CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After a four-year hiatus, the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival will return next weekend with five brand-new stage readings.
“We are in preparation for the second rehearsal for one of our five shows called ‘Out of Focus,’” said festival producer Nicholas Reinhart.
“Out of Focus” is one of five stage readings being performed at the Steppenwolf Theatre as a part of the 2024 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival.
“It was originated by the Underscore Theater Company, which was a theater company in Chicago that was primarily focused on producing new musical theater work and bringing that to the forefront,” said Reinhart.
Reinhart said the festival is now under the stewardship of Chicago's Kokandy Productions, which received over 100 submissions of original work, including coming-of-age rock musical “Out of Focus.”
Quinn Rigg, of Chicago, is the musical's book writer and co-lyricist.
“This is going to be the first time we ever heard our musical with a full band, which is absolutely surreal,” Rigg said. “I just could not be more thrilled and more proud to see this up on its feet with so many people that I care about, with a community that means the absolute world to me.”
The Chicago Musical Theatre Festival will run from Aug. 8 – 11 at the Steppenwolf Theatre.
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