Broadway Show Running Times: Musicals, Plays & Intermissions
How long do Broadway musicals and plays last? Explore typical running times, intermissions and real comparisons from ChicagoCritic’s theater reviews.
Tom Williams
Cheap Chicago Theatre Tickets: Rush, Lotteries & Discounts
Hot Tix is still the first place most of us check when we want cheap Chicago theatre tickets. It’s run by the League of Chicago Theatres, and right now their fall “It’s Theatre Season” promotion is the best single deal in town: buy one, get one half off on select shows with the code SEASON … Read more
Plays Set in Chicago: Essential Works and Our Reviews
Chicago has been a playwright’s city for a century, and many of the best plays written here are also about the city itself: its newsrooms and courtrooms, South Side apartments and North Side storefronts, cabs, bleachers and junk shops. This guide collects the essential plays set in Chicago. For each one we explain why the … Read more
Musicals Set in Chicago: Shows and Stories About the City
Only a handful of musicals actually take place in Chicago, and they make an unusually varied group: a vaudeville about murderesses, a greaser musical that started in a Lincoln Avenue trolley barn, a Rodgers and Hart show about a nightclub heel, a holiday story about Christmas trees crossing Lake Michigan, and newer shows about the … Read more
Chicago the Musical: True Story, Chicago Origins & History
Chicago is the rare Broadway musical that carries our city’s name and earned it. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly grew out of sensational Chicago murder cases that began in 1924 and captivated the city’s newspapers and courts, cases covered by a young Chicago Tribune reporter who turned what she saw into a stage satire. When … Read more
Chicago Shows Now Playing: Plays, Musicals and Broadway Tours
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 … Read more
62nd Chicago International Film Festival: Twelve Days of Cinema Across the City
The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival runs October 14–25, 2026. Find dates, venues, tickets, film highlights and practical tips for attending.
Free Museum Days in Chicago (2026 Guide)
Chicago is home to world-class museums, and you don’t always have to pay full admission to visit them. Throughout the year, museums across the city offer free days and evenings for Illinois residents, while several Chicago museums are free for everyone year-round. This guide covers free museum days in Chicago for 2026, including the Art … Read more
World Music Festival Chicago: Ten Free Days of Global Sound Across the City
Chicago’s World Music Festival is a free, 10-day celebration of global music presented each fall by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). It typically runs from the last weekend of September into early October, with concerts at venues from downtown to Humboldt Park, Lincoln Square, Beverly and elsewhere — … Read more
October on Chicago Stages: The Shows That Matter
October is when Chicago theater stops warming up. Resident companies are in full stride, the Loop has a short list of musicals that will sell, and Lyric opens a new season. Here are the shows worth your money this month — starting with the five that define it. The five that define the month Steppenwolf … Read more