Metropolis announces 2026-2027 season

“Ride the Cyclone,” the darkly comic tuner by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell whose North American premiere occurred 11 years ago at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, inaugurates the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s 2026-2027 season.

The musical, about members of a high school choir killed in a roller coaster accident competing for a second chance at life, begins previews Sept. 16. Lillian Castillo, who co-starred in CST’s production, directs.

“The Christmas Schooner,” which ran annually from 1995 to 2008 at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in Chicago, begins previews Nov. 24. Written by actor/writer John Reeger, with music and lyrics by Julie Shannon, the musical tells the true story of the late 19th-century sailors who transported trees from Michigan to Chicago for German immigrants’ holiday celebrations.

Metropolis artistic director Johanna McKenzie Miller adapts Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for a limited run Dec. 5-19 as part of the theater’s family series. A full-length production runs on Dec. 13, 20 and 24. Actor/musician Cory Goodrich provides original music and lyrics.

A concert-version of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” produced in collaboration with students from the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts and the JAM Orchestra, runs from Jan. 27 to Feb. 14, 2027.

That’s followed by the Chicago-area premiere of “The Match Game.” Steven Strafford’s family dramedy set during a birthday party runs March 3-21, 2027.

Metropolis’ season concludes with a revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” from April 28 to May 27, 2027.

Performances take place at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Five-show passes are $181; four-show passes are $161; three-show flex passes are $141. A five-show preview pass is $156; a four-show preview pass is $126. These early-bird season subscriptions are available through June 5 at MetropolisArts.com/2627-season or (847) 577-2121. Single tickets will be available later this year.