Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
"Phenomenal! One of the best musicals I've seen in the last ten years." Audiences are raving about 42 BALLOONS! 🎈
Inspired by an unbelievable true story, 42 BALLOONS is a soaringly original musical from the award-winning producers of SIX. On July 2, 1982, truck driver Larry Walters defied the odds (and FAA airspace regulations) to achieve his lifelong dream of flying. In a lawn chair attached to 42 weather balloons, Larry—supported by his girlfriend and a community of unlikely heroes—ascended 16,000 feet into the blue sky above LA, and from the moment he landed, their lives would never be the same. Featuring an irresistible ’80s pop-inspired score, 42 BALLOONS is a funny, moving, and thrillingly staged new musical that asks: How far would you go for your dream… and how far would you be willing to fly?
42 BALLOONS
By Jack Godfrey
Directed by Ellie Coote
May 24 - June 29, 2025 in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare
chicagoshakes.com
"Phenomenal! One of the best musicals I've seen in the last ten years." Audiences are raving about 42 BALLOONS! 🎈
Inspired by an unbelievable true story, 42 BALLOONS is a soaringly original musical from the award-winning producers of SIX. On July 2, 1982, truck driver Larry Walters defied the odds (and FAA airspace regulations) to achieve his lifelong dream of flying. In a lawn chair attached to 42 weather balloons, Larry—supported by his girlfriend and a community of unlikely heroes—ascended 16,000 feet into the blue sky above LA, and from the moment he landed, their lives would never be the same. Featuring an irresistible ’80s pop-inspired score, 42 BALLOONS is a funny, moving, and thrillingly staged new musical that asks: How far would you go for your dream… and how far would you be willing to fly?
42 BALLOONS
By Jack Godfrey
Directed by Ellie Coote
May 24 - June 29, 2025 in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare
chicagoshakes.com
