Top Rated Plays In Chicago - Theatre In Chicago

It's A Wonderful Life Live in Chicago

George Bailey - the Everyman from small town Bedford Falls whose dreams of escape and adventure were stopped by family obligation and civic duty - has fallen onto desperate times. Only a miracle can save him from despair. Filled with original music and classic holiday carols, this warm "holiday favorite makes the bell ring every time." (Chicago Tribune) For nearly 25 years, American Blues has treated audiences to a live retelling of the Frank Capra classic in a 1940s radio broadcast tradition, making It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! the second longest-running holiday play in Chicago!

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Chicago Culture Authority- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

Million Dollar Quartet

Paramount Theatre

Four Legends. One Night. Music History Made. You may have loved Million Dollar Quartet in 2017 at Paramount Theatre - now imagine it set in Sun Studio itself. The new Stolp Island Theatre will be designed to immerse you in the experience so you can say "I was there!" On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins had a chance encounter at Sun Studio in Memphis. What transpired  was one of the greatest impromptu jam sessions in music history.

Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Culture Authority- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

White Christmas

Paramount Theatre

Pageantry and spectacle come to life in this iconic holiday musical. World War II is over, and former GIs Bob and Phil have become a highly popular song-and-dance team. The men travel to a quaint ski resort in Vermont where they meet Betty and Judy, an equally talented up-and-coming sister act. Once there, they realize the mountain resort is owned by their former General, who is on the brink of losing it all. "Let's put on a show in the barn!" is the classic answer to help the beloved General save his business, culminating with epic dance numbers, spectacular costumes and a finale rendition of "White Christmas" that will make you a believer.

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended

Urinetown

The Fred Anzevino Theatre

Welcome to Urinetown: a dystopian-like city experiencing a water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, which has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets forcing the citizens to pay to use public amenities. With gusto, show-stopping numbers, and a little bit of love, our hero Bobby Strong and his ragtag friends rise from the sewage to spark the revolution. Thanks to the clever writing of Hollmann and Kotis, in this Tony Award-winning hit (Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score), nothing is safe from witty criticism - capitalism, politics, the establishment, the anti-establishment, and even musical theater itself.

Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
MaraTapp.org- Highly Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Highly Recommended

Finding Nemo

Marriott Theatre

The Theatre for Young Audiences adaptation of the beloved Pixar movie FINDING NEMO, with music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen). Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.

Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended

Much Ado About Nothing

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Meet Beatrice and Benedick: two ferociously independent individuals who have steadfastly avoided sharing their lives with anyone but themselves... until now. Despite their best efforts to remain single, falling for one another is inevitable in the wittiest and wildest of Shakespeare's comedies. CST welcomes back acclaimed director Selina Cadell, whose ground-breaking Hamlet starring Eddie Izzard broke box office records at CST and in theaters around the world. Set against the backdrop of romantic Italy, it's a warm-hearted ode to the power of love and the joy of partnership.

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
The Fourth Walsh- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

A Christmas Carol

Goodman Theatre

Now a beloved Chicago tradition, The Goodman Theatre ushers in the holiday season with its adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic holiday story A Christmas Carol. Audiences look forward to the "bah humbugs," the electrifying arrival of the ghosts, the jubilant musical numbers and dancing, and Scrooge's joyful rediscovery of life, love and the Christmas spirit. Goodman's Carol continues to lift heats and spirits after four decades more than a million visitors, and the timeless holiday tale promises to be merrier and more magical than ever. The Daily Herald says the play is "the crown jewel of the holiday season" -- find out for yourself or relive the magic again.

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended

Miracle on South Division Street

Citadel Theatre Company

The Nowaks of Buffalo, NY, have always believed in their family's miraculous Christmas Eve story—until Ruth decides to turn it into a one-woman show, only to have a deathbed confession threaten to unravel the legend. As the truth emerges, the Nowaks must face their faith, family and hilarious truths in this heartfelt comedy.

Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Recommended
Spotlight On Lake- Highly Recommended
Splash Magazine- Highly Recommended

The House That Will Not Stand

Invictus Theatre Company at Windy City Playhouse

In early nineteenth-century New Orleans, widowed mother Beartrice struggles to manage her headstrong daughters after the death of her second husband. But as the matriarch takes her place as head of the household, a more ominous transfer of power transpires in the region. The French-owned Louisiana Territory is about to be acquired by the United States, threatening the liberty of the free people of color residing on the land. A gripping examination of intersecting captivities, THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND follows four women in mourning as they look ahead to an uncertain and haunting future.

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Highly Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

As You Like It

Writers Theatre

Facing exile at home, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia seek safety and refuge in the Forest of Arden. Lost amidst the trees, these wounded souls end up finding a community of acceptance and transformational love, where all are welcomed and embraced. Featuring an original folk-pop score by Shaina Taub (Tony Award-winning composer of Suffs), this musical adaptation of Shakespeare's classic is an immersive dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families and chance encounters.

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage and Screen- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended

Jekyll & Hyde

Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre

An evocative tale of two men – one, a doctor, passionate and romantic; the other, a terrifying madman – and two women – one, beautiful and trusting; the other, beautiful and trusting only herself – both women in love with the same man and both unaware of his dark secret. A devoted man of science, Dr. Henry Jekyll is driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of mankind's most challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally unleashing his inner demons along with the man that the world would come to know as Mr. Hyde.

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
MaraTapp.org- Highly Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Highly Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

Amadeus

Steppenwolf Theatre

Vienna: a cacophony of music and intrigue. The emperor's composer, Antonio Salieri, holds court until the flamboyant entrance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: prodigy and wild child. The two artists begin a vicious and thrilling duet, a rivalry that will define their lives and legacies for years to come. Winner of 5 Tonys and 8 Academy Awards, Amadeus is the ultimate ode to ambition and musical genius, a brilliant requiem for a villain in history - but a hero in his own story. Vi saluto!

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage and Screen- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
The Fourth Walsh- Somewhat Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Chicago Culture Authority- Highly Recommended
Splash Magazine- Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

Sister Act

Drury Lane- Oakbrook

Based on the hit 1992 film, this divine, feel-good comedy will have you rejoicing with your group this holiday season.

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended

Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos and Dinner

Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop

Enter a realm where reality and dreams converge; an experience unlike any other! Teatro ZinZanni is a whirlwind of international cirque, comedy and cabaret served with a multi-course feast. Described as the "Kit Kat Klub on acid," the fast-paced action unfolds around, above and alongside you as world-class acrobats, musicians, divas, illusionists, madmen and aerialists fill the intimate Spiegeltent ZaZou, a unique jewel box mirror tent. Teatro ZinZanni's signature blend of Love, Chaos & Dinner has played to sold out audiences in Seattle and San Francisco, and now comes to Chicago's Cambria Hotel with its "feast for the senses." (The New York Times)

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Chicago Culture Authority- Recommended
Splash Magazine- Highly Recommended

The Long Christmas Dinner

TUTA Theatre at Bramble Arts Loft

THE LONG CHRISTMAS DINNER - nine decades long in just one 75-minute act - showcases the lives of several generations of the Bayard family. Wilder breaks the boundaries of time as we measure it, and invites us to partake in "one long, happy Christmas dinner" - past, present and future. As generations appear, have children, wither, and depart, only the audience sees what changes and what remains the same. Join TUTA for this lively and musical holiday production, and reflect on life, death, and the family traditions we celebrate and endure with TUTA's ensemble.

Chicago Tribune- Somewhat Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
Chicago Stage and Screen- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended

Your Source For What's on Stage in the Chicago Area

The Highest Rated Shows In Chicago

Explore More

Other Sites