The musical theater adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ beloved 2005 album Illinois is heading to Broadway.
Dubbed Illinoise, the hybrid dance-musical production will open on Wednesday, April 24th at the St. James Theatre in New York, with shows running through Saturday, August 10th. Tickets are now on sale.
Adapted from Stevens’ landmark album, Illinoise features music and lyrics penned by Stevens, choreography by Justin Peck (who also choreographed Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story), and a story written by Peck and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jackie Sibblies Drury. The production received its initial premiere last summer at Bard College’s Fisher Center in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and was later staged at the Park Avenue Armory and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
llinoise is billed as a “coming-of-age story that takes the audience on a journey through the American heartland — from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos — all told in through a unique blend of music, dance, and theater.” The production features new arrangements of the entire album, as well as “impressionistic choreography” and “narratives centering on self-exploration and community.”
Stevens released his latest album, Javelin, in October 2023. Consequence named its as the third best album of 2023.
In September 2023, Stevens revealed that he had been diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome and was recovering in physical therapy to “learn to walk again.”