The project brings together plays that captured the lives, relationships, sexuality, fear, humor, friendship and resilience of gay men as AIDS transformed their communities, alongside work by artists whose lives and writing continue to carry the history of the epidemic into the present. It grew from a desire to revisit theatrical works that were once urgently connected to LGBTQ+ audiences but are now seldom produced.

When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true-she's finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Traveling through their neighborhood, Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make...

Experience the greatest rock anthems of the 1980s reimagined in an intimate candlelit setting at Candlelight: 80s Rock Anthems. The Metropolis String Quartet brings iconic hits from legends like Queen, U2, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Michael Jackson to life through stunning string arrangements, transforming power ballads and stadium anthems into elegant classical performances. Surrounded by the warm glow of hundreds of candles, audiences will hear beloved songs including "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Under Pressure," "Africa," and "Beat It" performed with classical sophistication while maintaining the raw energy that defined the decade. This 60-minute concert offers a unique multi-sensory experience that bridges the worlds of rock and classical music, perfect for both devoted fans of 80s rock and those seeking an enchanting evening of live music in an unforgettable atmosphere.

Set in the underground clubs, radio stations, and recording studios of 1950s Memphis, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Memphis tells an inspiring story of music, passion, and breaking barriers. The musical follows Huey Calhoun, a young white radio DJ with a deep love for rhythm & blues, and Felicia Farrell, a talented Black singer he meets on Beale Street dreaming of her big break. As their careers rise during the birth of rock 'n' roll, the pair must navigate family pressures, personal ambition, and a divided world that challenges their relationship.

Matt Rife is bringing his "Stay Golden Tour" to Capital One Arena as part of his highly anticipated 2025 North American tour. Produced by Live Nation, the tour marks another milestone in Rife's rapidly growing career, following the global success of his sold-out performances and viral comedic presence. Rife has become a standout voice in modern comedy, known for his sharp observational humor, quick improvisation, and engaging stage presence. His work has captivated audiences both online and on stage, earning him a massive following. He gained widespread recognition through his viral stand-up clips, appearances on MTV's Wild 'N Out, The Challenge, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions transforms a beloved concert series into something delightfully sinister, as the Metropolis String Quartet performs a spine-tingling program illuminated entirely by the flicker of candlelight. The hour-long experience weaves together the great macabre masterworks of the classical canon, from Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre to Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King and Bach's thunderous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, alongside eerie favorites like Chopin's Funeral March and Mozart's Lacrimosa. Modern chills round out the evening with string arrangements of Thriller, Ghostbusters, The Cranberries' Zombie, and themes from The Exorcist and The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's an atmospheric, multi-sensory celebration of the season that makes classical music feel gloriously haunted.

In Manual Cinema’s thrilling version of the classic Gothic tale Frankenstein, the Chicago-based Emmy Award-winning performance collective imaginatively combines shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and live sound effects and music in a haunting show unlike any other. The production stitches together the fictional story of Frankenstein with the biography of the original novel’s author, Mary Shelley, to create an unexpected tale about the beauty and horror of creation.

It's nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four recent graduates have gathered to celebrate their beloved mentor and professor Gina, newly inducted as president of their tiny Catholic liberal arts college. The reunion spirals into spiritual chaos, clashing generational politics and a vicious fight to be understood. Offering grace and disarming clarity, this haunting play speaks to the torn heart of a country at war with itself.

Spooky season gets a hauntingly elegant soundtrack in Candlelight: Halloween Classics, a one-hour concert performed by the Metropolis String Quartet in a room aglow with flickering candles. The program blends eerie concert hall favorites like Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain, and Gounod's Funeral March of a Marionette with iconic horror film themes, including John Carpenter's Halloween, Bernard Herrmann's prelude from Psycho, and Tubular Bells from The Exorcist. Pop culture picks keep things playful, with the strings tackling Michael Jackson's Thriller, Ghostbusters, The Addams Family, Beetlejuice, Stranger Things, the Time Warp, and a medley from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Equal parts chilling and charming, it's a wickedly fun night out for music lovers and horror fans alike.

Zoe, a Black student at a liberal arts college, is called into her white professor's office to discuss her paper about slavery's effect on the American Revolution. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives explodes into an urgent debate about race, history and power.

Broadway’s favorite little orphan returns to Drury Lane for the first time in over 20 years! This heartwarming musical will delight you and your family during the holiday season with cheer, optimism, and the power of love.

For more than four decades, this Tony Award-winning musical has delighted millions of fans around the world with the funny and frightening story of the shy shop assistant, his coworker crush and a mysterious, and carnivorous, plant. Written by the powerhouse team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney's The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast and Aladdin), Little Shop takes audiences on a wild trip where love and world domination meet at a Skid Row floral shop.

Buried up to her waist in a giant mound of earth, Diana Slickman delivers a whirlwind monologue of love and survival as Winnie in Beckett's masterpiece. Ryan Walters co-stars as her oblivious husband, Willie. Directed by Trent Lunsford for the inaugural production of AutoBody Theater.

A Clockwork Orange lures audiences into a glass-edged, testosterone-filled underworld of a dystopian future. The explosive story of little Alex and his rebellious gang of Droogs is a groundbreaking and twisted tale teeming with sexuality and "a bit of the old ultra-violence." As hauntingly relevant today as when Burgess's book first published in 1962 and when Stanley Kubrick's cult classic film caused a stir in 1971, A Clockwork Orange is an unapologetic celebration of the human condition. And Beethoven.

The Snow Queen follows Gerda as she embarks on a journey into the unknown. Along the way she encounters unpredictable elements, a talking raven, a band of singing robbers, whispering flowers, deceptive sweetness, and strangers who become family. With every trial she must decide not only how to save Kay but who she is becoming. Can Gerda withstand the bitter cold and the Snow Queen's relentless desire to control the narrative? Will Kay reclaim the story stolen from him, or surrender to the silence of the ice? Written by Mallory Swisher and directed by Stefan Roseen and Anna Reomer, this beloved folktale reimagined through a new landscape explores the people who carry our stories when we no longer can - and the courage it takes to let them go.

For six nights only, Will Clinger and Bill Larkin take the stage at the Rouge Room to sing the always funny, sometimes ribald, occasionally offensive songs from their respective repertoires. Performing either individually or together, they'll showcase tunes both old and new, all intended to convulse their audience - hopefully with laughter!

Bringing to life an arena spectacle at unbelievable scale, The Greatest Show On Earth will debut stunning feats of real human achievement, musical performances blended with aerial artistry, modern comedy, and never-before-seen acts on highwire, trapeze, bicycles, and more. The reimagined American icon will captivate families through a multi-platform, 360-degree experience that brings fans into the action, creating real connections between audiences and performers from all over the world - coming to the Chicago area with six performances at Allstate Arena.