Entertainment. Inspiration. Providing the best expression of theater arts. These are the mission of the Timber Lake Playhouse. Established in 1961, TLP is Illinois’ oldest professional summer stock theatre. professional, non-profit summer theatre company.

2022 Season

An image in orange tones of sunshine through palm trees. Across the image we see stylized yellow letters spelling out Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville The Musical. Buffet's name and Margaritaville are set on ocean blue streaks, and there is also a yellow margarita glass in the midst of the letters. Across the bottom, in yellow, are the words, Set your mind on island time.

ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE

June 2 thru the 12th

Timber Lake Playhouse opens their 2022 season with ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE - the musical comedy that features both original songs and your most-loved JIMMY BUFFETT classics including “Come Monday,” “Volcano,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and many more.

On a blue sky background, there is a stream of white musical notes and the words Ken Ludwig's Lend Me A Tenor in yellow and dark blue.

LEND ME A TENOR

June 16th - 26th

Don't miss Lend Me A Tenor, a musical comedy based on the Tony Award-nominated play that’s a riotous tale of mistaken identities & unexpected romance all mixed together into a must-see show that will leave you laughing.

On a reddish background we see the New York City skyline. Above it are the words The sun'll come out tomorrow in orange. Below that is the orange curly hair of the character Annie, and her name in yellow block letters. Among the letters we see the silhouette of her dog, Sandy.

ANNIE

June 30th - July 10th

The heartwarming hit Broadway musical about the plucky orphan from Harold Gray's popular comic strip, Little Orphan Annie.

On a background streaked with shades of pink, we see Legally blonde, the musical, in pink letters outlined with purple. Standing on top of the d and e in blond is the purple silhouette of Bruiser, the main character's pet Chihuahua .

LEGALLY BLONDE

July 14th - 24th

This Broadway hit musical adapted from the popular film tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard University.

On a background streaked with shades of purple, we see the words Some habits are just a little bad, in lavender letters. Below that are letters from several different fonts spelling NUNSENSE, as well as sparkles and a yellow cherub blowing a trumpet while wearing sunglasses.

NUNSENSE

July 28th - Aug 7th

A madcap musical and a heavenly delight! NUNSENSE is a zany, hilarious musical revue presented by the Little Sisters of Hoboken, who will leave you laughing.

On a green background, we see the words "we will rock you, the queen musical" in orange and yellow letters. The O in rock is a bass drum, and the center of the O in You is formed by a silhouettes of Freddy Mercury raising his fist in the air.

WE WILL ROCK YOU

Aug 11 - 21st

Featuring more than twenty hit Queen songs including “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and many more, WE WILL ROCK YOU follows two revolutionaries as they try to save rock ‘n’ roll in a post-apocalyptic world.

A road leading toward a far horizon at night. In a cloudy sky above the road, we see the words "Hank Williams: Lost Highway" and the moon. A cowboy hat hangs off the T in Lost.

HANK WILLIAMS - LOST HIGHWAY

September 8th - 18th

This jukebox musical features the music of country legend Hank Williams and tells stories from his life.

Green snowflakes fall past a green and red plain background. In pale green and yellow letters, we see the words "Plaid Tidings." Below them are four old-style microphones, each with a Santa Claus hat on top.

TLP's CHRISTMAS SHOW - PLAID TIDINGS

Dec 1st through the 11th

Plaid Tidings will be a real treat for anyone who loved the musical Forever Plaid or the sweet sounds of Fifties four-part harmony! The legendary music group The Plaids come back to Earth to spread yuletide joy with the greatest holiday hits of the ages!

The Campus

The current theatre building houses a 45′ wide semi-thrust revolving stage and 371 seats. The campus is also home to 14 other buildings used for costumes, scenic and paint shops, food service and housing for the theater company personnel. This unique layout of facilities allows the Playhouse to present work on a much larger scale than many summer theatre companies.

The Performances

Since it’s first opening night on June 28, 1962, the Playhouse has presented more than 350 plays and musicals and nearly 4,000 performances. TLP presents a challenging combination of material each year: a mix of large-scale musicals, new plays, and contemporary classics. The theatre hosts annual educational workshops for children and teens in conjunction with the Magic Owl Children’s Theatre’s productions of plays and musicals for young people and their families. Every August, Timber Lake also hosts week-long developmental workshops of new plays and musicals as part of its commitment to the future of American theatre.

The Resident Company

The Resident Company consists of 35- 40 performers, technicians and musicians selected by interviews and auditions in cities across the country. Numerous guest performers, directors and choreographers supplement the resident company each season.

Reputation for Excellence

Timber Lake is proud of its national reputation for excellence as a professional summer stock theatre. The theatre has served as launch pad for theatre artists of all kinds who have gone on to excellence in film, television, on Broadway and stages all over the world.

Ready for the Time of Your Life?

Our beautiful region is yours to explore, and it’s right in your backyard, so why wait? Click below to choose lodging or plan your whole trip. We can’t wait to see you.

Browse LodgingPlan a Trip