This winter has been a cold one. And while the days are growing longer, Chicago likely has several more months of bitter cold, biting wind, and grey sky before it begins to feel like spring. When Mother Nature keeps you indoors, one of the most reliable ways to make due is through exploring the city’s vast collection of theaters. Here are seven highly praised productions on stage in Chicago this winter and spring.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
March 7 thru March 11 at Auditorium Theatre
The world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is returning to Auditorium Theatre for the 48th time this March. This year’s four-part performance features three inspiring new programs from Jamar Roberts, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, and Twyla Tharp. It ends with Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations,” the most-viewed contemporary dance work in the world. Tickets for the production in Chicago this winter start at 1. The Auditorium Theatre is less than 15 minutes’ walk from AMLI 900 and AMLI Lofts.
Hamilton
thru September 2 at CIBC Theatre
When Hamilton announced a two-year run in Chicago, New Yorkers who still hadn’t scored tickets to the musical started pursuing them. The sensational production is now more than midway through its run at CIBC Theatre. If you don’t already have tickets to one of this winter’s shows, you’ll have to pay a fortune or try your hand at the digital lottery. But have you heard or read a review of the show by someone who felt it wasn’t worth the cost of the ticket? The show employs hip-hop, blues, and R&B to tell the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer of the production’s music and lyrics, was inspired by Ron Chernow’s biography Hamilton. CIBC Theatre is a 15-minute walk from AMLI River North and AMLI’s South Loop apartments.
The Humans
January 30 thru February 11 at Cadillac Palace Theater
Set over a Thanksgiving weekend, Stephen Karam’s one-act play The Humans explores themes of aging, illness, and generation gaps. The play premiered at Chicago’s American Theater Company in 2014 before moving to Broadway. The Humans was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and garnered the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play. Tickets are available from 0. The Cadillac Palace Theater is a 10-minute walk from AMLI’s River North apartment rentals.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
January 19 thru March 25 at Drury Lane Theatre
Musical-theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and songwriter Tim Rice started collaborating at ages 17 and 20, respectively. Their second musical, Joseph, took the performing arts world by storm.The family-friendly production tells the story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Nearly a half-century after its premiere, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat remains one of the most popular musicals of all time. See it in Chicago this winter at Drury Lane Theatre, a 20-minute drive from AMLI at Seven Bridges. Tickets start at 7.
Love Never Dies
February 14 thru March 4 at Cadillac Palace Theatre
Ten years after disappearing from the Paris Opera House, the Phantom reemerges in Coney Island, New York. Love Never Dies, the spellbinding sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Phantom of the Opera, is powerful in every way. This romantic musical is one of the most highly anticipated cultural events in Chicago this winter. See it at downtown Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre from 5.
The Sound of Music
April 10 thru April 15 at Cadillac Palace Theatre
Another show on tap for Broadway in Chicago this season is a brand new production of the Sound of Music. Get wrapped up in the Von Trapp family’s story and the songs you know and love at Cadillac Palace Theatre this April. It’s been 60 years since Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s iconic musical premiered on Broadway, and it’s popularity is still sky-high. We’re going to go ahead and call this a timeless classic.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
April 27 thru May 6 at Cadillac Palace Theatre
If spring doesn’t arrive before late April this year, escape to a familiar fairy-tale world for a few hours. Another timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein classic is taking to the Cadillac Palace Theatre stage in Chicago this season is Cinderella. The traveling production promises to be fun for audience members of all ages.
Like what you just read? Why not subscribe to the AMLI Blog so you don’t miss another post?
View All Posts by Jason Ernst