blues through its reorganization in 2009, building the operational budget from zero to $1 million. She secured the company’s first-ever operating reserve, endowment, and permanent home. Whiteside served on numerous panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and Board of Directors for Network of Ensemble Theaters and League of Chicago Theatres. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University (BS), The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA), and a Kellogg Executive Scholar in Nonprofit management (Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University). As a producer, she’s received 15 Joseph Jefferson nominations or awards. As an actress, she’s received 5 Joseph Jefferson Awards, Citations, and nominations; 2 After Dark Awards; and 1 Broadway World Chicago Award. She directs Chicago’s holiday staple It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!. 

DARA CAMERON (Lina) is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. Favorite credits include It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, The Spitfire Grill (Jeff nomination) and Little Shop of Horrors (American Blues Theater); Old Jews Telling Jokes (Royal George and Off-Broadway); The Secret of My Success (Paramount Theatre); Elf, Hero (Jeff nomination), South Pacific, October Sky, Sister Act, City of Angels, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof (Marriott Theatre); Addams Family (Mercury Theater); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Theatre at the Center), and Sunset Boulevard, Seussical, and Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Drury Lane Theatre). She is a graduate of Northwestern University and a member of Actors’ Equity.

Co-stars and married couple Michael Mahler and Dara Cameron live in Oak Park. They are frequently romantic partners on stage, including Little Shop of Horrors and It’s a Wonderful Life at American Blues Theater. As well-known musical theater performers in Chicago, they both sing and play acoustic instruments in the production.

MICHAEL MAHLER (Mikołaj and Music Director) is an Ensemble member of American Blues. Past Blues productions: It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Jeff Award – Best Music Direction), Little Shop of Horrors, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, and Side Man. Other recent roles include The Baker in Into the Woods (Writers); Jim Hardy in Holiday Inn, and Jack Singer in Honeymoon in Vegas (Marriott Theatre). Michael co-wrote the songs for the Netflix movie My Little Pony: A New Generation and contributed additional lyrics to Cameron Mackintosh’s most recent Broadway production of Miss Saigon. Other works as a composer/lyricist include The Secret of My Success, Miracle (Jeff Award – Best New Work), Diary of a Wimpy Kid, October Sky, The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes (Jeff Award – Best New Work), and Hero (Jeff Award – Best New Work). Michael is married to fellow Ensemble Member Dara Cameron and proud father to their son Ezra.

J.G. SMITH (Stagehand) is an Ensemble member of American Blues. She has performed with Blues in It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, On Clover Road, Ripped, and virtual readings of The Thanksgiving Play, On the Greenbelt, and The Cratichits (in America). Theatre: I And You (Peninsula Players); Mother of the Maid (Northlight); Plantation! (Lookingglass); The Art of Sisters (Vision Productions); MARYSHELLEYSHOW (National Tour, Chicago Fringe, TheTankNYC); Peter and the Starcatcher (City Equity Theatre); Alice in Wonderland, As You Like It, King Lear, A Christmas Carol (Alabama Shakespeare); and Censored on Final Approach (The GYM at Judson). Film/TV credits include Jennifer Reeder’s Knives and Skin, MTV’s Short Comings, The Dancing Monkey, Dreaming Grand Avenue, Pry Me Open, and Dorm Therapy. Her original films and performance art have shown at New Orleans’ Hell Yes Film Festival, Williamsburg Circus, Salonathon!, Undiscovered Countries: The Infinite Fest, and TransVisions’ virtual SOFT PALETTE festival.

Book & lyrics by: Audrey Cefaly

Music by: Matt M. Nielson

Polish adaptation & consultant: Katarzyna Müller*

Director: Gwendolyn Whiteside*

Music Director: Michael Mahler*

Featuring: Michael Mahler* (Mikołaj), Dara Cameron* (Lina), J.G. Smith* (Stagehand).       

Creative Team: Grant Sabin* (co-scenic), Marcus Klein (co-scenic & scenic charge), Christopher Neville* (costumes), Katy Viccellio (lights), Rick Sims* (sound), Elyse Dolan* (props), Matilda Szydagis (dialect coach), Richard Lundy (stage manager), Michael Trudeau* (technical director), Rachel West* (lighting supervisor), Lily Walls* (wardrobe supervisor), & Joe Court* (audio supervisor).

*Ensemble member or Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater

 Dates: July 5 – August 18, 2024

 

Schedule:                   

Wednesdays:  2:00pm, July 24 and July 31 only

Thursdays & Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 4:30pm & 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:30pm

The run time is approximately 80 minutes, no intermission.

 Location: American Blues Theater, 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago

Ticket prices: $25-$65, plus a $4.50 ticket fee

Box office: Buy online at www.americanbluestheater.com or by calling (773) 654-3103.

The Last Wide Open will be performed in English with some Polish spoken by the character Mikołaj.

About American Blues Theater

Winner of the prestigious National Theatre Company Award from American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards). American Blues Theater is an Ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic diverse American stories that ask the question: “What does it mean to be American?”

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Ensemble theater in Chicago. As of 2023, the theater and artists received 233 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and 44 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. 

 

THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE KICKS OFF THEIR 125TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH THE RETURN OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, OCTOBER 3 - 5

ABT’s “All-American Celebration” Brings a Stunning Mixed Repertoire Including Works by
Twyla Tharp, Clark Tippet and Jerome Robbins 

ChiIL Mama will be there... will you? This is sure to be a great show with multigenerational appeal. Don't miss some of THE top ballet dancers in the nation! What a fabulous way to kick off the 125th Anniversary season for Auditorium Theatre. Tickets start at just $34.

Celebrating their milestone 125^th Anniversary, Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University kicks off the 2014 – 15 season with the return of American Ballet Theatre (ABT) October 3 – 5, 2014. Led by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, the acclaimed company brings an “All-American Celebration” including “Bach Partita” and “Sinatra Suite” by Twyla Tharp, “Some Assembly Required” by Clark Tippet and “Fancy Free” by Jerome Robbins. Last seen at the Auditorium in 2012 with their highly acclaimed production of “Giselle,” the “Chicago Tribune” raved, “…any engagement by ABT is a welcome chance to see some of the finest practitioners of ballet working in the U.S.” Tickets ($34 – $129) are on sale now and available online at AuditoriumTheatre.org, by calling (800) 982-ARTS (2787) or at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office (50 E Congress Pkwy).

In anticipation of American Ballet Theatre’s return to the Auditorium Theatre Oct 3 – 5 with “All-American Celebration,” our “Fancy Free” sailors have just landed in Chicago excited to hit the town and explore all the city has to offer! Join them as they sing and dance their way around Navy Pier, The Bean, Buckingham Fountain, Garrett Popcorn Shops, the Chicago River, and of course, the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University! #ABTChicago

Starring Scott Gryder (Chicago Cabaret Sensation), Luke Bandoske (our summer intern from Ball State University), and Nic Eastlund (Chicago actor and Ball State Alumni)

“There is no better way to kick off our 125^th Anniversary Season than with the highly anticipated return of American Ballet Theatre to the Auditorium’s landmark stage,” said Auditorium Theatre Executive Director Brett Batterson. “ABT truly embodies the world-class dance that we strive to present and this program of heralded American choreographers—Twyla Tharp, Clark Tippet and Jerome Robbins—will have audiences in awe of the incredible company that we are privileged to bring to Chicago.”



 


American Ballet Theatre Programming

“It is always a joy for us to perform at the Auditorium Theatre and we are truly honored to be kicking off this incredible venue’s 125^th Anniversary Season just as we are celebrating our 75^th Anniversary,” said American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. “We think that our ‘All-American Celebration,’ is the perfect way to commemorate the extraordinary history that this historic landmark has embodied over the past 125 years and speaks to the true American spirit of dance and entertainment.”

“BACH PARTITA”

Choreographed by Twyla Tharp and staged by Susan Jones, “Bach Partita” received its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 9, 1983. Set to “Bach’s Partita No. 2 in d minor for solo violin,”—performed live at the Auditorium by violinist Charles Yang—“Bach Partita” was called “a treasure of dance innovation” by “The New York Times.”

“FANCY FREE”

“Fancy Free,” Jerome Robbins' first ballet, shows what happens to three sailors on a hot summer night in New York during World War II, the two girls they meet and the ensuing competition, and tough good humor of wartime comradeship. Set to the music of Leonard Bernstein performed live by the Chicago Philharmonic, “Fancy Free” was heralded by “The New York Times” as “a tremendous slice of dance theatre. One of the best loved ballets in the repertory, as joyous and perfect as ever.”

“SINATRA SUITE”

Twyla Tharp’s “Sinatra Suite,” set to five Frank Sinatra songs including “Strangers in the Night,” “All the Way,” “That’s Life,” “My Way” and “One For My Baby (And One More for the Road),” is a suite of dances from Tharp’s “Nine Sinatra Songs,” which Tharp created for her own company in 1982. The ballet set for two dancers received its World Premiere by ABT at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. on December 6, 1983, danced by Elaine Kudo and Mikhail Baryshnikov. During the Auditorium engagement, Misty Copeland and Marcelo Gomes along with Luciana Paris and James Whiteside will dance this stunning pas de deux.

“SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED”

Clark Tippet’s pas de deux, “Some Assembly Required,” received its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on April 14, 1989 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Staged by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner “Some Assembly Required” is set to William Bolcom’s “Second Sonata for violin and piano.” “The New York Times” raves “…this unconventional pas de deux is so well performed because [Tippet] has captured something very American and current in an essay about relationships.”

Performance Schedule, Casting and Ticket Information

 
Friday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 4 at 7:30 p.m.

“Bach Partita”
Misty Copeland, Gillian Murphy, Stella Abrera, James Whiteside, Marcelo Gomes,
Calvin Royal III

“Some Assembly Required”
Sarah Lane, Sterling Baca

“Sinatra Suite”
Misty Copeland, Marcelo Gomes

“Fancy Free”
Daniil Simkin, Cory Stearns, James Whiteside, Luciana Paris, Isabella Boylston

Saturday, October 4 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, October 5 at 2 p.m.

“Bach Partita”
   April Giangeruso, Devon Teuscher, Isabella Boylston, Eric Tamm, Thomas Forster,
   Craig Salstein

   “Some Assembly Required”
   Nicole Graniero, Grant DeLong

   “Sinatra Suite”
   Luciana Paris, James Whiteside

   “Fancy Free”
   Craig Salstein, Eric Tamm, Marcelo Gomes, Stella Abrera, Gillian Murphy

Tickets ($34 - $129) are available online at AuditoriumTheatre.org, by calling
(800) 982-ARTS (2787) or in-person at Auditorium Theatre’s Box Office (50 E Congress Pkwy). Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available at (312) 341-2357 or sales@auditoriumtheatre.org.

International Dance Series subscriptions, including ABT as well as Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Eifman Ballet and The Royal Ballet are available at a 30% discount at (312) 341.2357 or AuditoriumTheatre.org.

Auditorium Theatre’s 2014 - 15 Season:

The full Auditorium Theatre 2014 – 15 season includes “On Stage With…Susan Werner” (November 8); Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s “CJP @ Ten” (November 14); Dance Theatre of Harlem (November 21 – 23); Thodos Dance Chicago (November 29); “Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah” (January 17 – 18); Tango Buenos Aires (January 25); Giordano Dance Chicago (January 31); Grupo Corpo (February 28 – March 1); Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (March 6 – 15); River North Dance Chicago (March 28); Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg’s “Tender is the Night” (May 8 – 10); “His Way - A Sinatra Centennial Celebration” (May 30); and The Royal Ballet’s “Don Quixote” (June 18 – 21). For a complete listing of events at the Auditorium Theatre, please click here.

125^th Anniversary Season Sponsors

The Auditorium Theatre would like to thank their 125^th Anniversary Season Sponsors: Lead Corporate Sponsor Nicor Gas, Lead Foundation Sponsor Robert R. McCormick Foundation and David D. Hiller, International Dance Series Sponsor NIB Foundation, and “Made in Chicago” Dance Series sponsor The Boeing Company. Media sponsors include Chicago Magazine and WXRT, and the Pasquinelli Family Foundation is the Gala Dinner Celebration Sponsor. Student Matinee Series Sponsors for the 2014-15 Season include The Private Bank and The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation.

About American Ballet Theatre

Recognized as one of the premier dance companies in the world, American Ballet Theatre brings the highest quality dance and dancers to audiences across the globe.  Celebrating its role as America’s National Ballet Company® ABT tours nationally and internationally, performing for over 400,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1940, ABT developed a repertoire, under the direction of Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith that honored the past while encouraging the development of the art form through the creation of new works.  Classics from the 19^th century like “Swan Lake,” “Giselle” and “The Sleeping Beauty” live side by side with seminal works of the early 20^th century such as “Apollo,” “Les Sylphides,” “Jardin aux Lilas” and “Rodeo,” as well as such contemporary masterpieces as “Push Comes to Shove” and “Airs.” In acquiring such an extraordinary repertoire, ABT has commissioned works by the great choreographic geniuses of the 20th century: George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille and Twyla Tharp, among others. Today, under the artistic direction of former ABT Principal Dancer Kevin McKenzie, the Company remains steadfast in its vision as “American” and continues to bring the art of dance theater to the great stages of the world.

About the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E Congress Pkwy, is an Illinois, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community and educational programming to Chicago, and to the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre. In August of 2014, the Auditorium Theatre was named as an inaugural Fifth Star Award Honoree by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.  The Auditorium Theatre is generously supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the Sage Foundation, and the Palmer House Hilton. For more information about programming, volunteer and donor opportunities or theatre tours, call (312) 341-2310 or visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.