Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 — For the first time ever, due to record ticket sales, League of Chicago Theatres has announced Chicago Theatre Week Continued. The series — February 27-March 5 — directly follows Chicago Theatre Week and promotes audience-loved productions that are currently running or will debut this spring. Chicago Theatre Week Continued tickets will be priced at $15 or $30 per ticket. The full lineup of shows and tickets — which go on sale starting February 27 at 10am — can be found on HotTix.
Participating productions to date include:
1776, Broadway In Chicago
Annie, Broadway In Chicago
Jagged Little Pill, Broadway In Chicago
A Soldier’s Play, Broadway In Chicago
TINA, Broadway In Chicago
Book of Will, Saint Sebastian Players
Cabaret ZaZou
Boulevard of Bold Dreams, TimeLine Theatre Company
Big Fish, Marriott Theatre
The Christians, Citadel Theatre
Cabaret, Porchlight Music Theatre
Fen, Court Theatre
Villette, Lookingglass
Drunk Shakespeare
Radial Gradient, Shattered Globe Theatre
The Three Penny Opera, Theo
The Revolutionists, Oil Lamp Theater
The buzz of the audience, the sound of the pit warming up, the dimming of the house lights — all the wonder of theatre is being celebrated once more during the 11th annual Chicago Theatre Week (CTW). Sponsored by Choose Chicago and League of Chicago Theatres, the 11-day event — from February 16-26 — will highlight the city’s top-notch, vibrant theatre scene with over 100 performances from theatres all across Chicagoland. Musicals and improv, dramas and comedies, romance and mystery, all of this and more brings together hundreds of guests every year with the enticement of lively programming and discounted tickets — even as much as half price.
This year’s lineup, of course, coincides with many big-name productions classic to the genre, such as Into the Woods or Les Misérables. Yet, the beauty of CTW is that for every Broadway-adjacent show, there are a number of independent, local theatres performing with the same fervor all over the city and suburbs.
Looking to round out your evening on the town or weekend away? Consider dining at a participating North Shore Restaurant Month eatery. Or check out the best things to do in Chicago this February.
What To See:
Toni Stone
Toni Stone — the first woman, a Black woman, to play in a “major men’s professional baseball league” — has had her triumphant story adapted for the stage in this Goodman Theatre production by the same name. This two-and-a-half hour performance shows audiences just how and why Stone has earned her legendary status inside and outside the game of baseball. From the terrors of racism to the expectations of womanhood, Stone traverses it all and more while fighting to play the game she loves. This must-see show only runs until the end of CTW, secure your seats while you can on the Toni Stone homepage; tickets are $30.
170 N. Dearborn St.
A Chorus Line
Broadway-inspired and well-loved, A Chorus Line has come to Chicagoland in thanks to Drury Lane Theatre’s newest rendition to the 1975 classic. The decorated production, including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, shines a light on the personal, devoted lives of dancers auditioning for a high-stakes chorus. This “love letter to Broadway” is worth the trip, especially with $30 tickets — and seats are going fast! Head over to A Chorus Line to find tickets and more information.
100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
The Great Khan
Rooted in equal parts comedy and reality, The Great Khan follows two Black teenagers as they bear the weight of the effects of systemic racism in America. While researching a school assignment, the pair suddenly have their lives “upended” by the arrival of the actual Great Khan. As this “revolutionary, multicultural” play unfolds, the group begins to unravel more than just their homework. This National New Play Network production is a rolling world premiere, held at Redtwist Theatre in Edgewater — tickets are $30 and can be purchased on The Great Khan homepage.
1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Drunk Shakespeare
One actor is drunk, the rest are not — can they successfully perform Shakespeare’s classic work? Find out in the wildly entertaining Drunk Shakespeare series, a Chicago Plays production, which changes night-by-night depending on who is drinking and what they are drinking. What always remains the same is the cast attempting to keep the show on the rails as it ventures off-book and hilarity ensues. These performances run through March, but only during CTW can you score half-price tickets — all the details can be found on the Drunk Shakespeare page.
182 N. Wabash Ave.
Villette
Adapted from Charlotte Brontë’s (Jane Eyre) work by the same name, Villette tells the tale of young Lucy Snow who has suddenly lost everything and everyone close to her. Then, with nothing to lose, she finds herself in a new place surrounded by new faces, armed only with her wit and “prodigious brain.” After encounters with scorn, fright and romance, will Lucy remain the tenacious heroine she set out to be? All your questions can be answered at this CTW production; grab your discounted tickets while they are still available. Logistics for the show, performed by Lookingglass Theatre Company, can be found on the Villette page.
821 N. Michigan Ave.
For the entire list of performances and participating theatres, visit the Chicago Theatre Week website. Also, for additional special dining offers valid during CTW, head over to the Choose Chicago website.
Accessibility logistics; performances with Spanish subtitles or ASL interpreters; and COVID guidelines vary per theatre, please be sure to visit each website listed above for more information before your visit.
More from Better:
- 28 of The Best Things To Do in Chicago and the Suburbs This February
- 12 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in Chicago
- North Shore Restaurant Month 2023: Special Menus and Deals in February
Margaret Smith is a Chicago-based writer and editor with a passion for socio-political storytelling about their community. They are a graduate of Columbia College Chicago.
