Chicago’s Marriott Theatre 2013 Season Includes Mary Poppins, Now and Forever

The Marriott Theatre in Chicago has announced that its 2013 season will include productions of “Mary Poppins” and “Now and Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.”

The theater, which is located in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire, Ill., is Chicago’s longest running musical theater. In addition, the lineup for the venue also will include Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” and “9 to 5 the Musical.”

The first scheduled production will be “Now and Forever,” which will be performed from January 16-March 24. The production contains songs from Lloyd Webbers biggest hits including “Phantom of the Opera.”

Next up, “South Pacific” will run from April 3 to June 2. The musical tells the story of U.S. nurse Nellie Forbush, who struggles to accept the past of the French plantation owner she falls in love with.

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” will take over after that on June 5 and run through August 11. The musical comedy by Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts is the second longest running Off Broadway musical, and ran from August 1, 1996 through July 27, 2008. During that time it held 5,003 performances.

The stage adaptation of Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s 1980 movie “9 to 5” will be the final show of the summer at the theater, and will be performed from August 14 through October 20.

Finally, the Disney classic “Mary Poppins” will close out the year and cover the holiday season, running from October 23 to January 5, 2014. The musical is based on the classic P.L. Travers stories as well as the Disney film of the same name.

Another classic, “Sleeping Beauty,” is currently being performed at the theater, and that will be followed by the stage production of “Dreamgirls,” which will premiere August 22.