A Review of MIRACLE: THE MUSICAL; Why You Should See it Before it Closes

"Miracle the Musical: A Musical 108 Years in the Making"

I like to spend my Sundays driving up to Chicago and enjoying the wonders the Windy City has to offer. It’s not that long of a trip; three hours up (two hours if you’re like me and can speed and avoid the cops) leaves plenty of daylight left to explore Chicago and possibly see a show before arriving back home at 8 or 9 pm. I am a big sucker for the hidden gem shows not playing in main Chicago theaters like the CIBC or the Cadillac Palace. Luckily last weekend, I discovered the Royal George Theater and a musical that would change my viewpoint on baseball and theater forever.

The theater itself is extremely small and hard to find. It’s located on the outskirts of Chicago’s West Loop district, or about 10 minutes from the UIC main campus. With its white brick exterior draped in Chicago Cubs memorabilia, it looked to me like a bar you could find at the heart of Wrigleyville. The inside ushers were just as patriotic; one even wore a light-up Cubs hat with an LED screen spelling out “2016 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS”. I could tell I was going to enjoy the next two hours. Inside, the auditorium was a bit tiny and looked like it could only seat about 100 people. Since it was also a Sunday matinee, I definitely felt like I could have been the youngest one in the audience. I arrived about 5 minutes before showtime, so the lights dimmed as I took my seat.

My view from my seat in the Royal George Theater; Chicago Broadway tickets don't have to be expensive. I got these seats for under $30!

The main synopsis of this musical (without giving any spoilers of course) is about a family-owned Wrigleyville bar named Maggie’s and the ups and downs the Delaney family faces as Cubs fans during the 2016 MLB season. The casts consists of the father, an ex-Minor League pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, his wife, daughter, and father who owns the bar, plus his best friend and the two tenants who rent out part of the Delaney’s building. Almost all of them go through character arches throughout the show, from newly found romances to loss and grief that lead the family to consider making a life-changing decision.

The most marvelous part about this musical is the backdrop; throughout many parts of the show, there are videos from the 2016 World Series incorporated in its songs and scenes. The cast really depicts the highs and lows all Cubs fans went through during this long and emotional-driven season, and the backdrop shows actual footage of innings during the 7-game World Series. Charlie, the main character of the musical, is especially concerned about his die-hard Cubs fan daughter, Dani, and what will happen to her if her favorite team happens to strike out and lose the World Series in Game 7. It was truly touching to see all of the transformations happening throughout the show, and it unmistakably brought a couple of tears to my eyes.

Dani, played by Amaris Sanchez, is a real-life Cubs fan just like her character in the musical.

I believe that everyone, Cub or Cardinal fans, should go attend this wonderful show. As a fan of both baseball and theater, I never really thought that these two extremely different worlds could coexist so beautifully together. I feel like this show is appropriate for all audiences; I could take my stat-loving baseball coworkers or my song-belting theater friends to this show and they would both equally enjoy it. The best part about it all is that you don’t have to understand anything about baseball OR theater to feel your heart pulled as the Delaneys deal with the struggles of daily life. It is truly an incredible show that has not gotten enough praise.

Unfortunately, this show is in its ninth inning as it is running its final show on September 29th. Do not miss your chance to go see it, as tickets are selling out fast as they prepare for the final show dates. You can purchase your MIRACLE tickets here, and look at the Chicago Tribune review here. Hope you enjoy the show!