BrightSide Theatre kicks off a free outdoor concert series at Naperville parks this week, giving families a no-cost preview of the company that just put its 15th anniversary mainstage season on sale.

The first "Summer in the Parks: Classic Broadway" performance is Thursday, July 9, at 7 p.m. at 95th Street Community Plaza (3109 Cedar Glade Drive, near Frontier Sports Complex). The Naperville Park District partnered with BrightSide for the series, which features hour-long sets of Broadway favorites at five park locations through mid-August. Attendees should bring lawn chairs or blankets; no reserved seating.

Summer in the Parks schedule

  • Thursday, July 9 — 95th Street Community Plaza, 3109 Cedar Glade Drive, 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, July 15 — Millennium Carillon Amphitheatre, 443 Aurora Ave. (adjacent to the Riverwalk), 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, July 22 — Country Lakes Park, 1835 N. Aurora Road, 7 p.m.
  • Thursday, August 6 — Ranchview Park, 1727 Ranchview Drive, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, August 16 — Arrowhead Park, 711 Iroquois Ave., 5 p.m. (note the earlier start)

All five performances are free. BrightSide's website lists the broader series as "10 Parks | 10 Free Concerts," so additional dates at parks in other western suburbs are likely; check brightsidetheatre.com for the full schedule.

Season 15 mainstage lineup

Subscriptions and single tickets went on sale Saturday, July 4, for BrightSide's four-show anniversary season at Meiley-Swallow Hall on the North Central College campus (31 S. Ellsworth St.). The confirmed productions:

  • "The Addams Family" — October 2026. The musical follows Wednesday Addams as she falls for a "normal" young man, forcing the entire clan through one chaotic dinner.
  • "The Secret Garden" in concert — January 2027.
  • A comedy by playwright Ken Ludwig and a fourth production have been announced but not yet titled publicly.

BrightSide, which bills itself as Naperville's only professional theatre company, describes the season as spanning "spooky musical comedy and sweeping romance to hilarious mystery and award-winning satire."

Subscription pricing was not listed on the company's website as of Saturday, July 5. Subscriptions are available at ci.ovationtix.com/35506/store/packages; single tickets at ci.ovationtix.com/35506. For pricing questions, call (630) 447-8497. For single-ticket context: last season's "Rocky Horror Show" ran $37 to $42.

Youth program: Trolls Jr.

BrightSide's Youth Project fall show is "Trolls Jr.," a DreamWorks musical for performers ages 8 to 18. Rehearsals take place in Lisle with performances in Naperville. Registration details, audition dates, and fees have not been posted yet. Families should check brightsidetheatre.com or contact Executive Director Julie Ann Kornak at [email protected].

BrightSide launched its inaugural season in 2011-2012 and has performed in Naperville's downtown historic district ever since. Season 15 is supported in part by the DuPage Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, and National Endowment for the Arts.