Illinoiseopens April 24 at St. James Theatre.
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When the choreographerJustin Peckreached out to playwrightJackie Sibblies Druryabout adaptingSufjan StevenssIllinoisfor the stagein 2022, Drury was skeptical.
That sounded crazy to me, she says.
That was my entrance into the oeuvre.
Something about his music really engenders a ferocious attachment in people.
Theres a lot of mystery and confusion around him.
I know Sufjan hasnt been involved.
We thought he was going to be a bit more involved, but hes had a really difficult year.
How did that make you feel?The lack of control was amazing.
The way that people have taken responsibility for the whole show with their performances has been really inspiring.
It also means that the performances shift every night.
You dont get to do that, especially on Broadway shows that have to be frozen.
Having that breath makes it still art.
How important is the audience when youre writing something?Oh, its the only reason to write.
The singers dont dance; the dancers dont sing; no one is actually telling you the story.
But a lot of us grew up with religion but dont practice.
When listening to the album, the Man of Metropolis song was always a skip for me.
When it gets rocking and all the people come in those moments of joy and community are really moving.
you’re free to blame COVID, I guess, for wanting more of that.
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