The acclaimed Sufjan Stevens album Illinois has been turned into a musical, with NME reporting that it will come to the stage in 2023. The 2005 album has been transferred to the stage by writers Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury, and it will have its first run of shows in June and July at the Fisher Center in New York City.
“Illinois will lead us on a mighty journey through the American heartland, from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos,” a press release states, adding the musical will feature new arrangements of the entire album for a live band and three vocalists. At the time of writing, there are no plans to tour the show outside of New York.
Sufjan Stevens: ‘Chicago’
Illinois was released by Stevens in 2005, a concept album dedicated to the cities, places, and people of the eponymous state. It was Stevens’ fifth studio record and was the second in Stevens’ ambitious series in which he planned to release an album about every state in the United States. Unfortunately, Stevens abandoned the project after Illinois, later saying it was pretty much a joke. Ah well, at least we have Michigan and Illinois.
Stevens’ last release was the 2021 project Convocations, a five-volume instrumental album that was written in tribute to his late father. More recently, it was announced that Stevens would feature on the upcoming album from The National, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, alongside artists like Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers. That album will arrive on Friday, 28th April.
Further Reading
The National Announce New Album Featuring Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens Shares Alternate Versions Of ‘Fourth Of July’
Sufjan Stevens Announces Five-Volume Album In Tribute To His Late Father
