Zac Thriffiley

Charles Newell's final project as Court Theatre's artistic director offers audiences a hilarious exploration of what makes us human as well as a stunning reminder of his keen dramaturgical instincts. The production has already been extended through April 28 due to critical acclaim and popular demand.

This newest adaptation of PETER PAN unquestionably corrects injustices that never should have been committed in the first place. But by flying Peter so enthusiastically into 2024, the creative team has stripped him and his story of some of their magic, making the boy who wouldn't grow up more out of touch than out of time.

No matter your preference, your favorite Sondheim shows will be represented in Theo Ubique's latest cabaret revue, which is as much an informative crash course in the composer's oeuvre as it is a heartfelt memorial to his rich life and lasting legacy. The production runs through April 28 at Theo's performance space in Evanston.

Premiering at Rivendell Theatre under the inventive direction of Tara Mallen, WIPEOUT gifts audiences a hilarious exploration of aging, friendship, and womanhood that's as fun as a day at the beach and as bittersweet as a setting sun.

The semi-improvised, fourth-wall-breaking musical now receives a delightful production at Music Theater Works that's heavy on humor if occasionally light on heart. It runs through March 31 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

Invictus Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize-winner TOPDOG/UNDERDOG has moments of comedic entertainment and dramatic import, but it struggles to live up to the play's substantial reputation. It runs through March 31.

Director Zi Alikhan has gifted Chicago audiences with a production of THE BAND'S VISIT whose talent and creative execution equal---and may even exceed---those of the Broadway and touring productions. It runs through March 17 at Writers Theatre in Glencoe.

Alex Edelman's newest solo show JUST FOR US is a riotously hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt meditation on internet culture, Jewish identity, and the limits of radical empathy. It runs through February 25 at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater. Critic's recommendation: get your tickets immediately.

Paul Michael Thomson's newest dramedy BROTHER SISTER CYBORG SPACE, now receiving its world premiere at Raven Theatre, occasionally loses itself in a flood of introspection. But it's buoyed along by a cast of thoughtful and charismatic performers.

Receiving its world premiere as part of Steppenwolf for Young Adults programming, Matthew Paul Olmos's A HOME WHAT HOWLS features moving performances and a haunting creative vision that make the most of an often frustrating script. It runs through March 2 at Steppenwolf's in-the-round Ensemble Theater.

If new Artistic Director Edward Hall's RICHARD III is any indication of what Chicago audiences can come to expect during his tenure, they would do well to cheer, 'Long live the king.' The darkly comic historical thriller runs through March 3 at CST's Courtyard Theater.

Northlight Theatre's production movingly captures the pessimistic practicality and undying hope that still plagues those most affected by a conflict that never really ended. The play runs through February 25.

Northlight Theatre's DIAL M FOR MURDER is a breathtaking, pulse-pounding, and even mordantly witty production that has already been extended through January 7 due to popular demand.

As sweet as a slice of cheesecake and as spicy as a raunchy joke shared between friends, THE GOLDEN GIRLS SAVE XMAS is a delightfully queer comedy that celebrates friends and family with holiday cheer.

Few dramatic adaptations of A Christmas Carol manage to convey the magic, the emotional power, and—yes—the terror of Dickens’s original as effectively and impactfully as Manual Cinema’s version, now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe through December 24th.

The Dallas Opera's production of Bizet's THE PEARL FISHERS acts as a satisfying palate cleanser, providing the talent audiences have come to expect from the company as well as a dream of a show.

The near-perfect production runs April 1, 3, and 5, a strictly limited engagement that will be talked about for years to come.

The powerful full theatrical premiere of a pandemic favorite runs March 10-19 at the Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

The Dallas Opera’s premiere production of Jonathan Dove’s Flight beautifully captures these happenstance experiences in all their simplicity, magic, humor, and heartbreak, reminding us that we are at our most human when we find ourselves at our most vulnerable.

TDO’s newest production marks the long-awaited and triumphant return of an art form that cannot help but remind us of our shared humanity.