PrideArts will conclude its 2021-22 season with the Chicago premiere of TOMMY ON TOP – a comedy that premiered in London’s West End at the Above the Stag Theatre last summer. PrideArts Artistic Director Jay Españo made the announcement today. TOMMY ON TOP is a laugh out loud bedroom farce about a closeted hunky actor, Tommy Miller, who is about to become the first gay actor to win an Oscar – if he plays his cards right and keeps his queerness at bay. TOMMY ON TOP is by the British playwright Chris Woodley, whose credits include scripts for the long-running BBC series EASTENDERS. The comedy replaces the previously announced ADAM, which PrideArts hopes to produce in a future season. Españo will direct a cast to be announced.
TOMMY ON TOP will open to the press on Wednesday, June 15 at 7:30 pm at the Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago; following previews from June 10. It will play through July 17. Tickets to TOMMY ON TOP are priced at $35 for regular performances (June 15 through July 17) and $25 for previews June 10-14. Seniors and students will receive a $5 discount for regular performances. Tickets will be on sale beginning May 15 at www.pridearts.org or by phone at 773-857-0222.
Españo also announced the lineup for the 2022-23 season, a roster of plays and musicals that will introduce to Chicago five queer-themed works of the 21st Century. The season will open with the Chicago premiere of the musical GIRLFRIEND, by Todd Almond and Matthew Sweet, based on Sweet’s album of the same name. Set in Nebraska in the ’90s, Will, a bit of a social outcast, and Mike, the popular football player, figure out that there is more to life than what high school has taught them. Days after graduation they explore their relationship and begin to ask themselves where their lives begin. This two-character musical premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre Berkeley, CA in 2010 under the direction of Les Waters. GIRLFRIEND will open to the press on August 29, 2022, following previews from August 25-28, and will play through September 25.
In November, PrideArts will bring the British theatrical genre of panto to Chicago for the company’s holiday show. A tradition with roots going back to Commedia Dell’Arte, panto (short for pantomime, but not to be confused with mime) is a loud, fun, enjoyable musical comedy theatre production that takes well-loved children’s tales and turns them into a show full of giggles for kids along with subtle adult-minded jokes. PrideArts’ strictly for adults holiday panto will be the US Premiere of JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK, by Tom Whalley – a gay adult take on the holiday panto tradition that premiered in London in 2013 and has enjoyed multiple productions around the UK since then. It will open on to the press on November 21, following previews November 17-20; and play through December 18.
PrideArts’ first production of 2023 will be ONE IN TWO by Donja R. Love. ONE IN TWO is an autobiographical play named for the shocking statistic that one in two gay or bisexual Black men in America will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. ONE IN TWO will open to the press on January 23, 2023, after previews January 20-22 and will play through February 18.
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM – Chicago premiere of a play by Martin Sherman (author of the Holocaust play BENT) will open in March 2023. A bittersweet, brilliantly funny romance about being a gay man in the 21st century and finding love along the way, GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM was originally produced by the New York Public Theater in 2017, in a production starring Harvey Fierstein. The press opening will be March 20, 2023, after previews March 16-19. It will play through April 16.
The 2022-23 season will close with the US Premiere of TANGO by Singaporean playwright Joel Tan. TANGO was inspired by the removal of two children’s books from the National Library in 2014 following complaints about the books’ portrayal of same-sex and single-parent families. Press opening will be May 15, following previews from May 11-14, and it will play through June 11, 2023.
Season packages will be offered at a later date.
LISTING INFORMATION
TOMMY ON TOP
By Chris Woodley
CHICAGO PREMIERE
Directed by Jay Españo
June 10–July 17, 2022
Previews June 10 and 11 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, June 12 at 3 pm and Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 pm
PRESS OPENING Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Curtain times June 16–July 16 Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays July 3, 10 and 17 at 3 pm
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
Tommy Miller, closeted Hollywood heartthrob is nominated for an Oscar and is a shoo-in to win Best Actor. His bibulous sister Molly and musical theater obsessed hair stylist boyfriend, George are with him to celebrate the event in his Beverly Hills suite. But the day is dampened when talent manager to the stars Judy shows up to break the shocking news: celebrity blogger Kiki Lopez is threatening to out Tommy with some incriminating gay photos. Meanwhile, Tommy's Trump-loving Republican gay talent agent goes berserk when he discovers that Judy is also trying to poach Tommy to be in her roster of stars. More chaos ensues when Kiki shows up at the door and they all concoct hilarious antics to protect Tommy's secret.
2022-23 Season
GIRLFRIEND
Book by Todd Almond, Music and Lyrics by Matthew Sweet
CHICAGO PREMIERE
August 25–September 25, 2022
Previews August 25-August 28
Press Opening August 29, 2022, at 7:30 pm
Regular run August 29-September 25, 2022
Curtain times Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
773-857-0222
JACK OFF THE BEANSTALK
By Tom Whalley
US PREMIERE
November 17–December 18, 2022
Previews November 17-November 20
Press Opening November 21 at 7:30 pm
Regular run November 21–December 18
Curtain times Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm (no performances on November 24 and November 25)
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
773-857-0222
ONE IN TWO
By Donja R. Love
CHICAGO PREMIERE
January 19–February 19, 2023
Previews January 19–January 22, 2023
Press Opening January 23, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Regular run January 23-February 19
Curtain times Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
773-857-0222
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM
By Martin Sherman
CHICAGO PREMIERE
March 16-April 16, 2023
Previews March 16 - March 19
Press Opening March 20, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Regular run March 20-April 16, 2023
Curtain times Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
773-857-0222
TANGO
By Joel Tan
US PREMIERE
May 11–June 11, 2023
Press Opening May 15, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Regular run May 15–June 11, 2023
Curtain times Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago
Tickets $35 for regular performances, $25 for previews. Seniors and students receive a $5 discount off regular performance prices. Tickets and more information at www.pridearts.org.
773-857-0222
BIOS
Jay Españo (PrideArts Artistic Director, Director). Born in Manila, The Philippines, he joined the prestigious Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors Company in 1998, where he trained with acclaimed Filipino director Nonon Padilla. He acted in several commercials, television series and films. Notably, he was a regular cast member of Koko KwikKwak - a spin-off of Batibot (Philippine SESAME STREET). He toured The Philippines with that show’s mascots, performing for kids throughout the country. In 2000, Jay was one of many Filipino actors who were cast in the Action Theater Singapore’s hit musical CHANG AND ENG, which toured Asia for several years.
Since moving to the Chicago area, Jay has worked with storefront theater companies such as Silk Road Rising, Prologue, Ghostlight, Halcyon, and PrideArts. He has played the role of the King in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I with various theater companies in the US and in Canada.
Chris Woodley (Playwright) Chris Woodley is a British/Irish screenwriter, playwright and performer based in East London. Chris has recently completed the BBC EASTENDERS Shadow Scheme and is currently writing two television movies for a US network channel. He is developing a number of original television ideas.
ABOUT PRIDEARTS
PrideArts tells queer stories on a variety of platforms, including both live and virtual performances. Since its founding in 2010, PrideArts has had several chapters, including operating as an itinerant theater for their first six seasons, and as the developer and primary tenant in the Pride Arts Center from 2016-21.
The company produces full seasons of plays and musicals, as well as events including cabaret, film, and more. The company has earned 39 Jeff Awards and nominations, and six nominations in the most recent (2019) ALTA Awards from the Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists of Chicago. Programming has reflected the diversity of queer communities by including work made by and illuminating the experiences of women, gay men, transgender people, and BIPOC.
PrideArts is supported by The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at The Richard Driehaus Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago’s City Arts Fund, the Elliott Fredland Charitable Trust, The Pauls Foundation, The Heath Fund, The Service Club of Chicago, the AmazonSmile Foundation, Arts and Business Foundation, Tap Root Foundation, Arts and Business Council, and Alphawood Foundation.
PrideArts is a member of the Smart Growth Program of the Chicago Community Trust. PrideArts is a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, Northalsted Business Association, Lakeview East, Uptown United, and The League of Chicago Theatre.
For more information and to donate, visit www.pridearts.org or call 1.773 857 0222.