- The Lion Theatre is a small theatre, perhaps named for a play or company production. It provides an intimate theatre experience and likely hosts a mixture of plays and musicals.
- Briar Street Theatre: Home to the Blue Man Group for nearly 20 years, this Chicago theatre features interactive music, comedy, and multimedia shows.
- Nederlander Theatre at Ford Center for the Performing Arts: Once called the Oriental Theatre. In the Loop. Large-scale Broadway musicals, shows and plays. Over-the-top and huge.
- North Theatre At North Shore Center For The Performing Arts: This theater is part of a cultural complex in Skokie that serves the North Shore communities with various performances from concerts to theatrical productions.
- Marriott Theatre is located in Lincolnshire, A staging in the ground that focuses on musical theatre.
- Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace: This theatre brings Broadway classics, new musicals, and revues to suburban Chicago and features restaurants with table-side dining.
- CIBC Theatre: Home to Broadway In Chicago productions since it opened in 1906, it’s hosted blockbuster shows like Hamilton and is centrally positioned in Chicago’s theatre district in the Loop.
- Cadillac Palace: A turn-of-the-century Loop landmark meticulously restored to grandeur, Cadillac Palace is home to the largest touring Broadway productions in the city. It’s a beautiful interior inspired by Versailles and Fontainebleau.
- McAninch Arts Center—Playhouse Theatre, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn. This little theatre is part of a larger arts complex at the College of DuPage and offers various performances, from drama to dance to music.
- Donny’s Skybox Theatre at Second City – Chicago: This off-kilter stage within the hallowed Second City compound welcomes a variety of experimental, improvisatory, often newbie-packed shows featuring cutting-edge comedy.
- Metropolis Performing Arts Centre: Well worth the many miles out in Arlington Heights, this venue offers musicals, plays, comedy, concerts and dance performances, a true indoor oasis of culture within the suburbs.
- Lyric Opera House One of the world’s great opera houses, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, performs epic opera productions and large-scale performances in a historic, lavish landmark.
- The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: Photo © “The Yard” at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier. The new flexible space proves that form follows function. It can be configured in many ways to accommodate productions ranging from Shakespeare to new texts.
- Center Theatre At North Shore Center For The Performing Arts: Across from the North Theatre sits the Center Theatre, which provides an extra venue to continue enhancing Skokie’s cultural offerings.
- Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place: Near the Magnificent Mile, this small theatre hosts everything from touring Broadway shows to local theatrical performances.
- Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: Located on the city’s Navy Pier, this theatre champions the Bard and also performs contemporary plays and musicals with an emphasis on innovative staging and production.
- Albert Ivar Goodman Theatre: Part of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, this mainstage features a season of diverse works from classic to new, foregrounding racial and social diversity and inclusion.
- Apollo Theater Main Stage—Chicago: This compact venue in Lincoln Park hosts long-running hits such as Million Dollar Quartet, as well as musicals and theatrical productions presented in an intimate setting.
- Auditorium Theatre: This architectural masterpiece by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler in the Loop’s stunning interior and perfect acoustics are signature features. The historic theatre is home to ballet, concerts, and Broadway shows.
Each theater contributes uniquely to the rich tapestry of Chicago’s performing arts scene, offering everything from experimental performances to grand Broadway productions.
