Sufjan Stevens ‘Illinois’ Stage Musical Sets World Premiere; ‘West Side Story’ Choreographer Justin Peck To Direct
deadline.comA stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ acclaimed 2005 album Illinois will make its world premiere this summer in a production by The Fisher Center at Bard where Daniel Fish’s eye-opening Tony-winning revival of Oklahoma!
got its start. A press opening for Illinois at an as-yet-undisclosed Chicago theater will be announced shortly. Directing and choreographing Illinois will be Justin Peck, a Tony winner for his choreography of Broadway’s 2018 revival of Carousel.
More recently, Peck choreographed Steven Spielberg’s 2021 screen adaptation of West Side Story. Illinois will feature music and lyrics by Stevens and a story by Peck and Pulitzer Prize-winning Fairview playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury. “Three brilliantly imaginative artists, Justin Peck, Sufjan Stevens, and Jackie Sibblies Drury, unite to create an ecstatic pageant of storytelling, theater, dance, and live music,” the Fisher Center said in the announcement statement. “Stevens’ 2005 concept album Illinois enjoys cult status for its lush orchestrations and wildly inventive portrayal of the state’s people, landscapes, and history, complete with UFOs, zombies, and predatory wasps.” Peck, according to the Fisher, will transform the album into “a full-length theatrical performance with a cast of virtuosic dancers, singers, and musicians in a narrative” crafted by Drury.
The musical will feature new arrangements of the entire album for a live band and three voices, ranging in style from DIY folk and indie rock to marching band and ambient electronics. “Illinois will lead us on a mighty journey through the American heartland, from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos,” the Fisher said.
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