Following her triumphant show at Joe's Pub in New York this past spring, The Sandra Delgado Experience returns to Chicago bolder and more bliss-filled than ever for three shows only, Friday through Sunday, July 24-26, at Collaboraction Theatre’s new House of Belonging.
Part spiritual cabaret, part dance party, The Sandra Delgado Experience is an electrifying night that celebrates loving ourselves and each other. Expect a rush of unbridled joy as high-energy cumbias, sultry boleros, and reimagined English-language indie classics collide with luminous, mystical moments that pull you fully into appreciating the present.
“This is my birthday week, y’all, and I’m ready to celebrate,” said Delgado. “And with the recent spotlight on Colombia with the World Cup, and Colombian Independence Day coming up, you can bet my July shows will be heavily rooted in Colombian music, rhythms and passion.”
With only 80 seats, this will be the most intimate Sandra Delgado Experience yet. Performances are Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, July 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35-$55. Go to collaboraction.org to get your tickets.
Collaboraction’s new House of Belonging is a 4,000-square foot space with a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with cafe and bar. It anchors the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Avenue in Humboldt Park. Free and nearby street parking is available. For CTA riders, the 82 Kimball-Homan bus stops right in front of Kimball Arts Center. Collaboraction is also a short walk from the Kimball stop on the 72 North and 73 Armitage bus lines. For bikers and pedestrians, The 606’s Kimball trailhead leads directly to the Kimball Arts Center.
Press play to screen and download The Sandra Delgado Experience sizzle video
Sandra Delgado – Chicago cultural icon, creator and star of La Havana Madrid, and Collaboraction Founding Company Member — has been hailed as “her own brand of triple threat” (Newcity Chicago). Her myriad talents are on full display as she guides audiences through a vibrant blend of song, story, and soul-stirring connection inspired by her bilingual and bicultural existence. The result is an unforgettable, hypnotic experience audiences describe as “unique, refreshing, and inviting of everything possible and positive.”
Delgado’s band for her late July run at Collaboraction boasts guitarist Richard Pena, from Puerto Rico with over 260,000 followers across all platforms and a new album out; Manases Rivera, a Humboldt Park native and founder of the Cepillao Band, on piano; Coco Elysses, Chicago music royalty, on percussion; and Roberto Carpacho Marin, Delgado’s longtime band leader for La Havana Madrid and leader of Carpacho y Su Super Combo, celebrating 40 years in the Chicago music business in 2026. Janet Cramer on drums and Carol Macpherson, trombonist and long-time collaborator, round out the band.
The Sandra Delgado Experience. Photos by Leo Mascaro
Delgado is a Colombian-Chicagoan writer, performer and producer. She writes plays inspired by underknown U.S. histories centering Latine lives and creates theatrical music-filled communal experiences. She is best known as the creator and star of La Havana Madrid, her smash hit play with music, originally produced by Teatro Vista with runs at Steppenwolf and the Goodman Theatre, in mutiple co-productions with Collaboraction, as well as West Coast productions at South Coast Repertory and New Village Arts. Her latest work, Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars, has been hailed as “a story that every American needs to hear” (Chicago Theatre Review). Her NALAC award-winning spiritual cabaret meets dance party, The Sandra Delgado Experience, has played all over Chicago and has enjoyed repeat appearances at the Public Theatre’s iconic Joe’s Pub.
Delgado is also a respected veteran of the stage, with a career spanning over two decades. In addition to her work at artistic homes Collaboraction and Teatro Vista, she has been seen on stages across Chicago including The Goodman Theatre, Northlight, Lookingglass Theatre, Victory Gardens and About Face. Highlights include the titular role in La Havana Madrid, La Ruta at Steppenwolf and starring off-Broadway in the Public Theatre’s production of Oedipus el Rey as Jocasta.
Delgado received the inaugural Platform Award from the Walder Foundation, is a Newcity Hall of Fame Player of Chicago Theatre, a United States Artists Fellow, and currently serves on the board of the Chicago Public Library. She is one of the twenty women of Chicago arts and culture honored in Kerry James Marshall's largest public mural, Rushmore, on the facade of the Chicago Cultural Center. Other projects in development include The Untitled Navarro Sisters Play, inspired by the Navarro Sisters, a Panamanian music quartet, that captivated Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s; The Boys and the Nuns, a musical inspired by the true life alliance between LGBTQ activists and Catholic Sisters in 1980s Chicago; and LIVE.LOVE.NOW., a solo show exploring death, life and love. sandradelgado.net IG @sandradelgadolovesyou
In addition to Collaboraction’s own programs, Delgado curates the company’s You Belong Here series. Dedicated to providing a home for independent artists and groups at any stage in their career. You Belong Here takes the barriers out of self-producing by providing free space and equipment, stage management, marketing/PR support and a generous door split model. To learn more or submit a performance proposal, visit collaboraction.org/you-belong-here.
About Collaboraction
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, Collaboraction is an award-winning Chicago theater company that uses the power of art and storytelling to cultivate healing, empathy, and equity across communities. Across all platforms, Collaboraction uses its KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue, and Action - to spark changes in behavior and attitudes that manifest social change.
Collaboraction’s past work includes NBC Chicago’s three-time Emmy Award-winning The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta, the resulting live stage play film, Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, live productions of Crime Scene, Moonset Sunrise, A Blue Island In the Red Sea, its annual Peacebook and Sketchbook festivals, and its youth ensemble, The Light.
For more, visit collaboraction.org or follow Collaboraction on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Bluesky.