Cirque Us Stories
Ages 3+. This joyful, high-flying performance brings stories off the page and into the air, weaving together themes of community, identity, and creativity through breathtaking
The Center for Performing Arts
1 UNIVERSITY PKWYUNIVERSITY PARK, IL 60484
Upcoming Shows
SUGAR SKULL! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure!
Ages 5+. This bilingual musical follows 12-year-old Vita as she discovers the meaning of remembrance and cultural heritage through a magical journey with a lively candy skeleton. Featuring traditional Mexican music and dance.
Swan Lake by the United European Ballet Company
Step into the enchanting world of Swan Lake — a breathtaking story of love, magic, and triumph, brought to life through the legendary choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, set to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score.
Arrested Development
Hip-hop trailblazers and Grammy award winners Arrested Development perform incredible music about self-reflection and revolution. This show features classic hits like “Tennessee”, “People Everyday”, “Mr Wendal” and more. Along with music from their 2025 double album Bullets in...
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ages 12+. Step into a fresh, playful take on one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Performed by student and community artists from GovState’s Theatre and Performance Studies Department.
J is for Jazz: A Celebration of Oscar Brown, Jr.
Ages 5+. Experience the vibrant history and cultural impact of jazz through J is for Jazz, an interactive musical theater event honoring Oscar Brown Jr., featuring his daughters Maggie and Afrika, as Jae teaches her brother, Jason, about jazz's richness.
Ruth Page's The Nutcracker
Experience the beloved holiday classic featuring Clara, her magical godfather, a prince, and delightful performances by international artists and the Southland’s dance students in a stunning recreation of Ruth Page's original choreography.
It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Ages 8+. Experience the nostalgia of classic radio theater as talented actors bring George Bailey, Clarence the angel, and the residents of Bedford Falls to life. You will be transported into a vintage radio studio, complete with a Foley artist creating sound effects right...
The Greatest Love of All
A Tribute to Whitney Houston Starring Belinda Davids Not Affiliated with the Estate of Whitney Houston Whitney Houston’s musical legacy is brought to life in this critically acclaimed tribute concert described as “mind-blowingly spot on.” You will be stunned by the breathtaking...
Robert Townsend’s Living the Shuffle
Natural-born storyteller Robert Townsend (known for FX’s The Bear, Meteor Man, A Soldier’s Story, and The Five Heartbeats) takes you on a rollercoaster ride, from the dangerous Chicago streets, to performing Julius Caesar at a pimp convention in NYC. This one-man show takes you...
Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra presents: Carmina Burana
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is not merely a concert; it is an event and a work of extremes. The opening and closing O Fortuna is one of the most overwhelming things a symphony orchestra and chorus can produce — a wall of sound that hits you in the sternum. Then, without warning...
Once On This Island
Once on This Island, by the Tony Award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, is a Caribbean adaptation of The Little Mermaid that follows Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with a wealthy boy named Daniel. As the gods wager on whether love or...
The Doo Wop Project presents Echoes of the Street
The Doo Wop Project, America’s premiere Doo Wop group, brings their dynamic 90-minute show “Echoes of the Street,” featuring classic Doo Wop hits and reimagined contemporary songs, to life for audiences of all ages. Experience their unique blend of nostalgia and modernity and...
The Southland Creative Spotlight
Experience the creativity and talent of The Southland, featuring music and dance from the region’s most gifted performers. From show-stopping solos to dynamic duets and energetic ensembles, it’s a celebration of local artistry and community spirit, bringing everyone together for...
Review: SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Kokandy Productions
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: ADOLESCENT SALVATION at Theater Wit
What did our critic think of ADOLESCENT SALVATION at Theater Wit?…
Review: BUDDY THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, IL
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: I LOVE YOU BECAUSE at Oil Lamp Theater
I Love You Because is your typical rom-com with cute duets, silly jokes, and flawed characters that showcase exactly how love can be messy.…
Review: Music Theater Works' WEST SIDE STORY at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts
During a time where our country remains divided, this energetic and thoughtful piece of art reminds us of the beauty that can be found when we come together across our differences, no matter where we come from or where we call home.…
Review: THE OUTSIDERS National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago
The Outsiders remains an exhilarating and inventive musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s acclaimed 1967 novel. I enjoyed this tour so much on first viewing that I came back six months later!…
Review: THE NOTEBOOK Presented by Broadway In Chicago
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
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…
Review: IN THE CONTINUUM at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
In The Continuum is an unapologetic show about the way Black women are forced to navigate the world — and how our experiences are all connected, even, or especially, when we feel isolated and alone. …
Review: Heart of Gold's AN INTERVENTION at Pierce Hall At The Historic Chicago Temple Building
The 2014 award-winning and timeless dramatic comedy by Mike Bartlett remains ever relevant today as we explore interventions on multiple fronts. …
Past Shows
49 total · showing 1–10
DIVIDED
In a fractured America, their bond becomes their revolution.
Lizzy & The Triggermen
Lizzy & the Triggermen transport you back to the glamour of the Prohibition Era, but with a sound and swagger that is thrillingly new. As NPR raves, they are “one part Eartha Kitt, one part Ella Fitzgerald, one part Amy Winehouse.” The band is currently having a viral moment...
By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
By The Way, Meet Vera Stark is a seventy-year journey through the life of Vera Stark, a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star desperately grasping to hold on to her career. When circumstances...
Unleash the Beats
Under the dynamic direction of internationally renowned dancer and choreographer Mark Yonally, Chicago Tap Theatre takes tap dance to the next level of creativity and innovation. The show features live music and original choreography, along with the works of Buster Brown, Eddie...
All That Jazz
All That Jazz is a high-energy celebration of American dance—past, present, and future. From the golden age of jazz to today’s bold new moves, this vibrant performance showcases choreography and dance by talented students, esteemed faculty, and accomplished alumni from Governors...
The Rat Pack
Step back in time to the glitz and glamour of 1960s Las Vegas in this unforgettable tribute to the original kings of cool—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. The Rat Pack in Concert brings the magic of their legendary performances to life with spot-on vocals, sharp...
Halftime High Notes
Celebrate John Concepción’s 16 years of Opera Up Close with this one-of-a-kind musical gridiron extravaganza! Get ready for the ultimate mashup of music and football spirit! This isn’t your typical concert—it’s an operatic showdown with all the drama of game day. The playbook is...
CeCe Teneal's Divas of Soul
Take a ride on the "Midnight Train to Georgia" over "River Deep, Mountain High" while award-winning vocalist CeCe Teneal delivers you the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" you deserve in DIVAS OF SOUL, a one-of-a-kind concert event! This spectacular celebration of fifty years of chart-topping...
John Waters: A Live Director's Commentary and Screening of Serial Mom
The Center welcomes the king of camp, John Waters, for an unforgettable Halloween night of cult cinema and twisted storytelling. Expect an endless bag of transgressive tales and hetero-non-aggressive wit that’ll warm the dark little hearts of non-binary brats everywhere. Waters...
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Feel the antici…pation! One of the highlights of the Halloween season, The Rocky Horror Picture Show with live shadow cast returns to The Center’s stage with this classic cult rock'n'roll, science fiction, horror satire. Come in costume or just come for the fun, the live shadow...
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Fleetwood Max Raue Center For The Arts (10/03-10/03) |
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Love Story: A Tribute to Taylor Swift Raue Center For The Arts (11/07-11/07) |
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Mean Girls Paramount Theatre (8/26-10/11) |
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Rotary Rocks The Raue: James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash Raue Center For The Arts (10/24-10/24) |
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The Dave Matthews Tribute Band Raue Center For The Arts (9/25-9/25) |
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Blond Ambition: A Tribute to Madonna Raue Center For The Arts (11/07-11/07) |
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Memphis The Musical Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building (10/24-10/25) |
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Bourbon Country Raue Center For The Arts (11/06-11/06) |
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Lucy's Comedy Raue Center For The Arts (10/09-10/09) |
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Third Coast Symphony: The 007 Days of Christmas North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (11/29-11/29) |