May 16, 2024
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DeKalb’s Stage Coach Players’ new season to feature ‘Cabaret,’ ‘Steel Magnolias’ and other familiar shows

By Aimee Barrows
The cast of "Bright Star" performs a song from the show, which Stage Coach Players produced in 2023.

The cast of "Bright Star" performs a song from the show, which Stage Coach Players produced in 2023. (Stage Coach Players )

The curtain is about to rise on a brand-new season at Stage Coach Players, and the forthcoming productions are brimming with magic, mayhem and unforgettable experiences.

This season, the DeKalb community theater has something for everyone, with titles many folks will immediately recognize.

Whether you’re a seasoned theatergoer or a curious newcomer, you’ll find yourself swept away by the power of live performance. So, grab your tickets, gather your friends and family and prepare to be transported to new worlds, explore different emotions and experience the joy of live theater.

Productions slated for the 2024 season include Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Cabaret,” “The Foreigner,” “Rent,” “Blithe Spirit” and a holiday show, “Christmas Cabaret.”

Jason Reed and Scott Montavon in Stage Coach Players' production of "The 39 Steps," a show from 2018.

Jason Reed and Scott Montavon appear in Stage Coach Players' production of "The 39 Steps," a show from 2018. (Stage Coach Players )

“Stage Coach Players has chosen to produce a season of well-known, well-seasoned productions that our audiences and the DeKalb-area community should be familiar with,” said Tim Ball, vice president of Stage Coach Players. “Every year since 1947, Stage Coach Players has produced wonderful plays and musicals at our theater, the first year of COVID-19 being the exception. We’ve successfully performed shows as varied as the classic musical ‘Hello, Dolly!’ to the pioneering drama ‘The Laramie Project’ to the comedic farce ‘Rumors.’”

The first show of the season is the familiar tale of “Beauty and the Beast,” running Feb. 29 to March 3, at the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb. The musical, which is based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, tells the story of a young woman and a beast, who actually is a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. It’s a tale of learning to love and be loved, Ball said.

In “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” a rebellious rogue named Randle McMurphy, who is convicted of a petty crime, contrives to serve his short sentence in a mental institution rather than in prison. The drama explores the brutality of life in this mental institution with humor, candor and unforgettable characters. The 1975 award-winning film version of Ken Kesey’s novel featured actor Jack Nicholson. The show runs April 18-28.

Audiences likely will remember the heartfelt performances in 1989 of actors Julia Roberts and Sally Field in the touching movie version of “Steel Magnolias.” The story is about the bond between a group of women in northwest Louisiana, where they gather at an in-home beauty salon. The plot covers events over the next three years relating to how the women cope with their conflicts, while remaining friends, Ball said. The show runs May 23-June 2.

The cast of "Clue: On Stage," a Stage Coach Players production from 2022. The cast are Bonnie Miller, Lacey Toigo, Lara Crowley, Denny Boynton and Michael Mattingly.

The cast members shine in "Clue: On Stage," a Stage Coach Players production from 2022. The actors are Bonnie Miller, Lacey Toigo, Lara Crowley, Denny Boynton and Michael Mattingly. (Stage Coach Players )

The dates for the rest of the season are “Cabaret,” June 11-21; the comedy “The Foreigner,” Aug. 15-25; the musical “Rent,” Sept. 19-29; “Blithe Spirit,” Oct. 24-Nov. 3; and “Christmas Cabaret,” Dec. 12-15.

“Most years, we have no more than a single play that we have already produced in the past. Maybe two. For this coming year, we have produced five of the plays previously, which is unusual,” Ball said. “I’m looking forward to ‘Rent,’ because it’s been on the theater’s radar for many years, and we’re finally doing it.”

Stage Coach Players is located at 126 S. Fifth St., DeKalb. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit stagecoachplayers.com.

TheaterThe SceneDeKalb
Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows is the editor of The Scene, Shaw Local News Network's entertainment section. The Scene is your go-to destination for all things fun in Northern Illinois. Prior to The Scene, Aimee was the editor of the Kane County Chronicle for five years, and a freelance reporter for Shaw Media for four years.