Marriott, Drury Lane theaters remain dark until 2021

Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace will remain dark for the foreseeable future.

In a joint announcement Friday, both theaters postponed until 2021-22 their current seasons, which were suspended in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision by two of the suburbs' musical theater titans to suspend programming, while not unexpected, is disheartening to tens of thousands of subscribers.

Combined, the theaters have operated for more than 105 years.

“The world needs the arts now more than ever, so this was a heartbreaking but necessary decision,” Marriott executive producer Terry James said in a prepared statement.

Marriott's season will open in March 2021 with a revival of “Kiss Me, Kate,” which James says is “rehearsed and ready to open as soon as possible.”

Drury Lane will open its revival of “Evita” in April 2021.

At present, social distancing requirements are incompatible with “the exceptional production value and theatrical experience that our audiences have come to expect,” Drury Lane executive producer Kyle DeSantis said in a prepared statement.

However, Drury Lane has been working on alternative programming events that DeSantis says will be announced soon.

Subscribers need not take any action. All seats will remain the same, and new tickets will be issued early next year. Drury Lane subscribers can visit drurylane.com for information on new performance dates and ticket exchanges. Marriott subscribers can do the same at marriotttheatre.com.