Tony Award Winning Broadway Musical ‘Illinoise’: Reflections on queerness, first love, loss, friendship, and growing up

Since seeing the show, we’ve often replayed its moments in our minds, accompanied by the cast recording, Stevens’ original album, or simply our own reflections. The beauty of so much of Sufjan Stevens’ work, including ‘Illinois,’ lies in its intricacies and subtlety.  This performance only grew my appreciation of the album itself; hearing it performed by a full Broadway orchestra and sound almost just like the record made us realize just how big the album itself is. 

The new Broadway musical Illinoise is a jukebox musical featuring Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 indie concept album Illinois. Illinoise opened on Broadway in April 2024 after a short off-broadway run from March 2nd-26th. 
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As long-time Sufjan Stevens fans, there were parts of us that were nervous to see the show. While our inner-theater-kid is alive and well, we also recognize that musical theater can cross the line into being over-the-top and, at its worst, cheesy. The beauty of so much of Sufjan Stevens’ work, including Illinois, lies in its intricacies and subtlety; as excited as we were to see this show, we were hesitant to get our hopes up out of fear that the integrity of the original album would be steamrolled. Thankfully, this could not be further than the truth. Instead, this performance only grew our appreciation of the album itself; hearing it performed by a full Broadway orchestra and sound almost just like the record made us realize just how big the album itself is. 
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Director and choreographer Justin Peck took the concept of a jukebox musical to a new level by allowing the lyrics of Illinois to tell the whole story without any added dialogue. As stated by Jesse Green in a recent New York Times review, “When emotions get too big for speech, you sing; when too big even for song, you dance.” The show does an incredible job of piecing together Stevens' writing to create a profound and intricate puzzle that keeps viewers hooked from the beginning to end. Illinois on its own is an eclectic album with plenty of room for the creative team to carve out a multi-faceted, layered, and extremely human story. The storytelling starts off a bit abstract, but becomes more concrete as it goes. At its core, Illinoise is a story of queerness, first love, loss, friendship, and keeping people and places close as you grow up and move on. 
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Illinoise is art and storytelling at its best. Few musicians have the ability to capture the range of emotions, existential wonders, heartbreak, and hope that Sufjan Stevens does.

Without dialogue, the audience has the freedom to interpret the storyline based on their own perspectives and life experiences. Since seeing the show, we’ve often replayed its moments in our minds, accompanied by the cast recording, Stevens’ original album, or simply our own reflections. One particularly striking moment is the depiction of support during profound loss. In the show’s intense climax, a loved one tries to comfort the main character, Henry, who is overwhelmed by emotions. The music and choreography beautifully illustrate how others help us through difficult times and the delicacy required in these moments. Watching the two characters step in perfect sync, with the space between them growing while their hands remain linked, powerfully depicts the experience of being there for a loved one as they navigate grief until they can walk on their own again.
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The plot sends an extremely powerful message regarding mental health and the impact of support and understanding while someone is in a state of crisis. Almost every character presents a vulnerable and raw story which is told around a campfire, and they are comforted and listened to by others as they share their stories. The show hauntingly depicts what it is like to feel alone and taunted by dark thoughts that are difficult to shake. The intensity of these moments borders on uncomfortable, calling attention to the seriousness of mental health crises. 
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The show hauntingly depicts what it is like to feel alone and taunted by dark thoughts that are difficult to shake.

Illinoise is art and storytelling at its best. Few musicians have the ability to capture the range of emotions, existential wonders, heartbreak, and hope that Sufjan Stevens does. In creating Illinoise, it is clear that Peck and the creative team are Sufjan Stevens fans as much as they are ambitious creatives themselves. By weaving together and adding layers to the existing narratives on each track of Illinois, the talent and combined art forms of this show are greater than the sum of its parts. This show reminds us that everyone has a story to tell, whether they believe it’s worth telling or not. It gives us the chance to reflect on our own stories, and to be reminded that our experiences of falling in love, living through heartbreak and loss, and building communities are not ours alone. It left us crying, speechless, and feeling deeply human.