A Quick Rundown of the Shows Scheduled for 2024/2025

Not long ago, former KVTA Vice President Jeff Schneider decided to spit in the face of global warming and move to the temperate deserts of Arizona. He left many things in the lurch in his midnight dash out of town; not the least of which was the KVTA blog. In its two year hiatus, I had forgotten how much I had looked forward to the behind-the-scenes glimpses we were allowed.

So, when I was asked if I would pick up where he left off, I gave an enthusiastic, “Yeah, sure.”

But where to begin? It is the beginning of the KVTA season, so why not give a quick rundown of the shows scheduled for 2024/2025 I was told in a game of telephone from the board of directors. So now that the blog post is already several paragraphs in, I present to you the title:

A Quick Rundown of the Shows Scheduled for 2024/2025

“But what about The Hello Girls: A New American Musical?” I said. “It’s been more than a month since those performances.”

“Stop bugging me and write the blog post,” I was told by a board member who will remain nameless, for my sake.

If you weren’t able to make it to this production, directed by Sharla Ronchetto, you missed quite a successful fundraising show that took place on July 26-28, 2024. Keep reading so you don’t miss the next one!

The cast of The Hello Girls, silently judging you for your theater choices.

A Quick Rundown of the Shows Scheduled for 2024/2025-Except for The Hello Girls: A New American Musical, Which You Missed for Some Crazy Reason…

“No, that’s too long, and it sounds like you have a vendetta for some reason…”

Fine, don’t worry about the title.

The first show slated for this season is The Producers: A Mel Brooks Musical, directed by Deena Cassady. If you aren’t familiar with the deliciously clever satire of Mel Brooks, hold your breath until the next blog post, where we take a much closer look at this production. If that isn’t enough of a tease, imagine if you squished together A Chorus Line, Kiss Me, Kate, and All That Jazz, and threw in some Nazis and Three Stooges for good measure. In case you’re too impatient to wait until the next blog post (or just recognize fabulous theater when you see it, you connoisseur, you), tickets are available now for The Producers, showing on September 20, 21, & 22 at Lincoln Cultural Center.

After you come out to see The Producers, you’ll surely be eager for more theater. And what better place to sate yourself than in the spooky history of Sleepy Hollow. Once again, KVTA, under the direction of Josh Hedding-Hess, is partnering with the Bourbonnais Township Park District to bring this American legend to life across the grounds of Perry Farm Park. Travel back in time to the New York countryside surrounding Tarrytown and the eponymous Sleepy Hollow to become part of one of colonial America’s oldest pieces of folklore. You’ll travel with the unforgettable Ichabod Crane as he attempts to earn the affections of the beautiful (and rich!) Katrina Van Tassel, avoid the brutish Brom Bones, and set things right with the terrifying Headless Horseman. The cast, staff, and Mother Nature always strive to make this experience one to remember, this year taking place on the chilling nights of October 17, 18, and 19, 2024.

Continuing the holiday theme, Elf JR will prove that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. For those of you who haven’t seen the blockbuster Christmas movie that is the basis for this show, be prepared to see Buddy the Elf get into some of the most ridiculous and hilarious situations you have ever seen. Director Paula Sutter always works her cast to the bone to ensure your positive theater experience. You’ll be able to enjoy this youth production on November 23 and 24 at Lincoln Cultural Center. Only a cotton headed ninny-muggins would miss this show!

The first few shows of the KVTA season have run the comedic gamut from dry to farcical to zany. But as Gen Xers and Millennials from the good old days of the 1980s know, the homespun drama of Steel Magnolias won’t leave a dry eye in the house. This production shares the friendship, struggles, and evolving lives of a community of six southern women. Fans of the award-winning 1989 film will be eager to see how Director Tyler McMahon is able to corral the passions stirred up by this necessarily headstrong cast. And newcomers will experience the emotions of life in Louisiana alongside each of the six powerful performers. Have your hankies ready on January 31 and February 1 and 2 at KVTA’s Black Box Theatre.

Have you ever considered that you may be like an onion? If so, then you may have more in common with ogres than you think! Shrek: The Musical JR will take you to the fantasy land of Duloc where you will be introduced to versions of Pinnochio, the Three Little Pigs, and other fairy tale regulars who are just a little…different… Not to mention the larger-than-life Shrek, the outspoken Donkey, and the…well…smaller-than-life Lord Farquaad. This Young People’s Theater production is a perfect opportunity for KVTA’s youth performers to portray some of the most extreme characters possible. Co-Directors Beth and Paula Sutter hope to surprise you with the familiar but outrageous oddballs and the silly series of events they will have to navigate. And how are they going to make some of these costumes and sets work? I mean, a talking Gingerbread Man? You’ll have to see for yourself on March 15 and 16 at Lincoln Cultural Center.

The final show of KVTA’s 2024-25 season premiered with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been performed continuously in London since 2011. Since being adapted from the Roald Dahl book of the same name, the award winning Matilda: The Musical has made an incredible mark on the theater world since its debut just over a decade ago. And now, Director Courtney Stephens will bring this show to the KVTA stage at Lincoln Cultural Center on April 11, 12, and 13. You won’t be able to keep from cheering for Matilda as her parents and the bullying Miss Truchbull make it their goal to ignore and demean Matilda and her classmates. But Matilda surprises even herself with her growing knowledge, courage, and a little something unexpected that gives her an extra punch. As is always the case, the KVTA season has built to and ends with another heavyweight smash!

Individual show tickets are available for all shows at kvta.org. Get yours now, as the best seats move fast. But of course, you, as a reader of this blog, are a cosmopolitan and are always looking for ways to encourage culture and gentility. And you have been asking yourself for months, “How can I best support the arts in my community?” You are looking for KVTA Season Subscriptions which offer ticket packages, priority seat selection, and other perks that you can read about at kvta.org/memberships.

A quick rundown of the shows is complete! Blog post number one is a success! Check back in a few weeks for a more detailed preview of The Producers. I guarantee a snappy and clever title, now that I have a few weeks to think of one.

Or, more likely, I may be extremely busy (i.e., procrastinate) and you’ll be reading:

Blog Post #2: Placeholder Title (make it something clever!)

Dana James is neither in the military nor is as snappy a dresser as KVTA costumers make him appear. But he does have an avid interest in local theater and the passing ability to write in English.