Paradise Productions was founded in 1989 and has had many incarnations through the years as the production company for Jillann Gabrielle, its Artistic Director and Producer. Jillann is now writing original works for the musical stage and screen. Paradise Playhouse now exists as the production company for her original works. Jillann is currently the writer and creator (with a few collaborators) of all the works and is producing them as vehicles for her performing talents…or in the case of the screenplays for sale in major markets as well.

Currently, we offer performances of our brilliantly written and performed original solo musicals at: Performing Arts Centers, Theatres, Banquet Halls, Libraries, Retirement Communities, Senior Centers, Park Districts, Women’s Groups, and private gatherings.

Jill collaborates with others as the need arises. On Hedda! A Musical Conversation she collaborated with Michael Termine on the book and some of the lyrics and with Howard Pfeifer on some of the music. Howard Pfeifer also arranged all the music. On The Garbo the Musical she collaborated with Howard Pfeifer on two songs and Howard arranged all the music. Jill researched and wrote the entire “book” (or story) herself.

Jill wrote Joan & Bette Bette & Joan entirely herself: book, music and lyrics. She hired noted pianist/arranger Jeremy Kahn to arrange the music under her direction. Jill also orchestrated all three works using talented musicians from the Chicago area including her husband, Phil Barrile, who serves as the recording engineer and co-orchestrator.

Jill’s newest creation, Princess Di…Gone but still kicking!, was not only completely written by her but she has ALSO arranged the songs for piano and played them herself. They are currently on the website on the score page for Princess Di. Jill is available NOW to play some or all of the songs, as Princess Di, from the piano in a “cabaret style” presentation of the show. She will ALWAYS play at least three songs from the piano (Diana was a pianist). The score has been played by and co-arranged by the noted pianist/music director Michael Benshish. Jill and her husband Phil Barrile are orchestrating it and it will be complete by late April of 2020. Howard Pfeifer co-wrote and arranged two of the Diana songs.

Jill’s latest creation is another provocative and delightful original solo musical on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It promises to be one of her most eye-opening and entertaining shows yet. Check out her progress on our website under the Oh, Jackie O! button.

Even though Jillann Gabrielle has created and written four (going on five) original solo musicals, if a major theatrical star has interest in any of the projects and can propel them to greater heights she will definitely consider that possibility.

Jillann Gabrielle is a highly skilled cabaret and musical theatre singer, actress, comedienne, host/MC, creator/writer/producer, and a vocal/acting/voice over instructor. She is actively writing and producing projects for the stage and screen as vehicles for her talents as well as to bring her unique kinds of stories to the ever-thirsty entertainment business. She currently lives in Crystal Lake, IL, with her long-suffering, musician, songwriter, and recording engineer husband, Phil Barrile.

Hedda! A Musical Conversation, The Garbo the Musical, Joan & Bette Bette & Joan, and Princess Di…Gone but still kicking! have… a lot of music as well as strong books (stories). Jill’s goal as a writer is to put together compelling stories with great music which she can bring to life through her strong performing skills.

Jill spent a year and a half in Los Angeles in 2009-2011. While there she created and produced a high-end open mic in Beverly Hills, L.A. She had a cast of L.A. regulars L.A. and “stars” who appeared from time to time. She also produced and directed an AIDS Benefit for “Hollywood Remembers.” Her co-host was Alan Rachins (LA Law and Dharma and Greg) and her performers included Ray Jessel (Carol Burnett and Dean Martin Shows). In L.A. she also appeared recently in a critically acclaimed new play, Ojala!, at Casa 0101 for which she received a Los Angeles theatre award for her performance. The play is currently in negotiations for being turned into a film.

Jill has developed producing, writing, and marketing talents to create vehicles to showcase her talents as well as the talents of her students and others. Alumni from her Paradise Productions theatrical ensemble (earlier incarnation of Paradise Playhouse) and vocal studio have gone on to work with such luminaries as Barbra Streisand and John Malkovich; on Broadway in Carousel and Hair; national tours that include A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, Ragtime; Oleander in London’s West End, and Show Boat for PBS’s musical specials; television’s Drew Carey Show, Early Edition and Even Stevens for the Disney Channel; the feature film The Babe; CBS’s Rock Star INXS; and numerous appearances in Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, and all the major theatre companies in the Chicago area.

Jill’s professional life has consisted of teaching voice, acting, and voice-over (see her website here); performing her one woman shows and original one-woman musicals for theatrical, corporate, private, and senior events in the Chicago and New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas (see video); performing her unique dinner show, The Uptown/Downtown Diva, in which she is glamorous and funny as she showcased her dual talents as an operatic and Broadway singer and shares the stage with some of her “star” students and other professionals; producing, hosting, and marketing an open mic for opera singers, SpaghettiArias, at the historic Italian Village Restaurant in Chicago’s loop; performing her one-woman cabaret show Starstrucker! in Manhattan and Chicago; and producing and hosting dinner showcases for her vocal students. Jillann currently has a studio at her town home in Crystal Lake where she sees students and creates her musicals. She also see students in the Oak Park area and has been a leading Chicago vocal instructor since 1981.

Jill appeared on TV in “Pregnant and Injured”, “Unusual Suspects”, “Blue Movies” (short film spoofing Forrest Gump), the “Hellbent for Hollywood” web series, and on Chicago’s CBS-TV Morning Show, “CBS-TV News with Steve Baskerville” ‘Voice Lesson’ segment, and NBC-TV reality show hit “Starting Over” (stage presence instruction two episodes).

Jill created Paradise Productions (theatrical division) in 1993, and since has produced and starred in critically acclaimed productions of Into the Woods, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Jerry’s Girls, The Wizard of Oz, Rodgers’ & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Secret Garden, Steve Allen’s Alice In Wonderland, Two by Two, and Side by Side by Sondheim. Altogether she has appeared in 35 leading roles in musicals and comedy/drama including: Evita, The Robber Bridegroom and Born Yesterday.

Jillann has appeared with: Barbara Rush in The Unsinkable Molly Brown; Peter Palmer, star of Lil’ Abner on Broadway and film; Alan Rachins (LA Law and Dharma and Greg); Ray Jessel (Carol Burnett and Dean Martin Shows); Faith Prince, Broadway/film star; Tovah Feldshuh, Broadway/film star; Jason Graae, Broadway/cabaret/TV star; Sharon McNight, cabaret/Broadway star; Sally Mayes, Broadway/cabaret/TV star; Carol Hall, composer lyricist for Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; Julie Wilson, Legendary cabaret/Broadway star; Laurel Masse, cabaret/former Manhattan Transfer star; Shelly Markham (Naked Boys Singing), composer/arranger/pianist; Pamela Myers, Broadway star; legendary Chicago DJ Wally Phillips; Metropolitan Opera star Edyta Kulczak. James Mack, lauded writer, conductor, and arranger for Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson, produced Jill’s first demo and utilized her talents for a Golden Book video series.

Jillann has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, cum laude, from Dominican University; 3 years toward her Masters of Music in Voice from Indiana University; Meisner technique at The Actor’s Center; on-camera technique with casting director, Janet Louer; voice-over work with James Andelin; improvisational acting at Chicago’s famed Player’s Workshop of Second City; Kodaly music education techniques at Steckman Studio of Music. She has studied voice with Carol LoVerde, Dan Balestrero, Martha Lipton, and Eric V. Howe and coached with Stuart Leitch.