SNOW WHITE – AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL, SHE LOVES ME & More Set for Citadel Theatre 2023-24 Season

Citadel Theatre's programming for 2023-24 will include a four-show subscription season, and two all-family musicals.

Leading off the subscription season will be their production of the world's longest running play - Agatha Christie's murder mystery THE MOUSETRAP, which except for the COVID hiatus has played continuously in London's West End since 1952. Scott Westerman, director of Citadel's recent production of THE CHRISTIANS, will direct. THE MOUSETRAP will open on Friday, September 15 following previews on September 13 and 14, and play through October 15, 2023.

The company's holiday show will be the much-loved musical SHE LOVES ME, by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, songwriters of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. SHE LOVES ME premiered on Broadway in 1963 and has been revived on Broadway twice. It follows the story of two quarrelling co-writers in a Budapest perfumery. Unaware that they are anonymous pen pals, they have fallen in love with each other through their letters. All is revealed by the time the shop closes on Christmas Eve. The musical is based on a Hungarian play that was also adapted into the films THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, and YOU'VE GOT MAIL. Matthew Silar, director of Citadel's 2022 LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, returns to Citadel to helm this holiday musical.SHE LOVES ME will open on November 17, 2023 (following previews on November 15 and 16) and play through December 17, 2023.

Beth Wolf, nominated in the 2022 Jeff Awards - Equity wing for her direction of Citadel's OUTSIDE MULLINGAR (nominated for Best Production of a Play - Midsize) returns to direct Lauren Gunderson's SILENT SKY - a drama celebrating the contributions of Henrietta Leavitt and other 19th century female astronomers who, because of their gender, were not recognized at the time for their work. SILENT SKY will open on Friday, February 16 (following previews on February 14 and 15) and play through Sunday, March 17, 2024.

Citadel's subscription season will close with the musical BABY, which explores the painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of the universal experience of pregnancy and upcoming parenthood through the stories of three expectant couples. Scott Shallenbarger, whose career has included a long tenure as Director of Theatre Arts at Highland Park High School and professional directing projects with such companies as Piven Theatre Workshop, Raven Theatre, and Hubris Productions, will direct the musical, which will open on Friday, April 19, following previews on April 17 and 18 and play through Sunday, May 19, 2024.

Season subscriptions are available for the full four-show season at $120.00 or as flex passes that can be used for the patron's choice of three shows for $100.00 or two shows for $70.00. Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale at www.citadeltheatre.org.

In addition to the four-show subscription season, Citadel Theatre will mount two musicals for family audiences, both directed by Gregg Dennhardt, director of Citadel's Theatre for Young Audiences musicals JUNIE B. JONES, WINNIE-THE-POOH, and most recently, JUNIOR CLAUS. The first will be an original musical adaptation of SNOW WHITE, with book, music and lyrics by Chicago-based songwriter and musician Mark Adamczyk, to be performed outdoors at Lake Forest Open Lands (350 N Waukegan Rd. Lake Forest, IL 60045) on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from July 21 - 30, 2023. For holiday week - December 20 - 31, Dennhardt will also direct ELEANOR'S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS WISH. The musical by Chicagoans Denise McGowan Tracy and Kathleen Butler-Duplessis premiered in Chicago in 2019 and has been produced around the US since.

Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company's website at Click Here.

SNOW WHITE - AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL

Book, music, lyrics by Mark Adamczyk
Directed by Gregg Dennhardt
Friday, July 21 - Sunday, July 30, 2023
Fridays at 6 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 pm and 6 pm
Lake Forest Open Lands, 350 N Waukegan Rd. Lake Forest, IL 60045
Tickets available online at www.citadeltheatre.org or by phone at 847-735-8554, ext. 1
$15 per ticket
An outdoor theatre experience for the whole family! Join us at Lake Forest Open Lands (350 N. Waukegan Rd. Lake Forest, IL 60045) for this original musical adventure. Bring a chair or blanket...as well as a picnic basket!

THE MOUSETRAP

by Agatha Christie
Directed by Scott Westerman
Friday, September 15 - Sunday, October 15, 2023
(Previews September 13 and 14 @ 7:30 pm)
PRESS OPENING Friday, September 15 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm, Saturday matinee at 2 pm on Oct. 7, Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on Sept. 20 and 27. No performances Fridays, Sept. 22 and 29.
Preview ticket prices $20. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students.
Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.


After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. THE MOUSETRAP is the longest running play of all time, having played continuously in London's West End since October 1952.

SHE LOVES ME

Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on a play by Miklós László
Directed by Matthew Silar
Friday, November 17 - Sunday, December 17, 2023
(Previews November 15-16 @ 7:30 pm)
Press Opening Friday, November 17 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays*, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Wednesday matinees at 1 pm on November 22 and December 6.
* No shows on Thursdays November 23 (Thanksgiving Day) or December 7.
Preview ticket prices $20. Regular run prices Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $40; Saturdays and Sundays $45.00. Discounts available for groups, seniors and students.
Citadel Theatre, located in the West Campus building of the Lake Forest School District, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.


In a 1930s European perfumery, clerks Amalia and Georg rarely see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts advertisement" in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown until all is revealed on Christmas Eve. Based on the play PARFUMERIE, which was also the basis for the films THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, and YOU'VE GOT MAIL.