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American Blues Theater

5627 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60659

Upcoming Shows

Black Girl from a White Suburb

Sep 4 – Oct 4, 2026

A tour-de-force solo show by artistic affiliate Tania Richard, directed by J. Nicole Brooks. Growing up in an all-white Chicago suburb, Richard spent her days dodging microaggressions, striving to fit in, and yearning to see herself reflected. Her transformation began when she...

It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Nov 19 – Dec 27, 2026

Based on the film by Frank Capra, this 25th anniversary production is directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with music direction by ensemble member Michael Mahler. George Bailey, the everyman from small town Bedford Falls whose dreams of escape were stopped...

UHURU

Apr 2 – May 9, 2027

Written by Gloria Majule and directed by Mikael Burke, this Chicago Premiere is a sharp satire following an unlikely foursome ascending Mount Kilimanjaro. The dramedy follows a tour guide, a Tanzanian-American tourist, and two missionaries as they confront questions of identity...

The Conquered

Jun 11 – Jul 18, 2027

Written by Ken Urban and directed by Jonathan Berry, this world premiere is the winner of the 2024 Blue Ink Award for playwriting. Jane is adrift, suffering a recurring nightmare in which a young man breaks into her house, and her quest to find a therapist leads to a dangerous...

Review: Black Cat Theatre's ELEPHANT IN THE WOMB at Theater Wit

Review: Black Cat Theatre's ELEPHANT IN THE WOMB at Theater Wit

by Angela Lin · September 4, 2026

Elephant in the Womb somehow strikes a perfect balance between inappropriate humor, social commentary, and tasteful fourth wall breaking that will leave you feeling uncomfortable, pensive, and warm and fuzzy all at once.…

Review: COME FROM AWAY at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL

Review: COME FROM AWAY at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL

by Tina St. Angelo · September 4, 2026

Next Friday, the Country will pause to remember, mourn and honor those victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The town of Gander, Newfoundland, is called the Rock. During the week that followed, it truly was a rock. The current production at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is the emotional b…

Review: SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Kokandy Productions

Review: SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Kokandy Productions

by Rachel Weinberg · August 31, 2026

It was a bold choice for Kokandy’s artistic director Derek Van Barham to stage such a huge musical in the tiny cabaret space at the Chopin Theater. Fortunately, Sondheim’s brilliant score and lyrics are gorgeously delivered in Kokandy’s version.…

Review: BUDDY THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Review: BUDDY THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, IL

by Tina St. Angelo · August 28, 2026

The current production at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace is Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story. It was the first of the jukebox musicals premiering in 1989.  It was conceived and written in England. It ran in London’s West End for 12 years. An interesting fact: Paul McCartney holds the copy…

Review: THE NOTEBOOK Presented by Broadway In Chicago

Review: THE NOTEBOOK Presented by Broadway In Chicago

by Angela Lin · August 6, 2026

The Notebook’s company does their best with the material they’re given, but without the impactful soundtrack to accompany it, the show ultimately falls short of delivering the emotional depth you might expect or desire from a generational love story.…

Review: MARBLE at The Gift Theatre

Review: MARBLE at The Gift Theatre

by Emily Werner · August 5, 2026

The Gift Theatre continues its 25th Anniversary 'Homecoming Season' with the Chicago premiere of Marble. First performed at Dublin's Abbey Theatre in 2009, the play was inspired by a conversation between Irish playwright Marina Carr and actor Fiona Shaw, and Giorgio de Chirico's painting 'Mystery an…

Past Shows

23 total · showing 11–20

Five Presidents

Five Presidents

Sep 6 – Oct 19, 2019

Five Presidents features John Carter Brown (George H.W. Bush), Jim Leaming* (Ronald Reagan), Martin LHerault (Jimmy Carter), Tom McElroy (Gerald Ford), Stephen Spencer (Bill Clinton), and Denzel Tsopnang* (Agent Kirby). There was only one day in history when all five of these...

The Spitfire Grill

The Spitfire Grill

Jul 12 – Aug 17, 2019

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah's Spitfire Grill. The New York Times calls THE SPITFIRE GRILL “a soul satisfying...work of theatrical resourcefulness” and...

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey

Mar 29 – Apr 27, 2019

Ensemble member Joe Foust portrays every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he unravels the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant fourteen-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone...

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life

Nov 16 – Jan 5, 2019

As the second longest holiday play in Chicago, the American Blues Ensemble has treated Chicago audiences to a live 1940s radio broadcast of holiday favorite It’s a Wonderful Life for 17 years. The incredible cast recreates the entire town of Bedford Falls with Foley sound...

Flyin West

Flyin West

Oct 5 – Nov 3, 2018

Following the end of the Civil War, many former slaves took advantage of The Homestead Act and went West to build new lives for themselves and their families. Many of these homesteaders were black women who overcame tremendous odds to work their own land and make a place for...

On Clover Roadd

On Clover Roadd

Feb 1 – Mar 16, 2018

At an abandoned motel on a desolate American road, a mother meets with a cult deprogrammer, believing she will be reunited with her runaway daughter. Featuring Joseph Jefferson Award winners Gwendolyn Whiteside and Philip Earl Johnson. DC Metro Arts says this smart, harrowing...

It's A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

It's A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

Nov 20 – Dec 27, 2015

CHICAGO—Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago’s second oldest Equity ensemble, are proud to announce the return of the critically acclaimed It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, on the main stage of the Greenhouse Theater Center...

The Rainmaker

The Rainmaker

Aug 28 – Sep 27, 2015

CHICAGO – Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and American Blues Theater, Chicago’s second oldest Equity ensemble celebrating 30 years of presenting visceral theatrical works while engaging its audience in missions of local service agencies, are proud to announce The...

Collected Stories

Apr 19 – May 19, 2013

Ruth Steiner, a critically acclaimed, seasoned author, takes her student, Lisa, under her wing. What begins as a mentorship flourishes into a deeper maternal friendship. When Lisa becomes a much-admired published writer and uses Ruth’s secretive life story for her own novel, the...

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Raue Center For The Arts (10/03-10/03)
Love Story: A Tribute to Taylor Swift in Chicago Love Story: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
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Mean Girls in Chicago Mean Girls
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Rotary Rocks The Raue: James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash in Chicago Rotary Rocks The Raue: James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash
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The Dave Matthews Tribute Band in Chicago The Dave Matthews Tribute Band
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Memphis The Musical in Chicago Memphis The Musical
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Dirty Dancing: The Musical in Chicago Dirty Dancing: The Musical
James M. Nederlander Theatre (9/09-9/20)
Elgin Symphony Orchestra in Chicago Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Raue Center For The Arts (12/11-12/11)
It's Raining Queens™ in Chicago It's Raining Queens™
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