Home

Displaying items by tag: children's theatre

Wackadoo! Following a highly successful global tour, Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Dad are bringing Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show back to Broadway In Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) for five performances only. Individual tickets will go on sale this Friday, March 13. Ticket prices will range from $30.00 to $91.00 with a select number of VIP Meet and Greet tickets available for each performance. Tickets may be purchased at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Group sales of 10 or more are available by calling (312) 977-1710 or e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  See below for more ticket information and the performance schedule.

Featuring brilliantly created puppets, this theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series is packed with music, laughter, and fun for the whole family. Audiences of all ages will get to see Bluey, Bingo, Mum (Chilli) and Dad (Bandit), as they’ve never seen them before, as Bluey and her family embark on this unique live show adventure before your very eyes. 
 

 “Bluey’s Big Play may be her first theatrical experiment, but I doubt it will be the last” – The Australian Review

“There’s no better show to inspire a lifelong love of the stage in your littlies” – The Courier Mail, Brisbane

“Expect full chair dancing and shrieks of joy” – Broadway World ★★★★★

“A Glorious Celebration of everything you love about the show” ★★★★★ – The Guardian
 

When Dad feels like a little bit of afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. With an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. This is Bluey, For Real Life.

Since premiering in Australia in 2020, Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show has toured globally across the UK, Ireland, Canada, the US, Europe, Singapore, South Africa and the UAE and has been seen by millions of fans worldwide.

“After an incredible journey touring around the world, we’re beyond excited to bring Bluey’s Big Play back to Chicago audiences. The love for Bluey continues to grow, and we can’t wait for families around the country to experience the joy, laughter and heart of this special live show,” said Renata Bisgaard, Senior Live Events Manager, BBC Studios ANZ.

Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show has captivated audiences worldwide, welcoming more than 2 millon fans to the show! Following record-breaking tours across the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, and Singapore, the production is now set to return to Chicago,” said Andrew Kay, Producer of Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show.

Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show features original voices from the TV sensation, including the instantly recognisable voices of Melanie Zanetti as Mum and David McCormack as Dad. The larger-than-life puppets are commanded by a talented cast, yet to be announced. It is directed by Rosemary Myers of Windmill Theatre Company, and presented by BBC Studios and Andrew Kay in association with Windmill Theatre Co.

Since bursting on to TV screens in Australia in 2018, Bluey has enjoyed a plethora of critical success at home and abroad, most recently winning Best Children’s Program at the 2025 TV WEEK Logie Awards. Bluey has also won a 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Award in the International category and picked up its sixth AACTA Best Children’s Programme award to add to an International Emmy.

For more information, please follow:
www.blueylive.com
www.facebook.com/OfficialBlueyTV
www.instagram.com/OfficialBluey
#BlueysBigPlay

TICKET INFORMATION (as of 3/10/26, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets will range from $30 — $91 and may be purchased at  www.BroadwayInChicago.com  or any Broadway In Chicago box office. A select number of VIP Meet and Greet tickets are available for each performance. Additional fees apply for online purchases. For groups of 10 or more, call Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Subscribers may add tickets to their subscription by  clicking here  or by calling (312) 977-1717. For more information, visit  www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BLUEY
The series follows Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo. Bluey uses her limitless energy to play games that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family and the whole neighbourhood into her world of fun.

Bluey is produced by Ludo Studio for ABC KIDS (Australia) and co-commissioned by ABC Children’s and BBC Studios. Financed in association with Screen Australia, Bluey is proudly 100% created, written, animated, and post produced in Brisbane Queensland, Australia, with funding from the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and the Australian Government. BBC Studios Kids & Family hold the global distribution and merchandise rights. In Australia, the show goes out on ABC. Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | X | YouTube

ABOUT LUDO STUDIO
Ludo Studio is a BAFTA, multi-Emmy®, Logie and Peabody award-winning Australian studio and one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies of 2024, that creates and produces original scripted drama, animation and digital stories that are authored by incredible local talent, distributed globally and loved by audiences everywhere. Ludostudio.com.au

ABOUT BBC STUDIOS BRANDS & LICENSING
The BBC Studios Brands & Licensing division is the driving force in extending BBC Studios IP through innovative brand extensions, fostering deep fan engagement worldwide. Partnering our iconic brands - including Doctor Who and Bluey - with the world’s biggest brands, promoters, and publishers, ignites the imagination of fans and creates memorable brand-fame moments. Our diverse portfolio spans consumer products, live entertainment, gaming, and publishing, while BBC Studios Digital drives over 1 billion views per month, offering advertising and branded content opportunities. Supported by award-winning teams, we focus on finding visionary opportunities to enhance global brand impact and digital growth.
BBC Studios | Website | X | LinkedIn | Instagram

ABOUT HVK PRODUCTIONS
HVK Productions is part of the Andrew Kay group of companies, an international theater Producer and concert Promoter based in Melbourne, Australia. Andrew Kay AM has presented, produced and co-produced countless award-winning theatrical, musical and live stage events. Andrew has been one of Australia’s leading producers and presenters of children's theater including Hi-5, Bananas in Pyjamas, Cat in The Hat, Giggle and Hoot, Hairy Maclary, The Fairies, LazyTown, ABC Christmas Spectaculars, Horrible Histories - Awful Egyptians and Barmy BritainWe're Going on a Bear Hunt. Most recently he has produced the very popular Dan TDM Live and multiple tours of Operation Ouch Live and Steve Backshall’s Deadly 60 Live.

Other notable artists presented include three-time Grammy winners the Soweto Gospel Choir, Kathleen Battle, Nigel Kennedy, Kevin McCloud, Yehudi Menuin, David Helfgott, Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Patricia Routlege, Wynton Marsalis and Louis Theroux. akaastralia.com.au

ABOUT WINDMILL THEATRE COMPANY
Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Windmill Theatre Company has a global reputation as a leading producer of theater for children, teenagers and families. Each year the company performs in its hometown, and tours across Australia and around the world. Over the last 17 years, Windmill has presented 63 productions including 36 brand new Australian works, performing to young audiences in 287 cities and towns across 30 countries. windmill.org.au

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, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Follow @broadwayinchicago on FacebookInstagramBlueSky,  and TikTok  #broadwayinchicago

Published in Upcoming Theatre

Beloved children’s author Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the quirky and mysterious candy-maker looking for his heir apparent comes to life in an energetic and magical performance in the Theatre for Young Audiences’ musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory now on stage at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.

The 70-minute-long performance is a wonderful mix of old and new. Older members of the audience appreciated the familiar tunes from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, such as the iconic “The Candy Man,” “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” and “Pure Imagination” while the younger audience was captivated with the “Queen of Pop” (and next “It Girl”), Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee’s all-things techno obsession, and the very spoiled and demanding antics of Veruca Salt.

Upon entering the theatre, with the centerstage bathed in cool purple lighting and musical tributes featuring candy playing in the background, the audience is immediately transported to another place and time, where “pure imagination” reigns. The magic continues as the show opens with a flash news report from “Cherry Sunday” (Megan Long) about the famed candy-maker’s search for a suitable replacement to take over his workshop.

A delightful chorus of Oompa-Loompas, bedecked in colorful multi-patterned coats, jaunty bowler hats, and oversized sunglasses, appear in every aisle, allowing the young audience to feel part of the show, as they introduce us to the main man himself. Willy Wonka, wonderfully played by George Keating, brings just the right amount of quirkiness, charm, and empathy to his character.

The story continues as Mr. Wonka announces a worldwide contest, hiding five golden tickets in his chocolate bars. The lucky “finders” will be invited to visit his famed factory and be eligible for the grand prize. We meet young Charlie Bucket, played by the very talented Kai Edgar, who lives for Willy Wonka chocolate bars and dreams about winning a ticket. But his family is so poor that they can only afford to buy Charlie one candy bar on his birthday.

Charlie shares his dreams for helping his family and writes a letter to Mr. Wonka, telling him about the many wonderful candy confections he would invent for each family member, then sends it sailing out into the world, knowing there is little chance that he would ever win.

And, as the four golden tickets are quickly won by an assortment of spoiled, ill-mannered kids from around the world – the sausage-consuming Augustus Gloop (Elias Totleben), the foot-stomping demanding Veruca Salt (Elin Joy Seiler), the gum-chewing social-media queen Violet Beauregarde (Avelyn Lena Choi), and the techno-obsessed Mike Teavee (Gordon Henry Heisler) -- Charlie’s hopes dim. And when he, at last, does receive a Wonka bar, alas, no golden ticket. Charlie is distraught.

Yet, the kindly candy-story shopkeeper, who is unbeknownst to Charlie is Mr. Wonka himself, drops a dollar bill, and with it, Charlie buys the very last Wonka bar in the world. To his amazement, Charlie wins the last golden ticket. The audience broke into delighted applause as Charlie and his grandfather cavort around the stage in celebration.

Under the skillful direction of Amber Mak, who also choreographed the show, the magical world of Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory comes to life through a combination of artful staging, colorful costumes, and confectionary props that looks almost good enough to eat. Throw in some bubbles and the clever use of large lighting panels that surround the stage and enhance the action on stage, and voilà – your imagination takes you right into the very heart of Wonka’s enchanted workshop.

The audience squealed in part dismay, part approval, as one by one the obnoxious cadre of children, brilliantly played by Totleben, Seiler, Choi, and Heisler, were eliminated from the competition because they crossed the line and broke the rules. And yes, thanks to an ingenious costume design, the gum-chomping Violet Beauregarde, does turn into a blueberry to the wonder of the crowd.

Finally, Charlie and his grandfather are the only ones left, and Mr. Wonka invites them into his sacred workshop where all the delicious designs are born. Leaving his book of creations behind, with a warning not to look inside it, Mr. Wonka and the grandfather go off to sign some papers for awarding the grand prize. As Charlie walks toward the forbidden book, the audience yelled at him to stop, but of course, he cannot help himself and opens the book.

When he discovered there were empty pages in the notebook, Charlie begins to sing again of his own dreams and visions for confectionary creations. When Mr. Wonka returns, rather than banishing Charlie from the factory as he did the other children for disobeying his rules, he tells Charlie that he indeed has won the grand prize because of his good heart and his pure imagination. Charlie is now the next “Candy Man” and inherits the factory.

As the young crowd applauded its approval and left the theatre thoroughly satisfied and entertained, the words to “The Candy Man” came back to me, “Who can take tomorrow and dip it in a dream?” The Candy Man can, and for one magical hour, the accomplished cast of the Marriott’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory did as well.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Theatre for Young Audiences is running through March 28 at the Marriott Theatre, located at 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire. Performances take place on most Wednesdays through Sundays at 10 am with select 12:30 pm performances. Visit www.marriotttheatre.com or call 847.634.0200 for the exact schedule, as show times and dates may vary.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.

Published in Theatre in Review

Harris Theater Presents return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Aug. 28

16 July 2026 in Upcoming Dance

Following last year’s smashing sold-out engagement, the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance proudly presents the return…

Oil Lamp Theater Announces its New Home

15 July 2026 in Theatre Buzz

Oil Lamp Theater, currently at 1723 Glenview Road, announces its new future home will be at the former Ten Ninety Brewing Co.…

Nothing Without a Company presents The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am - Five Performances across Chicago, August 21st-30th

15 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Nothing Without a Company (NWaC) is proud to announce five performances of The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and…

Theater Wit presents the Chicago premiere of Adolescent Salvation, August 14-October 3

15 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Over the course of one night, through a haze of tequila, texting, and Taylor Swift, three teenagers banter, bicker, and…

No Dogs’ Delivers an Unfamiliar Earnest

15 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the greatest farces ever written. His wordplay caricatured high society,…

Northlight Theatre inaugurates the first season in its new home in Evanston with the World Premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher's new adaptation of The Front Page

14 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, opens its new theater in Evanston with The Front…

TimeLine Theatre announces cast & production team for world premiere THE BIRTH OF THE PILL

14 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

A bold story about the controversial creation that reshaped women’s lives is the focus of The Birth of the Pill,…

City Lit announces World Premiere adaptation of SHANE, playing August 21 – October 4

13 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Full cast and production team have been announced for City Lit's season-opening production of SHANE, Mark Pracht's World Premiere adaptation…

PrideArts' World Premiere of WINDOWS, August 7 – 23

13 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

PrideArts' 2026-27 season will open in August with the world premiere of Chicago-based playwright Matt Schutz's WINDOWS, a comedy of LGBT…

Steppenwolf Presents ALEX EDELMAN: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO - August 12 – 16, 2026

13 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run of Just For Us at Steppenwolf Theatre and around the globe, Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedian Alex Edelman returns…

DIRTY DANCING: the MUSICAL WILL PLAY BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE SEPTEMBER 9 – 20

13 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Get ready to have the time of your life! Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that single tickets for DIRTY DANCING:…

A Thoughtful Evolution of Her Own Making: Overshadowed Theatrical Productions’ My Fair Lady

12 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

Overshadowed Theatre Productions brings fresh energy to one of musical theatre’s most enduring classics, offering a spirited and thoughtful take…

A Legendary Transformation: John Mulaney’s Historic Night at Wrigley Field

12 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

John Mulaney didn’t just perform at Wrigley Field. He made history there. In a venue synonymous with baseball legends, rock…

Powerhouse Performances on Display in Gwydion's Dry Powder

11 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

In the sharp-tongued world of Sarah Burgess’s Dry Powder, presented by Gwydion Theatre Company at the Greenhouse Theater Center, the…

The Beautiful Overthinking of Gary Gulman’s 7th Hour

10 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

Gary Gulman brings his new tour, 7th Hour: An All New Standup Show, to The Den Theatre, offering Chicago audiences…

Production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Does Not Fully Recognize Its Importance at Oak Park Festival

09 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

It is possible that Oak Park Festival Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 “trivial comedy for serious people,” The Importance…

Suffs and the Women Who Refused to Wait

09 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

Suffs is a musical about history, yes, but more importantly, it is a musical about momentum: who creates it, who…

Court Theatre presents the Spotlight Reading Series A Century of Black Progress August 7 – 22

09 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, Court Theatre proudly presents the Spotlight Reading…

Great Lakes Operetta presents Orpheus in the Underworld at Bramble Arts Loft July 10-19

08 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Great Lakes Operetta is delighted to present its first full-length, fully-staged operetta, Jacques Offenbach’s seminal work, Orpheus in the Underworld! Originally…

Nonesuch Releases Natalie Merchant’s Cabinet of Wonder, Music from Singer-Songwriter’s Collaboration with Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Children’s Theatre, August 21

08 July 2026 in Theatre Buzz

Nonesuch Records releases Natalie Merchant’s Cabinet of Wonder—a digital collection of seventeen songs and accompanying videos from the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s…

Oil Lamp Theatre to present I Love You Because August 14 - September 13

07 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Oil Lamp Theater, currently presenting The Last Five Years, now extended through July 19, is proud to announce the cast and creative…

Sandbox Theatre Collective to Stage HENRY IV, PART 1 at North Center Irish Pub

07 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Sandbox Theatre Collective has announced their production of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1. Directed by Alex Albrecht and running…

Making its Broadway in Chicago debut, Jekyll & Hyde will play a limited engagement at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place

02 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Broadway In Chicago announced today that tickets for Kokandy Productions’ critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning revival of JEKYLL & HYDE will go on sale…

Absurdist Satire ‘Do You Feel Anger?’ Captures Toxicity in Workplace Today

01 July 2026 in Theatre in Review

Set in a debt collection call center, Do You Feel Anger? captures how a toxic workplace manifests itself in today’s…

Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid

01 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

The Broadway musical - Disney's The Little Mermaid - will hit the Uptown Music Theater stage this summer in Deerfield,…

Collaboraction Theatre announces July shows and events in its new House of Belonging in Humboldt Park

01 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Collaboraction Theatre Company’s new House of Belonging is now fully activated in the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave…

Babes with Blades Presents the World Premiere of the Queer Pirate Joy play, YO HO. Beginning Saturday, July 25th

01 July 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by…

Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem

30 June 2026 in Theatre in Review

Goodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth…

Collaboraction’s The Light Youth Ensemble, 19 Chicago teens intent on careers in the arts, each passionate about positive social change, announce 2026 Summer Tour

30 June 2026 in Upcoming Theatre

What’s on the minds of Chicago’s youth?Find out when Collaboraction Theatre’s 2026 The Light Youth Ensemble brings their talent, fused…

All The World's a Stage and Chicago Merely The Best Player: 'As You Like It' in Chicago Parks this summer

30 June 2026 in Theatre in Review

Is there anything more alluring than a summer night in Chicago? The lakefront beaches, the meandering pathways, the festivals and…

 

         20 Years and counting!

Register

     

Latest Articles

Guests Online

We have 797 guests and no members online

Buzz Chicago on Facebook Buzz Chicago on Twitter 

Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.