BAMtheatre presents 'Twelfth Night The Musical' Jan. 31 to Feb. 2
Hinsdale's BAM Conservatory Ensemble will present Shaina Taub's "Twelfth Night The Musical" on Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.
The show will take place at Madison Street Theatre, 1010 Madison St. in Oak Park. Performances will be 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. The show is directed by Max Cervantes and Jena Sugai, with music direction by Patrick Hill.
Tickets are available online at bamtheatre.com, and range from $18-$22.
For the first time in Hinsdale and surrounding suburbs, a select group of advanced actors have had the opportunity to study, create, and perform with theater professionals over an eight-month curriculum as part of BAMtheatre's new BAM Conservatory Ensemble. Since 2001, BAMtheatre has provided outstanding educational theater opportunities to over 600 students annually.
This past fall, an ensemble of actors selected through auditions underwent a rigorous curriculum of classes and workshops, led by a team of industry professionals from across Chicago and beyond. Faculty members include Jeff-award winning actors, leaders at Chicago's most renowned regional theatres, such as the Paramount and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and highly esteemed educators whose backgrounds include advanced degrees in theater, vocal performance, dance and directing, as well as extensive experience in playwriting, choreography and performance across a wide array of professional theaters. Using what they've learned in their coursework, the BAM Conservatory Ensemble will put on Shaina Taub and Kwame Kwei-Armah's hilarious and heartwarming musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" at the end of this month.
"Twelfth Night" is a rousing contemporary musical adaptation of Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy about mistaken identity and self-discovery. It tells the story of Viola, a young heroine who washes up on the shores of Illyria, disguises herself as a man, is sent to court a countess and falls hard for a Duke. As she navigates this strange and wonderful new land, she finds her true self and true love in the process.
True to BAMtheatre's mission, this new program focuses on education, collaboration, and the creative process. BAM is unique in the education and training it provides its students. The emphasis of every program is on the rehearsal process instead of the final product, and BAM provides a positive environment that encounters every student individually so they find personal growth in each process. It is not about training the performers to give a quality final product. Rather, it is about providing a space in which students can freely develop into the expressive and joyful beings they are! BAMtheatre offers a variety of programs throughout the entire year suitable for actors as young as three through high school, college, and young professionals. For more information on the BAM Conservatory Ensemble, as well as all of BAM's other programs, please visit bamtheatre.com
"The most exciting part about 'Twelfth Night' is how expansive it is. It encompasses so many musical styles and requires a huge range of abilities from every actor, making it the perfect musical to encapsulate the BAM Conservatory program! Through this show, we are challenging the actors to become better, more thoughtful performers," said director Jena Sugai.
The cast features: Gwendolen Adelman, Clark Anderson, Charlie Cave, Katie Das, Kristen Das, Gemma Flaming, Charlotte Froiland, Lily Gerami, Belle Hart, Katy Heverin, Jack Jarosz, James Leonardi, Grace McGowan, Caroline Miller, Maria Romero, Kiki Sikora, David Sobkowiak, Sydney Thibodeaux, Natalie Wiley, and Regan Wright.