“Omar”/Photo: Cory Weaver for LA Opera

TimeLine Theatre’s “The Birth of the Pill”
September 2-October 4
After debuting their new home in Uptown with a brilliant production of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People,” the company will begin its first full season at the theater with a world premiere adaptation of “The Birth of the Pill,” a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago author Jonathan Eig. The book tells the origin story of the birth control pill, including little-known figures like Ramona Delgado, a clinical trial patient who was critical to its advancement. In Jessica Huang’s adaptation, directed by Sandra Marquez, Eig himself becomes a character in the story.

Kokandy’s “Jekyll & Hyde” at the Broadway Playhouse
September 8-October 25
Kokandy Productions’ “Jekyll & Hyde” was a “bucket list” production for Scot Kokandy, who’d long been a fan of Frank Wildhorn’s compositions for the musical. When they revived the cult favorite in 2025, it wasn’t a sure thing—they brought the rarely produced musical to the Chopin’s larger upstairs theater and staged it with a full orchestra. It was another breakout hit for Kokandy, which had just finished a sold-out run of “Amélie,” and led to this co-production with Broadway in Chicago, where they’ll bring the Gothic world of Robert Louis Stevenson to an even bigger stage.

Lyric Opera’s “Omar”
October 23-28
Kaneza Schaal directs the Lyric premiere of this Pulitzer Prize-winning work written by renowned folk artist Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels, which was co-commissioned by the Lyric. The opera is inspired by the life of Islamic scholar Omar Ibn Said, telling the story of his capture in West Africa and enslavement in South Carolina. Hymns, spirituals and bluegrass are all woven into a production that will give audiences an intimate look into the experiences of the enslaved and the questions of faith for those forced to survive it.