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The Roundtable

An interview with Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury about Tony Award nominee for Best New Musical "Illinoise"

By Sarah LaDuke

Published April 30, 2024 at 11:13 AM EDT

Artwork for Illinoise

Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 concept album “Illinois” enjoys cult status for its lush orchestrations and inventive lyrics. Tony Award-winner and Resident Choreographer of the New York City Ballet, Justin Peck, has transformed the album, with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 2018’s “Fairview” Jackie Sibblies Drury, into a full-length theatrical performance that blends dance, theater, live music and storytelling into a breathtakingly emotional coming-of-age journey. The album is “Illinois” and the musical is “Illinoise.”

Jackie Sibblies Drury, Sarah LaDuke, and Justin Peck

“Illinoise” was presented at the Bard Fisher Center in summer of 2023 as a SummerScape commission. The Bard staging and the off-Broadway production at Park Avenue Armory earlier this year were sold out, highly praised, and “Illinoise” transferred to the St. James Theatre on Broadway this month. Opening night was April 24 and the limited engagement is scheduled to end on August 10.

This morning, it was announced that “Illinoise” has been nominated for 4 Tony Awards including a nomination for Peck for his choreography, a nomination for Timo Andres for orchestrations, one for Brandon Stirling Baker for lighting design, and, hugely, a nomination for Best New Musical. In the days leading up to the Tony Award nominations, “Illinoise” was also nominated for Drama Desk, Chita Rivera, and Outer Critics Circle awards.

I was in New York City in March, a day or so after the “Illinoise” transfer to Broadway was announced and sat down with Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury.

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The Roundtable broadway dance playwright justin peck jackie sibblies drury Tony Awards sufjan stevens musical new york city ballet choreographer

Sarah LaDuke

Sarah has been a public radio producer for over fifteen years. She grew up in Saranac Lake, New York where she worked part-time at Pendragon Theatre all through high school and college. She graduated from UAlbany in 2006 with a BA in English and started at WAMC a few weeks later as a part-time board-op in the control room. Through a series of offered and seized opportunities she is now the Senior Contributing Producer of The Roundtable and Producer of The Book Show. During the main thrust of the Covid-19 pandemic shut-down, Sarah hosted a live Instagram interview program "A Face for Radio Video Series." On it, Sarah spoke with actors, musicians, comedians, and artists about the creative activities they were accomplishing and/or missing.

See stories by Sarah LaDuke

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