"Oh, the thinks you can think" when Dr. Seuss' best-loved characters collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper!

An inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. This musical adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (and the popular 1985 Steven Spielberg film) spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years forms the arc of this epic story. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, The Color Purple is a story of hope, testament to the healing power of love and celebration of life.

Set in London in 1907, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder centers on Monty Navarro, a penniless clerk who is informed after the death of his mother that he is ninth in line to inherit the earldom of Highhurst, controlled by the wealthy D’Ysquith banking family. After the imperious ruling Lord dismisses Monty’s claim of being a relative, the eight D’Ysquiths ahead of young Mr. Navarro begin dying in natural and unnatural ways. (A single actor plays all the not-so-nice D'Ysquiths, adding to the merriment.) Meanwhile, Monty is trying to woo money-minded Sibella Hallward —until he finds himself drawn to young Phoebe D’Ysquith. How will all these convoluted storylines come together?

Mom’s in the hospital. She’s “done something stupid.” So, you start a list of everything that’s brilliant and worth living for. 1. Ice cream 2. Water fights 3. Staying up past your bedtime. You leave it on her pillow, hoping, and you add to the list throughout your life. This one man, funny and moving play is a tribute to resilience and hope—as it enlists you, the audience, to tell this heartfelt story. Every Brilliant Thing shines a hilarious and compassionate light on dark corners of the human condition.

The Stonewall Riots, started during a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City in June 1969, are mythologized as the beginning of the contemporary gay rights movement. Playwright Ike Holter reimagines that night, bringing desire and frustration to sweaty, messy, sexy life. Featuring a live band and a multivoiced narrative, Hit the Wall remembers the past but points bravely to the future.

From the freezing garrets to the festive streets of 19th-century Paris, the story and soaring music of La Bohème capture the joyful essence—and the heartbreaking realities—of young love. Through the everyday world of a group of artists living the Bohemian life, the opera reveals timeless truths about passion and friendship, material poverty and richness of spirit. Internationally acclaimed baritone, University of Illinois Swanlund Chair, and professor of voice Nathan Gunn returns as director after his spring 2018 debut; he is joined by conductor Donald Schleicher, chair of the School of Music orchestra division, for what many consider the world’s most popular opera.