Iceboy! - Goodman Theatre - July 2026

Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write “The Iceman Cometh”

Playbill Cover

Music by Mark Hollmann, Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss

Directed by Marc Bruni

Review by Ernest Edwards

I had a fun day of shows in Chicago over the weekend. For the matinee I went to the new musical Iceboy!, which is having a PreBroadway engagement at the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago, before the show goes to New York City. Before the musical even started, I had seen actor Richard Kind enter the theatre and take a seat in the audience. I was thinking to myself, “he must be here to support Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman”. Later that same night, I would see Richard Kind for a second time, as he was the host for John Mulaney’s comedy tour Mister Whatever at Wrigley Field. John Mulaney was the first comedian to headline at Wrighley Field. That is how I got to see actor Richard Kind twice in one day in Chicago. 

Goodman Theatre marquee

I have never seen Megan Mullally, nor Nick Offerman live on stage before. This was a real treat for me. They were both so good with their respected characters. Nick Offerman plays Eugene O’Neill, who is both in the musical and narrates the story. Megan Mullally is Vera Vimm, who is an aging actress still clinging to her youth, and she has just purchased the frozen remains of a man who is over 40,000 years old incased in ice. (She outbid the British Museum and the Natural History Museum). It’s 1939 and she keeps him on display in her New York City Penthouse. The ice man eventually thaws and comes back to life, and although he is referred to as Iceboy, we also learn his name is Jeff. Now that’s funny. 

Another fun treat with the cast is that Cedric Yarbrough plays playwright Floyd Richards. Floyd’s muse is Vera Vimm herself. For Vera’s staff, the butler is non other than Frankenstein, and her made is Lambert. Lambert has been perpetually in menopause since she as a teenager. These two characters do bring a lot of humor to the musical. 

I remember seeing a sign in the lobby that this show is mostly fiction. It’s not exactly a true story. It is definitely a fun story. It may fall under the category of historical fiction. Eugene O’Neill is a real person, playwright, and historical figure. 

Something else I noticed in the program is the scenery was designed by Paul Tate DePoo III. I have been seeing his name more and more lately on Broadway shows and with some Broadway shows that have gone on tour. With it being 1939 in NYC, Vera’s penthouse did have a nice touch of Art Deco going on. 

With this being a preBroadway run. I also like that they did include a song list in the Playbill, but with the disclaimer that these were the songs as of June 1, 2026. There could have been songs added, cut or rearranged while the show was in previews prior to opening night in Chicago. 

It’s hard for me to describe this show. The show is so funny, and the cast is so great! I laughed so hard at this musical. If you planning to be in Chicago soon, check out Iceboy! The Goodman Theatre is closing out their 100th season with this fun musical that has been extended through August 16, 2026. Check out www.goodmantheatre.org for tickets.