Music Theater Works

10/12/2026

🎭 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Are You a Believer? ✨

YouthREACH Kids Company Presents SHREK THE MUSICAL JR. December 28, 2026 – January 2, 2027!

This December break, young performers ages 8–13 can join Music Theater Works’ YouthREACH Kids Company for a fun-filled musical adventure at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts!

Join Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, and a cast of fairytale misfits in SHREK THE MUSICAL JR. featuring exciting songs, big group numbers, and the beloved hit “I’m a Believer!” 🎶

Through a week of acting, singing, and dancing with professional teaching artists, students will build confidence, develop new skills, and discover the power of teamwork, empathy, and acceptance in a welcoming, inclusive environment.

🌟 No experience or audition required — EVERY child gets a part!

📅 Workshop Schedule:
• Dec. 28–31: 9 AM–3 PM
• Jan. 1: 12–3 PM
• Jan. 2: 1 PM rehearsal, followed by a 3 PM performance for friends and family!

📍 Location: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL

Give your young performer a chance to spend winter break making friends, building confidence, and creating unforgettable memories onstage!

🎟️ REGISTER TODAY!
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/youthreach/

10/12/2026

Thank you WGN TV and Marcus Leshock for starting the week with some of the music, magic, and some misbehaving found in JIMMY BUFFETT'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE, now playing through November 1 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Join us, tickets at MusicTheaterWorks.com.

10/11/2026

🌴 A LITTLE PARADISE WITH A BIGGER PURPOSE! 🌴

ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE is a tropical romp filled with Jimmy Buffett classics, but Jimmy’s impact went far beyond the music! 🎶

Through Singing for Change, Jimmy Buffett used his fame and resources to help make the world a better place. The organization funds grassroots nonprofits that inspire, equip, and empower people in low-income communities to build self-sufficient futures through vibrant, diverse, and inclusive communities. 💙

🌺 Learn more about this incredible mission at https://www.singingforchange.org/

🏝️ COME SEE THE SHOW! Music Theater Works presents the first professional production of JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE in Chicago since its pre-Broadway run!

📅 October 8 – November 1, 2026
📍 North Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie

🎟️ Get your tickets today!
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/margaritaville/

Come for the music, stay for the island vibes, and celebrate the legacy of a man who believed in making a difference! 🌴☀️

10/07/2026

🎶 SPECIAL EVENT: OPENING NIGHT OF ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE! 🎶
Join Music Theater Works in the lobby before the Opening Night performance of JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE for a special musical celebration!

🏝️ Na Kupuna Ukulele Club Pre-Show Performance
📅 Friday, October 9
⏰ 6:30–7:00 PM
📍 North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie

Opening Night attendees are invited to enjoy a special performance by the Na Kupuna Ukulele Club, a Hawaiian-American group of seniors that formed here in Chicago in 1997. Approximately 20 performers will share their love of Hawaiian music and culture through a lively pre-show performance!

Come early, soak up the island vibes, and celebrate Opening Night with us! 🌴🌺

🎟️ Tickets and more information at MusicTheaterWorks.com

10/06/2026

🌴 GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE! 🌴

Meet more of the talented cast bringing Jimmy Buffett’s iconic music to life! In Episode #3 of our ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE behind-the-scenes series, Kate McQuillan (Rachel) and Khaki Pixley (Tammy) talk about the surprises in the story, the heart and humor of their characters, and their own personal connections to Jimmy Buffett’s music. 🎶

🎥 Watch Episode #3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eq7GKBKBW8

🏝️ JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
October 8 – November 1, 2026
North Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
Come escape with us for a tropical adventure filled with laughter, romance, and the iconic music of Jimmy Buffett!

🎟️ Tickets:
https://MusicTheaterWorks.com

Meet more members of the cast bringing to life Jimmy Buffett’s icon...

10/06/2026

🌴 MEET THE CAST: KATE McQUILLAN! 🌴

Please welcome Kate McQuillan (she/her) to Music Theater Works! Kate is making her MTW debut as Rachel in JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE! 🌺
You might recognize Kate from Diana: The Musical, where she received a Jeff nomination for her role as “Diana.” Her other credits include The Wedding Singer (Metropolis), Glü: A New Musical and Waitress (Timberlake Playhouse), The Secret Garden and Never Better (Theo), Jenny (CMFT), and Nunsense (Pittsburgh Musical Theatre).

Follow Kate on Instagram:
🌐 roccoli-owl-4jh3.squarespace.com

🌴 ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
📍 North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
📅 October 8 – November 1, 2026
🎶 Music & Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett
📖 Book by Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley
🎭 Directed & Choreographed by Brenda Didier
🎭 Co-Directed by Sarafina Vecchio
💃 Co-Choreographed by Clayton Cross
🎼 Music Directed by Linda Madonia

Set sail for a tropical getaway with beloved Jimmy Buffett classics, island vibes, romance, adventure, and plenty of good times. 🌺🍹

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/margaritaville/

10/05/2026

🌴 Set sail for a tropical getaway with MUSIC THEATER WORKS’ JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE! 🌺

Experience the first professional Chicago production of JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE since its pre-Broadway run!

This feel-good musical vacation is packed with island vibes, beloved Jimmy Buffett classics, romance, adventure, and plenty of laughs. Follow Tully, a laid-back island singer, and Rachel, a career-focused tourist, as their worlds collide at a beachfront resort—and discover a story about self-discovery, taking chances, and living life to the fullest.

🏝️ October 8–November 1, 2026
📍 The North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
Book: Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley
Music & Lyrics: Jimmy Buffett
Directed & Choreographed by: Brenda Didier
Co-Directed by: Sarafina Vecchio
Co-Choreographed by: Clayton Cross
Music Direction: Linda Madonia

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/margaritaville/

📸 Steven Townshend

10/05/2026

🌴 MEET THE CAST: JULIET LOPEZ-GUTIERREZ! 🌴

We’re so excited to welcome back Juliet Lopez-Gutierrez (she/her) to Music Theater Works! Juliet returns to MTW as Ensemble & Swing in JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE, after making her MTW debut as Teresita in West Side Story! 🌺

Juliet is currently a junior at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts (CCPA). Her additional recent credits include Jesus Christ Superstar and Seussical at CCPA.
She is so grateful for the support of her friends, family, and the broader Chicago theater community! ❤️

🌴 ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
📍 North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
📅 October 8 – November 1, 2026
🎶 Music & Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett
📖 Book by Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley
🎭 Directed & Choreographed by Brenda Didier
🎭 Co-Directed by Sarafina Vecchio
💃 Co-Choreographed by Clayton Cross
🎼 Music Directed by Linda Madonia

Set sail for a tropical getaway with beloved Jimmy Buffett classics, island vibes, romance, adventure, and plenty of good times. 🌺🍹

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/margaritaville/

10/04/2026

🌴 MEET THE CAST: IVAN JAMES! 🌴

Please welcome back Ivan James (he/him) to Music Theater Works! Ivan returns to MTW, where he last appeared as Lt. Schrank in West Side Story. This time, he joins the cast of JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE as Ensemble / U/S J.D. / Non-Equity Deputy! 🌺

Recent credits include “Jose Fajardo”/ensemble in On Your Feet! at Drury Lane Theatre, as well as “Snyder” in Newsies and “King Triton” in The Little Mermaid, both at BAM Theatre.
Ivan would like to thank his agents at TXA for their belief and support, as well as BAM Theatre for reigniting his passion for the stage. This performance is dedicated to his friends and family — especially his wife, Brenda, and children, Nora and Jonah. ❤️
Follow Ivan on Instagram:

🌴 ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
📍 North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
📅 October 8 – November 1, 2026
🎶 Music & Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett
📖 Book by Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley
🎭 Directed & Choreographed by Brenda Didier
🎭 Co-Directed by Sarafina Vecchio
💃 Co-Choreographed by Clayton Cross
🎼 Music Directed by Linda Madonia

Set sail for a tropical getaway with beloved Jimmy Buffett classics, island vibes, romance, adventure, and plenty of good times. 🌺🍹

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2026-season/margaritaville/

10/03/2026

🌴 GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE! 🎶

What does it take to turn a rehearsal room into a tropical paradise? 🌺🏝️

In Episode 2 of our Behind the Scenes series, go behind the curtain with ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE actors Brian Acker (Tully), Chase Grabowski (Brick), and Jacob Merschel (Ensemble: Jamal) as they give us a sneak peek into the rehearsal process!
From learning classic Jimmy Buffett songs through dance and guitar-playing to transforming the stage into a full-on “beach party” paradise, see how the cast is bringing this feel-good musical to life.

🎥 WATCH EPISODE 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq_SdW_ootA

🌴 See the magic October 8 – November 1!

Music Theater Works presents the first professional production of JIMMY BUFFETT’S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE in Chicago since its pre-Broadway run.
Set sail for a tropical getaway with this lighthearted romantic comedy packed with island vibes and beloved Buffett classics. Follow Tully, a laid-back island singer, and Rachel, a career-focused tourist, as their worlds collide at a beachfront resort—and discover a story about adventure, self-discovery, and living life to the fullest.
Whether you’re a lifelong Parrot Head or completely new to Margaritaville, your musical vacation awaits! 🌴🎶

🎟️ Tickets & more information:
https://www.musictheaterworks.com/

Go behind the curtain with ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE Actors Brian Ac...