People in a boxing ring.
Photograph: Courtesy of Michael Brosilow
Photograph: Courtesy of Michael Brosilow

What to see during Chicago Theatre Week 2024

The annual celebration of Chicago theater offers discounted tickets to a variety of productions around the city.

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In the thick of winter in Chicago, it can be easy to bundle up and lay low (we see you, Netflix and chill)—but let us not make a habit of hunkering down in this town, where world-class culture cues us into action. Case in point with Chicago Theatre Week, a multi-day celebration of local musicals, comedies, operas and beyond. With dozens of participating productions across more than 50 Chicagoland theaters—all featuring tickets at $30 or less—there’s never been a better time to round up your fellow arts enthusiasts for a show (or several).  From 19th century-inspired improv to a Bob Dylan-scored musical, here are some of the best Chicago Theatre Week performances to catch now.

For ticket prices, dates and content advisories, check out the CRW website.

What is Chicago Theatre Week?

More than 100 participating productions at the best theaters in Chicago, the suburbs and everywhere in between will offer tickets at discounted price points of $15 or $30 (or less) during the promotion. 

When is Chicago Theatre Week?

Chicago Theatre Week is February 8-18, 2024.

Critic’s picks for Theater 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.

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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.

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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.

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