Want to score cheap tickets to shows like Come From Away, The Play That Goes Wrong and other live theater productions? Make some room in your calendar next month: Chicago Theatre Week, the annual festival that offers tickets for $15 or $30 (and sometimes even less) to stages throughout the city, is set to return for its 10th year from February 17–27 with discounted shows at dozens of local theaters.
More than 100 productions are expected to participate in the 2022 lineup, and although a full lineup won't be announced until tickets go on sale January 11, preliminary highlights reveal a wide range of options for theatergoers. Nab tickets to ballets (Don Quixote, Joffrey Ballet), touring Tony winners (Come From Away, Broadway in Chicago), world premieres (Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon, Lookingglass Theatre Company), local staples (Blue Man Group, Briar Street Theatre) and tons of other interesting shows that would normally run at a much higher ticket price point. Chicago Theatre Week is also a great opportunity to acquaint yourself with Chicago's robust network of smaller storefront theaters, so keep an eye out for productions at TimeLine Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre and more.
It's been a rough couple of years for Chicago's theater scene, so this year's iteration of the festival—following two years of mostly online offerings—marks a particularly momentous occasion for the industry; still, expect a more flexible lineup for 2022. In light of an ever-evolving COVID-19 situation, the festival's website cautions that "participating shows and dates will be subject to change." For more information, keep abreast of the COVID-19 policies for each individual venue.
Ready to get back into live theater? Tickets for Chicago Theatre Week go on sale via the festival's website at 10am on Tuesday, January 11—they're first come, first served, so it's best to pick your dates sooner rather than later.