Chicago Theatre Week 2024 will run February 8 – 18, 2024 With Tickets On Sale at 10am January 9th

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Chicago Theatre Week 2024

presented by the League of Chicago Theatres

in partnership with Choose Chicago,

February 8 – 18, 2024

 Chicago Theatre Week tickets to go on sale starting Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 10am 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we're passionate about Chicago's theatre scene and we've been promoting the fabulous 10 days known as Chicago Theatre Week since it's inception. Want to see shows like a critic without breaking the bank?  I frequently catch 6-8 shows a week, and from 2/8-2/18 you can too, with 50 theatre companies offering value-priced CTW tickets for $30, $15, or less! Check out the free kick-off party details below, along with discount ticket links. There's something for all ages and tastes. Go see a play! 

Tickets for Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW24) will go on sale beginning on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 10am. Chicago Theatre Week, an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets, takes place February 8-18, 2024.

The value-priced CTW tickets will be $30, $15, or less. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am CST on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.

To date, more than 50 theatre companies are expected to participate. Participating shows and offer details will be available on January 9, when Chicago Theatre Week tickets go on sale. A list of participating companies is available HERE.

Last year’s Chicago Theatre Week saw record ticket sales with more than 20,000 tickets sold to 78 participating productions for more than 500 performances. The program continues to bring in new audiences to area theatres with approximately 60% of patrons visiting their chosen theatre for the first time. Chicago Theatre Week also raises the visibility of the theater industry, as evidenced by the 473,000 cumulative pageviews on ChicagoTheatreWeek.com from the ticket onsale through the end of Theatre Week.

For the second consecutive year, Hot Tix will host Chicago Theatre Week Continued from February 19-25, 2024, which will extend Theatre Week discounts to participating productions for an additional week only through HotTix.org. 

A free and open to the public Chicago Theatre Week Kick-Off Party will take place on Monday, February 5 from 4:00pm-9:00pm at Chicago Shakespeare Theater featuring performances from select Chicago Theatre Week shows.

League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Marissa Lynn Jones comments, “Chicago has over 200 theatres. We are known for our storefront theatre spaces throughout our neighborhoods and world renown stages that brings storytelling to all of our communities, with people from all walks of life coming together to share a unique experience. We are known for developing new work and impactful productions that start here and are carried worldwide. Chicago Theatre Week allows everyone to see these stories being created, transformed, molded and performed right before your eyes.”

"We are thrilled to announce the return of Theatre Week this winter in partnership with the League of Chicago Theatres," said Lisa Nucci, Chief Marketing Officer at Choose Chicago. "Theatre Week is a celebration of our city's rich cultural assets and an opportunity to experience everything that our diverse theatre companies have to offer. Join us for a week of unforgettable live performances and immerse yourself in Chicago's vibrant arts scene!"

Now in its 12th year, Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago. Subscribe to the Theatre Week email newsletter for updates and announcements.

The official hashtag for Chicago Theatre Week 2024 is #CTW24.

 

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 6 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com. #ChiTheatre

 The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X/Twitter and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.

 

Top Chicago Holiday Theatre Offerings And Half Price Tickets For 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

CHICAGO THEATRES GET FESTIVE FOR 

THE 2023 HOLIDAY SEASON

League of Chicago Theatres highlights seasonal productions in annual Holiday Guide and launches Half-Price Holidays

 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we've seen hundreds of Chicago based plays and touring productions a year since 2008. Chicago's theatre scene is second to none, with 250+ theatres ranging from funky little storefronts to giant, ornate, downtown spaces that seat thousands. Make some memories with family and friends this holiday season and see a show! Tickets make excellent clutter busting gifts and the memories will last a lifetime. Check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We've noted in bold, red type below all the shows we're reviewing this season, and bold green for ones we have covered in past years, at ChiILMama.com (family friendly/family themed) and ChiILLiveShows.com (adult).

Chicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this Holiday season. In support, the League of Chicago Theatres has created a comprehensive Holiday Theatre Guide that is available at guest services at Block 37 Shops on State. The online Holiday Guide is available at https://chicagoplays.com/chicago-theatre-guide/.

An updated list of holiday shows with additional details about each production will be available throughout the season at ChicagoPlays.com. Additionally, Hot Tix is kicking off the holiday season with a brand-new promotion, Half-Price Holidays. From November 24 – December 3, half-price tickets will be available for select holiday productions from participating theaters like the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Greenhouse Theater, Oil Lamp Theater, Court Theatre, Three Brothers and more.  

League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Marissa Lynn Jones comments, "There’s no better time than the holidays to gather with others for a shared theatrical event. The League of Chicago Theatres Holiday Guide highlights robust offerings from our member organizations throughout Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs, in-person experiences with a story for everyone to share. This year, we are introducing Half-Price Holidays, providing discounted tickets to encourage people to come out and experience a show this season."

 

The following is a selection of Holiday-themed work playing in Chicago this season:

Several theatres present the holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol. Goodman Theatre’s must-see annual production that has enchanted audiences for over four decades runs through December 30. Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents an adaptation filled with warmth, humor, music, and holiday cheer, November 25 – December 24. Drury Lane celebrates 30 years of its Young Audiences production of A Christmas Carol, running November 24-December 30. Told through puppetry and music, the striking holiday experience of Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol comes to life at Writers Theatre, November 16 – December 24.

Audiences will be transported to the whimsical world of Whoville and be reminded of the true meaning of the holidays when Broadway in Chicago presents Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, December 19 – 31. 

Don’t miss the live theatrical adaptation of Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, based on the beloved television special originally created by the legendary puppeteer Jim Henson with music by the legendary Paul Williams, November 15 - December 30 at The Studebaker Theater at The Fine Arts Building.

For more than 20 years, American Blues Theater has treated audiences to a live retelling of the Frank Capra classic in a 1940s radio broadcast tradition, making It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, the second longest-running holiday play in Chicago. Running December 8 – 31, It’s A Wonderful Life will inaugurate the company’s new home at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave.

Take in a classic or contemporary production of holiday favorite The Nutcracker: Journey to Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair with The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker, reimagined by two-time Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon, at Lyric Opera House, December 2 – 7; Broadway in Chicago presents Hip Hop Nutcracker, a re-mixed version that smashes hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky's timeless music together into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event, December 12 -17 at Cadillac Palace Theatre; and Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker reveals the glamour of 1930s Harlem in this jazz-steeped version of the classic tale, December 19 – 30 at the Auditorium Theatre.

Be enchanted by the magic of Cinderella this holiday season: It's the 47th Anniversary of Jackie Taylor's holiday classic hit The Other Cinderella, running at Black Ensemble Theater though December 31, while Drury Lane Theatre presents the beloved musical Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella through January 7.

Cirque du Soleil’s first-ever holiday production ‘Twas the Night Before… is a whirlwind of love, holiday cheer, riotous fun, and adorably endearing characters that will establish a new tradition for families to treasure. Running December 7 – 28 at The Chicago Theatre.

Dash through the snow to The Second City for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Sweater, where festive family gatherings, office parties, classic holiday movies, and Mariah Carey's entire catalogue will all get roasted like chestnuts on an open fire, November 21 – December 31.

The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry’s classic tale of selflessness and the true meaning of gift-giving runs atOil Lamp Theater, November 17 – December 30

Four Beatrix Potter favorites come to life in The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party, a mesmerizing, interactive trunk and puppet show at Chicago Children’s Theatre, through December 31. 

Strawdog Theatre presents its sixth annual production of the beloved book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, in partnership with The Chicago Loop Synagogue, November 30 – December 23.

Inspired by The Gift of the Magi, The Little Matchstick Girl, A Christmas Carol, and the best 80s pop hits, VHS Christmas Carols is a brand-new retro holiday classic from sensation Team Starkid, running November 17 – 19 at the Apollo Theater.

It's Bethlehem or Bust in the road trip comedy 2,023 years in the making - Wise Guys: The First Christmas Story - at The Factory Theater, through December 16

Be spirited away by The Snow Queen in this new musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fantastical coming-of-age adventure that inspired the hit Disney movie Frozen. Running November 17 – December 31 at Marriott Theatre.

Court Theatre presents The Lion in Winter - Tony Award-winning play that inspired the Oscar-winning film – through December 3. Ron OJ Parson directs this thrillingly clever epic with humor, heart, and renewed relevance.

Chicago's favorite holiday musical, The Christmas Schooner, sets sail once again from Beverly Arts Center's Baffes Theater, December 14 – 23.

Chopin Theatre presents the laugh-out-loud comedy Christmas With Elvis, November 24 – January 7.

Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates its 40th Anniversary with The Big 4-0, ho, ho! a celebration of CGMC’s holiday favorites over the last 40 years, at the Auditorium Theatre on December 8.

Enjoy the magic of movie music at Elf in Concert, played live to picture on November 25 at the Auditorium Theatre, then relive John Hughes' hilarious Home Alone in Concert, as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play one of John Williams’ most delightful scores live, December 8 – 10.

You better watch out, you better not cry, because "The Queens of Christmas" are coming back to the Auditorium Theatre with a brand-new edition of the internationally acclaimed The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show on December 10.

Experience the power of nearly 100 voices in magnificent harmony when the award-winning Chicago Symphony Chorus and four world-class soloists join Sir Andrew Davis in this must-see holiday favorite Handel’s Messiah, December 21 – 23 at Chicago Symphony Center.

 

Some notable non-holiday offerings this season include:

Broadway in Chicago presents the new Broadway-bound musical-comedy extravaganza Boop! The Musical at CIBC Theatre, November 19 – December 24 and an all-new 21st-Century production of The Wiz at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, November 28 – December 10

Northlight Theatre’s Dial M for Murder spins a web of suspicion and deception in this edge-of-your-seat adaptation of a modern classic, November 30 – December 31.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents Islander, a WorldStage event featuring a contemporary folk-inspired score and epic storytelling as dramatic as the Scottish coastline. Running November 29 – December 17.

Experience the wacky world of Willy Wonka when Paramount Theatre in Aurora presents the fantastical musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through January 14. 

Proboscis Theatre Company creates a new adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest featuring a cast of eight women on a journey from isolation to community using Shakespeare's text and stories from their own lives, December 7 – 17 at City Lit Theater.

Enjoy the inspiring true story of Carole King's remarkable journey from teenage songwriter to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in Beautiful at Marriott Theatre through December 31.

PlayMakers Laboratory Theatre’s ensemble brings stories from Chicago elementary school students to life in That’s Weird, Grandma! at The Neo-Futurarium, December 8 – 17.

When a White House PR nightmare spins into a legit sh*tshow, seven brilliant and beleaguered women must risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble in POTUS: or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Running through December 10 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

TimeLine Theatre Company presents The Lifespan of a Fact, a comedic showdown between truth and fact set in the world of non-fiction publishing through December 23.

Mel Brook’s hilarious musical comedy Young Frankenstein continues at Mercury Theater Chicago through December 31, 2023.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Tickets available in the Half-Price Holidays promotion will be listed at HotTix.org.

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 6 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com.

 

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

 

FREE TODAY! Chicago Theatres to perform at CHRISTKINDLMARKET 4pm To 6:30pm December 6, 2022

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List: 

Free Family Friendly Fun

Outdoor performances at the Chicago market today include:

Broadway In Chicago’s Dear Evan Hanson, 

Cabaret ZaZou’s Luminaire

and performances from Broadway in Bronzeville,

A Theater in the Dark and Improv Playhouse

Join the League of Chicago Theatres on the Christkindlmarket Chicago stage for selections from holiday theatre favorites

 

4 PM – Holiday Variety, Broadway in Bronzeville

4:30 PM – A Christmas Carol in the Dark, A Theater in the Dark

5 PM – Dear Evan Hansen, Broadway In Chicago

5:30 PM– Cabaret ZaZou Presents Luminaire

6 PM – Holiday Favorites, Improv Playhouse

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Holiday Variety, Broadway in Bronzeville

Broadway in Bronzeville presents holiday song and dance including holiday favorites “This Christmas,” “Doesn’t It Feel Like Christmas,” “Let it Snow” and a selection from their current production Queens of the Policy.

A Christmas Carol in the Dark, A Theater in the Dark

A Theater in the Dark presents a live excerpt from their audio adaptation of A Christmas Carol in the Dark.

 

Dear Evan Hansen, Broadway In Chicago

Performers from the cast of Dear Evan Hansen perform songs from the hit Broadway musical.

 

Cabaret ZaZou Presents Luminaire

Cabaret ZaZou presents vocalists James Harkness and Live Warfield for this special holiday presentation.

Holiday Favorites, Improv Playhouse

The Improv Playhouse Traveling Troupe presents Holiday Favorites, including "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Feliz Navidad," "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," "We Need A Little Christmas," "Hannukah, O Hannukah," and "I Have a Little Driedel” plus two Disney Songs: "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "When You Wish Upon a Star".

 Christkindlmarket Chicago, Daley Plaza

Chicago Holiday Plays On Our Radar 2021

ChiIL Live Shows on our Radar

CHICAGO THEATRES GET FESTIVE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON 

League of Chicago Theatres’ annual Holiday Guide highlights seasonal productions

 

Yes, I know there are still pumpkins on the porch and spider webs decking the halls, but it's November and time to start thinking about those gift lists. There's a host of fabulous theatre productions this holiday season, for a variety of ages and tastes. Make a present of tickets and make your presence known in audiences all over town. It's the clutter-free way to make memories with friends and family. The smiles will last long after the final curtain call. Check out the League of Chicago Theatres' comprehensive Holiday Theatre Guide, Hot Tixs site for half price deals, and ChiILLiveShows.com (adult)/ ChiILMama.com (family friendly) for giveaways, original reviews, interviews, arts and entertainment news, and the scoop on fun in Chi, IL and beyond. 

Chicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this Holiday season. In support, the League of Chicago Theatres will create a comprehensive Holiday Theatre Guide that will be available for distribution beginning in mid-November.

An updated list of holiday shows with additional details about each production will be available throughout the season at ChicagoPlays.com. Additionally, many holiday shows will be available at Hot Tix (HotTix.org), Chicago’s local, half-price ticketing service.

 

The following is a selection of Holiday-themed work playing in Chicago this season:

We've marked family options with an asterisk to designate some of our favorite family friendly options as *ChiIL Mama’s Chi, IL Picks List. Several theatres are producing original productions of the holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol. *Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol, a holiday tradition for more than 44 years, will be presented from November 20-December 31, 2021. Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the return of the wildly entertaining ad-rap-tation of the Dickens’ classic, *Q Brothers Christmas Carol, December 7-23, 2021. Theatre Above the Law has a unique spin on the classic with Eb & Belle, telling the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his first love, before he became curmudgeonly, November 18-December 19, 2021. Hell in a Handbag Productions’ Christmas Dearest is a holiday parody starring Joan Crawford as Scrooge, from November 27-December 31, 2021.

This season also brings unique retellings of classic Holiday stories. The House Theatre introduces a new wintertime tradition with a reimagination of Hans Christian Anderson’s beloved fable, *The Snow Queen, November 12, 2021 - January 2, 2022. In *'Twas the Night Before..., Cirque du Soleil puts an exhilarating spin on the beloved Christmas classic, at The Chicago Theatre, November 26 - December 5, 2021.

Journey to Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair with *The Joffrey Ballet’s reimagined The Nutcracker at Lyric Opera House, December 4-24, 2021. A&A Ballet will perform *The Art Deco Nutcracker at the Athenaeum Theatre on December 4, 2021, while Ballet Chicago will perform its production of *The Nutcracker at the Athenaeum Theatre, December 10-19, 2021.

Holiday radio plays are back on stage this season with American Blues Theater presenting the 20th Anniversary production of its beloved, live 1940s radio broadcast tradition It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, November 26 - December 31, 2021 at Victory Gardens Theater. Oil Lamp Theater will perform its version of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play on stage November 26 - December 30, 2021. BrightSide Theatre will present Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play at North Central College’s Meiley-Swallow Hall, December 10-19, 2021.

Love Actually? The Unauthorized Musical Parody, the Off-Broadway hit and holiday season sendup of the iconic romantic comedy and Christmas movie Love Actually, debuts in Chicago at the Apollo Theater, November 17, 2021 - January 2, 2022.

Deck the Hallmark: A Greeting Card Channel Original returns to The Second City’s Up Comedy Club Thursday-Sundays starting November 5, 2021. The Second City’s Best of The Holidays, performed by the cast of The Second City Touring Company, plays Monday evenings and weekend matinees starting November 22 on The Second City Mainstage. The Second City’s Holiday Revue: It’s a Wacky, Wonderful Life will be presented at Paramount Theatre, November 26 - December 23, 2021.

Who's Holiday! is a wildly funny and heartfelt adults-only comedy that tells the story of Cindy Lou Who as she recalls that Christmas Eve she first met the Grinch and the twisted turn of events her life has now taken. Presented at Theater Wit, November 26 - December 26, 2021.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Christmas Bingo: It’s a Ho-Ho-Holy Night invites audience members to play bingo and win prizes, while answering questions about Christmas traditions. Presented by Vicki Quade’s Nuns4Fun at Greenhouse Theater Center, November 28, 2021 - January 2, 2022.

With story, music and magic, Strawdog Theatre brings to life the family-friendly stage adaptation of Eric Kimmel’s book *Hershel and The Hanukkah Goblins, November 20 - December 12, 2021.

Northlight Theatre is producing the world premiere of Mr. Dicken’s Hat, a warm winter’s tale with music directed by David Catlin and featuring colorful characters, constables, and carolers, November 26, 2021-January 2, 2022.

Holiday concert offerings this season include Home Alone in Concert performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, November 26-28, 2021; Holiday Baroque performed by the Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, December 5, 2021; and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Brandenburg Concertos at Harris Theater for Music and Dance, December 8, 2021.

Popular Broadway performers will also perform Holiday concerts this season, including Leslie Odom, Jr.—The Christmas Tour, presented by Broadway In Chicago at the CIBC Theatre, December 4, 2021; Sarah Brightman - "A Christmas Symphony," at the Auditorium Theatre, December 10, 2021; and Merry Christmas, Darling: Heidi Kettenring Sings Karen Carpenter, at the Marriott Theatre, December 13-14, 2021. Plus, Emmy-nominee Angela Ingersoll captures the voices of a dozen divas in a yuletide spectacular The 12 Dames of Christmas, at the Marriott Theatre, December 6-7, 2021.

PlayMakers Laboratory welcomes back live audiences for its holiday play *That’s Weird Grandma: Comes Home For the Holidays from December 10-19, 2021.

Drury Lane Theatre rings in the season with Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, a joyous, family-friendly musical featuring thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and a parade of Irving Berlin’s hit songs, November 19, 2021 – January 9, 2022.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, www.chicagoplays.com. Available half-price tickets will be listed at HotTix.org.

Chicago theatres prioritize safely gathering. Patrons are encouraged to confirm current protocols at each theatre. Shows and protocols are subject to change.

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com. #ChiTheatre

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd now accepting applications for the 2020 Powering the Arts grant program

Grants assist local arts and cultural institutions reach new and diverse audiences

Applications due 5 p.m. March 13, 2020

The League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd are now accepting applications for the 2020 ComEd Powering the Arts grant program to help local arts institutions reach audiences that otherwise would not have access to the arts. Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to nonprofit arts and cultural institutions located within ComEd’s service territory in northern Illinois. Eligibility details and applications are available at LeagueOfChicagoTheatres.org/ComEdPoweringTheArts/ and due by 5 p.m. Central time Friday, March 13, 2020. 

Recognizing that access to art is crucial to the quality of our lives, ComEd partnered with the League of Chicago Theatres in 2018 to commit to supporting cultural institutions in northern Illinois in their efforts to reach new and diverse audiences in ComEd communities. The ComEd Powering the Arts Program provides funding for some expenses toward these goals. Through this program ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres look to reach audiences that have been unable to access the richness of cultural offerings available throughout the ComEd service area.

In 2019 ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres awarded a total of more than $100,000 in grants to 13 non-profit arts organizations throughout northern Illinois. From local performing arts troupes to galleries and theatres, each grantee proposed a unique project to support the expansion of arts and cultural offerings for new audiences in the communities ComEd serves.

The 13 ComEd Powering the Arts Program grant recipients for 2019 were: Citadel Theatre (Lake Forest), Shattered Globe Theatre (Chicago – Lakeview), Adventure Stage Chicago (Chicago – West Town), Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (Chicago – Loop), Esperanza Community Services (Chicago – West Town), Repertorio Latino Theater (Chicago – Bridgeport), Warehouse Project & Gallery (Summit), Chimera Ensemble (Chicago – Wicker Park), CircEsteem Inc. (Chicago – Uptown), Experimental Station (Chicago – Woodlawn), Faubourg Theatre (Hanover Park), Elmhurst Choral Union (Elmhurst), and Side Street Studio Arts (Elgin).

Program Guidelines
Eligible Powering the Arts applicants are nonprofit arts and cultural institutions located within ComEd’s service territory in the following counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Ogle, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago and Woodford. Projects located outside the ComEd service territory boundaries are unable to be funded. Schools, school districts, governments, and government run organizations are not eligible to apply. Eligible applicants must be in good standing with ComEd related to provision of utilities and cannot have previously received grant/sponsorship funding from ComEd or Exelon within the past two years. 2019 Powering the Arts grant recipients are not eligible to apply. 

Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate the ability to reach significant numbers of new and diverse audiences and commit to retaining the underserved audiences after the funding period ends. Powering the Arts grants will be for amounts up to $10,000 and may be used to pay for up to 75 percent of eligible activities. The grantee must have either secured a source of matching funds or have submitted a pending application for such funds. Applicants awarded funds for their projects will be expected to fully expend the grant award within 12 months of receiving funds. A final grant report is due within two months of the full expenditure of funds.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.  Applications will be reviewed and ranked by an advisory committee composed of members of the region's nonprofit arts and culture community. Final decisions on awards are at the discretion of ComEd and will be announced by late June or early July 2020.

Additional information on the ComEd Powering the Arts Program can be found at: LeagueOfChicagoTheatres.org/ComEdPoweringTheArts/.

About ComEd 
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 100 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement 
Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to support, promote, and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.   

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets to the current week’s performances as well as future performances are available at HotTix.org and at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State).  

ChiIL Out With Cool Discounts For Chicago Theatre Week 2020 February 13-23, 2020

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Celebrate Valentine’s Day, honor Black History Month, 

and more during 

Chicago Theatre Week 2020

February 13-23, 2020

Discount tickets to more than 120 productions now on sale

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, we live, eat and breath Chicago's theatre scene, catching upwards of 25 productions a month. We've been thrilled to promote Chicago Theatre Week every year since its inception. This February, come out of hibernation and ChiIL out with Chi, IL's hottest theatre at cool discounts!

Daunted by the selection of shows? Want to find a good fit for your taste? Check out ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly) like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We have ticket giveaways, entertainment news, original photo features, reviews, and more. 



Audiences can celebrate Valentine’s Day, honor Black History Month, and more during Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW20).  With over 120 participating productions, there is something for everyone during Chicago Theatre Week, running February 13-23, 2020. Value-priced tickets, priced at $30, $15, or less, are now available at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com. 

Now entering its eighth year, Chicago Theatre Week is a highly anticipated event that allows visitors and locals to sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings throughout Chicago. As a program of the League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, more than 120 theatre productions are participating in neighborhoods throughout the city and suburbs. 

From joy to heartache and every feeling in between, Chicago theatre tells stories that evoke big emotions. Stories that take risks, inspire awe, ask tough questions – and dare audiences to do the same. From musicals to plays to comedy, theatre is for everyone in Chicago. Chicago Theatre Week is a celebration of the stories we share.

A selection of romantic musicals, plays and comedy productions for Valentine’s Day includes:

Jane Austen’s beloved novel Emma is now a deliciously charming musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theater! Privileged, pampered, and preoccupied with romance, Emma Woodhouse indulges in her pastime of misguided matchmaking, but remains quite clueless when it comes to her own feelings—and a gentleman named Mr. Knightley. This blissfully entertaining production promises to light a spark in your heart that will warm up even the coldest Chicago winter. 

Drury Lane Theatre presents the regional premiere of the beautifully captivating Gershwin musical An American in Paris. Based on the Academy Award winner for Best Picture, An American in Paris brings breathtaking moments of dance and song to the stage. The storied streets of the City of Light become the dancefloor to a ravishing and passionate voyage into art, friendship, and love, set to the music of George and Ira Gershwin.

Men Are From Mars – Women Are From Venus LIVE!, the Off-Broadway hit comedy based on The New York Times #1 best-selling book of the last decade by John Gray, comes to the Broadway Playhouse by popular demand. Moving swiftly through a series of vignettes, the show covers everything from dating and marriage to the bedroom. This hysterical show will have couples elbowing each other all evening as they see themselves on stage. Sexy and fast-paced, this show is definitely for adults, but will leave audiences laughing and giggling like little kids.

Happy Valen-TINAS Day at The iO Theater. Celebrate the month of love with Las Tinas, Chicago’s only improvised telenovela. These Latinx comedians create never-before-seen soap opera. Enter the telenovela world by being part of the drama, laugh at spicy comedy, and be showered with love (and tequila shots).

The iO Theater also presents Improvised Jane Austen. The long-running, all-female comedy team will conjure a tale on the spot in the style of the beloved 19th-century British novelist, Jane Austen.

Dances from the Heart at the Athenaeum Theatre showcases the most romantic works from Dance Chicago performers featuring an amazing array of dance styles such as aerial, tap, urban fusion, jazz, contemporary, Irish, Mexican folkloric, hip-hop and more.

A selection of anti-Valentine’s Day productions includes:

Tracy Letts' cult classic BUG— a luridly funny tale of love, paranoia and government conspiracy--makes its Steppenwolf Theatre debut with ensemble members Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood. In a seedy Oklahoma motel room, a lonely waitress begins an unexpected love affair with a young drifter. And then they see the first bugs.

Steven Dietz’s world premiere psychological thriller How A Boy Falls plays at Northlight Theatre. A newly hired au pair named Chelle is thrust into the midst of a mystery when the sudden disappearance of a young boy casts suspicion on her and the boy's wealthy parents. The parents are seeking answers—and possibly revenge—while Chelle is hatching a dangerous scheme of her own.

How to Defend Yourself, a new play by Liliana Padilla at Victory Gardens Theater, circles around seven college students who gather for a DIY self-defense workshop after a sorority sister is raped. They learn how to “not be a victim”, how to use their bodies as weapons, how to fend off attackers. The form of self-defense becomes a channel for their rage, trauma, confusion, anxiety and desire–lots of desire.

Raven Theatre presents a vibrant and progressive new adaptation of A Doll’s House. Life with her husband, Torvald, is comfortable, if uninteresting. But when an old acquaintance reappears, threatening to bring Nora’s secrets to light, everything changes. As her marriage, her relationships, and her world crumble, she begins to speak her mind and question what she really wants for herself.


Relevant shows to honor Black History Month include:

Lifeline Theatre Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan and David Barr III revisit Charles Johnson’s epic tale, Middle Passage. A newly freed Illinois slave eking out a living in 1830 New Orleans stows away aboard an outbound rigger, to evade debtors enforcing marriage. But his clever escape backfires as the clipper turns out to be a slave ship bound for Africa. He must choose between a fanatical captain, a mutinous crew, and the Africans seeking escape. Building on a tradition of African American storytelling, this tale challenges perceptions of American identity using a Black aesthetic.

TimeLine Theatre presents James Ijames’ Kill Move Paradise, a powerful and provocative reflection on recent events, illustrating the possibilities of collective transformation and radical acts of joy. Inspired by the ever-growing list of slain unarmed black men and women, Kill Move Paradise is a portrait of those lost—not as statistics, but as heroes who deserve to be seen for the splendid beings they are.

Voice of Good Hope at City Lit Theater is a dramatic portrait of Barbara Jordan, the first African American congresswoman to be elected from the Deep South.

MPAACT presents the world premiere of Spoken Word at Greenhouse Theater Center. Written by Shepsu Aakhu and directed by Lauren "LL" Lundy, Spoken Word takes place in a small community dominated by hearsay, fear, outrage, and over-reaching authority figures. On the isolated campus of a Midwest university - sex, race, and gender collide in an epic culture war.

Writers Theatre presents Stick Fly, written by Lydia R. Diamond and directed by WT Resident Director Ron OJ Parson. Sibling rivalries and parental expectations come to a head as family secrets emerge during a weekend away that becomes more “interrogation” than “relaxation” in this witty and moving rollercoaster of a family comedy-drama. 

Dominican University Performing Arts Center presents We Shall Overcome: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a joyful celebration of music from across the African American that electrified generations of Civil Rights activists and defenders, interwoven with spoken word from Dr. King’s recorded speeches.

Broadway In Chicago presents SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff,” this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.

Re-imagined for 2020 and infused with a contemporary comedic spin, The Second City’s Black History Month Show sets the stage for an uproarious night of laughter delivered by a new generation of rising comedians in a celebratory showcase of the incredible history and work artists of color have brought to The Second City’s stages.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra presents The Piano Soul of Nat King Cole featuring Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra with special guests Kenny Barron, Benny Green & Russell Malone.

Before Nat King Cole emerged as one of America’s most popular singers, he was making waves as an influential jazz pianist and expert arranger in his adopted hometown of Chicago. Marking the 2019 centennial of Cole’s birth, this unique concert will celebrate his instrumental roots in a program created specifically for the Symphony Center Presents Jazz series.



Additional productions for musical lovers include:

Firebrand Theatre presents Always...Patsy Cline at The Den Theatre. This moving musical, complete with laughs, down home country charm, and sisterhood, includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits such as “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Walking After Midnight”… 27 songs in all!  The show’s title was inspired by Patsy’s letters to Louise, which were consistently signed “Love ALWAYS… Patsy Cline.”

In The House Theatre of Chicago’s Verböten at the Chopin Theatre, a Chicago band made up of outsider teens with seriously complex home lives gears up for a show at The Cubby Bear that is sure to change their lives forever, can they keep their parents from destroying the fabric of their self-made punk rock family?

Brown Paper Box Co. presents If/Then at the Athenaeum Theatre, a new musical with unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal, If/Then paints a moving portrait of the lives we lead, as well as the lives we might have led.

Underscore Theatre presents its 6th annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival (CMTF), created to showcase and support the growing field of musical theatre creators from Chicago and beyond. After receiving more than 35 submissions, Underscore chose eight new musicals for this year’s Festival to be presented in full productions.

A selection of other notable works includes:

For its winter engagement, The Joffrey Ballet presents The Times Are Racing, a mixed repertory program featuring choreography from four of the most influential artists working today, including the Chicago premiere of Justin Peck's 2017 ballet for which the program gets its name, two pieces by Israeli choreographer and former Batsheva Dance Company member Itzik Galili, a Christopher Wheeldon classic, and a new work from Chicago's Stephanie Martinez, 2015 winner of the Joffrey's Winning Works choreographic competition.

Puccini's timeless Madama Butterfly returns to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Experience love, betrayal, & sacrifice with this love story that reaches across cultures, oceans, and time. A wonderful first opera experience, Madama Butterfly epitomizes the best of this multifaceted art form, beautifully incorporating romantic tragedy with sublime musical storytelling.

16th Street Theater in Berwyn presents Alabaster, a darkly comic southern drama about love, art and the power of women. After a tornado barrels through North Alabama leaving nothing but death and destruction, only June and her wisecracking pet goat Weezy live to tell the tale.  When Alice, a prominent photographer, arrives to take pictures of June’s scars, all are tipped to the breaking point in this beautiful story of life after death.

A complete list of participating productions is at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com. Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago. The official hashtag for Chicago Theatre Week 2020 is #CTW20.

Last year, in February 2019, 139 participating productions offered value-priced tickets to 593 individual performances during Chicago Theatre Week. The initiative continues to see increased sales year over year, with 12,700 Theatre Week tickets sold in 2019. Chicago Theatre Week brings in new audiences to area theatres with an average of 63% of attendees visiting their chosen theatre for the first time. Theatre Week also proved to be a draw for visitors from outside Chicago with 17% of patrons coming from beyond 50 miles of the city, spanning 36 states and several countries.

About Chicago theatre
Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Last year alone Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. 

League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement
Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to support, promote, and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Half-price tickets to the current week’s performances as well as future performances are available at HotTix.org and at the two Hot Tix half-price ticket locations: across from the Chicago Cultural Center at Expo72 (72 E. Randolph) and Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State).

Top Picks For The Spring and Summer Theatre Season Via The League of Chicago Theatres

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we review multiple shows every week, so we know Chicago's theatre scene is second to none. Summer is a great time to get out and see a plethora of shows. Take the visiting relatives and friends. ChiIL out this summer in Chi, IL and be sure to check back with us early and often for theatre news, reviews, and even ticket giveaways! 
ChiIL Mama (family friendly) and ChiIL Live Shows (for the big kids, AKA: adults).

ChiIL Mama's kids ChiILin' in Chi, IL at SEEDFOLKS at Chicago Children's Theatre. 

Unless otherwise stated, all photos by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara ©2016 all rights reserved ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows

The Chicago theater community will present a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as dance and concert offerings this summer.  In support, the League of Chicago Theatres will once again create a comprehensive Summer Theater Guide that will be available at hotels, theaters, events, and destinations across the Chicago area.  A full list of shows with additional details about each production is available throughout the year at ChicagoPlays.com.  Additionally, many shows will be available for half-price at HotTix.org, Chicago’s local discount ticketing service.

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago throughout the spring and summer. For more, visit ChicagoPlays.com.

We've highlighted our favorite shows that we've seen and reviewed in red below. Many more must sees have not opened yet. We'll be there for the press openings of THADDEUS AND SLOCUM: A VAUDEVILLE ADVENTURE,THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, TUG OF WAR: FOREIGN FIRE, XANADU, WAR PAINT, THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND and more. So check back soon for our full reviews.

New works and adaptions include:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company premieres Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright Tracy Lett’s new play MARY PAGE MARLOWE, directed by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro. Runs through May 29, 2016.

by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara ©2016 all rights reserved ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows

Writers Theatre and The Second City collaborate on DEATH OF A STREETCAR NAMED VIRGINIA WOOLF: A PARODY and explore “What happens when the most recognizable characters from some of the greatest 

American plays of the 20th century suddenly find themselves sharing the same stage?” Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Stuart Carden, the production runs April 27 - July 17, 2016 at Writers Theatre in Glencoe.

Chicago Playwright Ike Holter’s newest play SENDER premieres at A Red Orchid Theatre in Old Town. Directed by Ensemble Member Shade Murray. The world premiere production runs April 14 – May 29, 2016.

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents THADDEUS AND SLOCUM: A VAUDEVILLE ADVENTURE written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas and directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks and Krissy Vanderwarker and featuring Ensemble Members Lawrence E. DiStasi and Raymond Fox, along with “Chicago Fire’s” Monica Raymund and a cast of Chicago favorites. The world premiere begins June 1, 2016.

Musicals include:

A legendary roster of Grammy Award winners. A visionary director and Tony Award®-winning design team. One of the world’s most beloved and unforgettable characters. Turn them all loose on Broadway and what do you get? Broadway In Chicago presents THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, running June 7 - July 3 at the Oriental Theatre.

Goodman Theatre premieres WAR PAINT, June 28 - August 14, 2016. Two-time Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole star in a world premiere musical about two business titans—and their infamous rivalry.

Production Photos

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents one of the most beloved musicals of all time, THE KING AND I. (*It was our great pleasure to partner with Lyric Opera and give away a pair of tickets to THE KING AND I for one of our lucky readers.) This Tony-winning musical will capture your heart as they discuss, debate, and ultimately grow in understanding and respect. The musical plays April 29 - May 22, 2016.

As a tribute to its late artistic director PJ Paparelli, American Theater Company closes its Legacy Season with a musical spoof of his all-time favorite movie. XANADU celebrates the artist's muse, even when it comes from the most unlikely of places. Lilli-Anne Brown directs the 1980’s camp classic, running May 2 - July 17, 2016.

by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara ©2016 all rights reserved ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows

Mercury Theater Chicago presents Mel Brooks’ musical comedy THE PRODUCERS, directed by L. Walter Stearns. Runs through June 26, 2016.

Dramatic works include:

The epic TUG OF WAR: FOREIGN FIRE, adapted and directed by Artistic Director Barbara Gaines, opens at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The first installment of the electrifying adaptation features Edward III, Henry V and Henry VI, Part 1. The production runs May 11 - June 12, 2016.

Profiles Theatre’s hit production of JERUSALEM by Jez Butterworth, directed by Joe Jahraus, continues at The Main Stage through May 22, 2016.

Production Photos

The House Theatre of Chicago remounts its hit DEATH AND HARRY HOUDINI, (This is one of our all time favorites and even after seeing it for the 3rd time over the years, we're still completely entranced! Oh SO highly recommended!) Check out our original video interview with Dennis Watkins (AKA: Harry Houdini) right HERE: Written and directed by Nathan Allen and featuring magic by Dennis Watkins, May 12 – July 24 at The Chopin Theatre.

Lucy Kirkwood’s acclaimed play CHIMERICA, directed by Nick Bowling premieres at TimeLine Theatre Company May 3 – July 31, 2016.

Teatro Vista presents IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES, Caridad Svich’s new play based on Julia Álvarez's acclaimed novel at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. Runs through May 22, 2016.

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND by Marcus Gardley, directed by Chay Yew will run June 10 – July 10, 2016, at Victory Gardens Theater.

The comedy THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, CHARLES DICKENS AND COUNT LEO TOLSTOY: DISCORD by Scott Carter, directed by Kimberly Senior, runs at Northlight Theatre, May 6 – June 12, 2016.

Children’s/Family works include:

The Chicago summer tradition Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks’ TWELFTH NIGHT brings a free 75-minute abridged production to neighborhood parks across the city all summer.

ChiIL Mama ChiILin' in Chi, IL at SEEDFOLKS at Chicago Children's Theatre. 

Chicago Children’s Theatre presents SEEDFOLKS by Paul Fleischman (*It was our great pleasure to partner with Chicago Children's Theatre and give away a family 4 pack of tickets to SEEDFOLKS for one of our lucky readers.) We highly recommend this Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis production directed by Peter C. Brosius at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts May 5-22, 2016.

Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the smash hit Broadway musical, is returning to Chicago, May 24 – 29, 2016 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, presented by Broadway In Chicago.

Emerald City Theatre Company presents SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! at the Apollo Theater through June 5, 2016 and then at the Broadway Playhouse July 8 – August 28, 2016.

About Hot Tix

Serving Chicago for over 35 years, Hot Tix offers half-price tickets to a wide variety of theatre productions for the current week, as well as future performances. Hot Tix has three convenient downtown walk-up locations and half-price tickets are also available online at HotTix.org, easily searchable by date, show, theatre, or genre.

Hours and Locations

Expo 72: 72 E. Randolph (across from the Chicago Cultural Center)

Tues – Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm

Water Works: 163 E. Pearson (along the Magnificent Mile)

Tues – Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm

Block Thirty Seven: 108 N. State (at the first floor Guest Services desk)

Mon – Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

                        Cadillac Palace by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara ©2016 all rights reserved ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows

About Chicago theatre

Chicago theatre is a leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In the 2014-2015 season, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.

About the League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com.  Half-price tickets are available year-round at HotTix.org. 

We also highly recommend The Last Defender at The House Theatre. My son had his 15th birthday party there and I also played the interactive theatre game the month before with my son and two of his friends when they first opened. It's too much fun! (*It was our great pleasure to partner with The House Theatre and give away 2 pairs of tickets to The Last Defender for 2 of our lucky readers.) 

©2016 all rights reserved ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows

We also highly recommend checking out the Shakespeare 400 Shows all over Chicago for the 400 year celebration of the bard's works.

©2016 all rights reserved ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows