If you’re looking for the best plays in Chicago right now, along with musicals, Broadway tours, opera and comedy, this is the place to start. For each show you get where it’s playing, the dates, a short description and a link to the official ticket page. Shows are grouped by type, and the Loop, neighborhood and suburban theatres are all here. We update the guide every month.
Dates checked against official theatre sites on September 30, 2026.
Jump to: Closing Soon | Musicals | Broadway Tours | Plays | Independent Theatre | Opera | Comedy | Family Shows
Closing Soon
These productions end within the next three weeks:
- Adolescent Salvation, Theater Wit (Lakeview): closes Oct. 3
- The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back, Goodman Theatre (Loop): closes Oct. 11
- Operation Mincemeat, CIBC Theatre (Loop): closes Oct. 11
- The Birth of the Pill, TimeLine Theatre (Uptown): closes Oct. 11
- Mean Girls, Paramount Theatre (Aurora): closes Oct. 11
- Waitress, James M. Nederlander Theatre (Loop): one week only, Oct. 13–18
- Play On!, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Navy Pier): closes Oct. 18
- Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, Drury Lane Theatre (Oakbrook Terrace): closes Oct. 18
- A Wrinkle in Time, Lifeline Theatre (Rogers Park): closes Oct. 18
Musicals in Chicago
Chicago’s musicals range from new work in neighborhood storefronts to big revivals at the suburban dinner theatres. This section covers locally produced musicals. For touring Broadway productions, skip down to Broadway Tours in the Loop.
In the city
Play On!
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Yard, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. (Streeterville)
What: Musical · Sept. 11–Oct. 18, 2026
This musical moves Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to 1930s Harlem. An aspiring songwriter disguises herself to get close to a famous bandleader, and the romantic mix-ups follow from there. The score is made of Duke Ellington standards. Sheldon Epps, who conceived the show, directs, from a book by Cheryl L. West.
Tickets and info (official site)
Sunday in the Park with George
Where: Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. (Wicker Park)
What: Musical · Now through Nov. 29, 2026 (extended)
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical imagines Georges Seurat at work on the pointillist masterpiece that now hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago, and shows what that obsession costs him. The second act jumps ahead a century to his descendant, an artist facing the same questions. Kokandy has added four weeks to the run.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2012 Chicago Shakespeare production
You Can’t Fake the Funk (A Journey Through Funk Music)
Where: Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. (Uptown)
What: Musical revue · Sept. 5–Oct. 25, 2026
Black Ensemble Theater’s latest music-driven show celebrates funk, with the story of how the genre developed told between the hits. It’s a party-style evening built for audiences who like to sing along.
Tickets and info (official site)
A Strange Loop
Where: Raven Theatre with About Face Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. (Edgewater)
What: Musical · Coming Soon: Oct. 8–Nov. 8, 2026
Michael R. Jackson’s musical won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony. It follows Usher, a Black, queer Broadway usher who is writing a musical about a Black, queer Broadway usher writing a musical. The show is funny, raw and turns back on itself again and again. This is the Chicago premiere, directed by Mikael Burke, with Eddie Weaver as Usher.
Tickets and info (official site)
Vape! The Grease Parody
Where: Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave. (Lincoln Park)
What: Musical parody · Now through Jan. 3, 2027
This parody resets Grease in the era of smartphones and vape pens and pokes fun at the original’s songs and high-school rivalries. It’s campy, irreverent and made for a fun night out.
Tickets and info (official site)
Little Shop of Horrors
Where: Porchlight Music Theatre at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. (Lincoln Park)
What: Musical · Coming Soon: Nov. 4–Dec. 13, 2026
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman wrote this doo-wop horror comedy about Seymour, a mild-mannered florist’s assistant on Skid Row. His career takes off thanks to a strange plant, which turns out to have a taste for blood. Porchlight stages it at the Biograph.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2016 American Blues Theater production
In the suburbs
Come From Away
Where: Marriott Theatre, Ten Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
What: Musical · Now through Oct. 25, 2026 (extended)
This musical tells the true story of Gander, Newfoundland. On Sept. 11, 2001, dozens of planes were diverted there, and the small town took in thousands of stranded passengers. Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s score draws on Newfoundland folk music, and Marriott stages the show in the round.
Tickets and info (official site)
Disney’s Frozen The Broadway Musical
Where: Marriott Theatre, Ten Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
What: Musical · Coming Soon: Nov. 4, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027
The stage version of Disney’s animated hit follows the royal sisters Elsa and Anna, with “Let It Go” and songs written for Broadway. It’s a family-friendly choice for the holiday season.
Tickets and info (official site)
Mean Girls
Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
What: Musical · Now through Oct. 11, 2026
Tina Fey adapted her 2004 movie into this musical. Cady, a new student at North Shore High, falls in with Regina George and the Plastics. The songs are by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin.
Tickets and info (official site)
Million Dollar Quartet
Where: Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Pl., Aurora
What: Musical · Coming Soon: Oct. 7, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027
This jukebox musical is set on one night in December 1956, when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley ended up jamming together at Sun Records in Memphis. The show has deep Chicago roots: its long original run here came before Broadway. The Paramount is staging it at its Stolp Island Theatre, not the main Galena Boulevard house.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2009 Chicago production
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
Where: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
What: Musical · Now through Oct. 18, 2026
This musical follows Buddy Holly’s short, explosive career, from Lubbock, Texas, to rock ‘n’ roll stardom and the 1959 plane crash that killed him at 22. His hits, including “Peggy Sue” and “That’ll Be the Day,” are played live on stage.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2013 touring production
Annie
Where: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
What: Musical · Coming Soon: Nov. 4, 2026–Jan. 10, 2027
The Depression-era musical follows a plucky orphan, a billionaire and a dog named Sandy, with songs including “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life.” It’s a natural pick for families during the holidays.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2012 Paramount Theatre production
Ride the Cyclone
Where: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights
What: Musical · Now through Oct. 25, 2026
Six teenagers from a small-town chamber choir die in a roller-coaster accident. A fortune-telling machine then offers one of them a chance to return to life. The dark, funny cult musical had its U.S. premiere at Chicago Shakespeare, and Lillian Castillo, a member of that original Chicago cast, directs. It runs 90 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for ages 14 and up.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2015 Chicago Shakespeare production
Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville
Where: Music Theater Works, North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie
What: Musical · Coming Soon: Oct. 8–Nov. 1, 2026
This beach-vacation jukebox musical is built on Jimmy Buffett’s songs and centers on a romance at a tropical island bar. It’s a relaxed, sing-along evening for Parrotheads and newcomers alike.
Tickets and info (official site)
Broadway Tours in the Loop
Broadway In Chicago books touring productions into four downtown theatres: the James M. Nederlander Theatre, the CIBC Theatre, the Cadillac Palace Theatre and the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. The first three are in the Loop theatre district, and the Broadway Playhouse is just off the Magnificent Mile. For a walking guide to the neighborhood, see our Chicago theatre district guide. Broadway In Chicago also offers $49 day-of-show rush tickets for select shows.
Later this fall, Mrs. Doubtfire and The Hip Hop Nutcracker (Nov. 24–29) arrive, and Blue Man Group brings “A New Holiday Surprise” to the CIBC Theatre from Nov. 24 to Dec. 13. Planning ahead for November and December? See our Chicago Holiday Shows & Musicals guide for seasonal productions across the city.
Jekyll & Hyde
Where: Kokandy Productions at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St. (Streeterville/Near North)
What: Musical · Now through Nov. 8, 2026 (extended)
Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse’s gothic pop-rock musical follows a doctor whose experiment unleashes a violent alter ego. This is Chicago company Kokandy Productions’ staging, now downtown with Broadway In Chicago. The run has been extended to Nov. 8.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2013 touring production
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical
Where: CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St. (Loop)
What: Broadway tour · Sept. 29–Oct. 11, 2026
This comic musical is based on a real 1943 British intelligence scheme: a corpse carrying fake papers was used to mislead the Nazis about where the Allies would invade. A small cast plays every role, and the tone swings from farce to real feeling. The show began on London’s fringe before moving to the West End and Broadway.
Tickets and info (official site)
Waitress
Where: James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. (Loop)
What: Broadway tour · Coming Soon: Oct. 13–18, 2026
Sara Bareilles wrote the songs for this musical about Jenna, a small-town diner waitress and gifted pie baker who is looking for a way out of an unhappy marriage. The tour stops at the Nederlander for one week only.
Tickets and info (official site)
The Book of Mormon
Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St. (Loop)
What: Broadway tour · Coming Soon: Oct. 23–Nov. 1, 2026
Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez wrote this satire about two young Mormon missionaries sent to Uganda, where nothing goes as planned. It won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The language and humor are very explicit, so it isn’t for kids.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2016 touring production
Jersey Boys
Where: CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St. (Loop)
What: Broadway tour · Coming Soon: Nov. 10–22, 2026
The rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from New Jersey street corners to the top of the charts, is told in turn by each member of the group. The songs include “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2015 touring production
Plays at Chicago’s Resident Theatres
Chicago’s big nonprofit companies have fall seasons full of world premieres and major revivals, and many of these theatres are regular winners at the Jeff Awards. They are listed here roughly from downtown outward.
The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back
Where: Goodman Theatre, Albert Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. (Loop)
What: Circus theatre · Now through Oct. 11, 2026 (extended)
Shana Carroll, a co-founder of the Montreal circus company The 7 Fingers, turns her memories of family and of life as a trapeze artist into a show of acrobatics and aerial work. The Goodman extended this world premiere by a week. It runs about 2 hours 10 minutes and is recommended for ages 8 and up.
Tickets and info (official site)
Dead Girl’s Quinceañera
Where: Goodman Theatre, Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. (Loop)
What: Play · Now through Nov. 1, 2026 (extended)
In this comic thriller, three best friends try to find out what happened to their friend Maria after her quinceañera. It mixes teenage friendship and dark humor with a mystery that races against the clock. Melia Bensussen directs.
Tickets and info (official site)
Kowalski
Where: Lookingglass Theatre, Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. (Near North/Magnificent Mile)
What: Play · Now through Oct. 25, 2026
Gregg Ostrin’s new play imagines the meeting between Tennessee Williams and a young, unknown Marlon Brando that led to A Streetcar Named Desire. Johnny Galecki plays Williams and Jacob Moskovitz plays Brando.
Tickets and info (official site)
The Winter’s Tale
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. (Streeterville)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 13–Dec. 12, 2026 (in repertory)
In Shakespeare’s late romance, a king’s jealousy tears his family apart, and years later time and a touch of magic bring them back together, with the famous bear along the way. Artistic director Edward Hall directs. The play runs in repertory with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by the same company.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2014 Promethean Theatre Ensemble production
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. (Streeterville)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Nov. 11, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027 (in repertory)
Shakespeare’s comedy has lovers lost in an enchanted forest, quarreling fairy royalty and a troupe of amateur actors, and it plays in repertory with The Winter’s Tale. You can see both plays in one day on Nov. 21 and 24 and Dec. 5 and 12.
Tickets and info (official site)
Topdog/Underdog
Where: Steppenwolf Theatre, Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. (Lincoln Park)
What: Play · Now through Nov. 1, 2026
Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play is about two brothers, named Lincoln and Booth by their father as a joke, whose rivalry is deadly serious. Kenny Leon directs Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood.
Tickets and info (official site)
Hayward
Where: The Gift Theatre at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St. (Lincoln Park)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 14–Nov. 22, 2026
This world premiere by Netta Walker is about a family’s grief after a father’s death, and it draws on Hamlet and Electra. The Gift Theatre produces it in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater.
Tickets and info (official site)
Adirondack Chair Circle
Where: Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. (Lincoln Park)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 22–Dec. 6, 2026
In Stephanie Alison Walker’s world premiere, a fight among suburban moms over which books belong in their kids’ school library turns personal. Tony winner Pam MacKinnon directs.
Tickets and info (official site)
The Birth of the Pill
Where: TimeLine Theatre, 5035 N. Broadway (Uptown)
What: Play · Now through Oct. 11, 2026 (extended)
Jessica Huang’s world premiere is adapted from Jonathan Eig’s book about the race to develop the birth-control pill and the small group of activists, scientists and funders behind it. Sandra Marquez directs at TimeLine’s new Uptown home. The run has been extended a week.
Tickets and info (official site)
The Front Page
Where: Northlight Theatre, 1012 Church St., Evanston
What: Play · Now through Oct. 25, 2026 (extended)
Jeffrey Hatcher’s new adaptation of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s 1928 comedy about Chicago’s cutthroat newspaper reporters makes star reporter Hildy Johnson a woman, played by Kate Fry. It’s among the first productions in Northlight’s new theatre in downtown Evanston.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2011 TimeLine Theatre production
Sisters
Where: Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe
What: Play · Now through Nov. 8, 2026
This new play looks at artificial intelligence and what it could mean for the future of family. Jessica Thebus directs.
Tickets and info (official site)
The Royale
Where: Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 22–Nov. 29, 2026
Marco Ramirez’s play follows Jay “The Sport” Jackson, a Black heavyweight boxer in 1905 who wants a shot at the white champion during the Jim Crow era. The story is loosely inspired by Jack Johnson. Tyrone Phillips directs.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2015 American Theater Company production
Small and Independent Theatres
Chicago’s storefront and small independent companies are where many of the city’s actors, writers and directors get their start, and tickets usually cost less than downtown. For our latest coverage, browse the Chicago Critic theatre reviews.
Adolescent Salvation
Where: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. (Lakeview)
What: Play · Now through Oct. 3, 2026
Three teenagers, one sleepover and a night that turns much darker than it began. This play doesn’t look away from difficult material, so check the theatre’s content advisories before you go.
Tickets and info (official site)
Detroit ’67
Where: Pulse Theatre Chicago at eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. (South Side)
What: Play · Now through Nov. 1, 2026
Dominique Morisseau’s drama follows a brother and sister trying to build a future out of their basement as the 1967 Detroit uprising erupts outside, with Motown playing throughout. It’s the first play in her Detroit trilogy.
Tickets and info (official site)
Bonnie’s Last Flight
Where: Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Ave. (Edgewater)
What: Play · Now through Oct. 25, 2026 (extended)
Eliza Bent’s world premiere comedy is set aboard a flight attendant’s final flight before she retires, with Mark Twain along for the trip. Rivendell has extended the run to Oct. 25.
Tickets and info (official site)
Radical Futures
Where: The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. (Rogers Park)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 16–Nov. 21, 2026
In B.Z. Florida’s world premiere, a dive bar and a round of hallucinogenic cocktails send the characters toward visions of the future. Tickets are $30.
Tickets and info (official site)
Heroes of the Fourth Turning
Where: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St. (Old Town)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 29–Dec. 6, 2026
Will Arbery’s play is set at a late-night backyard reunion in Wyoming, where young conservative Catholic graduates argue about faith, politics and where the country is heading.
Tickets and info (official site)
King Hedley II
Where: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. (Edgewater)
What: Play · Coming Soon: Oct. 16–Nov. 29, 2026
August Wilson’s play for the 1980s, part of his Pittsburgh Cycle, follows a man just out of prison who is trying to make a fresh start in 1985 Pittsburgh while the past keeps catching up with him.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2014 Congo Square Theatre production
Opera
Lyric Opera of Chicago performs at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., on the Loop’s western edge.
Don Giovanni
Where: Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr. (Loop)
What: Opera · Coming Soon: Oct. 10–Nov. 1, 2026 · Tickets from $45
Mozart’s dark comedy follows a charming, remorseless seducer who finally meets his match. It opens Lyric’s 2026-27 season.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2014 Lyric Opera production
Omar
Where: Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr. (Loop)
What: Opera · Coming Soon: Oct. 23, 25 and 28, 2026 · Tickets from $69
Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera tells the story of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar who was taken from West Africa and enslaved in America. Lyric is giving only three performances.
Tickets and info (official site)
Don Pasquale
Where: Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr. (Loop)
What: Opera · Coming Soon: Nov. 12–27, 2026 · Tickets from $60
In Donizetti’s comic opera, an aging bachelor decides it’s time to marry and gets much more than he bargained for. It’s a light, tuneful choice for first-time operagoers.
Tickets and info (official site) | Our review of the 2012 Lyric Opera production
Comedy
Pandemonium, Please Hold
Where: The Second City Mainstage, 230 W. North Ave. (Old Town, in Piper’s Alley)
What: Sketch comedy revue · Open run
The Second City’s 114th Mainstage revue is a new set of sketches and songs about the chaos of modern life, plus improvised material that changes from night to night. Check Second City’s calendar for show times.
Tickets and info (official site)
The Magic Parlour
Where: Dennis Watkins at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St. (Loop)
What: Magic show · Through December 2026 (per the Goodman Theatre’s listing)
Magician Dennis Watkins performs close-up sleight of hand and mind reading for a small audience in a private room at the historic Palmer House hotel. It’s a good pick for a date night or for out-of-town guests.
Tickets and info (official site)
Family Shows
A Wrinkle in Time
Where: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (Rogers Park)
What: Play · Now through Oct. 18, 2026
Lifeline adapts Madeleine L’Engle’s classic novel, in which Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin travel across the universe to rescue her missing father. The company specializes in stage adaptations of books.
Tickets and info (official site)
Sugar Plum Fairy, P.I.
Where: Lifeline Theatre KidSeries, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (Rogers Park)
What: Family show · Coming Soon: Oct. 3–Nov. 8, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday mornings and early afternoons)
This fairy-tale noir for kids draws on The Maltese Falcon. During the dark days of Candy Prohibition, detective Sam Sugarplum and his partner Goldilocks try to track down a missing black sheep, meeting storybook characters along the way. Previews are $17 and regular tickets are $22.
Tickets and info (official site)
Families should also look at Annie at Drury Lane and Disney’s Frozen at the Marriott Theatre, both opening Nov. 4 and listed under Musicals above. The Attic at the Goodman is recommended for ages 8 and up.
Opening Soon
- Oct. 3: Sugar Plum Fairy, P.I., Lifeline Theatre (previews)
- Oct. 7: Million Dollar Quartet, Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre, Aurora
- Oct. 8: A Strange Loop, Raven Theatre; Escape to Margaritaville, Music Theater Works, Skokie
- Oct. 10: Don Giovanni, Lyric Opera
- Oct. 13: Waitress, Nederlander Theatre; The Winter’s Tale, Chicago Shakespeare
- Oct. 14: Hayward, The Gift at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater
- Oct. 16: Radical Futures, The Factory Theater; King Hedley II, City Lit
- Oct. 22: Adirondack Chair Circle, Steppenwolf; The Royale, Writers Theatre
- Oct. 23: The Book of Mormon, Cadillac Palace; Omar, Lyric Opera
- Oct. 29: Heroes of the Fourth Turning, A Red Orchid Theatre
- Nov. 4: Annie, Drury Lane; Frozen, Marriott Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors, Porchlight
- Nov. 10: Jersey Boys, CIBC Theatre
- Nov. 11: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Chicago Shakespeare
- Nov. 12: Don Pasquale, Lyric Opera
Planning for the holidays?
Holiday shows are already on sale. The Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol runs Nov. 13–Dec. 31, and the Paramount Theatre in Aurora stages its own A Christmas Carol Nov. 11–Jan. 3.
See our Chicago holiday shows guide and our guide to where to see The Nutcracker.
How to Get Cheap Theatre Tickets in Chicago
- Hot Tix: The League of Chicago Theatres sells discounted tickets to many shows at hottix.org or by phone at 312-977-9483. The League’s fall “It’s Theatre Season” promotion offers buy-one-get-one-half-off tickets to select October and November performances with the code SEASON.
- Broadway In Chicago: $49 day-of-show rush tickets are available for select touring shows. Check each show page.
- Steppenwolf: The 20 for $20 program releases $20 tickets for each performance (promo code 20FOR20 online, or call 312-335-1650 at noon on the day of the show). Steppenwolf also offers discounts for patrons under 30 through its RED Card program.
- Goodman Theatre: Mezztix are half-price mezzanine seats released at 10 a.m. on the day of the performance, with the code MEZZTIX. College students can get $20 tickets through 20TIX.
- Lyric Opera: The NEXT program offers discounted tickets to full-time college students, and Lyric sells reduced-price tickets for children at many performances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best plays in Chicago right now?
This guide lists every play, musical and tour we could confirm on official theatre sites rather than ranking them. Current plays include Topdog/Underdog at Steppenwolf, Dead Girl’s Quinceañera at the Goodman, Kowalski at Lookingglass and The Front Page at Northlight. Premieres such as Adirondack Chair Circle, Hayward and Radical Futures open in October.
Are there Broadway shows in Chicago right now?
Yes. Broadway In Chicago has Operation Mincemeat at the CIBC Theatre through Oct. 11 and Kokandy’s Jekyll & Hyde at the Broadway Playhouse through Nov. 8. Waitress, The Book of Mormon and Jersey Boys follow in October and November.
Where is Chicago’s theatre district?
The Loop theatre district is centered on Randolph Street and nearby blocks, with the Nederlander, Cadillac Palace, CIBC, Goodman and Chicago Theatre within a short walk of each other. Many of the city’s best-known companies are in neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park, Uptown and Edgewater. See our theatre district guide.
How can I find cheap theatre tickets in Chicago?
Start with Hot Tix from the League of Chicago Theatres, then check rush and discount programs at individual theatres, including Broadway In Chicago’s $49 rush, Steppenwolf’s 20 for $20 and the Goodman’s Mezztix. Details are in the section above.
How often is this guide updated?
We update it every month and check dates against official theatre websites. Runs are often extended, so always confirm dates with the box office before you buy.