Clockwise from bottom, original company members: Jonathan Fahoury, Matthew Johnson, Jennifer Florentino, Byron Tittle. Photo by Matt Murphy.

Director Justin Peck (left) and dancers Gaby Diaz, Byron Tittle, Jeanette Delgado, and Jonathan Fahoury (right) during rehearsals for the stage adaptation Sufjan Stevens’ indie touchstone Illinoise. Photos by Maria Baranova. Image by Marina Kozak.

Illinoise

The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare is home to a new kind of musical based on Grammy and Oscar-nominated Sufjan Stevens’ acclaimed concept album. Known for its lush orchestrations and wildly inventive portrayal of the state’s people, landscapes, and history, a team of brilliantly imaginative artists unite to transform the album into a full-length theatrical performance, with a story by Tony Award winner Justin Peck (New York City Ballet, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story), and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury (Fairview). Featuring a cast of virtuosic dancers, singers, and a live band, Illinoise will lead audiences on a journey through the American heartland.