The curtain is up on Chicago’s vital theater scene! Talented local companies and top-notch traveling troupes are on stage in great classic theaters, smaller venues, and even storefronts – and they’re generating rave reviews.
Landmark Loop theaters in the city’s bustling Downtown Theater District – including the grand Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, Bank of America Theatre and Auditorium Theatre – host mega-hit musicals, plays, and dance productions straight from Broadway as part of Broadway in Chicago, as well as world premiere productions.
Another treasure in the Loop theater district is the Goodman Theatre. The Goodman – whose productions, artists, and programs earned a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre - consistently produces unsurpassed classic and contemporary works.
The Harris Theater for Performance and Dance features world-renowned dance and music institutions and hosts acclaimed national and international companies in its state-of-the-art setting at the north end of Millennium Park.
If your plans include a performance at one of the city’s more intimate theaters, take a bow! The drama, comedy, and experimental theater presented by established and emerging ensemble companies have positioned Chicago as a driving force in American theater. In venues ranging from the contemporary, mid-sized Steppenwolf Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, or Royal George Theatre to the tiniest storefront theaters, productions consistently delight, challenge, and rivet audiences of all ages.
For a listing of Chicago's best theater, click here.