I love attending theater productions in Chicago and have been to hundreds of shows since I moved here almost 48 years ago. I have subscribed to the Goodman Theatre and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in the past, but I also like supporting the smaller, local companies. My favorite new experiences include:
In May I went to my first performance at PrideArts. They are now in a new location at the Center on Halsted, a LGTBQ community center at 3656 N. Halsted St. PrideArts is a LGTBQ theater company which hosts musicals and plays in the small theater on the third floor. I enjoyed Call me Elizabeth, about Elizabeth Taylor, written and performed by Kayle Boye and directed by Michael Weber, Artistic Director of Porchlight Music Theatre. I had missed it last year in San Miguel de Allende, MX, so I wanted to make sure I saw it here. It was very good.
Two weeks later I went for the first time to the American Blues Theater at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave. I saw the musical Always … Patsy Cline. It was a musical that featured the music of Patsy Cline. The production was excellent and I loved every minute. This is a new venue for this local theater company that was founded in 1985. “Winner of the prestigious National Theatre Company Award from American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards), American Blues Theater is a non-profit arts organization that produces high-quality productions with a focus on stories that are relevant, timeless, and inclusive to the American spirit.”
There is a small parking lot where you can pay for parking at the time you book your tickets and you will have your name on a spot upon arriving. I look forward to going back and seeing another production in the future.
Then last month I went to my first production at the Black Ensemble Theater. It was founded in 1976 by actress, producer and playwright Jackie Taylor. They produce excellent theater as well as provide educational outreach programs. They moved to their new home at 4450 N. Clark St. in 2011. I loved the production Men of Soul featuring the music of great entertainers like Lionel Richie, Peabo Bryson, Ray Charles, Jeffrey Osborne and Luther Vandross. The production was excellent and the joy felt in the audience was very moving. I can’t wait to go back to another production.
For musical fans, head to Porchlight Music Theatre which has had a focus on musical theater since 1996. You might also like their new series, Porchlight Revisits, which presents lost or forgotten productions for two nights only and their New Faces Sing Broadway, offered several times a year. I have been to several productions and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. In 2021 I went to my first performance outdoors in a Chicago park which is part of the summer series, Broadway in your Backyard. It was excellent! In 2022 I went to their annual fundraiser which featured the music of Stephen Sondheim and another Broadway in your Backyard in Wicker Park. I enjoyed seeing the families and children engaged with the music.
Recent productions that I have enjoyed include A Chorus Line, Sunset Boulevard and Cabaret in 2023, along with matinees of Anything Goes in February 2024 and Fun Home in January 2025. I also loved seeing the concert version of Sunday in the Park with George, downtown, at the historic Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in May 2024. For the 2026/2027 Season, they will now be performing at the Biograph Theater at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. I already purchased my ticket for the 2026/27 New Faces Sing Broadway 1976 in September.
In May 2025 I went to Porchlight’s co-production of Titanique as part of the Broadway in Chicago season. This was a musical comedy featuring the music of Céline Dion and centered around the story of the movie Titanic. It was a wonderful production and one of the best musicals I have seen in the last few years. In 2026 it was nominated for Best Musical by the Tony Awards.
The Apollo Theater was built in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 1978. Located at 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., the Apollo has 440 seats and a lobby featuring art exhibits and a full bar.
I went back in May 2024 for a wonderful production of The Choir of Man which originated at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 and opened on the West End in London in October 2021. I went back in May for a wonderful performance of Going Bacharach, featuring the music of Burt Bacharach. I really like the venue. There are a number of bars, restaurants and coffee shops nearby for you to enjoy before or after a performance.
The Greenhouse Theater Center at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. was founded in 2008 and currently occupies the original home for the Body Politic Theater and the Victory Gardens Theater. With its mission to grow Chicago theater, it has a number of stages that feature productions from small local theater companies. In August 2025 I went to an excellent production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Passion performed by the Blank Theatre Company.
After a hiatus, The Victory Gardens Theater will begin performances again next month at the Biograph Theater at 2243 N. Lincoln Ave.
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater offers some wonderful performances. The theater opened a great new performance space in 2017 called The Yard. I went to my first performance and the space is stunning. I saw the musical SIX which premiered in Chicago before it went to Broadway. It is a wonderful musical! I also saw the premiere of The Notebook, a new musical, in 2022 before it opened on Broadway in March 2024. My next performance was Judgement Day starring Jason Alexander in May 2024. It was a great comedy. I recently went back this past June and saw the performance of Brokeback Mountain in the Courtyard Theater.
The theater is located at Navy Pier at 800 E. Grand Ave. Discounted parking is available. They have a special section in the Navy Pier garage for theater patrons. Some of the restaurants also provide discounts for theater patrons as well.
TimeLine Theatre is a theater company that continually gets great reviews for its productions that present stories inspired by history. I have been several times. The quality of the plays is really outstanding!
I went last in February 2024 to see the production of Notes from the Field written by Anna Deavere Smith. Recently in March 2026 they moved to a larger and new permanent venue at 5035 N. Broadway Ave. in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Their first production An Enemy of the People premiered in May. I can’t wait to go and see the new facility which also has a first-floor bar and cafe. I am planning on getting a ticket for Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along opening next April.
The Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place features plays and musicals through Broadway in Chicago. It is at 175 E. Chestnut. I prefer going there rather than downtown. In February 2024 I went to the matinee of the comedy, Golden Girls – The Laughs Continue. Prior to that in October 2023, I saw the Tony Award winning play, The Lehman Trilogy produced by Timeline Theatre. In August 2024, I enjoyed SAVOR After Hours with dancers from Dancing with the Stars. Then in December 2025, I loved John Denver’s Rocky Mountain Christmas show.
I look forward to attending new productions this year and next and want to continue to support the small, local theater companies!
For more Chicago recommendations check out Globalphile.com.
