42 Balloons Musical to Make North American Premiere in Chicago

42 Balloons artwork

Get ready to fly high with the North American premiere of 42 Balloons!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) has added an exhilarating new musical to its 2024/25 season fresh from the UK.

42 Balloons, a bold and hilarious story inspired by the true events of Larry Walters’ legendary lawn chair flight, will run from May 24 to June 29, 2025, at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

This vibrant musical comes from the award-winning producers of SIX and Rent and has already wowed audiences at The Lowry in England.

Imagine tying 42 helium balloons to a lawn chair and ascending 16,000 feet into the sky above Los Angeles. It sounds impossible, right?

Not for Larry Walters, a truck driver with a dream as big as the sky itself. With the help of his partner Carol Van Deusen and their determined friends and family, Larry’s wild ambition took flight—literally.

42 Balloons captures the humour, heart, and chaos of this unbelievable adventure.

The show features a book, music, and lyrics by rising star Jack Godfrey, directed by Ellie Coote, and choreographed by Alexzandra Sarmiento (How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying).

Orchestrations and musical supervision come from Joe Beighton (SIX), scenic design by Milla Clarke (Mates in Chelsea), costume design by Natalie Pryce (VANYA), video design by Tony and Olivier Award winner Andrzej Goulding (Life of Pi), lighting design by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Bruno Poet (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical), and sound design by Grammy and Tony Award nominee Paul Gatehouse (SIX).

Jack Godfrey, the show’s creator, is thrilled to bring the story stateside: “I’m thrilled that we will have this amazing opportunity to take our show about big balloons and big dreams to the land where Larry Walters actually flew 42 years ago. I cannot wait to share this musical and this story with American audiences very soon.”

Tickets and more information are available at chicagoshakes.com/42balloons.