Home

Displaying items by tag: RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S OKLAHOMA!

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights at 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce its 2026-27 season launching with Ride the Cyclone, September 16 - October 18; followed by a Chicago-rooted holiday classic The Christmas Schooner, November 24 - January 3, 2027; an in-concert production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, January 27 - February 14, 2027; Chicago Premiere, The Match Game, March 3 - 28, 2027 and concluding with Rodgers and Hammerstein's masterpiece from music theatre's golden age, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, September 16 - October 18, 2027.  Early bird discounted subscriptions are available now through June 5 at MetropolisArts.com/2627-season or by calling the box office at 847.577.2121, with single tickets available later this year. 

The 2026-27 season also includes a limited run of the beloved holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, as part of the Metropolis Family Series Saturdays at 10 a.m. (December 5 - December 19) and a full-length production December 13 and 20 at 6:30 p.m. and December 24 at 2:00 p.m.

2026-27 Season Sponsors: The season show sponsor is Suburban Accents. The season Paint Sponsor is Marc Poulous Painting and Decorating. The season costume storage sponsor is Jennifer Burnidge, CLU, ChFC, RICP State Farm Agent.

All performances are held at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St. in Arlington Heights. The full Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's 2026-27 season includes, chronologically:

RIDE THE CYCLONE

September 16 - October 25, 2026

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell

Directed by Lillian Castillo

A darkly comical musical about six teens bargaining for a second chance at life in this profound exploration of life, death, and knowing who you are. An added bonus to the Metropolis production features Director Lillian Castillo. Castillo is the original Constance on the World Premiere Cast Recording, and she also originated the role in the American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER

November 24, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Book by John Reeger

Music and Lyrics by Julie Shannon

Directed by Patrick Tierney

A heartwarming Chicago-based musical that tells the dramatic true story of a Lake Michigan captain who risked his life to share the Christmas spirit.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - LIMITED RUN

Metropolis Family Series: December 5 - December 19 at 10 a.m.

Full Length Production ONLY: December 13 and 20 at 6:30 p.m., December 24 at 2 p.m.

Adapted by Johanna McKenzie Miller

Original Music and Lyrics by Cory Goodrich

The holiday tradition returns to Metropolis for both the Metropolis Family Series and Metropolis Mainstage. 

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, a concert presentation

January 27 - February 14, 2027

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater

Book by Doug Wright

Director to be announced

Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Group, this is a concert collaboration with Metropolis School of the Performing Arts and JAM Orchestra. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film produced by Howard Ashman & John Musker and written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements.

This in-concert production features professional and student actors backed by a full orchestra, allowing the music to shine.

CHICAGO PREMIERE

THE MATCH GAME

Written by Steven Strafford

March 3 - 21, 2027

Director to be announced

This new work, a hilarious and heartbreaking family dramedy, asks us to contend with truths we may be too afraid to name and to laugh at ones we can't change.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S OKLAHOMA!

April 28 - May 30, 2027

Music by Richard Rodgers

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Based on the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" by Lynn Riggs

Original Choreography by Agnes de Mille

Director to be announced

The classic, medium-defining musical. A high-spirited romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a tumultuous, yet hopeful, new era.

ABOUT METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre is a vibrant cultural hub that enriches the community through inspiring live performances, creative arts education, and impactful partnerships. It fosters artistic excellence, cultivates multi-generational connections, and offers inclusive experiences that engage and uplift all community members. Located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, Metropolis is not just a theatre; it is the cultural pulse of the area, surrounded by premier shopping, dining, and nightlife. Metropolis offers a dynamic year-round season of professional theatre, comedy, concerts, and cabaret performances along with engaging arts education for ages 3 to 85. Serving more than 65,000 patrons annually from across Chicagoland and beyond, Metropolis plays a pivotal role in the community. It provides arts education programs that support thousands of aspiring young artists, as well as community engagement initiatives like the Third Act Players (musical theatre for thespians over 50), Crescendo Chorus (for singers over 55), Flourish in the Footlights (for young artists with disabilities), and Clearbrook on Cue (for artists with disabilities). Metropolis is proud to partner with local organizations such as Endeavor Health, Arlington Heights Senior Center, and Clearbrook. Scholarships are available for students at the School of the Performing Arts to ensure access to the arts for all.

Ride The Cyclone is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global, www.broadwaylicensing.com.

The Christmas Schooner is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.mtishows.com.

Disney's The Little Mermaid is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.mtishows.com.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization,  www.concordtheatricals.com.

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights at 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce its 2026-27 season launching with the return of Ride the Cyclone, September 16 - October 18; followed by a Chicago-rooted holiday classic The Christmas Schooner, November 24 - January 3, 2027; an in-concert production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, January 27 - February 14, 2027; the launch of a new work, The Match Game, March 3 - 28, 2027 and concluding with Rodgers and Hammerstein's masterpiece from music theatre's golden age, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, September 16 - October 18, 2027. 

The 2026-27 subscription series includes Ride the Cyclone, The Christmas Schooner, Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Match Game and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!. Early bird discounted subscriptions are available now through June 5 at MetropolisArts.com/2627-season or by calling the box office at 847.577.2121, with single tickets available later this year.

Published in Upcoming Theatre

Spaceman: Into the Quiet Terror of the Void

22 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Spaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile…

Inside a Real ‘Fire House’ You Are Immersed in Phantasmic Lives of Firefighters

22 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Set in Chicago’s oldest fire station (now Firehouse Art Studio) the immersive play "Fire House” is only loosely tethered to…

Spamalot Is Every Monty Python Fan’s Dream Come to Life

21 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Spamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through…

Raven Theatre announces the 2026-27 season

20 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Raven Theatre, under the director of Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry, announces its 44th season, to include Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange…

Steppenwolf Theatre Presents ALEX EDELMAN: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO

20 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run of Just For Us at Steppenwolf Theatre and around the globe, Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedian Alex Edelman returns…

Announcing the 26/27 Season at Goodman Theatre

20 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

On the heels of an unprecedented Centennial Season, Goodman Theatre sets a bold stage for its second century. Walter Artistic…

Black Button Eyes Productions to stage Conor McPherson's one-actor play ST NICHOLAS, June 26 - July 26

20 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Black Button Eyes Productions has announced it will follow up its hit co-production (with City Lit Theater) of STRANGE CARGO:…

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces As Long As You're Asking: A Conversation with Jason Alexander

20 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the return of Jason Alexander for a special event, As Long As You're Asking: A Conversation with Jason Alexander.…

Midsommer Flight to stage Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT free in six Chicago parks June 26 – August 2

20 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

For its 13th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU…

Chicago Magic Lounge welcomes back fan favorite Ondřej Pšenička for a limited run this summer

19 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago's home for close-up magic, announces the return of world-renowned magician Ondřej Pšenička in a limited run of his hit…

Porchlight's FREE Summer Concert Series Returns - BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD

19 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the return of its free summer concert series Broadway in your Backyard, July 6 - September…

Ian Frank named Shattered Globe Theatre’s new Producing Artistic Director

19 May 2026 in Theatre Buzz

Chicago’s Shattered Globe Theatre announced today that Ian Frank has been selected, following a national search, to be the company’s…

OPERA FESTIVAL OF CHICAGO PRESENTS VERY VERISMO! JUNE 13 AT THE JARVIS OPERA HALL

19 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Opera Festival of Chicago opens its 2026 festival season with Very Verismo!, that includes a VIP reception and a captivating concert celebrating…

Couch Penny Ensemble presents An Oak Tree by Tim Crouch, running June 19-July 5 at the Greenhouse Theater Center

18 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Two actors. One has rehearsed the play. The other has neither seen nor read it. A different performer joins the…

AstonRep Productions to stage US Premiere of Liisa Repo-Martell's new adaptation of Chekhov's UNCLE VANYA, June 18 – July 5 at the Edge Off-Broadway Theatre

18 May 2026 in Upcoming Dance

AstonRep Productions, the theatre and film production company that has produced over 30 stage productions in Chicago, has announced it…

A Red Orchid’s The Targeted Builds a Case for Compassion

18 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

If you’ve ever worked in an urban coffee shop, chances are you’ve encountered at least one ultra-paranoid kook who believes…

Rocky in Concert Delivers a Knockout Night Despite Technical Stumbles

17 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Marking Rocky’s 50th anniversary, Rocky in Concert arrived at the Auditorium Theatre in a highly anticipated Auditorium Philms presentation featuring…

No Dialog, Yet Strongly Affecting, Trap Door's 'Le Bal' Is Like Nothing You've Seen

16 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Can you have a play run 90 minutes with no dialog? Indubitably, as Trap Door Theatre demonstrates with its new…

C'est Drôle: Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan brings classic humor to Wrigleyville theatre

15 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

While many of my classmates were signing up for Spanish classes, I thought it would be terribly useful to sign…

A New Home, A Necessary Warning: Timeline’s Enemy Lands Hard

15 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Timeline Theatre unveils their chic, new Uptown home with its inaugural production–Henrik Ibsen’s ever-relevant “An Enemy of the People”. A…

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces 40th Anniversary Season

15 May 2026 in Theatre Buzz

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes announce today the company's 40th Anniversary Season. America's leading Shakespeare Theater curates…

Chicago Dance Crash presents expo/sd — a genre-bending, world-premiere repertory performance!

15 May 2026 in Upcoming Dance

On July 24th and 25th at 7:00 pm, Chicago Dance Crash will present expo/sd, a world premiere concert at the Ruth…

Steppenwolf Presents LAURA BENANTI: NOBODY CARES - August 6 – 9, 2026

14 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway engagements, Steppenwolf Theatre is pleased to present Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a…

BrightSide Theatre announces 2026-27 season - THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE SECRET GARDEN: IN CONCERT, KEN LUDWIG'S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, and AVENUE Q

13 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

BrightSide Theatre has announced its 15th season of presenting professional theatre in Naperville. Its 2026-27 mainstage slate of four productions will…

Chicago City Opera presents Strauss Masterpiece Der Rosenkavalier

13 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Chicago City Opera (CCO) presents one of late-Romantic composer Richard Strauss' most beloved works, Der Rosenkavalier. Composed by Strauss to…

The Magic Parlour Extends Through December 31! Plus Special Guest Eric Jones Joins This Summer

13 May 2026 in Now Playing

A special guest star, a new block of tickets, and more magic comes to The Magic Parlour this summer. Acclaimed third-generation Magician Dennis…

OAK PARK FESTIVAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES 51ST SEASON "HAMLET" AND "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST"

12 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

The Oak Park Festival Theatre, Oak Park's premiere Equity theatre and the oldest professional classical theatre in the Midwest, today announced…

METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ANNOUNCES ITS UPCOMING 2026-27 SEASON INCLUDING RIDE THE CYCLONE, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE MATCH GAME AND RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S OKLAHOMA!

12 May 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights at 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce its…

Everybody Got a Secret: York Walker’s Covenant Haunts The Goodman

12 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

The Goodman Theatre’s Covenant announces York Walker as a playwright ascending rapidly into the highest tier of American theater. This…

The Real Crime Would Be To Miss This: Crime and Punishment at TUTA Theatre

11 May 2026 in Theatre in Review

Real Chicagoans don’t gatekeep hidden gems. Whether it’s hidden bars behind laundromats, the best Billy Goat location (under Mag Mile),…

 

         20 Years and counting!

Register

     

Latest Articles

  • Spaceman: Into the Quiet Terror of the Void
    Written by
    Spaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile headspace of an astronaut drifting far from home and even farther from certainty. Under Eric Slater’s beautifully calibrated direction, playwright…
  • Inside a Real ‘Fire House’ You Are Immersed in Phantasmic Lives of Firefighters
    Written by
    Set in Chicago’s oldest fire station (now Firehouse Art Studio) the immersive play "Fire House” is only loosely tethered to a realistic portrayal of what fire fighters do. What it conveys is an impressionistic vision of the experience that fire…
  • Spamalot Is Every Monty Python Fan’s Dream Come to Life
    Written by
    Spamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through May 31 at the CIBC Theatre. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 cult classic -…
  • Raven Theatre announces the 2026-27 season
    Raven Theatre, under the director of Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry, announces its 44th season, to include Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop, directed by Mikael Burke in a co-production with About Face Theatre; Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, directed by Raven Executive Artistic Director Jonathan…

Guests Online

We have 658 guests and no members online

Buzz Chicago on Facebook Buzz Chicago on Twitter 

Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.