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The Center for Performing Arts

1 University Dr
University Park, IL 60484

Upcoming Shows

Cirque Us Stories

Cirque Us Stories

Oct 3

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

SUGAR SKULL! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure!

Oct 24

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

Oct 28

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

Nov 7

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

Nov 12 – Nov 15, 2026

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.

Nov 20

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

Dec 5 – Dec 6, 2026

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

Dec 12 – Dec 13, 2026

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

Feb 12, 2027

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

Mar 6, 2027

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

Mar 13, 2027

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

Apr 8 – Apr 11, 2027

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

May 1, 2027

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

Jun 26, 2027

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

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…

Review: IN THE CONTINUUM at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre

Review: IN THE CONTINUUM at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre

by Angela Lin · August 2, 2026

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.  …

Past Shows

49 total · showing 31–40

Annie KIDS

Annie KIDS

Jun 17 – Jun 28, 2024

Dates : Monday, June 17-21*, and June 24-28, 2024, 9am – 3pm, *No camp on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. Young Performer audition on Thursday, June 6, 2024, 3pm – 6pm Fee : $500 (includes 2 tickets to final show) Final showcase : Friday, June...

Shrek

Shrek

Jun 10 – Jun 14, 2024

Dates : Monday, June 10-14, 2024, 9am – 3pm Fee : $270 (includes 2 tickets to final show) Final showcase : Friday, June 14 at 7pm, approximately 50 minutes Additional tickets : $10 for Adults; $5 for Children 14 and under Description : This weeklong theatre camp offers a unique...

The Addams Family Young@Part

The Addams Family Young@Part

Jan 16 – Apr 30, 2024

Rehearsals : Tuesdays, January 16 – April 30, 2024; 5-7pm (no rehearsal/class on March 26) Cost : $360, includes 2 tickets to the final show Additional tickets : $10 Final Show : Tuesday, April 30th at 7pm Ages : 9-17 ~ BOTH THE FORM AND THE FEE MUST BE SUBMITTED TO COMPLETE THE...

SOUL MIGRATION

SOUL MIGRATION

Apr 13

Composed by Orbert Davis, “Soul Migration” is a powerful, soul-stirring, musical tribute inspired by the stories of the 6 million African Americans who fled the Jim Crow south to the industrial north. A seven-movement epic across time and space, Soul Migration celebrates the...

The Exonerated

The Exonerated

Apr 4 – Apr 7, 2024

The Exonerated combines first-person narrative with letters, transcripts, case files, and legal records to tell the stories of six wrongfully convicted survivors of death row: Delbert Tibbs, Kerry Max Cook, Gary Gauger, David Keaton, Robert Earl Hayes and Sunny Jacobs, and their...

BODY LANGUAGE: Cultural Storytelling Through Dance

BODY LANGUAGE: Cultural Storytelling Through Dance

Mar 28 – Mar 30, 2024

Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m. The GSU Dance Company presents a cultural Kaleidoscope of movement. From traditional cultural dance forms to contemporary interpretations rooted in history, this show proves that dance is the universal language. No...

She the People

She the People

Mar 2

A high-octane show entirely created, designed, and performed by the fearlessly funny women of world-famous comedy mecca The Second City, She the People is a mimosas-and-madness-fueled foray that proudly roasts the patriarchy in a mashup of sketches and songs that reclaims comedy...

123 Andrés

123 Andrés

Feb 7

10 a.m. and 12 noon* (*Sensory-Inclusive Performance with ASL Interpreter) Christina and Andrés can’t find their friend Juana, and their only clue is that she’s somewhere in the Americas. Join Latin Grammy Award-winning 123 Andrés in this lively, interactive concert to search...

Muntu + Deeply Rooted

Muntu + Deeply Rooted

Feb 3

Muntu Dance Theatre performs authentic and progressive interpretations of contemporary and ancient African and African-American dance, music, and folklore. Their highly innovative repertory preserves traditional African dance while creating new works that build on African...

Opera Up Close: A Winter's Journey (Die Winterreise)

Opera Up Close: A Winter's Journey (Die Winterreise)

Jan 28

ON STAGE CABERET SEATING Franz Schubert’s song cycle Die Winterreise is a stunning musical journey through the bitter winter landscape of the human heart. Composed for voice and piano, this masterpiece explores themes of love, loss, and despair through hauntingly beautiful...

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