Chicago rock musical extended
- The sci‑fi rock musical Way Out There in Chicago has been extended through May 2. (x.com) - The extension follows strong local interest after the show's Court Theatre world premiere. (x.com) - The extension gives more audiences a chance to see a high-energy, genre-blending stage piece merging rock and theater. (x.com)
Court Theatre’s new musical *Out Here* is staying onstage in Chicago through May 10, extending the run of its world premiere in Hyde Park. (courttheatre.org) The show opened April 10 at Court Theatre, 5535 South Ellis Avenue, with a press opening on April 18. Court lists it at about 100 minutes with no intermission. (courttheatre.org) (broadwayworld.com) *Out Here* is credited to Leslie Buxbaum, David J. Levin, and Erin McKeown, with Buxbaum writing the book and lyrics, McKeown writing music and lyrics, and Chay Yew directing. Court calls it a collaboration with the University of Chicago. (courttheatre.org 1) (courttheatre.org 2) The story centers on Dawn, a middle-aged woman who tells her husband she wants to end their marriage and reconnect with her ex-girlfriend, Robin. Court describes the piece as a family story about change, joy, and letting go of control. (courttheatre.org) (events.uchicago.edu) Court has spent years developing the musical. In its program, the company says the project was six years in the making and ties it to a longer line of Court-developed original work. (courttheatre.org) The production also pushes beyond Court’s usual identity as a home for classics. The *Chicago Reader* wrote before opening that the world premiere “expands the company’s definition of what a classic can be.” (chicagoreader.com) Reviews this week suggest Chicago critics see the experiment differently. The *Chicago Sun-Times* said the show has “a lot to like” but argued the score is not fully coherent, while Chicago On Stage called it “a thoughtful, honest, and original exploration” of coming out later in life. (chicago.suntimes.com) (chicagoonstage.com) Court has built extra programming around the run, including an April 25 panel on family and queer lives, an April 27 book club tied to Chicago’s LGBTQ archives, and a May 2 post-show talk on the musical’s creative process. Accessible performances are scheduled for May 2 and May 3. (courttheatre.org 1) (courttheatre.org 2) For Chicago theatergoers, the extension keeps a new local musical in front of audiences for another stretch of its first production. For Court, it gives a longer runway to a show the company is still introducing to the city in real time. (courttheatre.org 1) (courttheatre.org 2)
