
Chicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, music, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer Theatre Guide, which showcases more than 100 productions; not just in Chicago's iconic theatre districts, but also across vibrant suburban communities. From Oak Park to Naperville, Glenview to Des Plaines, theatres across the region offer top-tier performances that make it easier than ever to experience the magic of live theatre close to home.
For additional details about this summer's performances and the Summer Theatre Guide visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Many summer shows will also be available at HotTix.org, Chicago's local, discounted ticketing service.
The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago this Summer, organized by location.
A selection of productions playing in theatres located Downtown are:
Brokeback Mountain
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
May 28 – June 28, 2026
When Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, all their certainties of life change forever as they flounder in unexpected emotional waters. This intense tale of a hidden love spans 20 years and is interwoven with soulful, original Country Western songs, performed live onstage.
Eugene Onegin
The Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House
June 4 – 14, 2026
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian society, this cautionary tale follows the enigmatic and aloof aristocrat after his fateful encounter with the earnest Tatiana. Richly layered and deeply human, Eugene Onegin explores the fragility of the human heart and how unspoken words can shape destinies.
Untitled Vampire Play
Lookingglass Theatre Company
June 4-July 12, 2026
This romantic-comedy-meets-horror-story world premiere by Kevin Douglas explores love, commitment, codependency...and, of course, vampires.
Champions of Magic
Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building
June 6 – July 5, 2026
The production that critics have described as 'the most spectacular show,' 'two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment' and 'the summer blockbuster of magic shows.'
SUFFS
Broadway In Chicago at CIBC Theatre
June 7– 19, 2026
Direct from Broadway comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote.
Kinky Boots
Broadway In Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre
June 9 - 21, 2026
Kinky Boots follows the journey of two people with nothing in common—or so they think. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn a shoe factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized.
Iceboy!
Goodman Theatre
June 20 – July 26, 2026
Broadway's brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm, is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring Eugene O'Neill and challenging his legendary mother for center stage.
A Musical Tribute to John Williams & Steven Spielberg
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
June 23, 2026
Celebrate the legendary collaboration between composer John Williams and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. From Jurassic Park and Jaws to Indiana Jones and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the scores born of this 50-year creative partnership have captured imaginations around the world.
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
June 25 – 27, 2026
Embark on an epic adventure to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: A New Hope! Experience the iconic film like never before as CSO performs John Williams' legendary Oscar-winning score live.
& Juliet
Broadway in Chicago at Auditorium Theatre
July 22 - August 2, 2026
Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there's life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.
Theatres are located in almost every neighborhood in Chicago. A selection of productions playing throughout Chicago are:
Always...Patsy Cline
American Blues Theater
Playing through June 13, 2026
This musical play, complete with down home country humor and big-heart ed emotion, includes hits "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," "Sweet Dreams," "Walkin' After Midnight" and more!
LOKI-The End of the World Tour
Lifeline Theatre
Playing through June 13, 2026
In this World Premiere musical, Loki arrives at Asgard, bringing chaos, comedy, and three monstrous (maybe) children. In an us vs. them world, can we envision a new mythology?
The Targeted
A Red Orchid Theatre at Chopin Theatre
Playing through June 14, 2026
Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance, and harassment by global intergovernmental powers.
OCTET
Raven Theatre Company
Playing through June 14, 2026
Hailed by the New York Times as "the most original and topical musical of the year" for its 2019 Off Broadway premiere, this inventive and acutely relevant piece reflects the perils of the digital age.
Antigone
Promethean Theatre Ensemble at The Den Theatre
May 31 - June 27, 2026
A timely production of the classic WW2 era adaptation made all the more relevant by recent local and national events.
Catch As Catch Can
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
June 4 - July 12, 2026
When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere—featuring an all-ensemble cast—must be witnessed to be believed.
As You Like It
Midsommer Flight
June 26 – August 2, 2026
Free outdoor performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It will be presented outdoors in six Chicago Parks District parks – Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Gross Park, Nichols Park, Kelvyn Park, Winnemac Park, and Touhy Park. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming.
Hair
Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre
July 2 - September 13, 2026
Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, Hair remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.
Marble
Gift Theatre at Copernicus Center
August 2 – August 30, 2026
Marble follows two married couples, Ben and Catherine, and their friends Art and Anne, whose comfortable lives begin to splinter after a shared dream triggers suspicion and desire.
A surreal and haunting exploration of two couples whose lives collide through shared dreams, this production anchors the company's homecoming to the neighborhood where it was founded.
Productions playing in the suburbs of Chicago include:
Nunsense
Drury Lane Theatre
June 10 – August 2, 2026
Get ready to laugh the summer away with nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken. This beloved revue, directed by E. Faye Butler, will have you in stitches as the five sisters stage a variety show fundraiser filled with outrageous musical numbers and zany comedy.
A Little Night Music
Marriott Theatre
Playing June 17 – August 9, 2026
Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her. Amid a flurry of jealousy and suspicion, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises. Stephen Sondheim's witty, brilliant masterpiece.
Leopoldstadt
Writers Theatre
June 4 - July 19, 2026
At the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna is the heart of European culture. While an extended family gathers in the elegant Merz home for the holidays, two brothers-in-law passionately debate their conflicting visions for the future of their family and the Jewish people–a tension that will echo through the generations that follow.
The Producers
BrightSide Theatre at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall
June 12 – 28, 2026
Mel Brooks' outrageous musical comedy about two schemers trying to stage the biggest Broadway flop of all time—only to accidentally create a smash hit!
The Last Five Years
Oil Lamp Theater
June 6 - July 5, 2026
This widely beloved show takes audiences on the romantic rollercoaster of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in...and out of love over the last five years.
BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical
Highland Park Players at McGrath Family Performing Arts
July 17 – 26, 2026
Before she was hit-maker Carole King—she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began and takes you on the ride of a lifetime.
For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Available discounted tickets will be listed at HotTix.org.
About Chicago theatre
Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 6 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago's theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com.
The League of Chicago Theatres' Mission Statement
Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.
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Broadway In Chicago and Metra are pleased to announce a new promotion featuring nine shows coming to Chicago this summer: CHICAGO THE MUSICAL, LES MISÉRABLES, SPAMALOT, KINKY BOOTS, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, SUFFS, & JULIET, THE NOTEBOOK, and THE OUTSIDERS. |
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Telegraph). Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and many more. |
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The original Broadway production was nominated for fourteen Tony Awards and won three, including best musical. The musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT features well-known song titles such as “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This,” “Find Your Grail” and more that have become beloved classics in the musical theatre canon. |
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by Cyndi Lauper, book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein , and original direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell. |
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dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional, heart-filled and gorgeously imaginative.” |
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musical SUFFS about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote. Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety ) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. Winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical. |
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ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love — her way. |
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songs” (Entertainment Weekly), THE NOTEBOOK is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love, and features music by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by TV’s Bekah Brunstetter (“This Is Us”). |
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who they want to become in a world that will never accept them. THE OUTSIDERS features Danya Taymor’s Tony Award winning direction that’s “refreshing, gritty, and endlessly effective.” (The New York Times). With “high-octane choreography” (New York Magazine), THE OUTSIDERS has been described as “more pulse-pounding than anything else on Broadway!” (Time Out New York). |
Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce that single tickets for the first national tour of SUFFS, the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical about the passionate American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote, will go on sale Monday, March 30. The inspiring, award-winning musical will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited two-week engagement, July 7-19.
Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. It’s a given that the women of the suffragist movement—who called themselves “Suffs” for short—were brilliant, but as they fought tirelessly for the right to vote, they were also flawed, stubborn, passionate and funny. SUFFS tells their story: the remarkable friendships, the heartbreak, and how this movement brought them together—or, in some cases, tore them apart.
SUFFS is winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical, two Drama Desk Awards including Best Score, and is “unquestionably the most emotionally stirring musical of the season” (Chicago Tribune). The successful Broadway production played a 10-month run at the Music Box Theatre from April 18, 2024, through January 5, 2025, and the first national tour marches across North America, after launching this past September in Seattle, WA.
“THRILLING, INSPIRING, AND DAZZLINGLY ENTERTAINING.” – Variety
SUFFS features book, music and lyrics by Tony Award®-winner Shaina Taub, direction by Tony Award-nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet, Yellow Face), choreography by Mayte Natalio (How to Dance in Ohio), music supervision by Andrea Grody, scenic design by Christine Peters, original Broadway scenic design by Tony Award-nominee Riccardo Hernández (Jagged Little Pill), costume design by Oscar and Tony Award-winner Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, Death Becomes Her), lighting design by Tony Award-nominee Lap Chi Chu (Camelot ), hair and wig design by award-winning Charles G. Lapointe, makeup design by Joe Dulude II, sound design by Jason Crystal (Sweeney Todd) with associate Sun Hee Kil (Choir Boy), orchestrations by Tony Award-winner Michael Starobin (Next to Normal), vocal arrangements by Shaina Taub and Andrea Grody (The Band’s Visit), incidental music arrangements by Shaina Taub, Andrea Grody, and Michael Starobin, associate direction by Lori Elizabeth Parquet, associate choreography by Hawley Gould, and general management by 101 Productions, Ltd.
The Grammy-Award nominated Original Cast Recording of SUFFS is available from Atlantic Records here.
For information about SUFFS visit suffsmusical.com. Follow on Instagram, TikTok , X , YouTube, and Facebook @SUFFSMusical
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 7 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 9 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 15 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 16 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 17 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 19 – 1:00 p.m.
TICKET INFORMATION (as of March 26, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for SUFFS will go on sale on Monday, March 30 and range from $38.00 - $133.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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