Chicago’s Apollo Theater will host a new production of “The Choir of Man,” a notable shot in the arm for this Lincoln Park venue and Chicago’s currently struggling commercial theater industry.
“The Choir of Man,” a hit in numerous cities from London to Sydney, bills itself partly as a 90-minute theater piece, partly as a concert and partly as a party. Therein, a group of good-looking, well-groomed male performers speak a poetic text and sing a variety of mostly well-known songs — pop ballads, folk songs, rock anthems — in an approximation of a pub singalong or a welcoming communal celebration. Audience interaction is extensive.
The show, produced in Chicago by Andrew Kay and Nic Doodson, Stephen Lindsay and Brett Sirota, Scott Prisand and Matthew Weaver, and The Everywhere Group, had its origin at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 and has long been a hit in London’s West End and on board the Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Encore cruise ships.
Created by Kay and Doodson, “The Choir of Man” was previously seen in Broadway in Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse but now has added live musicians to its all-male quiver. It will perform eight times a week at the Apollo (2550 N. Lincoln Ave.). Tickets go on sale Monday at choirofman.com.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
More Top Picks Best Electronic Video Magnifiers For Low Vision Seniors