Displaying items by tag: CIBC Theatre

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce Blue Man Group will bring its first-ever holiday production, "A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE," on the road this season. Chicago audiences will be among the first in the country to experience the all-new production. Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 21. BLUE MAN GROUP’S A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited three-week engagement, November 24 – December 13.

“Bringing Blue Man Group's first-ever holiday production to Chicago is an exciting milestone and a natural evolution of the iconic Blue Man experience,” said Marie-Josée Adam, President and CEO of Blue Man Group. “The holidays are about creating unforgettable memories, and we're thrilled to offer audiences a fresh, immersive celebration that blends the music, humor, creativity and joyful unpredictability that have defined Blue Man Group for decades.”

The brand-new production will feature classic holiday music performed on Blue Man Group's iconic custom instruments, while following the Blue Men as they discover the traditions, rituals and joyful absurdities of the holidays while exploring timeless themes of generosity, presence, creativity and human connection. Equal parts hilarious, heartwarming and visually unforgettable, “A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE,” offers audiences a unique holiday tradition that celebrates what brings us together.

Blue Man Group is a vibrant, interactive experience that has captivated audiences from all around the world. The non-verbal group communicates through music, art, and comedy, creating powerful connections without saying a word. As the Blue Men navigate our world with curiosity, audiences are invited into a captivating, communal experience that sparks creativity and ignites the imagination.

ABOUT BLUE MAN GROUP
Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon, known for its award-winning theatrical productions, iconic characters and multiple creative explorations. Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication. Since debuting at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991, the live show has expanded to additional domestic residencies playing in Las Vegas, Orlando and multiple tours, reaching more than 50 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and continually injected with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.
 

For more information, please visit BLUEMAN.com.
Follow @BlueManGroup on
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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 24 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 25 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 26 – No Shows (Thanksgiving)
Friday, November 27 – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 28 – 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 29 – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 1 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 2 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 3 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, December 4 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 5 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6 – 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 8 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, December 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 13 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of August 17, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for BLUE MAN GROUP’S A NEW HOLIDAY SURPRISE go on sale Friday, August 21 and range from $39.00 - $120.00 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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Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce tickets for t he original Tony® & Olivier Award-winning musical sensation, JERSEY BOYS, are now on sale. The highly anticipated engagement will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre for a limited two-week engagement, November 10 - 22. This engagement of JERSEY BOYS is part of a multi-city North American Tour beginning September 2026 in celebration of its 20^th Anniversary year.

JERSEY BOYS is the behind-the-music true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.  They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Beggin’” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Grammy Award-winner Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe.

The recipient of Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards for Best New Musical, JERSEY BOYS is the winner of 65 major awards and has been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.

The Broadway production originally opened on November 6, 2005, and, by the time it closed on January 15, 2017, it was the 12^th longest running show in Broadway history.  It returned to New York with a new production from November 2017 to May 2022. JERSEY BOYS has also had multiple record-breaking US National Tours from 2006 through 2022 as well as productions in Las Vegas, Chicago and Toronto.

JERSEY BOYS ran in London’s West End from March 18, 2008 to March 26, 2017 and, at the time, was the 6^th longest musical running in the West End. The musical returned to the West End as the first show to play the reinstated Trafalgar Theatre from April 14, 2021 to January 4, 2024. JERSEY BOYS previously played three record-breaking UK and Ireland tours from 2014 to 2016, 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022.

A JERSEY BOYS 20^th Anniversary UK and Ireland tour also opened on June 15, 2026, at the New Wimbledon Theatre, currently booking dates through 2027.

The JERSEY BOYS 20^th Anniversary North American tour will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team, led by the Tony Award-winning team of director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo, with scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, projections design by Michael Clark and production supervision by Danny Austin. The orchestrations are by Steve Orich and the music supervision and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is available on Rhino Records. JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit.  Season’s Greetings: A JERSEY BOYS Christmas, a holiday CD featuring international cast members of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, is available on Rhino Records.

For more information, please visit www.JerseyBoysInfo.com
Instagram: @JerseyBoysBroadway
Facebook: @JerseyBoysBroadway
TikTok: @JerseyBoysBroadway
YouTube: @JerseyBoys
Threads: @JerseyBoysBroadway

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 12 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 13 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 19 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 20 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 21 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 22 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of August 14, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for JERSEY BOYS are on sale now and range from $40.00 - $140.00 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.
Follow @BroadwayInChicago on
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Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia, along with Broadway In Chicago announced today that Tony Award® winner J. Harrison Ghee will star as “Mary Todd Lincoln” when Oh, Mary! comes to Chicago for a strictly limited engagement from January 19— February 7, 2027, at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre. Additional casting will be announced in the coming months.

Reservations for groups of 10+ are available now by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 312-977-1710. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Individual tickets, with a select number of premium seats available, will go on sale to the public at a later date but audiences can register online at https://cloud.response.broadwayinchicago.com/oh-mary-email-sign-up to receive first access when tickets become available. Subscribers may add tickets to their subscription by clicking here  or calling (312) 977-1717. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

“I have seen Oh, Mary! three times and relished the beauty of this show—how different people shine so brightly in these roles, and yet you see the influence of Cole all over the production. The opportunity to get a crack at Mary Todd Lincoln is beyond a dream come true,” said J. Harrison Ghee. “We all possess so much within us. If we surrender to circumstances, we will find the possibility for expansion beyond belief. We are going to set the road on fire with this electrifyingly hilarious play.”

Written by Tony and Olivier Award winner Cole Escola and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024, and continues to play at the Lyceum Theatre, where it became the first show in the theatre’s 121-year history to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week.

Oh, Mary! has since broken its own box office record thirteen times and became the first show of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its investment. Oh, Mary! opened to rave reviews in London’s West End on December 18, 2025, and won the 2026 Olivier Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play.

Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).

The full creative team includes dots (Scenic Designer), Holly Pierson (Costume Designer), Cha See (Lighting Designer), Daniel Kluger (Sound Design and Original Music), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Leah J. Loukas (Wig Designer), Addison Heeren (Props Supervision), and David Dabbon (Musical Arrangements). Casting by Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA.

Oh, Mary! is produced by Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia with Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares Miller & Rosenberg, and ShowTown Productions.
 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OH, MARY!

“You’ll be losing your mind with joy.” —The New York Times, Critic’s Pick

"The funniest show on Broadway.” —New York Post

“★★★★★ The funniest play in years. Oh, Mary! is dizzyingly, breathtakingly funny, the kind of funny that ambushes your body into uncontained laughter.” —Time Out New York

“A singular work of virtuoso comedy that is as inventive and shrewd as it is absolutely stupid.” —The Daily Beast

“There’s funny, there’s very funny, and then there’s Oh, Mary!” —Deadline

“80 minutes of almost uninterrupted laughter. A work of genius.” —The Hollywood Reporter

“Unquestionably the funniest, gayest, campiest play Broadway has seen in years.” —Variety

“Oh, Mary!‘s sharp writing, breakneck pace, and campy performances keep the theater in hysterics until the curtain falls.” —Queerty
 

CONNECT WITH OH, MARY!
@OhMaryPlay
OhMaryPlay.com

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that single tickets for Tony® and Olivier Award®-winning OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL, Entertainment Weekly’s #1 Broadway Show of 2025, are now on sale. OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited two-week engagement, September 29 – October 11, on its North American leg of its World Tour.

In OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL, it’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), OPERATION MINCEMEAT tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.

Written by triple Tony Award nominees SpitLip (comprised of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts), OPERATION MINCEMEAT began performances on Broadway on February 15, 2025, and continues to play at the historic Golden Theatre (252 West 45th Street), where it has been extended eight times and will soon celebrate its 500^th performance. The West End production, which has been playing at the Fortune Theatre since March 29, 2023, is widely recognized as one of the best-reviewed shows in West End history, holding the record for the most five-star reviews for a new musical, with a tally of 131. OPERATION MINCEMEAT has just launched its world tour, beginning with a UK leg before heading across the pond.

Olivier Award nominated Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre – Best New Musical Olivier Award winner) will reprise his work for the tour, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. The creative team will include Olivier nominated Set and Costume Designer Ben Stones (Standing at the Sky’s Edge), Tony and Olivier winning Lighting Designer Mark Henderson (The History Boys), Tony nominated Sound Designer Mike Walker (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), Tony nominated Orchestrator Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), and Olivier nominated Music Supervisor Joe Bunker (Spring Awakening). Georgie Staight is Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles is Associate Choreographer. Production Stage Management is by Geoff Maus, Casting is by Carrie Gardner, CSA, and General Management is by TT Partners.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT has been nominated for 64 awards since opening at the 77-seat New Diorama Theatre in 2019, winning 13, including Best Musical three times, from the Olivier Awards®, WhatsOnStage Awards, and Off-West End Awards. On Broadway, the show was nominated for four Tony Awards® in 2025, including Best Musical. The production won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Jak Malone ’s portrayal of Hester Leggatt, who previously won the Olivier Award® in the same category. The production has also received nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical at the Drama League Awards, Outstanding New Broadway Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, Best Musical at the BroadwayWorld Theater Fans’ Choice Awards, and Favorite New Musical at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards.

Over 2,000 performances – from its origins on the London Fringe to the West End, to Broadway, OPERATION MINCEMEAT has cultivated a fervent fanbase, affectionately dubbed “Mincefluencers.” On Broadway alone, more than 2,000 audience members – roughly one in fifty – have bought tickets for multiple performances, including 53 superfans who have purchased tickets for ten or more shows.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT is produced on Broadway, in the West End and on its world tour by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.

For more information, visit operationmincemeat.com/tour/us
Follow OPERATION MINCEMEAT on TikTok, X, and Instagram.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of July 17, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL are on sale now and range from $40.00 - $135.00 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.
Follow @BroadwayInChicago on
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#broadwayinchicago

Suffs is a musical about history, yes, but more importantly, it is a musical about momentum: who creates it, who resists it (and why), who gets left behind by it, and what it costs to keep pushing it forward.

Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement in the 1910s, the show follows a group of young suffragists led by Alice Paul, the real-life founder of the National Woman’s Party. Together, they organize, protest, clash with political leaders, become political prisoners, and (spoiler alert) eventually help gain women the right to vote through the 19th Amendment. But Suffs is not content to frame that victory as clean or uncomplicated, or to pretend that, even a century later, the battle is anywhere near over. The musical is just as interested in the fractures within the movement itself: the younger, more aggressive activists pushing against the older, more “respectable” wing of the Suffrage movement, and the women of color forced to fight for a movement that still asks them, again and again, to wait their turn.

That is where Suffs feels most relevant. It is not only a story about the past, but about the way progress still happens now: through generational disagreement, imperfect coalitions, strategic compromises, moral failures, and the constant fear that too much change too quickly might provoke as much backlash as liberation. Shaina Taub’s book, music, and lyrics do an incredible job balancing real history with theatrical fiction, making the politics legible without flattening the people involved into saints or symbols.

Marya Grandy (Carrie Chapman Catt) and company in SUFFS.

Under director Leigh Silverman, the first national tour’s production is just as anchored by its remarkably talented cast as it is by history; the entirely female company takes on both women and men throughout the story. Maya Keleher is excellent as Alice Paul, bringing both vocal strength and exactly the right kind of young, audacious drive to the role. Her Alice has the spunky determination of a character like Newsies’ Katherine, but grown up: sharper, more self-assured, and driven by something deeper than ambition. She is unabashedly devoted to her cause and makes it clear that, no, it’s not just because she’s young.

Playing opposite her are historical figures Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), the mature and strategically tactful leader of NAWSA, and President Woodrow Wilson (performed by u/s Merrill Peiffer). Grandy’s dynamic with Alice Paul is one of the production’s strongest relationships, the two women foiling each other beautifully as they reveal different forms of conviction, compromise, and care. Peiffer’s handling of the presidential role was especially smart: funny and pointed, but never so exaggerated that it breaks the world of the show.

A special shoutout also has to go to the trio of Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey), and Phyllis Terrell (Victoria Pekel). Multiple times, the energy in the theatre seemed to shift the moment the three of them took the stage together. Their scenes carried a stillness and gravity that made the room go quiet in the best possible way.

Brandi Porter (Dudley Malone) and Jenny Ashman (President Woodrow Wilson) in the First National Touring Company of SUFFS.

Suffs, which premiered Off‑Broadway in 2022 before its award‑winning 2024 Broadway run, continues to prove its power throughout its highly anticipated national tour. The score delivers some of the musical’s most defining moments, from the sharp, scene‑setting opener “Let Mother Vote” to the driving protest energy of “The March (We Demand Equality).” The emotional weight lands beautifully in “I Was Here,” a moving tribute to Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell, while “Keep Marching” rises as the show’s breakout anthem, capturing the spirit of persistence that fuels the entire production.

If I have a critique, it’s that the show leans a bit too heavily into the idea of the production’s scale growing in tandem with the movement’s momentum. Conceptually, I love that choice. In practice, however, especially within the limits of a touring production, the early restraint makes the show take a long time to feel truly sweeping. The first act is good, but it was not until the second half of the second act that I found myself thinking, “Why haven’t they been singing like that, and dancing like that, the whole time?” The choreography has similar highs and lows: effective in moments, but not always as polished as it needs to be for the more intricate sections to feel truly stunning.

Still, by the end, Suffs lands exactly where it needs to. It leaves the audience empowered without pretending that empowerment is the same as change. The show understands that history is not something we revisit for comfort, but something we return to for instruction. Its final message, “your ancestors are all the proof you need / That progress is possible, not guaranteed,” is both a warning and a call to action. Suffs reminds us that the march is not over - and that the responsibility to keep moving belongs to all of us.

Recommended.

Presented by Broadway In Chicago, Suffs is running at CIBC Theatre through July 19th. Tickets are available here.

Spamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through May 31 at the CIBC Theatre. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 cult classic - will find plenty to adore in this musical, which, as its subtitle proudly declares, is “lovingly ripped off” from the film.

Written by Python member Eric Idle, with music co-written by John Du Prez, Spamalot follows King Arthur as he assembles his “very round table” and sets off in search of the Holy Grail. Along the way, we meet a parade of quirky knights: the brash, homicidal Sir Lancelot; the argumentative, hair-flipping Sir Galahad; the cowardly, weak-bowelled Sir Robin; and even Sir Not Appearing in This Show. Arthur’s greatest ally is the Lady of the Lake, a glittering, full-throttle diva armed with riffs and costume changes for days. After a bit of plot and a bounty of silly songs, the hapless heroes finally secure their grail and send audiences out humming the show’s signature tune, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Interestingly, Spamalot had its world premiere in Chicago back in 2004 before heading to Broadway the following year, where it earned fourteen Tony nominations and won three, including Best Musical. This touring revival, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, stays true to the original while injecting the production with fresh energy and a steady stream of contemporary pop-culture nods.

Spamalot’s target audience is, unsurprisingly, die-hard Python fans. Several scenes are lifted almost verbatim from the film, so expect the Black Knight losing limb after limb, the Knights Who Say “Ni,” the cow catapult, a hilarious - and genuinely ferocious - killer rabbit puppet, and more. For those less steeped in the British comedy canon, a few gags linger a beat too long, stretching to honor the movie’s rhythms even when the stage version might benefit from a quicker pivot.

Still, there is no end of splashy musical numbers, big set pieces, and dynamic, eye-catching projections. The cast pulls out all the stops as they don flashy costumes, dance their hearts out, and throw friendly meta-jabs at other Broadway musicals like Wicked and Fiddler on the Roof.

(L-R) Leo Roberts and Amanda Robles in the North American Tour of SPAMALOT.

Leading the charge as King Arthur is Major Attaway, who wears the crown well. Attaway is best known for his time on Broadway playing the Genie in Aladdin and his off-Broadway stint voicing Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors - two roles that showcase his vocal dexterity, a talent he uses to full effect in this production. Along with golden pipes, Attaway voices Arthur with a stoic authority or a comedic twist, whichever the moment calls for. He is the perfect straight man for the zaniness that surrounds him - and there’s a lot.

Another standout is Amanda Robles, making her national tour debut as the Lady of the Lake. Robles tears into the role with gleeful abandon, spoofing Liza Minnelli and other prima donnas with razor-sharp precision. Numbers like “Diva’s Lament” and “The Song That Goes Like This” - both affectionate send-ups of classic Broadway tropes, from the obligatory second-act solo to the formulaic love ballad - are lifted even higher by her vocal prowess, impeccable comedic timing, and undeniable glamour.

Spamalot also boasts a vibrant ensemble, with actors juggling wildly different roles and giving each character distinct voices and mannerisms. Sean Bell steals multiple scenes - both as Sir Robin, a knight who has no idea what knighthood entails, and as an oddball priest with sharp, staccato delivery. From line readings to goofy facial expressions, it’s clear every performer is having an absolute blast, and that infectious joy radiates through the entire production.

As riotously funny as Spamalot is, parents should know that it isn’t especially kid-friendly. Younger audiences may laugh at the fart jokes and bits of bathroom humor, but the show also leans into cruder gags, sexual innuendo, and one very random - and entirely unnecessary - bare backside. It’s probably best suited to teens and adults rather than little ones, landing somewhere in that PG-13 neighborhood.

Spamalot, in a word, is silly - and proudly so. If you’re up for a night of unabashed absurdity, it’s an irresistibly fun choice. It has no interest in plumbing the depths of plot; its mission is pure fan delight. And judging by the uproarious laughter from the audience around me, the cult film’s devotees were more than satisfied. Others who aren’t as familiar with Monty Python or don’t favor dry or crude British humor might choose to seek to find their holy grail elsewhere.

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

Nearly a decade after it first upended the American musical, Hamilton returns to Chicago’s CIBC Theatre as part of Broadway In Chicago’s 2026 season, and its cultural voltage hasn’t dimmed one bit. Inspired by Ron Chernow’s book, Alexander Hamilton, Lin‑Manuel Miranda’s genre‑shifting epic — part biography, part political thriller, part hip‑hop opera — still hits with the force of a story determined to be heard. Having seen it in its inaugural year, I can say this revival lands even sharper, richer, and more assured than ever.

Alexander Hamilton didn’t just witness the birth of the United States — he helped engineer its architecture. As a delegate at the Constitutional Convention, he argued fiercely for a unified national government, and though not the primary drafter, he became one of its most influential defenders, authoring the majority of The Federalist Papers to secure the Constitution’s ratification. His imprint only deepened from there: he built the nation’s financial system from the ground up, established the U.S. Treasury, championed a national bank, and laid the groundwork for the country’s credit, industry, and economic identity. In Hamilton, these achievements aren’t treated as dry civics lessons but as the combustible fuel of a man determined to transform a fragile collection of states into a functioning nation — a legacy as complicated as it is foundational. The musical captures not just his ascent, but the way his ideas became the scaffolding of a country still deciding what it wanted to be.

Through songs like “My Shot,” “The Room Where It Happens,” and “Hurricane,” Miranda reframes the Founding Fathers not as marble statues but as flawed, hungry, deeply human figures fighting to define a nation and themselves. What Miranda is ultimately trying to convey — and what this production underscores beautifully — is that America’s story has always been messy, contested, and built by people who rarely saw themselves as the heroes of their own narrative.

Director Thomas Kail’s staging remains a masterclass in kinetic storytelling. The turntable choreography, the razor‑sharp transitions, and the way bodies carve through space all contribute to a sense of history constantly in motion. Under his direction, the show feels both epic and immediate — a revolution unfolding in real time.

l-r-Tyler Fauntleroy as Alexander Hamilton and A.D. Weaver as George Washington in Hamilton at CIBC Theatre. Photo by Joan Marcus.

What continues to astonish about Hamilton is how much storytelling power resides in its deceptively simple visual world. David Korins’ now‑iconic set — all timber, ropes, brickwork, and scaffolding — frames the action like an unfinished nation still under construction. The exposed architecture becomes a living metaphor for the country Hamilton is trying to build, while the revolving stage keeps history literally turning beneath the actors’ feet. Paul Tazewell’s costumes layer silhouettes with subtle modern inflections, allowing the cast to move with the velocity the score demands while still grounding the story in its 18th‑century roots. The palette shifts almost imperceptibly as alliances form and fracture, and the contrast between the Schuyler sisters’ elegance, the soldiers’ grit, and King George’s absurd opulence adds texture to every scene. Together, the set and costumes create a world that feels both historical and urgently contemporary — a perfect visual match for Miranda’s reimagined revolution.

This Chicago cast brings its own intensity. The Chicago engagement of Hamilton boasts a powerhouse company led by Tyler Fauntleroy, who delivers a relentless, razor‑sharp Alexander Hamilton—equal parts tactician, poet, and live wire. His performance feels carved from pure momentum, capturing both Hamilton’s brilliance and his self‑destructive drive. Opposite him, Jimmie “J.J.” Jeter turns in a magnetic, exquisitely controlled Aaron Burr, layering charm, calculation, and simmering envy into a portrayal that peaks beautifully in a soul‑baring “Wait For It” and a show‑stopping “The Room Where It Happens.” Lauren Mariasoosay brings warmth, emotional clarity, and a quiet steel to Eliza Hamilton (through April 12th), while Amanda Simone Lee commands the stage with fierce intelligence and vocal fire as Angelica Schuyler. Lily Soto shifts effortlessly between the wide‑eyed innocence of Peggy Schuyler and the seductive, wounded edge of Maria Reynolds through April 12th, with Nadina Hassan stepping into the roles beginning April 14th. A true force, A.D. Weaver anchors the production with statesmanlike gravitas as George Washington, and Christian Magby all but steals the show with his dual swagger as Lafayette and Jefferson—two performances so distinct they feel like separate universes. Nathan Haydel brings youthful fire and heartbreaking vulnerability to both John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, while Eddie Ortega grounds the ensemble with muscular presence as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison. And rounding it out, Matt Bittner delivers a perfectly petty, wickedly funny King George III, milking every entrance for maximum delight, stealing the moment with a perfectly calibrated blend of comedy and menace in “You’ll Be Back.”.

Musically, the production remains a marvel. The blend of hip‑hop, R&B, traditional musical theatre, and lyrical density still feels revolutionary, and the orchestra at the CIBC gives the score a muscular, propulsive energy. Even familiar numbers feel newly alive in this space. The production is expansive and brimming with moments that land with exhilarating force.

The run at the CIBC Theatre continues through April 26th, giving audiences a generous window to revisit — or finally experience — the show that redefined what Broadway could be.

In a city that knows its way around bold storytelling, Hamilton still stands out. It’s a reminder that history is not a fixed monument but a living argument — and that the voices shaping it are far more diverse, complicated, and compelling than the textbooks ever let on. Whether you’re seeing it for the first time or the fifth, this production makes the revolution feel brand new.

Highly recommended.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

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

“There’s a fine line between compromise and losing yourself.”

So many of us have that story of a favorite band. A group brought together by a shared passion and realizes they have that special something that can make them huge. So often that passion takes a dramatic turn, and the pressures cloud that rise to fame in a way that no one can quite overcome. Playwright David Adjmi smartly writes that tragedy for the stage. A gut-wrenching story about the many ramifications of talent not quite being enough and realizing only too late that the love for music that made these folks unique got lost along the way.

Masterfully directed by Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic zooms in on a recording studio in 1976. As we witness a band recording their first album, we see the highs and lows of the year-long journey. The early-days excitement, to the exhaustion of the long nights, and finally, to the ending culmination – when it really does come down to making the hard choices in the midst of the many heartbreaks that took place along the way.

A story extending over a year in this way could risk feeling slow, but Aukin’s production is anything but. Aukin theatricalizes Adjmi’s high-stakes drama, creating a tension-filled production that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat – anxiously wondering when that other shoe will drop. You might find that the sprinkling of Will Butler’s original music enhances that pacing and mood. As the emotional turmoil grows, we see that cleverly reflected in the score – all performed live by the deeply talented cast of musicians.

Aukin’s creative team creates the perfect space for this tension to bubble. Scenic Designer David Zinn beautifully transports the audience into a 1970s recording studio. Though seemingly cozy upon first glance, it quickly becomes clear that the long nights turn this studio into a pressure cooker for a band of five with two sound engineers. As the story unfolds, the space continues to feel increasingly smaller – with nowhere to hide from the interpersonal challenges that have no choice but to bubble and grow.

(From L) Claire DeJean as ‘Diana’, Emilie Kouatchou as ‘Holly’, and Denver Milord as ‘Peter’ in the First National Tour of Stereophonic.

Part of the cleverness of Adjmi’s play is the emphasis on the relationships at the core. Aukin’s ensemble exhibits genuine chemistry – inviting audiences to lean in and feel the heartbreak as they see those bonds crack. Aukin sets up a casual, familiar energy between group members early – an energy that slowly shifts as the story goes on.

The band begins unified under the management of Simon (Cornelius McMoyler). We learn early in the story of the romantic entanglements within the group – married couple Holly (Emilie Kouatchou) and Reg (Christopher Mowod), and Diana (Clare Dejean) and Peter (Denver Milord), a couple who has perhaps been together so long that they cannot find their way out of it. Dejean and Milord infuse a heartbreaking authenticity into their relationship – walking the balance of a couple that clearly loves each other despite the heavy pain on both sides.

Grover (Jack Barrett) and Charlie (Steven Lee Johnson) tie everything together as the sound team in the studio. Lee Johnson’s comedy offers a much-needed light-heartedness to some of the darker moments, and you might find that Grover’s story slowly becomes the heart of the play. As the engineer, he begins on the outside looking in. As Grover becomes more invested, we soon start to see that he might need this record even more than the band members. Barrett’s grounded performance immediately invites the audience to align with him as he fights for it, and to feel his heartbreak when he starts to wonder if everything will fall apart.

With heartfelt performances and a tension-packed story, Stereophonic is simply a must-see. It’s rare to find a packed house so lost in the emotion that they do not know how to handle the final blackout of a performance. This production earned that silence, as well as the uproar of applause that followed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Run Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes, including intermission

Stereophonic runs through February 8 at the CIBC Theatre. For tickets and information, see the Broadway in Chicago website.

Walking into the CIBC Theatre, the first thing any audience member will notice is Scenic Designer Dane Lafrey’s stage. We are unmistakably in a courthouse – with a platform at the center and various forms of seating surrounding it. For those familiar with the story, you might make the connection that the musical itself heavily revolves around a court case, and perhaps the creative team is leaning into that theme.

Then the lights dim down and the play begins. Director Michael Areden’s ensemble fills in the seats surrounding the platform. As the Prologue begins, you might find yourself struck by the sheer size of the ensemble. The stage is filled with people, and the sound of all of them coming together is gorgeous, but also certainly hits you. The beginning of the prologue features a young soldier saying goodbye to his girlfriend as he heads off to war. The two sit on the platform while the remaining ensemble simply watches from their seats. As you spend some time taking in this scene, you might also find yourself struck by the image of this couple being watched. The two share such an intimate moment, but they are far from alone. This is a directorial choice that continues throughout the production. No matter how intimate a moment may be shared on the platform, the surrounding seats are always filled with onlookers. At a certain point, you might even find that the line between audience on stage and those in the CIBC Theatre house begins to blur. 

Arden’s production feels like a success for a number of reasons. The cast as a whole is simply phenomenal. Jason Robert Brown’s music is stunning, including numbers that fans of the musical will recognize from “Real Big News” and “You Don’t Know this Man” to “Do It Alone” and “This is Not Over Yet.” The vocal talents alone were enough to earn the standing ovation surrounding me at the end of this particular performance.

Olivia Goosman, Jack Roden and company in the National Tour of PARADE.

Alfred Uhry’s book is powerful and delicately handles a story based on actual truth. At the center is a newly-wed Jewish couple living in Georgia – Leo (Max Chernin) and Lucille (Talia Suskauer) Frank. When Leo is accused of murdering the young Mary Phagan (Olivia Goosman), the couple is forced into a journey full of the harshest obstacles that unfold over the course of years. As they move through the trial and the many attempts to re-open a highly skewed and biased case, the couple is forced to question their outlooks toward their faith and how justice plays a role in this world.

Chernin and Suskauer shine - particularly in how they bring life into this challenging relationship. The two are forced to come together very quickly for a couple that has only been married for a short time. Over the course of the musical, we witness a deep love form as the two learn to trust each other. The performers fill this story line with a grounded honesty with which it is impossible not to fall in love.

However, that which truly pushes this production over the top is Arden’s vision that directly connects the story to the historical context. Whenever a new character is introduced, Projections Designer Sven Ortel fills the screen at the back of the stage with the real-life image of that individual. Leo and Lucille Frank. Mary Phagan. Newt Lee. Governor Slaton. As more and more images fill the back of the stage, it becomes hard to forget that every major event that occurs in this story truly took place – from the death of a young girl, to the accusation of an innocent man, and to all of the hateful lies thrown his way simply because he was an “other.” The events of this story occurred in 1913, and the case has yet to be officially solved in the present day of 2025. You might find that witnessing the actual historical figures makes that truth a bit tougher to swallow. You might also find that as the story unfolds, that truth makes you increasingly more uncomfortable joining the onlookers in the seats on stage. Regardless of what Leo and Lucille may desire, we are always watching and always judging. Not only does Arden cleverly tie in the historical context, but he also connects the material into the present day.

A stunning score, talent-studded cast, and thought-provoking take make this production of Parade a must-see.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Parade runs through August 17, 2025 at the CIBC Theatre. For tickets and information, see the Broadway in Chicago website.

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/! 

I’m not a fan of board games. I’ve never finished a full game of Monopoly. Risk? No, thanks. But Clue? I’ve loved it since I saw the ‘80s film version as a kid. And ever since, the movie and the game have been inseparable and intertwined in my mind.

The first time I brought my youngest child to a theater production of Clue, she was also transfixed—with the show and the game—and so we were both eager to see Broadway in Chicago’s current touring production of Clue—Live on Stage!, directed by Casey Hushion and playing at the CIBC Theatre until March 2.

First off, I forget how cozy the CIBC Theatre is. I adore each of the 1920s Rapp & Rapp palaces, and I love the much-older Auditorium the most of any Chicago venue, but the turn-of-the-century-ish Vaudevillian vibe of the once-Majestic CIBC is its own thing altogether. And it sure bundled us all in and enveloped us for an evening of murder, mystery, and maniacal merriment—just like the movie and just like the game, but playing out live.

In the film, Tim Curry is Tim Curry—the thief of any scene, the star of any moment the camera catches him—as Wadsworth does the heaviest lifting. Onstage, Wadsworth the butler carries the story and the action. Jeff Skowron’s Wadsworth received the largest and loudest ovation at show’s end, and it’s because he kills it—literally and figuratively. He makes the butler his own, and relishes with impish glee the evening of horrors he’s there to present to the six guests.

Wadsworth is joined in his service to the night’s slayings and silliness by Elisabeth Yancey as the French maid, Yvette. I recall as a boy being enamored of Yvette on the silver screen, and it’s no different all these years later. Yancey’s enamoring while still being a riot—playing the trope for all the provocativeness and physical comedy she can wrench from it.

Speaking of physical comedy (not to mention, wrenches… lead pipes, candlesticks, etc.), in all my years of attending live theater, I’ve rarely seen a physical comedian as gifted as John Shartzer, who plays Mr. Green. Shartzer’s arrival at the doorway of Boddy Manor is a flop—in the best sense of the word—and in the hour or so that follows he continues to one-up himself with slithering, scooting, being squashed, shrieking, screeching, squawking, squealing, and a really cool slo-mo scene, all while waiting to deliver the show’s coup de grace.

The other five dinner guests/game pieces are equally as memorable and enthralling. David Hess imperially bumbles and balderdashes through the evening’s proceedings. Christina Anthony’s Miss Scarlet’s the sadder but wiser woman of the night. Donna English, who originated the role of Mrs. White onstage, continues the role with calculating cool. Jonathan Spivey’s abrasive know-it-all Professor Plum might annoy his fellow houseguests, but the crowd thoroughly enjoyed him. And my daughter pointed out as soon as Joanna Glushak took the stage as Mrs. Peacock (my daughter’s favorite Clue character) that she was the “perfect Mrs. Peacock.”

Indeed, with this production’s impressive set pieces, lighting, and stage choreography—not to mention its intermission-less wham-bam runtime, and its spot-on setting during American times of distrust, untruth, and turmoil—Broadway in Chicago’s current production of Clue—Live on Stage!, at the CIBC Theatre until March 2, is a great escape.

For more info visit https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/clue/.