Do This: Free Musical Theater Tonight

By Suzy Evans in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 29, 2009 3:40PM

Broadway in Chicago is not the most recession-friendly institution, but it's taking a break from its tickets prices tonight. During Taste of Chicago, Broadway in Chicago will present a concert featuring its current and upcoming big-budget musicals. (You can finally see part of Jersey Boys!) Original Broadway stars of Mary Poppins Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, Roger Bart from Young Frankenstein, and yes, the entire cast of Jersey Boys will be there.

There will also be numbers from upcoming shows such as The 101 Dalmations Musical (we don’t know which is worse a 101 real dogs on stage or 101 people pretending to be dogs on stage) and Girls vs. Boys, a new musical developed by the American Musical Theatre Project at Northwestern and the House Theatre. Dalmations comes to Chicago next Winter, and Girls vs. Boys opens in July. And in case you missed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s appearance at Northwestern this weekend, you can catch a preview of his Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, which is coming to Chicago in December, at the concert as well. (Maybe he’s still in the neighborhood and will make a surprise appearance. Here’s hoping!)

Broadway in Chicago Concert in the Park will be at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park tonight at 6:00 p.m.