by Lola Furbee
North Central College had its first day of classes a few weeks ago, and the one question that every single one of my professors asked as an icebreaker question was, “How was your summer; did you do anything fun?” My classmates often had the type of answers you would expect, like, “I relaxed on a beach in Florida for a week with my family” or “I took the time to catch up on my favorite TV shows.” I tended to stay pretty quiet when this question was asked because my answer of “I got the chance to see six different musicals” sounded pretty nerdy by comparison. But it’s true! I had a theatre-filled summer, and I honestly wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Since I was lucky enough to see six different productions over the summer, I’m going to do my best to keep my thoughts brief because while I definitely could write individual essays about each and every one of these awesome shows that I had the chance to witness, I know no one really has the time to read all of that.
I started my summer off strong. A couple of weeks after the school year ended in May, I had the chance to see one of my all-time favorite musicals, Hadestown. This was my third time seeing Hadestown, and the experience was just as moving as it had been the previous times I sat down to watch it. My dad happens to be a big fan of this musical too, so it was going to be our second time seeing the show together. This time, I was especially looking forward to seeing Megan Colton’s interpretation of the character Eurydice; to put it plainly, I was blown away. Her Eurydice held such a strong anger throughout the whole show that it was especially gratifying to watch those walls be torn down as she allowed herself to fall in love with Orpheus. Plus, Colton happens to have one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard grace a stage in Chicago. Clearly, a great third experience seeing this beloved musical, and I can’t wait until the next chance to see it again.
Moving to the second show of my summer, I coincidentally got to see a production of another one of my top favorite musicals, Little Shop of Horrors. Any cinephile who’s into the horror genre is probably familiar with this title, and its stage adaptation happens to be just as stellar as the movie. This production marked my first time seeing a show with Naperville’s Summer Place Theatre, one of the most well-versed community theatre programs in the area. A few of my close friends on campus joined me, and it ended up being a really fun experience. Seeing different directors’ takes on the Audrey II puppet is always one of my favorite parts of watching Little Shop, and the show contains some of my favorite musical theatre songs in the books. And as a bonus, two of my friends from NCC were performing in this production, so it was a lot of fun getting to cheer them on throughout the show’s run.
Next up was Kimberly Akimbo. My most anticipated musical of the summer, I’d been looking forward to seeing this show ever since it swept the Tony Awards in 2023. I was a massive fan of the original Broadway cast, and when they announced the touring cast, I quickly realized I was going to be a big fan of theirs, as well. I was especially hyped to see Pierce Wheeler in the role of Aaron. I’ve been a big fan of Wheeler’s ever since I saw him go on as the Jared Kleinman understudy during the last leg of Dear Evan Hansen’s touring production. And while I was undoubtedly looking forward to seeing this production to see him in it, I was also anticipating how this story was going to pan out. I knew the bare-bones details of what this musical was all about, but I don’t think I could’ve predicted how moved I was going to be by the story. It was just a perfect encapsulation of everything I love about contemporary musical theatre: family dynamics, a cheesy romance, and a moral that ends up packing an immense punch on audiences. And as a bonus, I was fortunate enough to meet Wheeler and some other cast members after the show and raved to them about how much I loved the performance. Really, just a heartwarming experience overall.
Now comes my most surprising show of the summer: 42 Balloons. I’d heard there would be a musical playing at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre this past summer that told the real-life story of a man who flew up into the sky, in a lawn chair, using weather balloons. I had been wanting to see a show at Chicago Shakes for quite a long time now, so I thought, why not have my first experience be with a musical about a lawn chair and balloons. My friend (a fellow NCC theatre major) and I bought tickets, kind of on a whim, and the following week we were headed up to Chicago. I truly had no idea what to expect when I sat in those seats that evening, but it definitely wasn’t to have my life completely shifted by a musical about Larry Walters. But believe it or not, that is exactly what happened. The music was some crazy fun, 80’s inspired rock. The members of the ensemble were insanely talented, and it was a blast watching them interact with each other on stage. And more than anything, the ending of the show left me jarred. In recent memory, I hadn’t felt so affected by the way a performance was able to deliver their final beat in a way like this musical did. It felt so lucky that my friend and I decided to see 42 Balloons on a whim, because I really would’ve missed out on a special piece of artistry if we hadn’t.
We’re nearing the end of my summer in theatrical shows, and moving onto a production that’s very near and dear to me. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is, of course, a beloved Disney movie musical, but it also happens to be one of the most gorgeous stage adaptations that’s ever been produced (in my humble opinion). Small Town Theatrics–a community theatre close to my hometown–was hosting a production for their 2025 summer show, and I was so unbelievably stoked. I grew up watching productions through Small Town Theatrics, and they always manage to execute some of the most high-quality pieces of theatre for, just that: a small town. I was even more excited to watch this production when the cast list was released, with many familiar names filling in the leading roles, and even one of my friends from high school was cast in a featured role too. I dragged a few of my college friends with me to see the show, one of whom also grew up in the same area, and we all got to experience an incredibly stellar performance together.
To conclude my summer of theatre, I returned to Naperville’s Summer Place Theatre, this time to see their production of Legally Blonde. Similar to my thoughts on Hunchback of Notre Dame, I really enjoy the original Legally Blonde movie, but I truly find that the stage adaptation just works so much better. Every single song in Legally Blonde is a certified hit in my opinion, and it has some of the most exciting dance numbers featured in it too. And once again, it was especially exciting to see this production because some NCC friends were performing in it too. I managed to convince seven of my friends from college to join me for this one, and it was truly the best way to end my summer. This musical is always a lot of fun, having seen numerous productions of it before, and it was a special feeling, getting to experience it again, this time with a group of my favorite people.
That wraps up my theatrical summer of 2025. I feel so lucky to have gotten to experience six very different and all very wonderful productions this summer. These months spent reliving the thrill that comes whenever the lights start to flicker, voices start to dim, and the orchestra begins to play helped to remind me why this art has become such an important passion of mine. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend my summer, and I can only dream that my theatrical summer of 2026 will be even grander.
