The 2024-25 theater season in Chicago begins to wind down with some heavy hitters. Broadway in Chicago brings the national tours of three Tony-winning musicals, and a fourth comes from an acclaimed local company. Plus, there’s the American premiere of a British hit about a legendary rock band, the latest offering from the folks at Second City and one of the silliest nights you can have in the theatre.
Second City’s 113th Mainstage Revue
Where: Second City
Dates: Ongoing
As of publication time, the Second City’s 113th Mainstage Revue is so new that the team is adding new material every night. You’ll see the creative process in action, and even help shape the 90-minute show’s direction through your reactions and suggestions. The world-famous comedy club has a show every night except Monday, and there are two every Friday and Saturday.
Sunny Afternoon: The Story of The Kinks
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Dates: March 21 – April 27
Sunny Afternoon makes its American premiere at Navy Pier’s Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The show focuses on the Kinks’ rise to fame during the British Invasion, the perpetual rivalry between frontman Ray Davies and guitarist brother Dave and their 1965 ban from the U.S. Unlike many jukebox musicals, the score is not only sung, but performed by the actors. The score includes classic rock radio staples such as “You Really Got Me,” “Till the End of the Day” and “Lola.” But you’ll also discover lesser known gems like the title tune, “Days,” “Dead End Street” and possibly the band’s masterpiece, “Waterloo Sunset.”
TItanique
Where: Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
Dates: March 25 – May 18
Direct from off-Broadway, Titanique is a parody that takes James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster Titanic and adds more Celine Dion. Namely, she’s a passenger on the doomed ship, narrating her take on the story of Jack and Rose in her singular style, upstaging every cast member along the way. The show uses songs from Dion’s catalog, including “All by Myself,” “I Drove All Night” and, of course, “My Heart Will Go On.” It’s campy as all get-out, but also a love letter to both the movie and Dion. To give you an idea of its silliness, “River Deep, Mountain High” is sung by the iceberg.
Moulin Rouge
Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre
Dates: April 2 – 20
A stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 movie, Moulin Rouge is set in turn-of-the-century Paris, but uses nearly 70 existing songs. It’s quite possibly the only place where you can hear classics by the Rolling Stones, Edith Piaf, Outkast, The Police, Tina Turner, Adele, Nelly and Lady Gaga in one night. As you would expect from Luhrmann, it’s an over-the-top, flashy spectacle in the true Broadway tradition.
Hadestown
Where: CIBC Theatre
Dates: May 6 – 18
Winner of eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical, Hadestown makes its third trip to Chicago since 2022. The sung-through show tells two love stories from Greek mythology, Orpheus & Eurydice and Hades & Persephone, but in a modern setting. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, with dizzying highs and crushing lows over the course of two hours and 25 minutes. Anais Mitchell’s powerful score seamlessly weaves pop, traditional jazz and Broadway motifs.
Kimberly Akimbo
Where: CIBC Theatre
Dates: June 10 – 22
A teenager with a fatal condition that causes her body to rapidly age doesn’t sound like the basis for a musical comedy. But Kimberly Akimbo makes it work, albeit in heartbreaking fashion. As the titular character tries to experience as much as she can in the time she has left, she must confront parental issues, her first crush and a criminally scheming aunt. The show comes from the same team that adapted Shrek for the stage, David Lindsay-Abaire (book and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music).
The Color Purple
Where: Goodman Theatre
Dates: June 21 – July 27
Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple closes out the Goodman Theatre’s 99th season. Set in the South in the early 20th century, the show centers on Celie, a Black woman, and her 40-year journey of self-discovery and triumph over her hard upbringing. The score by Brenda Russell, Allee Wills and Stephen Bray is filled with jazz, blues and gospel.
