Barbara Gaines is already considered one of the top movers and shapers of Chicago theatre by industry watchers and insiders.  Now the Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater is being honored by the Queen of England for her artistic leadership in strengthening ties between the United States and .... Read More

Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago's #1 presenter of new plays for more than 30 years, introduces Chicago to a beautifully written, inspiring new play about a survivor of the 1994 Rwanda massacres with the local premiere of I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given To Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda by Sonja.... Read More

Have you always wanted to try your hand at being a playwright? Now is your chance! As part of Goodman Theatre's upcoming David Mamet Festival, you are invited to walk a mile in this great Chicagoan's shoes by writing a Mamet play of your very own.

As part of Goodman Theatre’s seven-week David Mamet Festival,.... Read More

Legendary Chicago actor Tony Mockus will star in Northlight Theatre's season opening production of 'Inherit the Wind," opening in September, 2006 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.  Mr. Mockus, whose recent credits include starring roles in 'The Sunshine Boys,' 'Sleuth' and 'On Golden Pond,' will play Matthew.... Read More

Just three months after acclaimed playwright August Wilson’s death, Court Theatre is honoring his life and contributions to the American literary canon by putting on a production of one of his most celebrated works.

Fences, which opened Thursday, Jan. 12, was Wilson’s second play to go to Broadway.  His singular achievement and.... Read More

Emerald City Theatre Company, Chicago's largest professional theater company entirely dedicated to families, has corralled some of Chicago's top professional theater artists to create an entertaining, acrobatic new version of everyone's favorite barnyard story, Charlotte's Web, which will run from January 21 to April 1, 2006.

Chicago theater veteran Ann Filmer, founder of Estrogen Fest.... Read More

David Eigenberg, the popular actor of stage and screen best known as Miranda's boyfriend Steve on HBO's Sex and the City, will make his Chicago stage debut in Victory Gardens Theater's Midwest premiere of Cradle of Man, playing March 24-May 7, 2006.
 
Cradle of Man, a new dramatic comedy by Melanie.... Read More

Chicago favorite Renee Matthews has been much in demand since walking away from this year's "Jeff" Awards with Best Supporting Actress in a Musical honors.  Matthews parlayed her salty, chain-smoking, tough-talking pianist Jeanette in "The Full Monty" at Drury Lane Water Tower Theatre into a showstopping tour de force.  Next up for the.... Read More

Chicago actor Sean Allan Krill turned down an opportunity to recreate the same role in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" that he played on the National Tour for the Marriott Theatre's local regional premiere.  It seems he will be counting his "Money, Money, Money" by starring in the ABBA song and dance sensation "Mamma Mia."  Krill,.... Read More

Chicago's resident company of the blockbuster musical Wicked is booking tickets well into 2006, but look for a few changes over at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre.  Both Ana Gasteyer (Elphaba) and Kate Reinders (Glinda) will be exiting the Stephen Schwartz hit when their contracts end in late January. .... Read More

Little Women - The Musical based on the classic novel by Louise May Alcott, is coming to the Cadillac Palace Theatre where it will play from Tuesday, January 24th through Sunday, February 5th.  Recording, concert and theater start Maureen McGovern, who starred in the show on Broadway, will headline the tour.

Maureen McGovern, .... Read More

Chicago audiences may be able to talk to the animals after all.  The on-again, off-again touring stage production of the Leslie Bricusse musical 'Doctor Doolittle" is back on the schedule for Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre July 18-30, 2006.  Legendary song and dance man Tommy Tune not only takes the lead but the directorial reins.... Read More

Chicago Jewish Theatre, the only professional theater in the Chicago area dedicated to celebrating and illuminating Jewish history, culture and identity, will be relocating to Skokie in July of 2006.
 
The theatre, which has occupied their own 50-seat storefront space in Andersonville, at 5123 N. Clark Street since 2003, will.... Read More

Chicago actor David New has been named as the new Associate Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company.  New replaces Curt Columbus, who left Chicago to become the new artistic director of Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. 

New's Steppenwolf acting credits include roles in 'The Royal Family," 'The Ballad of Little Jo," 'Valparaiso,".... Read More

Breakthrough legislation which makes doing business with the city easier for live theaters in Chicago was published and made effective officially last week at the December 7th Chicago City Council meeting.

The new legislation, ushered through by 46th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller, establishes a brand new Performing Arts Venue (PAV) license.... Read More

George Gershwin Alone, Hershey Felder’s international production, and the first installment of the composer trilogy, which played to sold out houses for an entire year at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre, will return to the stage for a limited holiday engagement.  Performances will run December 23 - January 8 at Chicago's Royal George .... Read More

Ray Frewen received a lump of coal in his Christmas stocking this year. According to an industry source, the much-lauded Artistic Director of Drury Lane Oakbrook was handed his walking papers when he attempted to collect a pay check for directing Drury Lane's children's production of "A Christmas Carol." Frewen was a co-writer as well as.... Read More

The opening of The LaSalle Bank Theatre, which was formerly the Shubert Theatre, has been pushed back until at least spring 2006. The refurbished theatre was originally scheduled to open in late January, however the reopening has been delayed because, of all things, an archaeological dig.

.... Read More

John Mahoney will return to the Goodman for the first time in 15 years to join the cast of Mamet’s most recent play, Romance.  Mahoney—best known for his work on the television show Frasier and last seen at the Goodman in the critically acclaimed 1989/90 Mamet adaptation of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya—will portray.... Read More

Though best known to audiences around the country as the energetic host of The Learning Channel's "Trading Spaces," Paige Davis has a long history in the musical theatre. She starred as Babette in the first national tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and has also been seen in productions of A Chorus.... Read More