Spotlight: Northlight celebrates 'Last Five Years' at 20

'Last Five Years' reunion

Northlight Theatre hosts the 20th anniversary reunion of its premiere of "The Last Five Years," Jason Robert Brown's musical chronicling the relationship of a couple from its beginning to its end. Daisy Prince directed the 2001 production, which starred Norbert Leo Butz and Lauren Kennedy. Northlight artistic director BJ Jones moderates a discussion with Brown, Prince, Butz and Kennedy on the same day the show opened 20 years ago.

"In 1999 while putting up our production of 'Dinah Was,' I asked our then-music director Jason Robert Brown if he had a small, vest-pocket musical he'd like to work on outside of New York. What he suggested would become 'The Last Five Years.' It is an honor to have presented Jason's early work, and it was, in many ways, the template for all of our new work that followed," said Jones in a prepared statement.

6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 23, on YouTube. Free, but donations are accepted. See northlight.org.

Legal drama

Audiences will serve as jurors when Citadel Theatre presents Todd Logan and Lisa Dillman's "Just Cause: The Experience" about a former artistic director at a prestigious Chicago theater who sues her former employer for breach of contract after she's fired for racial insensitivity.

Streaming at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 27. Free, but donations are accepted. See citadeltheatre.org.

Stage Left 'Spring Fling'

Stage Left Theatre hosts Spring Fling, an outdoor festival showcasing short plays that address how the world has changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chicago-area writers Stephanie Murphy, Christian Helem, Princess Hana, Antwon Funches, Hannah Kfoury, Deana Velandra and Ben Bishop contributed 10-minute plays, which will be performed live, in-person, outside.

7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 27-29, at Northcenter Town Square, 4100 N. Damen Ave., Chicago. $5. Arrive by 6:45 p.m. to secure a seat. Masks are required. (773) 883-8830 or stagelefttheatre.com.

In other news

• In honor of National Limerick Day earlier this month, First Folio Theatre artistic associates and alumni shared Shakespearean-style limericks as part of the Oak Brook theater's reading series, which streams online through July 15 at firstfolio.org. Additionally, Jill Shellabarger shares Marmee's wisdom from Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women."

• American Blues Theater's Garage series, which showcases the musical talent of ensemble members and artistic associates, resumes with Ian Paul Custer playing hits from Billy Joel's "Piano Man," "The Stranger" "Turnstiles" and "Cold Springs." The virtual concert begins at 7 p.m. Friday, May 21. Reservations are available through 3 p.m. Friday, May 21. Admission is pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $25. (773) 654-3103 or americanbluestheater.com.

• Tony and Grammy Award-winner Heather Headley headlines Goodman Theatre's virtual gala fundraiser "Together Center Stage" streaming at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 22. Appearing along with Headley are Chicago favorites Sydney Charles, Lucy Godinez and Bethany Thomas. Proceeds benefit Goodman's education and engagement programs. (312) 443-3811, ext. 220, or goodmantheatre.org/together.

• Victory Gardens Theater and the Blu Rhythm Collective host The Redline Project beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 23, with a panel discussion about making art that has the ability to inspire social change. Rooted in art-based activism with the goal of dismantling institutionalized racism, The Redline Project is a series of events consisting of dance/hip-hop/spoken word/multimedia works. Registration is free, but space is limited. See victorygardens.org/event/redline-project.

• Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky leads a cast of elected officials and business leaders - including Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx and Cleveland Avenue managing partner Andrea Zopp - who are performing in Black Ensemble Theater's eighth annual The Soul of a Powerful Woman (Her to Save the World) fundraiser to benefit BET. The online benefit takes place at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 23. See blackensembletheater.org.

• The short film "I Am the Bear," adapted from theater artist Jerrell L. Henderson's puppet play produced by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, is available for viewing at chicagopuppetfest.org. Inspired by Henderson's experience being racially profiled on Chicago's North Shore, the film examines what it means to be Black in America. "I hope Black and brown folx see 'I Am the Bear' and know that they are not alone," said Henderson in a prepared statement. "I hope the fact that I used my creativity to unpack my trauma provides an example for others who may seek a productive avenue to unpack theirs. For others, I hope that this piece provokes them to use more discretion before calling the police on Black and brown people."

• Teatro ZinZanni, the combination comedy, cirque and cabaret show that takes place under the Spiegeltent ZaZou on the 14th floor of Chicago's Cambria Hotel, will reopen with a new show on July 8. Showman Frank Ferrante will once again preside over the assorted musicians, comedians, acrobats and aerialists who make up the four-course dinner-theater experience. Teatro ZinZanni will conform with all official health and safety protocols including face coverings. Tickets range from $119 to $189. Show-only tickets are $69. (312) 488-0900 or zinzanni.com/Chicago.

• The Johnny Mercer Foundation in cooperation with the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University announced 200 artists from 13 countries applied to participate in the 16th annual Songwriters Project consisting of a week of all-digital master classes and workshops taking place next month. Sixteen emerging songwriters will participate in next month's program, which includes instruction from Tony and Grammy Award-nominated composers.

• One year after the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation announced it had awarded $3 million in funding to arts and cultural organizations in Chicago and South Carolina, the Chicago-based organization announced an additional $3 million in grants. The 175 Chicago-area recipients include: Arts Alliance Illinois, Lawyers for the Creative Arts and the League of Chicago Theatres. As part of the Foundation's new Broadening Narratives Collections strategy to amplify underrepresented narratives told in museums, libraries and other collecting organizations, the Foundation has granted $75,000 to several advisory groups involved with the new initiative, including the Chicago-based Black Metropolis Research Consortium, Chicago Collections Consortium and Chicago Cultural Alliance.