Everyone who thinks of NYC as the place to go see Broadway shows should think again. Chicago is home to magnificent theaters and acclaimed Broadway shows that are constantly rotating. With some of the best productions, musicals, and comedy shows, there is something for everyone here. With all the things to do in Chicago at least once, seeing one of the Broadway shows in Chicago should be at the top of your list. To make it a little easier, we’ve compiled a list of productions happening right now!
Hamilton
Celebrate the return of the Hamilton Broadway show to Chicago this fall! This epic saga follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation.
Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton is a revolutionary show that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.
Hamilton features book, music, lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony® Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Playing at: James Nederlander Theatre
Dates: September 13 — January 28, 2024
Runtime: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including an intermission
Beetlejuice
First earning its stripes on Broadway… the ghost-with-the-most is coming to Chicago.
Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.
Beetlejuice is said to be a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every day; this is one of the Broadway shows in Chicago you don’t want to miss.
Playing at: Auditorium Theatre
Dates: November 7 – November 19, 2023
Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission
BOOP! The Musical
Chicago welcomes BETTY BOOP to the stage at the CIBC Theatre for the very first time! Yes, that Betty Boop—the sassy-sweet champion of empowerment and an icon of joy. The new Broadway-bound musical-comedy extravaganza is brought to life by Tony Award®–winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, La Cage aux Folles, Hairspray).
For almost a century, Betty Boop has won hearts and inspired fans worldwide with her trademark looks, voice, and style. Now, in BOOP!, Betty’s dream of an ordinary day off from the super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an extraordinary adventure of color, music, and love in New York City—one that reminds her and the world, “You are capable of amazing things.” Boop-oop-a-doop!
Playing at: CIBC Theatre
Dates: November 19 – December 24, 2023
The Lehman Trilogy
The Lehman Trilogy, the winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play, weaves together nearly two centuries of family history in an epic theatrical event charting the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees.
Told in three parts over one evening, The Lehman Trilogy is the story of Western capitalism through the lens of a single immigrant family. One of the most impactful Broadway shows in Chicago, the story starts off with a young Jewish man from Bavaria standing on a New York dockside, dreaming of a new life in the new world. His two brothers soon join him, and an American epic begins.
Sixty-three years later, the prominent firm they established—Lehman Brothers—came crumbling down, triggering the largest financial crisis in history.
Playing at: Broadway Playhouse
Dates: September 19 – November 26, 2023
Runtime: 3 hours 10 minutes, including two 15-minute intermissions
The Wiz
Watch out because the beloved Tony Award®-winning Musical is coming back to Chicago! This is the first Broadway-bound tour in 40 years where The Wiz is returning to all stages across America, so you better grab a ticket!
The Wiz features a book by William F. Brown and a Tony Award-winning score by Charlie Smalls (and others), director Schele Williams (The Notebook, revival of Disney’s Aida), award-winning choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” Black is King),
From its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, and rock to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world, this groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway. Revered as one of the best Broadway shows in Chicago—and ever—it will bring a whole new groove to ease down the road.
Playing at: Cadillac Palace Theatre
Dates: November 28 – December 10, 2023
Runtime: 2 hours and 25 minutes, including an intermission
With Broadway shows in Chicago constantly rotating, this list will be updated monthly!