| The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life |
|
|
Second City |
 |
| |
| We finally elected our first black president and passed our first national health care bill. It should be the best time of our lives. What happened? The cast of The Second City e.t.c.'s new show, The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life takes you back to a time when we had a budget surplus and unemployment rates were at an all-time low. Grab your daisy dukes, enjoy those nachos and attend the prom of your 1990s dream - it's The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life. |
|
|
| |
|
 |
| After the Fall |
|
|
The Greenhouse Theater Center |
 |
| |
| Miller's ambitious and personal 1964 masterpiece explores a new sense of non-linear theatricality in its powerful study of one man's search for meaning through his memories and relationships. Images and scenes intertwine, illuminating his humanity and probing into the revealing, often painful events of his past. |
|
Watch a video preview of After The Fall
|
| |
|
|
| Aida |
|
|
Bailiwick Chicago at
American Theatre Company |
 |
| |
| What would you be willing to sacrifice for eternal love? Elton John and Tim Rice's beautiful and moving rock musical transports us to Egypt in the time of pharaohs and pyramids. Featuring a stellar cast of 20 and choreography by the modern dance company Deeply Rooted, this first production of the show in Chicago since the Broadway tour promises to be the theatrical event of the summer.
|
|
Watch a video preview of Aida
|
| |
|
|
| Arizona Lady |
|
|
Chicago Folks Operetta at
Stage 773 |
 |
| |
| Chicago Folks Operetta, with its rich tradition of premiering rarely heard operettas, is delighted to present the American premiere of Arizona Lady, the last operetta written by the great Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán. This romantic operetta will take you back to the rough-and-tumble, happy-go-lucky wild west of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. It tells the story of a tough but lonely ranch owner Lona Farrell, her horse, Arizona Lady, and their encounter with a strong-willed singing cowboy. The show evokes the spirit and sounds of the classic western movies, spiced with the exotic flavorings of Kálmán’s rich, lilting Hungarian melodies. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Best Of Second City |
|
|
Second City |
 |
| |
| The Second City Touring Company presents best scenes and songs from the company's 45-year history, plus improv, with a different show each week. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Billy Elliot the Musical |
|
|
Ford Oriental Theatre |
 |
| |
| Billy Elliot the Musical is the funny, heartwarming tale of a young boy with a dream, and a celebration of his triumph against the odds. Set against the historic British miners' strike of the 1980s, the story follows Billy's journey as a boy in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realizes that his future lay not in the boxing ring but on stage as a dancer. |
|
Watch a video preview of Billy Elliot the Musical
|
| |
|
|
| Blue Man Group |
|
|
Briar Street Theatre |
 |
| |
| Blue Man Group is best known for its award-winning theatrical productions which critics have described as "ground-breaking," "hilarious," "visually stunning" and "musically powerful." These performances feature three enigmatic bald and blue characters who take the audience through a multi-sensory experience that combines theatre, percussive music, art, science and vaudeville into a form of entertainment that is like nothing else. |
|
Watch a video preview of Blue Man Group
|
| |
|
|
| Cherrywood: The Modern Comparable |
|
|
Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co at
Angel Island Theater |
 |
| |
| In a world full of anxiety, when the only thing on TV is the NEWS, people stay at home waiting for trouble to be at a low enough level, and then someone decides to throw a party. Flyers are distributed at random offering hope to anyone looking to CHANGE. Posing the question: if you could change one thing about yourself, would you do it? Cherrywood is a hilarious and intriguing bender loaded with great music, social commentary, and cutting edge structure. Sure, to be one wild ride! |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Cinderella |
|
|
Chicago Kids Company at
Beverly Arts Center |
 |
| |
| Before Cinderella can even start making her dress for the ball, her Stepmother and Stepsisters give her an extra long list of chores to finish. Along comes Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother to help make her dream of dancing at the ball come true. Will Prince Charming be able to find the mysterious maiden who left the palace in a hurry and lost her glass slipper? Expect lots of fun for everyone and audience participation. Recommended for kids aged 2 – 12. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Cirque Shanghai: Cloud Nine |
|
|
Navy Pier Skyline Stage |
 |
| |
| Embraced by Chicagoans and visitors alike as “Chicago’s Summer Circus,” Cirque Shanghai will perform once again this summer at the 1,500-seat, canopied, open-air theater at Navy Pier. This daring spectacle, breathtaking artistry, and the sheer joy of its dazzling young cast make Cirque Shanghai: Cloud 9 a brand new theatrical experience for audiences of all ages, with acrobats careening from sway poles suspending high above the stage, gravity-defying ladder balances, a unicyclist riding atop a spinning umbrella , the fun and skill of "hat juggling," and featuring "Imperial Thunder," China's finest daredevil motorcycle troupe riding precariously in steel globe center stage at Pepsi Skyline Stage.
|
|
Watch a video preview of Cirque Shanghai: Cloud Nine
|
| |
|
|
| Comedy Showcase |
|
|
Chemically Imbalanced Theater |
 |
| |
| Chemically Imbalanced Comedy presents their Comedy Showcase, featuring local improv and sketch comedy groups performing on stage. Each show features three groups drawn from Chicago's legendary improv comedy scene. NOTE: No one under 13 years old will be admitted.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| ComedySportz |
|
|
Comedy Sportz |
 |
| |
| ComedySportz shows offer a unique blend of fast and funny improvisational comedy that is appropriate fun for all ages. The Red and Blue teams battle it out in front of a referee in games that the audience selects, and points are awarded based on how quickly and effectively the performers complete the games. The eternal battle of Red vs. Blue is improvised 5 times weekly, and the show is never the same twice! |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Dental Society Midwinter Meeting |
|
|
Chicago Dramatists |
 |
| |
| Following a scandal of molar-sized proportions, the Chicago Dental
Society has gathered to debate the future of Midwestern dentistry as
they know it. After CDS president Morris J. Morris, Jr., is caught with
his pants down – and his dental drill up – the dentists can’t help but
question: in a field obsessed with profit over health, where morality
has taken a backseat to the latest fads in composite fillings, how can a
group of upright dental professionals (looking for something more…
filling) actually make a difference? |
|
|
| |
|
|
| The Emperor's New Clothes |
|
|
Chicago Shakespeare Theater |
 |
| |
| In this fast-paced, stylish musical, the Emperor and his daughter Sam can’t seem to get along, but with the help of some colorful characters and not so colorful threads, the two come to see themselves—and each other—for who they really are. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Equus |
|
|
Redtwist Theatre |
 |
| |
| Based on a true story, Peter Shaffer's unique psychological thriller explores the boundary between passion versus normalcy. Despite the play's provincial British origins, Redtwist's production of Equus will utilize standard American stage speech, with the actors present throughout the play, serving as tribunal and confessors, as well as the horses that are at the heart of this bizarre and riveting mystery. The play, rooted in both modern psychology and ancient ritual, dissects the everlasting human need of worship and passion.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Eros |
|
|
National Pastime Theater |
 |
| |
| “Eros” is a multi-media performance collage exploring the aphrodisiac elements in visual, musical and literary art that spark that warm urge to explore the carnal. Starting with the glowing ember of romance, building to the fire of erotic entanglements and exploding with the exotic, it presents the most beautiful expressions of the human urge to fulfill our sensual desire. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Escape From Happiness |
|
|
Infamous Commonwealth Theatre at
Raven Theatre |
 |
| |
| This darkly caustic comedy follows the idiosyncratic members of one very broken family in search of wholeness again. Both a viciously funny satire and poignant meditation on forgiveness, Escape from Happiness offers a unique and hilarious perspective on the many familial ties that bind. |
|
|
| |
|
|
