Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Illinoise’ Stage Adaptation Sets Spring New York Debut
deadline.comIllinoise, a theatrical adaptation of Sufjan Stevens‘ career-breakthrough 2005 concept album Illinois, will make its New York City premiere in March at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory, the arts venue announced today.
A dance-music-theater hybrid, Illinoise will include music and lyrics by Stevens, based on his album, and will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Justin Peck (Carousel, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story) with a story by Peck and Pulitzer-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury (Fairview).
The show, which will feature Timo Andres’ new arrangements of the entire Stevens album, will run from March 2-23, 2024, at the Upper East Side venue.
In its announcement today, the Armory described Stevens’ album as a “wildly inventive portrayal of the state’s people, landscapes, and history, complete with UFOs, zombies, and predatory wasps.” “This musically ambitious work, which weaves together cinematic orchestral anthems, jazz riffs, and other musical influences to explore wide-ranging narratives about blossoming queerness and self-exploration is expanded upon through a mix of live music and impressionistic choreography to revisit the beloved album’s themes of self-discovery,” the Armory’s website notes.
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