Scaramouche
music and lyrics by Kingsley Day
book by Kingsley Day and James Glossman
directed by Beth Wolf
May 1 - June 14, 2026
PRODUCTION GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:
KAREN HANSEN & SUSIE STEPHENSON
Based on the rip-roaring novel by Rafael Sabatini. Radicalized by his friend’s brutal murder on the eve of the French Revolution, a sardonic provincial lawyer repeatedly evades disaster by taking on a series of new identities—first an insurgent orator, then a traveling comic actor, and finally a master swordsman.
World Premiere
Cast
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Crew
Kingsley Day (composer-lyricist, co-librettist) has premiered new musicals (Text Me, Aztec Human Sacrifice, State Street), composed incidental music (Prometheus Bound, The Tempest), acted (Sir Harcourt in London Assurance, Doc Swain in Peyton Place, title role in Pudd’n head Wilson), and music directed (State Street, I’ve Got the World on a String, Oh, Boy!) at City Lit. His musical Summer Stock Murder and comedy Tour de Farce have been produced multiple times across the country, and abroad. Resident director of the Savoyaires, directing their last six Gilbert & Sullivan productions. Kingsley’s reconstruction of Chopin’s posthumous F Minor Mazurka is published by Hal Leonard, and his biographical novel Music’s Guiding Hand is published by Mentoris.
James Glossman (Book) Most recent:Co-writer (w/Tom Hanks) This World of Tomorrow, The Shed, NYC (featuring Hanks, Kelli O’Hara, Ruben Santiago-Hudson) fall 2025. Various previous: Director/co-writer, Shostakovich and the Black Monk (w/Emerson Quartet & Sean Astin, Len Cariou, Jeff DeMunn, Richard Thomas) at Ravinia, Wolf Trap, Tanglewood, etc. Adaptor/Director, Raymond Chandler’s Trouble Is My Business (Portland Stage), Kate Atkinson’s Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Luna Stage), Jim Lehrer’s Special Prisoner (w/William Schallert) & Flying Crows (Playwrights). Director, John Cleese’s Bang Bang! (US Premiere w/Sean Astin & Scott Shepherd), Jeff Daniels’ Flint and Guest Artist (east coast premiere w/John Astin), Nicky Glossman’s The Road to Jerusalem (world premiere w/Adam LeFevre, Ken Marks & Jay O Sanders), Shadowland Stages, NY. Theatre faculty, Johns Hopkins University.
Beth Wolf (Director) (she/her) is a twice Jeff-nominated Chicago theatre director as well as the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Midsommer Flight. Freelance: The Book Of Will (Promethean Theatre Ensemble); Silent Sky, Outside Mullingar, and The Roommate (Citadel Theatre); Non-Player Character (Red Theater); The Suffrage Plays (Artemisia), The Fantasticks (Promethean Theatre Ensemble). Midsommer Flight: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Romeo and Juliet, Cymbeline, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, and more. Equity Jeff Award Nominations Best Director and Best Production for Outside Mullingar and Silent Sky. Love to Team Wolflakis. more: wolfatthestagedoor.com | IG: @bethnwolf
Kevin Zhou (Music Director) (Music Director, Orchestrator) Music Director, Orchestrator) Productions include Addams Family, Music Man in Concert, Cinderella, Mary Poppins in Concert, Oliver! (Metropolis), Promises, Promises, On the Twentieth (Blank), Les Mis, Hairspray (Uptown Players), Ragtime in Concert (Highland Park). Amelie (Kokandy) Diana, Urinetown (Theo). Graduate of UIUC. Works as an adjunct Roosevelt University and leads his own video game band The Quicksavers. Thank you to Kingsley for trusting me. @kevpo.zhou
Alexa Berkowitz (Production Manager) has worked with a number of theatre companies in Chicago as both a stage manager and production manager including City Lit Theater, Promethean Theatre Ensemble (where she is an ensemble member), Strawdog Theatre Company, The Factory Theater, Black Button Eyes Productions, and Shattered Globe Theatre. Alexa is also the assistant production manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. She graduated from the University at Buffalo, SUNY with a B.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Theatre. Alexa also holds a M.A. from Loyola University Chicago in Women’s Studies and Gender Studies.
Tyeese Braslavsky (Assistant Music Director) A Chicago-based pianist, Tyeese has established herself as a sensitive soloist and versatile collaborator. Though primarily a soloist for many years, Tyeese has always had a passion for ensemble work. She currently serves as a piano accompanist and performance coach for instrumentalists of all levels in recital and at competitions, performs in various ensembles in concerts, weddings, and social events, and plays keyboard in theatre productions and cabarets.
Trevor Dotson (Scenic Designner) is thrilled to be making his City Lit debut! He is a Scenic Designer and Professor of Theatre at Aurora University, where he also serves as Department Chair. Recent design credits include Book of Will (Promethean Ensemble), Silent Sky (Citadel Theatre), Take Me Out (Nevada Conservatory Theatre), and the Off-Broadway premiere of Brotherhood. Trevor holds an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. More of his work can be seen at trevordotson.com
DJ Douglass (Projections Design)
Meg X McGrath (Props Design)
Grace Elizabeth Mealey (Stage Manager) is thrilled to make her swashbuckling debut with City Lit! CHICAGO: The Mark (Babes with Blades Theatre Co.). Girls & Boys, The House Without A Christmas Tree (Griffin Theatre Company). The Storm of the Century, New Work Festival 2025 (Tales of the Ten; Sugar, Spice, & Everyone’s Vice; The Lesbian Pirate Show), Alone at Last! (Laughing Stock Theatre). Sentinels (CPA Theatricals). She graduated from Loyola University Chicago, B.A. in Theatre and Art History and a minor in Shakespeare Studies. Gratitude and humility always.
Jackson Mikkelsen (Lighting Designer) is delighted to be back at CityLit! Jackson is originally from Lincoln, NE and is full-time freelance theatre worker in a variety of disciplines including Lighting Design, Electrics, and Performance. During the school year he works as the Resident Lighting Assistant for Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA), where he graduated with a BFA in 2023. Recently he’s designed with Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Bramble Theatre Company, Couch Penny Ensemble, Music Theatre Works, Loose Cannon, and many more. As a performer he’s worked with The Marriott Theatre, Metropolis, Kokandy Productions, Theo Ubique, and Dunes Arts Foundation. Learn more at www.jacksonmikkelsen.com
Jennifer Mohr (Costume Design)
Ray Post (Assistant Director) is a performer and director from the redwood forest of California. Co-founded the dance company Queer Dance Freakout in which they have performed, choreographed, and assistant directed locally at Midsummerfest, Steppenwolf, Elastic Arts, Chicago Danztheatre, and with the Fly Honeys at Thalia Hall. A founding performer and collaborator with the production Twilight After Dark: a burlesque parody since 2023. They have done music direction for several small productions at Second City, sung with Trans Voices Cabaret, and performed as a violinist/actor with Strawdog Theater’s Hershel and the Hannukah Goblins. They are grateful for this incredible opportunity to conspire with CityLit on this world premiere musical and with this world class team.
