Broadway's Illinoise To Release Cast Recording; 2 Singles Available Now

The Sufjan Stevens dance musical Illinoise will release a cast recording later this month.

Produced by Nonesuch Records, the recording will be released May 31, with information on a physical CD and LP release forthcoming. In celebration, two album tracks have been released with the album's announcement, “Chicago (Reprise)” and “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!.” Both are available to stream now.

Illinoise began performances and opened on Broadway April 24. The musical is inspired by Stevens' album Illinois and features direction and choreography by Justin Peck (Carousel, West Side Story). The musical's story is by Peck and Pulitzer winner Jackie Sibblies Drury (Fairview). The production is set around a campfire as dancers, singers, and a live band lead audiences on an epic journey set to Stevens' music, arranged by Timo Andres.

The musical is up for four 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and Best Lighting Design.

The dance ensemble for the Broadway bow features much of the performers from the show's earlier runs Off-Broadway and at Chicago Shakespeare Theater's The Yard. The company includes Yesenia Ayala (West Side Story), Kara Chan (Twyla Tharp Dance), Ben Cook (West Side Story), Gaby Diaz (So You Think You Can Dance?), Jeanette Delgado (West Side Story), Carlos Falu (West Side Story), Christine Flores (Dance Heginbotham), Jada German (Twyla Tharp Dance), Zach Gonder (Pam Tanowitz Dance), Rachel Lockhart (Jacob's Pillow), Brandt Martinez (Aladdin), Dario Natarelli (Maestro), Tyrone Reese, Craig Salstein (West Side Story), Ahmad Simmons (Fosse/Verdon), Byron Tittle (Dorrance Dance), Ricky Ubeda (So You Think You Can Dance?), and Alejandro Vargas. They are joined by Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova, Tasha Viets-VanLear, Manny Houston, and Tanner Porter.

The work was co-commissioned by Fisher Center at Bard (where the piece made its world premiere in 2023), Park Avenue Armory, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Southbank Centre, TO Live, and Perelman Performing Arts Center. The show's Chicago run finished February 18.

The creative team includes music director and supervisor Nathan Koci, music arranger and orchestrator Andres, scenic designer Adam Rigg, lighting designer Brandon Stirling Baker, sound designer Garth MacAleavey, costume designers Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung, prop designer Andrew Diaz, and mask designer Julian Crouch. Christopher R. Munnell is production stage manager.

Orin Wolf, John Styles, and David Binder are producing, in association with Seaview and Executive Producer Nate Koch.

Visit IllinoiseOnStage.com.