Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein today announced that the immersive theater pioneer will present the world premiere of “Sons of Hollywood,” a searing take on 1920’s Hollywood through the eyes of gay silent film stars Ramon Novarro and William Haines, beginning January 26, 2022 at Windy City Playhouse’s flagship location (3014 W Irving Park Rd). Press performances will take place February 3 through 6. Tickets are on sale now.
Set in the early 1920’s, the production centers on Hollywood as it brims with risqué films, off-screen scandals, enormous parties and glamorous opening nights. As the lives of film stars become more public than ever with the advent of talkies, the reputations of film studios suddenly hang in the balance. Silent film stars Ramon Novarro and William Haines enjoyed lives as Hollywood royalty, steeped in the luxury of booze, sex, prostitutes and more drama off-screen than on. When the Motion Picture Production Code brings a swift and sudden end to their lifestyle and the silver screen is purged of its openly gay stars, William and Ramon face a hard, oppressive reality: they must choose love or money.
How will these former film stars fight for their rights while coping with their new, shocking reality? Will they recede into the numbing comfort of alcoholism, drugs and male hustlers or could this be a golden opportunity for self-reinvention?
“Following a two-year hiatus through the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re very much looking forward to returning to our flagship location for this incredible production,” said Rubenstein. “It’s exciting to get the chance to travel back in time to the 1920’s, especially with the vehicle of a true story. We’re ready to dazzle our audiences with all of the Hollywood glamour and mystique.”
The cast of “Sons of Hollywood” includes Trey DeLuna as Ramon Novarro, Adam Jennings as William Haines and Abby Lee as Joan Crawford/Lucille LeSueur. Also in the cast are Jonathan Connolly¸ Ben Dow, Kyle Patrick¸ Max Stewart, Lucas Prizant, Sarah Kmiecik, and Adriel Irizzary. The creative team for the show includes director David H. Bell who won a Jeff Award for his direction of Windy City Playhouse’s smash hit “Southern Gothic;” playwright and Windy City Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Carl Menninger, who won a Jeff Award for his direction of Windy City Playhouse’s “The Boys in the Band;” playwright Barry Ball; scenic designer Lauren Nigri; lighting designer Anthony Forchielli; sound designer Willow James and properties designer Grace Foiles.
Tickets to “Sons of Hollywood,” which includes two seating options, are on sale now. For more information, please visit www.WindyCityPlayhouse.com.
About the Production
David H. Bell (Director) David returns to Windy City Playhouse after directing last season’s Jeff Award-nominated “The Explorers Club.” He is a professor and Director of the Music Theatre Certificate program and Artistic Director of the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. David has worked all over the world as a director, choreographer, and author. His work has received 44 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, for which he has won 11; the Dramalogue Award (L.A.); the Helen Hayes Award (Washington, D.C.); five Carbonall Award nominations (Florida); a Laurence Olivier Award Nomination (London); seven Atlanta Journal and Constitution Awards; the Atlanta Circle of Dramatic Critics Award; and three National Endowment writing grants. He has served as Artistic Director for the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., and as Associate Artistic Director for Atlanta’s Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre. He has had more than 40 new plays and musicals produced internationally, including the Laurence Olivier-nominated musical “Hot Mikado.” Recently, he collaborated with Northwestern University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in presenting “Atlantic,” a pair of new musicals at the Edinburgh Festival last summer. He has collaborated on world premiere musicals with Craig Carnelia, Cy Coleman, Russell Baker, Jimmy Buffett, Herman Wouk, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Bob Gaudio, Henry Marsh, Barry Mason, Jim Stafford, Eddie Seago, and Mike Leander, among many others. He directed and coauthored “Knute Rockne: All-American” at The Theatre at the Center, and his adaptation of “The Boys From Syracuse,” for which he was nominated for 3 Jefferson Awards, played at the Drury Lane Oakbrook. He directed his musical “The Bowery Boys” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and directed and choreographed “Once On This Island” at Marriott and “Hot Mikado” at Drury Lane. In summer 2011, David directed his own “Fanny Brice” musical at Florida’s Asolo Rep Theatre; wrote a program of musicals to accompany the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Washington D.C.; directed “Hamlet” at Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival and a World Premiere of “Hero” at the Marriott Theatre and Asolo Repertory Theatre; and wrote “The Rules of Love in Istanbul” with Turkish rock stars Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan. David opened “Shakin’ the Rafters” for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre in Atlanta; directed “South Pacific,” “9 To 5,” “Cabaret,” and “On the Town” for the Marriott Lincolnshire; and directed “The Comedy of Errors,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Pericles” for Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. For Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, David has directed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and six Waa-Mu Shows: “Another Way West,” “Beyond Belief,” “What’s Next?,” “Off The Map,” “Flying Home,” and “Gold.” David is currently writing and directing “The Museum of Broken Relationships” with composer Daniel Green.
Carl Menninger (Playwright) Carl Menninger lived and worked in Chicago for many years. He won the 2020 Joseph Jefferson Award for his direction of “The Boys in the Band.” He also directed the 2016 production of “This” at Windy City Playhouse. Carl is one of the writers of our current production, “A Recipe for Disaster.” He is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at American University, in Washington, D.C., where he ran the Theatre and Musical Theatre program for eight years. Carl is one of the co-creators of the Playhouse hit “Southern Gothic.” While in Chicago, Carl worked with Victory Gardens and Chicago Dramatists. In addition to working with D.C.’s Ford’s Theatre, Studio Theatre and Adventure Theatre, his play “Everything But You; A Modern Romance” received a staged reading at Keegan Theatre in D.C. Carl is the co-author of “Minding the Edge: Strategies for a Fulfilling, Successful Career as an Actor.”
Barry Ball (Playwright) Barry is thrilled to be working with the exceptional team at Windy City Playhouse. His first play, “The Boys of Mariel” was first produced in Los Angeles and was honored with a GLAAD Media Award nomination. He has had a long career in showbusiness starting at the age of 17 as an actor, traveled the world many times over as part of a double singing act, produced production shows for the cruise lines and for the past 35 years the owner of BARRY BALL ARTISTS, one of the top agencies providing world-wide entertainment and production shows to the cruise lines. He dedicates “Sons of Hollywood” to his partner of 58 years – Bill Yule, who taught him everything he knows.
Lauren Nigri (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning regional and national designer whose work includes film, television, illustration, scenic painting and theatrical productions. Lauren received her MFA in Stage Design from Northwestern University. Her recent film and television work includes the new AMC Television Series “61st Street” set to premier in 2022, “Power Book IV: Force” (Starz), “Station Eleven” (Paramount/HBOMax), and “Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix). Recent theatrical design credits include: “The Recommendation” (Windy City Playhouse); “Curve of Departure” (Northlight Theatre); “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); “Hinter, The Few” (Steep Theater); “Nice Girl, Betrayal” (Raven Theatre); “Souvenirs” (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); “The Scorpion Sting” (Lyric Opera/Lyric Unlimited). Recent associate designs include: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Writers Theatre); “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” (Lookingglass); “Beauty Queen of Leeane (Northlight Theatre) and “Southern Gothic” (Windy City Playhouse). Her awards include the recipient of the 2019 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Midsize Scenic Design, the recipient of 2020 Wilde Award for Best Scenic Design and chosen as one of ten design exhibitors to represent the United States at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial.
Anthony Forchielli (Lighting Designer) Anthony Forchielli is a lighting designer for theater, dance, opera, and events. Anthony is interested in theater as an opportunity; a forefront of ethical reform. While every piece is unique, his work is often rooted in essentialism, and explores the intersection of movement and shadow. Anthony's work has been seen across the country including Quintessence Theatre, Milagro Theatre, The Wagon Wheel Theatre, Wilmette Starlight Theatre, Allentown Shakespeare in the Park, and The Bienen School of Music. Anthony also assist’s at some of the nation’s largest theatrical institutions including San Francisco Opera, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre, and serves as an assistant lighting director for “Trinity Irish Dance.” Anthony holds a BFA and MFA from DePaul’s Theatre School Conservatory and Northwestern University respectively, and is a Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Internship recipient. Anthony’s work has been featured in the pages of “PLSN” & “Lighting and Sound America.” Please visit his portfolio at www.designedAF.com
Willow James (Sound Design) Willow James is a theater artist, photographer, and podcast producer from the Chicagoland area. Passionate about new works and amplifying the voices of historically underserved communities, he is very grateful to be returning to Windy City Playhouse, after sound designing “A Recipe for Disaster.” As an actor, director, and sound designer, he’s worked with Artemisia Theatre (where he is Resident Sound Designer), Redtwist Theatre, Perceptions Theatre, Stage Left Theatre and others. Go to willow-james.org for more. Be kind.-WJ
Grace Foiles (Props Designer) is excited to be collaborating with the incredibly talented design team at Windy City Playhouse. This is their second major props design in Chicago. Previous credits include: “No Exit” (Ad Astra Theatre Co.); “Constellations” (Washburn University); “One Man Two Guvnors” (Michigan State University); “Julius Caesar” (Michigan State University); and “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” (Strawdog Theatre Co.). Their design work can be found at www.gracefoiles.com.
Trey DeLuna (Ramon Novarro) is both excited and extremely grateful to be joining the cast of “Sons of Hollywood” in his debut at Windy City Playhouse. He was last seen as Matt/Scratchy and understudying Mr. Burns in “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play” at Theater Wit. Last summer, he was in Traverse City, Michigan performing as Rolf in “The Sound of Music” and Linus in “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” at Parallel 45 Theatre Festival. His other summer stock credits include Chino in “West Side Story” and the ensemble of “Shakespeare in Love” at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre. A graduate of Millikin University, Trey was involved in numerous productions, playing Raoul in the “Phantom of the Opera” Mr. Marks in “Intimate Apparel,” and was seen in “Chicago the Musical,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It” and “As You Like It.” During his time at Millikin, he also had the opportunity to study abroad, training at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, England. Trey is represented by Gray Talent Group.
Adam Jennings (William Haines) Adam is honored to be making his Windy City Playhouse debut as the wisecracking William Haines. Stage credits feature leading roles in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “As You Like It” and “Noises Off.” Screen credits range from Disney’s “Mars Needs Moms” to Lifetime’s “The Protector”. As a specialist in the field of Motion Capture, Adam has performed cinematic scenes, stunts and lip-sync animations for more than 25 video games including “Guitar Hero”, “Call Of Duty”, “Tony Hawk”, and “The Amazing Spider-Man”. Adam is a SAG-AFTRA member and represented by Big Mouth Talent in Chicago.
Abby Lee (Joan Crawford / Lucille LeSueur) is honored to be making her Windy City Playhouse debut! Abby is currently onstage at The Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest, playing Blanche, in Brighton Beach Memoirs. For Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Olivia in “Twelfth Night,” Mistress Ford in “Merry Wives of Windsor” and Lady Macduff in “Macbeth.” For The Jewish Theatre of Bloomington: Church and State and Visions of Right. Other Regional credits include: Indecent at Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis, Nancy in “Oliver!” at Cardinal Stage, “Wait Until Dark,” Talley’s Folly.” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Baskerville, or (Nell Gwyn)” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” with M Emmet Walsh. For Indiana University: “Three Sisters” (Masha): “Hedda Gabler” (Hedda); “Macbeth” (Lady Macbeth); “King Lear” (Goneril); “Temest” (Stephano); “Machinal” and “Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike” (Masha). TV/Film: “Chicago PD”, “Confessions of A Shopaholic”, “21 and a Wakeup”, “Year For Silk” and “Triptych”. www.abbylee.net.
Jonathan Connolly (Tom/Ensemble Understudy Billy/Randolph) Jonathan is very grateful to make his Windy City Playhouse debut! A recent graduate from Northwestern University's theater program, you may have seen him in campus productions such as “Eurydice,” “Machinal,” “Marisol” and beyond. Jonathan is represented for commercial and print work by Stavins Talent.
Ben Dow (Randolph) is honored to be making his Windy City Playhouse debut! Regional credits include: “Forever Plaid” (Jinx/Frankie u/s) at the Drury Lane Theatre; “Newsies!” (Jack Kelly) & “Something Rotten” (Nostradamus) at Bigfork Summer Playhouse; “Into the Woods” (Jack), “Man of La Mancha” (Padre), & “The Little Mermaid” (Flotsam) at Timber Lake Playhouse. Ben graduated this year with his BFA in musical theater from Indiana University - Bloomington. Ben would like to thank his family, the amazing team at Stewart Talent Chicago, and the wonderful folks at Windy City Playhouse for making this possible.
Kyle Patrick (Jimmy Shields) Kyle is elated to be back with Windy City Playhouse after appearing in their 2020 Equity Jeff Award-winning production of “The Boys in the Band” (Best Ensemble: Play / Best Production: Play - Midsize)! Other recent theater credits include, Touring: “Dunsinane” (National Theatre of Scotland / Royal Shakespeare Company); “Antigone” (Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg / The Barbican), Regional: “A Christmas Carol” (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre); “Now or Later” (Intrinsic Theatre Company); “Stinky Cheese Man and...” (Griffin Theatre Company); “Into the Woods” (Stagecrafter’s). Recent Film/TV credits include: “Subsurface” (SoliFilm Productions); “Lacy’s Christmas Do-Over” (Golan Studios); “Saturnalia” (Fellpeller Studios); “Deliver Me” (Columbia Chicago); “Now and Not Yet” (Redleg Films); “A Bennett Song Holiday” (Auburn Moon Productions / Painted Creek Productions); “The Girls of Summer” (FilmAcres); “Chicago Med” (NBC); “Blood Feuds” (AHC). Kyle is a dual-program graduate of The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, the founder of SoliFilm Productions (www.solifilm.com), and is incredibly proud to be represented by Gray Talent Group. To see more of his work, feel free to access the resources below! For Holly – she found a motherless boy, then loved him as her own. Website – www.kylepatrickacting.wixsite.com/website IMDb – www.imdb.me/kylepatrick Facebook - @KylePatrickActor Instagram - @_kyle_patrick
Max Stewart (Louis B Mayer/ Herbert Howe/Weber) Max is a graduate of The Theatre School at Depaul University and has studied at the British American Dramatic Academy in Oxford. He is a NFAA Young Arts Award Winner in Spoken Theatre and won a William Faulkner Literary Award for his play Antarctica which premiered at Curious Theatre Company in Denver. He most recently played Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” with Kane Repertory Theatre Company. Selected TV/Film Credits include: “Soundtrack” (Netflix) Dir. Joe Swanberg, Worth Dir. Austin Lewis, (Best Supporting Actor Winner Nashville 48 Hour Film Festival) and “Tasmanian Tiger” Dir. Mike Paulucci. Max Also does stand up Comedy around all around Chicago. Instagram: @Max Stewart
Lucas Prizant (u/S Howe/Mayer/Weber) is extremely excited to make his Chicago theater debut with the Windy City Playhouse. Most recently he performed in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Gravel Alley) directed by Susan Felder. Other theater credits include “This is Our Youth” (Unit 14 Theatre Company); “Lungs” (Liberty Exhibition Hall) and “Clybourne Park” (Corbett Center for Performing Arts). His Film/TV Credits include "Chicago Fire" (NBC) and "Paper Girls" (Amazon Prime). Lucas is a recent BFA Acting graduate from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. He would like to thank the hardworking team at Gray Talent, and his family for their constant love and support!
Sarah Kmiecik (Joan U/S) is excited to be joining Windy City Playhouse for the first time! She is a 2017 graduate of Ball State University. Favorite Chicago credits include “Noises Off” (Metropolis Performing Arts Center); “Frankenstein” (Lifeline Theatre); “Boeing Boeing” (Metropolis); “Sacrilege; A Nativity Story” (The Annoyance Theatre); “The Chicago Carolers” and “A Christmas Carol” (Metropolis). Sarah is also a voice actor represented by Stewart Talent.
Adriel Irizarry (Paul/Understudy Ramon Novarro) Adriel is a Chicago-born actor of Puerto Rican and Colombian descent. He graduated from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in NYC, having attended both campuses in LA and NY. His recent theater credits include: Xavier in Visión Latino’s “Y Tu Abuela, Where is She; Part 1,” Leach in Urban Theater Company’s “Back in the Day” and Older Brother U/S in Steep Theatre’s “The Leopard Play or Sad Songs for Lost Boys.” Film credits include: “Vita” opposite Joe Morton, and “UEFW” directed by Madison Freeland. He is represented by Gray Talent Group and would like to thank all of his supporters for all the love and support throughout this process.
About Windy City Playhouse
Windy City Playhouse is a professional theater and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located on Chicago's northwest side. Premiering in March of 2015 with a mission to present contemporary, relevant, and approach art, the Playhouse has quickly become a mainstay of the Chicago theater scene. In 2018, its runaway hit, the immersive “Southern Gothic” solidified the Playhouse as the first choice in Chicago theater for one-of-a-kind audience experience. "Experience driven. Audience first."
For more information, visit WindyCityPlayhouse.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.