Top Rated Plays In Chicago - Theatre In Chicago

HAMILTON is a revolutionary piece of theatre, with a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations from Alex Lacamoire, it tells the story of America's founding father Alexander Hamilton. It has received numerous awards and accolades, including Tony, Grammy and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. Drawing from Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography, HAMILTON is now seen by audiences around the world as an essential representation of America then, told by America now.

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
WTTW- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
The Fourth Walsh- Highly Recommended
Chicagoland Musical Theatre- Highly Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Curtain Call Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Culture Authority- Highly Recommended
Splash Magazine- 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

The Jackie Wilson Story

Black Ensemble Theater

Originally premiering at Black Ensemble Theater in 2000, this outstanding production began a highly successful national tour in 2002, including a record-breaking run at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York. In 2012, The Jackie Wilson Story made history once again by opening the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center.

Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Splash Magazine- Highly Recommended

The Drowsy Chaperone

Theo Ubique at The Fred Anzevino Theatre

Escape into the glitz and glamour of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’, the (fictitious) 1928 musical comedy brought to life in Theo’s intimate cabaret space. As a die-hard musical fan drops the needle on his favorite cast album, the show bursts into hilarious chaos—complete with showgirls, gangsters, mistaken identities, and one very tipsy chaperone.

Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly 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
Curtain Call Chicago- Highly Recommended
Evanston Roundtable- Highly Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Goodman Theatre

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).

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
Stage and Cinema- 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
The Fourth Walsh- Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Curtain Call Chicago- Highly Recommended
Splash Magazine- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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.

Chicago Tribune- 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
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
Chicago Culture Authority- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended

Goodnight Moon

Chicago Children's Theatre at The Station

This musical based on Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s book is drenched in primary colors that pay homage to Clement Hurd’s vivid illustrations in an all-new, immersive setting. Catchy songs, delightful dancing, a technicolor set, the quiet poetry of the original tale, and the humorous antics of one very nocturnal bunny all play a part in this fun, family-friendly celebration of one of the most iconic children’s books of all time.

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Highly Recommended

Modern Gentleman

About Face Theatre at Raven Theatre

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.

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended

The Sugar Wife

The Artistic Home at Theater Wit

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?

Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Recommended
Entertaining Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended
Splash Magazine- Highly Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Somewhat Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended

Theater of the Mind

Reid Murdoch Building

Inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research, the show takes you on an intimate and immersive journey inside how we see and create our worlds. Peer behind the curtain of the physical realm as you move through a series of rooms with your guide, where you’ll participate in thought-provoking experiences—and marvel at the wonders of your mind.

Chicago Sun Times- Recommended
Daily Herald- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Recommended
The Fourth Walsh- Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
PicksInSix- Highly Recommended
Curtain Call Chicago- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Recommended

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament

Medieval Times Schaumburg Castle

Medieval Times is an exciting, family-friendly dinner attraction inspired by an 11th century feast and tournament. Guests are served a four-course banquet and cheer for one of six knights as they compete in the joust and other tests of skill. Expect lots of jousting, swordsmanship, thrilling hand-to-hand combat, and displays of extraordinary horsemanship as part of an exciting story set in Medieval Spain.

Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Stage Review- Recommended
Chicagoland Theater Reviews- Recommended

Heartbreak Hotel

Marriott Theatre

His singular name still evokes immediate recognition from people all over the world. This official Elvis Presley bio-musical takes a closer look at the rock star and incomparable icon whose impact shaped the history of music and culture.

Chicago Tribune- Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
Chicago Theater and Arts- Highly Recommended

White Rooster

Lookingglass Theatre

White Rooster is a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit. After a family tragedy, Min is pulled into a world of restless spirits, old curses and mysterious traditions. Her fiancé won’t stay dead, her sister won’t stay buried and a rooster won’t be ignored. Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.

Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Talkin Broadway- Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Highly Recommended
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews- Somewhat Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Highly Recommended
Curtain Call Chicago- Highly Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Highly Recommended
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
NewCity Chicago- Not Recommended

The Three Musketeers

Idle Muse Theatre at The Edge Off-Broadway

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.

Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Recommended
Chicago Stage and Screen- Highly Recommended
Around The Town Chicago- Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Highly Recommended
The Fourth Walsh- Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Recommended

The Cuttlefish, or the Hyrcanian Worldview

Trap Door Theatre

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.

Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
Stage and Cinema- Somewhat Recommended
Chicago Theatre Review- Recommended
Buzz Center Stage- Recommended
Third Coast Review- Highly Recommended
Chicago On Stage- Recommended
Allie and the After Party- Recommended
Werner's Theatre Reviews- Highly Recommended

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