What to see during Chicago Theatre Week 2024

This debut opera from Grammy-award winning composer Terence Blanchard (who calls it an “opera in jazz”) tells the story of welterweight boxer Emile Griffith’s life struggles, from a match’s decades-long guilt to questions surrounding his sexuality. Arrive early to explore Chicago artist and collector Patric McCoy’s concrete, rose. exhibit, in collaboration with the performance.

Get lost in an evening of Kernis, Beethoven and Mendelssohn, featuring New Zealand-born conductor Gemma New and pianist Seong-Jin Cho. Cho will perform Piano Concerto No. 3 in between Aaron Jay Kernis’ Musica Celestis (to open) and Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony No. 3 (to close).

Duluth, Minnesota, 1934. A group of wayward travelers meet in a guesthouse filled with music, resulting in moments of connection and hope. Written and directed by Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award-winning arrangements by Simon Hale, the production reimagines 20 iconic Bob Dylan songs, including “Forever Young,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Hurricane” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Gather a group of friends for this show, an off-the-cuff ode to Jane Austen that has gained a loyal following in the 15 years since its debut. The cast calls upon an audience suggestion to inspire the show’s title (ensuring a totally new performance each time), then creates a long-form, Regency Era "Rom-Com" with Austen tropes and manners of yore. Expect a tale of laughs, love and surprises.

Director Elizabeth Margolius presents a different take on this celebrated musical, which centers on tradition and family. Set in a small Russian village, a milkman tries to protect and impart wisdom on his five daughters as they grow up, fall in love and begin families of their own—all in the midst of social and political change. Come early for a bite at their onsite restaurant Lucille, plus specialty cocktails inspired by current shows.

Fans of the hit show will enjoy this theatrical rendition from Robert Leleux and director Eric Swanson, who together consider what Miami’s iconic quartet would be up to nowadays. Grab some friends for a night of throwbacks and laughs.

Inspired by Michael Schiffer’s 1989 film starring Morgan Freeman, this theatrical adaptation explores the life journeys of its characters, especially with regard to the bonds they form over time.

This show comes in as the Second City’s 111th Revue—and it's going big, navigating a series of eccentric adventures (from witnessing post-menopausal Barbie’s hot flashes to determining the rules of having an imaginary friend with benefits—plus, a special improv set in act three).