Productions and Events
Upcoming Theatre & Entertainment Events at the Hartung & Forge Theatres
The Addams Family: A New Musical
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
The Addams Family, a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family– a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before– keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.
- 7:30 p.m: Oct. 24, 25, 31; Nov. 1, 2
- 2 p.m: Oct. 27; Nov. 3
- Hartung Theatre
- Tickets on sale now!
- FREE — U of I Students
- $26 — General Admission
- $6 — Kids (18 and under)
- $16 — Seniors (55+) and Military
- $21 — U of I Employees
First Bite New Play Reading: The Golden Ibburs
By Cyndi Feinman
His father’s dying wish was for him to take over the family’s used car dealership. His mother browbeats him to find the right girl and settle down. Caught between duty to his family or duty to himself, David Golden finds himself attracted to the right girl for the wrong reasons, and the wrong girl for all the right reasons. In this witty new adaptation inspired by the Yiddish opera Shulamis, commitment issues become a time bomb waiting to go off, and family ghosts won’t stop haunting the dealership.
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5 p.m. PST: Nov. 9
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2 p.m. PST: Nov. 10
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Reading on Zoom
Love, Liz
By Lauren Grove
Join Queen Elizabeth I and her closest friends and confidants for a fabulous night of gossip and intrigue. Will Elizabeth's gal pals convince her that an illustrious marriage and an heir will quell her unruly heart, or will the flutters of her feelings for her rumored Romeo prevail? Get ready to listen to music, sneak some drinks, paint your nails and meet all of Elizabeth’s suitors… The good, the bad and the handsome! Love, Liz is a hilarious romp through history as Queen Elizabeth I of England must decide who (or if) she will marry.
- 7:30 p.m: Jan. 30, 31; Feb. 1, 7, 8
- 2 p.m: Feb. 2, 9
- Hartung Theatre
- Tickets on sale now!
- FREE — U of I Students
- $26 — General Admission
- $6 — Kids (18 and under)
- $16 — Seniors (55+) and Military
- $21 — U of I Employees
First Bite New Play Reading: Run
By Andrew Pollard
Breakups are hard. Even harder when the guy still loves the girl. The hope-filled romantic is running a marathon to get her back. But she's moved on, and has been running around with his more practical brother for months. Run explores what love is and what it ain't; what we do for it and what we don't. Don't walk to go see it... Run.
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4 p.m. PST: March 1. Click here to register for the Zoom reading.
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2 p.m. PST: March 2. Click here to register for the Zoom reading.
Pinocchio
By Greg Banks with music by Victor Zupanc
Based on the story by Carlo Collodi
From the moment Gepetto creates him from a stick of wood, Pinocchio dreams of being a real boy. But will the all-too-tempting delights of puppet shows and Playland be too much for Pinocchio? When Gepetto is swallowed by a whale, it is up to this little puppet to show his courage and prove his love for his Papa is real. This is a new, fast-paced, story-within-a-story version of the classic Pinocchio tale.
- 7:30 p.m: April 24, 25, 26; May 2, 3
- 2 p.m: April 27; May 4
- Hartung Theatre
- Tickets on sale now!
- FREE — U of I Students
- $26 — General Admission
- $6 — Kids (18 and under)
- $16 — Seniors (55+) and Military
- $21 — U of I Employees