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CHICAGO (WLS) — The world premiere of the powerful play “Billie Jean” is now at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Acclaimed performer Lily Tomlin loves the story of the tennis champ so much, she produced it and sat down with ABC7 to talk more about it.
Tomlin joined writer Lauren Gunderson, and Chilina Kennedy, starring as Billie Jean King, to explain why this is the perfect serve for the audience.
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“I believe we’re in need of heroes today,” said Gunderson. “The theater allows us to engage with characters who matter, making us laugh, learn, and love alongside them.”
She never doubted she was right. She knew something was wrong about the business when she was a young girl and she set out to change it.
“She has achieved every title imaginable and made significant contributions to women’s rights and the LGBT+ community,” Kennedy remarked. “She’s a trailblazer who displayed remarkable courage, setting precedents in numerous ways.”
“The reality of Billie Jean’s story isn’t just historical; it’s ongoing,” Gunderson expressed. “She and her wife Alana continue to show us that the work persists, the community evolves, and the struggle belongs to all of us.”
The playwright explained why they decided to bring the show to Chicago.
“Chicago is for me a theater town, it is real people, real art,” Gunderson said. “We’re here at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and I think Billie Jean King is Shakespearean character, the heroism, the cost, the great love, the great work she went through in her life.”
“Every single night I discover something new in the piece and I hear it differently, and it’s exciting,” Kennedy said.
“Chicago Shakespeare Theater, it’s a wonderful complex, I’ve never even been over on this waterfront and I played here every year at Mr. Kelly’s, I’ve played at the Goodman,” Tomlin said.
Chicago means a lot to Tomlin.
“Yeah, I hitchhiked to Chicago when I was 15, 14,” Tomlin said.
Tomlin explained why telling the story of Billie Jean King was an important choice.
“The stage is a very powerful instrument whatever you can think up you can create on the stage, may not be wise or it may have been a fabulous thing, but that’s what it allows you,” Tomlin said. “It couldn’t be more timely than today, because the same kinds of fights, struggles are still going on with women, in general. She never doubted she was right. She knew something was wrong about the business when she was a young girl and she set out to change it.”
“Billie Jean” is playing at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater through August 10.
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