Meet Cio-Cio-San - known as Madama Butterfly - a faithful but doomed geisha in love with B.F. Pinkerton. Everyone but Butterfly knows the Navy lieutenant will break her heart and ruin her life. Opera newcomers will be swept away by the familiar melodies, gorgeous costuming, and colorful sets - and seasoned opera fans will thrill at this beautiful, thoughtful production from Lyric Opera's own Matthew Ozawa that brings new dimension to an age-old story. Conducted by Domingo Hindoyan and starring Karah Son, one of the leading interpreters of Butterfly in our time, Puccini's soaring and often heartbreaking melodies unite with captivating stagecraft for a singular experience.

Peppa Pig, along with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, George and new baby sister Evie, are coming to SKOKIE for PEPPA PIG: MY FIRST CONCERT - a fun, interactive introduction to a live orchestra for ages 18 months and older. Join Peppa and George to learn all about the different sounds that instruments make together! Enjoy some of your favorite music from the show played by a live orchestra and discover some other exciting orchestral pieces perfect for children. Plus, some little piggies can join Peppa and her family to make music of their own!

Get into the good vibes as Broadway's Michael Mahler celebrates pop music's premier poet, Paul Simon. In a virtuosic performance, award-winning composer/lyricist and actor Mahler (Broadway's MISS SAIGON, DIARY OFA WIMPY KID) leads a folk-rock fantasia, exploring Simon's musical masterpieces and famous relationships with harmony, humor, and heart. Featuring a sublime band, hit songs include "The Sound of Silence," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Late in the Evening," "You Can Call Me Al," and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard."

Part philosophical farce, part surreal fever dream—Witkiewicz’s The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview is a razor-sharp satire of art under pressure. In a world where creativity is consumed by control and individuality is crushed beneath the weight of conformity, an artist spirals into crisis—torn between integrity and survival, freedom and obedience. Witkiewicz exposes the seductive dance between artist and authority, where every act of creation risks becoming an act of submission. Decades ahead of its time, this anarchic comedy lays bare the modern artist’s impossible choice: stay true to your vision, or surrender it for comfort and applause.

Set in present day New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut, this world premiere is the queer and trans rom-com you’ve been waiting for. After his partner of five years abruptly ends their relationship, 28-year-old Adam must navigate the world of dating for the first time since coming out as a trans man. But Adam’s hopes for a fresh start are quickly derailed when a chaotic new girlfriend, the return of his ex, and long-ignored personal demons force him to finally confront his complicated relationship to his own identity.

Potted Potter, the spellbinding, international smash-hit parody has enchanted sold-out audiences around the globe – and now it is heading back to Chicago for a limited run! Direct from Las Vegas after a 2,000-performance season, the Olivier Award-nominated family show bravely (and hilariously) crams all seven Harry Potter books into just seventy riotous minutes – complete with a real, on-stage game of Quidditch.

On the Day of the Dead, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo crosses over from the underworld for 24 short hours with Diego Rivera, who remains in the living world, alone and grieving her loss. Lyric Opera of Chicago presents El último sueño de Frida y Diego, which had its critically acclaimed world premiere in 2022 and brings the legendary marriage — and revolutionary art — of Frida and Diego to the stage with vivid colors, surrealist touches, and lush, evocative music sung in Spanish and inspired by Mexican folk music traditions.

Candlelight: Anime Soundtracks brings a glowing, multi-sensory concert experience to life as the Metropolis String Quartet performs iconic themes from beloved anime by candlelight, transforming familiar melodies into rich, cinematic string arrangements that move from adrenaline and drama to tenderness and nostalgia. The program draws from major hits across genres and eras—featuring music from Demon Slayer (“Gurenge”), Jujutsu Kaisen (“Kaikai Kitan”), BEASTARS (“Monster”), Detective Conan (the “Case Closed Theme”), ONE PIECE (“New Genesis” and “The Peak”), Yuri!!! On Ice (“In Regards to Love – Eros”), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”), alongside lyrical selections tied to celebrated animated films such as Your Name. (“Sparkle”) and multiple Studio Ghibli favorites—creating a fan-forward night that’s as transporting for longtime anime lovers as it is welcoming for newcomers who simply want to hear stunning themes played live.

Ten 25th celebrates the long-awaited return of TEN, The Gift Theatre’s annual 10-minute new works festival, as the company heads into its 25th anniversary season in 2026. This edition showcases the talents of ensemble members Cyd Blakewell, Erica Weiss, Gregory Fenner, Jennifer Glasse, Jennifer Rumberger, Jim Farruggio, John Gawlik, Kenny Mihlfried, Pat Weber, Paul D’Addario, and Shanésia Davis, performing a slate of 10-minute world premiere plays from Chicago playwrights John Gawlik, Jennifer Rumberger, Gregory Fenner, Kimberly Dixon-Mays, Dolores Diaz, Stephanie Alison Walker, Emilio Williams, and Brett Neveu.

Idle Muse celebrates 20 years of productions with The Three Musketeers. Based on Alexander Dumas' celebrated 1844 novel, the Jeff Award-winning Robert Kauzlaric adapts the French tale of swashbuckling intrigue, adventure and fellowship as newly-minted musketeer D'Artagnan and the famous "three inseparables," Athos, Porthos and Aramis take on the machinations of a scheming cardinal and his minions.

Candlelight: Songs from Magical Movie Soundtracks is a warm, immersive concert experience that brings beloved film music to life through the rich, cinematic sound of the Metropolis String Quartet, surrounded by the gentle glow of hundreds of candles. Over the course of about an hour, you’ll hear iconic themes and sing-along favorites reimagined for strings—sweeping from Disney classics like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “Tale As Old As Time,” “A Whole New World,” “Let It Go,” and “You’ll Be in My Heart,” to crowd-pleasers such as “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” “My Favorite Things,” the playful “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and unforgettable moments from Star Wars including the “Theme,” “Imperial March,” and “The Throne Room,” all crafted to feel intimate, nostalgic, and downright magical.

Ma Rainey's band is waiting. It's 1926 Chicago, and "The Mother of the Blues" takes her time getting ready to record. Tensions and temperatures rise as the musicians recount tales of rage, joy, betrayal and faith in astonishing stories and a heart-stopping climax. Chicago legends Chuck Smith and Harry J. Lennix reunite for the play that smashed box office records in its 1997 Goodman premiere for this major revival of "a genuine American masterpiece" (Chicago Reader).

When young black journalist Xan Smith is assigned to interview the once successful, now aging, white novelist, Henry Percival, her mission is clear. She is prepared to dismantle his career with a scathing expose that will cement her own reputation as a fearless cultural critic. But during their contentious meetings, Henry reveals something unexpected about his past. As she digs deeper, the story she uncovers changes the one she came to write. Xan must decide what she's willing to tell, because in this game of perception and power, the biggest revelation may be about herself.

US premiere of an Irish drama that was revived in 2024 at Dublin's Abbey Theatre. Set in Dublin, 1850: The delicate balance at the heart of an affluent Dublin couple's marriage and family business is challenged when two visitors come to Ireland to speak to the public about trade, money and slavery. Exploring the dark side of global commodities like sugar, the play asks the question: if your wealth is built on exploitation, can it really be used to build a better world?

This groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway—from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock, and 70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. With direction by Schele Williams (The Notebook, revival of Disney’s Aida), choreography by JaQuel Knight (Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” Black Is King) and additional material by Tony-nominated and Emmy-nominated writer and TV host Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers), this dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz, and modern pop brings a whole new groove to easing on down the road. Everybody rejoice!

Delight in Shakespeare's glorious comedy! In the middle-class and very English hamlet of Windsor, joyous revelry abounds as the ladies of the town-the ebullient Mistress Page and Mistress Quickly-band together to have the last laugh over the lewd, but loveable, Falstaff. The production is staged by foremost Shakespeare director Phillip Breen, who has quite literally written the book on Merry Wives and leads a Shakespeare Institute seminar entitled "Walking in A Windsor Wonderland: Some Ramshackle Reflections on Directing Shakespeare's Greatest Comedy." Breen's eclectic range of work expands beyond theater to encompass opera, musicals, and cabaret, as well as being a regular collaborator with Vivienne Westwood for London Fashion Week.

A blisteringly relevant modern-day version of Euripides' anti-war play, The Trojan Women has been rewritten and is set in a mother-and-baby unit of a prison. The war is over. Beyond the prison walls, Troy and its people burn. Inside the prison, the city's captive women await their fate. Stalking the antiseptic confines of its mother and baby unit is Hecuba, the fallen Trojan queen, whilst the pregnant Chorus is shackled to her bed. But their grief at what has been before will soon be drowned out by the horror of what is to come, as the Greek lust for vengeance consumes everything – man, woman and baby – in its path. This caustic and radical new version of Euripides' classic tragedy comes from one of the UK's most exciting young poets, Caroline Bird. It is an intense, gripping look at what happens when the world collapses.