Following its celebrated 2022 staged reading, the Chicagoland Theatre Fund is proud to announce a one-weekend-only streaming of Children of Eden in Concert: The 2022 Live Chicago Staged Reading. This emotionally resonant musical, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) and book by John Caird (Les Misérables, Nicholas Nickleby), reimagines the biblical stories of Adam, Eve, Noah, and their descendants in a theatrical journey of love, loss, and the legacy of choice.
The staged reading event will be available to view online next April; however, tickets will be limited and expected to sell out.
Presale will open to Chicagoland Theatre Fund subscribers September 15, 2025 at 10 am CST and general sale will open September 30, 2025 at 10 am CST. For presale access, be sure to subscribe at www.chicagolandtheatrefund.com.
The performance will be available to view starting at 6 pm CST Thursday, April 23, 2026 through 11:59 pm CST Sunday April 26, 2026. Once a ticket is redeemed during that window, the viewer will receive a 48-hour period to stream the reading.
Hailed a “blessed event” by the Times Square Chronicles, the 2022 performance received warm acclaim. Chicago Theatre Review praised it as “beautifully sung, intelligently performed and creatively produced,” asserting that Children of Eden “deserves to find its way, at long last, to the Broadway stage”. Around the Town Chicago deemed the choreography “perfection” and praised the creative direction of the “chilling, thrilling production”.
The star-studded cast features Destiny Child’s Michelle Williams as Eve/Mama, Grammy-winning Christian artist David Phelps as Adam/Noah, Koryn Hawthorne of NBC’s The Voice as Yonah, YouTube sensation Sam Tsui as Cain/Japheth, and Broadway star of Les Mis, Randal Keith, as Father. Additional principal cast include: Chris Graham (Abel/Ham), Darian Goulding (Seth/Shem), Donica Lynn (Aphra), and Rhealee Fernandez (Aysha).
The ensemble features: Adia Bell, Ariana Burks, Luke Cloherty, Wesly Anthony Clerge Clergé, Caitlin Dobbins, Alex Garcia, Luke Halpern, Shea Hopkins, Emily Holland, Haley Gustafson, Rogan Jackson, Kevin Kuska, Ivory Leonard, Abbey Loria, Marina Magnelli, Luke Nowakowski, Dana Norris, Dominic Rescigno, Joshua Sanchez, Nick Schrier, DeAndre Simmons, Natalie Stahl, Rachel Thomas, and Natalie Welch. Adding an unforgettable layer to the concert was a 100+ member children’s choir featuring young artists from elite Chicago-area programs including Bennett Academy, Waubonsie Valley High School, and the Naperville Road Show Choir.
“We’re excited to share this special event,” said Chicagoland Theatre Fund founder Mark Michelson. “Readings and workshop presentations are typically a part of the R&D process of theatre that most people don’t even know about. They’re typically accessible strictly to insiders, but the development of theatre is often the most fun part — and we hope it becomes more of a standard for the public to join in that exciting part of the journey.”
The production was helmed with direction and music direction by Jeff Award winners, Derek Van Barham and Heidi Joosten, respectively, and choreography by Nicholas Ranauro. Additional creatives and team included: Kyle Hass (Artistic Producer & Projection Design), Patrick Raddatz (Production Management), Ian Connor (Stage Management), Emma Belew (Assistant Stage Management), HMS Media (Cinematography), Cinveative Studios (Projection), Jeremy Swanton (Costume Design), Matt Casey (Props Design), Brandon Lewis (Lighting Design), Andrew Stratton (Sound Design), Sarah Schulte (Music Supervisor), Grant Bernstein (Animation), Aaron Gottl (Lead Post Production Audio), Peyton Kaye (Post Production Audio Support), Karen Lynn Accattato (Makeup Department Head), Lillian Dion (Hair Department Head), Melissa Musseau (Key Makeup), Sydney Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Hair and Wig Supervision), Taylor Benoit (Youth Coordinator), and Jonathan Horn (Youth Music Coordinator).
The orchestra, under the baton of Joosten, features: Mary Halm, Caley Koch, Nick Kabat, Kenny Thompson, Robert Campbell, Momo Seko, Michael Oldham, Dustin Struhall, Emily Barrett, Lain Skow, Steve Schnall, Eric Goluszcka, Matt Guschl, and Kyle Madsen.
“Staged readings and workshops have no elaborate costumes or scenery,” Michelson added. “Cast have scripts in hand and they’re not intended to be a perfect final product by any means, but rather they’re an opportunity for artists to dive into different nuances of source material, make changes, and explore a variety of artistic concepts. With one week of rehearsals, it’s pretty amazing what can happen in a pressure cooker of incredible artists.”
Though Children of Eden has yet to see a Broadway premiere, it remains a cherished favorite in the musical theatre canon. “One of our many goals as an organization is to shine light on incredible works that have yet to have a prominent run or could be reimagined for a new iteration,” Michelson said. “There’s so many directions with which one can take this deep meaty material; and I think this hybrid version explores some of them. I look forward to seeing whatever next life Children of Eden takes on.”
The concert will be available for viewing one weekend only —Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 6 pm CST through Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 11:59 pm CST.
