Temperatures and curtains are rising this month as Chicagoland theaters welcome the summer season, including celebrations of Pride Month and Juneteenth. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres recently published its Summer Theatre Guide, which includes 100+ shows running in the Chicago area through September.
Below is a list of the best productions to celebrate Pride Month and Juneteenth, as well as neighborhood and suburban shows to see throughout the summer. Additional details about this summer’s performances and the Summer Theatre Guide are available at ChicagoPlays.com. Discount tickets are also available at HotTix.org, Chicago’s local, half-price ticketing service.
“Chicagoans have a unique chance to visit our theatres while exploring their connection to social causes and advocacy,” comments League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Marissa Lynn Ford. “There’s a show for everyone in every neighborhood and suburb this summer.”
The following is a selection of work in Chicago available in June in celebration of Pride Month:
The Memory Place
Pivot Arts
Playing Now – June 11
During Pride Month, Pivot Arts will be presenting The Memory Place, a unique multi-arts experience amplifying untold stories and hidden histories. As part of the performance, trans and non-binary writer and director, Lucky Stiff, performs their original work, and choreographer/dancer, Davon Suttles, presents a work about LGBTQ+ relations with religious organizations told through tap dance, gospel music, and mixed media.
Tango
PrideArts
Playing Now – June 11
Tango tells the story of an elderly waitress at a Chinese restaurant in Singapore who refuses to serve a same-sex couple and their adoptive son because of her religious beliefs. When a video of her actions is shared online, this erupts into vitriol, heated debates and a protest rally that rocks the country.
Passing Strange
Theo
June 9 – July 30
From singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew comes Passing Strange, a daring musical that takes you on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew brings us the story of a young bohemian who charts a course for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Loaded with soulful lyrics and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from Black middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond on a journey towards personal and artistic authenticity.
HORSEPLAY (Part of Pride Film Fest)
Facets
June 22
A group of young men at a gathering in a luxury villa test each other's boundaries. Themes of masculinity, toxicity and bromance are placed under the microscope in Marco Berger’s often uneasy, playfully erotic and volatile drama Horseplay. Building on his previous work, Taekwondo, Berger puts us in a friendship group where homosexuality and male love are dismissed, and homoerotic play is embraced. The screening starts at 7 pm and will be followed by a talkback after the film.
Pride Anthems
McAninch Arts Center
June 24
Pride Anthems - a vibrant musical journey from 1969-today. Join us as we celebrate Pride Month with a journey through the past 50 years of Pride Anthems. From Donna Summer and Queen to George Michael, Erasure, Madonna, Lady Gaga and much more, these essential songs take us from disco to the present day. The story of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is linked to this music, which evokes the struggles, heartache, and liberation of queer lives then and now. Free - no tickets needed.
The following is a selection of work in Chicago available in June in celebration of Juneteenth:
The Gospel at Colonus
Court Theatre
Playing Now – June 11
Soulful and stirring, this one-of-a-kind theatrical event breathes new life into the Oedipus myth with a score of powerful gospel music. A bold collaboration from an extraordinary team led by Mark J.P. Hood and Charles Newell, The Gospel at Colonus builds upon the strengths and experiences of its artists to bring this redemptive musical celebration to life on Chicago’s South Side.
From the Mississippi Delta
Lifeline Theatre
Playing Now – June 18
Based on her memoir of the same title, Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland recounts her 20 year journey from humble beginnings in Greenwood, Mississippi to achieving her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. Directed by Lifeline Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan (Neverwhere [2018], Middle Passage), experience a story of triumph in the face of extreme adversity that expertly weaves through the trials and tribulations of Dr. Holland’s life relayed through the bodies and voices of only 3 actors, all in tribute to one of America’s unsung “sheroes”.
The Real Housewives of Motown
Black Ensemble Theater
Playing Now – July 9
We’ve seen how life was for the musical superstars of the Motown era but it’s time the wives be given a voice. Join us for this exciting musical journey as we discover what life was like for the women married to the stars!
Obama-ology
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
June 10-25
When African-American college graduate Warren takes a job with the 2008 Obama campaign, he’s fired up and ready to go – until he lands in the troubled streets of East Cleveland. But somewhere between knocking on doors, fending off cops, and questioning his own racial and sexual identity, he learns that changing society isn’t as easy as he imagined. All that, and it’s a comedy too!
Juneteenth Homecoming Gala
Congo Square Theatre
June 15
Congo Square Theatre is hosting its annual Juneteenth Homecoming gala on June 15th at LM Studios
on S Michigan Ave. The theme is Blackity, Black, Black and the evening includes food/drinks, live entertainment, an auction, and an award ceremony honoring three Black Chicago theater makers. In line with their efforts to promote radical generosity and to foster community among Black theater artists, Congo Square is offering industry tickets at $50.
Congo Square Theatre is also hosting a Festival on the Square which- while not specifically related to Juneteenth, does center Black playwrights and Black performers primarily during the month of June.
More Summer Shows: Productions are running downtown, in the neighborhoods and suburbs
Downtown
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon
Lookingglass Theatre Company
Playing Now – July 16
Hooray! Lucy and Charlie just got hitched…and they’re embracing the worst of the American dream. They do what they want. Take what they want. They’re First Generation Asian American Renegades. In love. And on the run. Direct from his Broadway debut in Almost Famous The Musical, Artistic Associate Matthew C. Yee’s world premiere musical romp gives a nod to America’s past, takes tally of its present, and blows its future wide open.
Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical
The Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building
June 2 – September 3
From humble beginnings in his hometown of Kenner, Louisiana, Lloyd Price overcame incredible obstacles on his way to a revolutionary musical career. He became the first Black man to open a nightclub below Harlem in New York City, and the first recording artist of any color to create his own record label, generating more hits like “Stagger Lee” and “Personality,” and spreading the New Orleans R&B sound throughout the world.
The Who’s Tommy
Goodman Theatre
June 13 – July 23
Myth and spectacle combine in a fresh reinvention of The Who’s exhilarating 1969 rock concept album, Tommy—including the unforgettable anthems “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation” and “Pinball Wizard.” After witnessing his father shoot his rival, the young Tommy Walker is lost in the universe, endlessly and obsessively staring into the mirror. An innate knack for pinball catapults him from reticent adolescent to celebrity savior.
Disney’s Beauty and The Beast
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
July 14 – August 20
This summer, fall under the spell of this “tale as old as time” based on the Academy Award-winning Disney film. Dazzling production numbers, including the beloved title song and “Be Our Guest,” will fill the Courtyard Theater, making your heart soar.
MJ
Broadway in Chicago at James M. Nederlander Theatre
August 1 – September 2
Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJoffers not just Michael Jackson’s singular moves and signature sound, but also a thrilling glimpse into the creative spirit and obsessive mind that created the biggest pop superstar the world has ever known
Neighborhoods:
Bowie in Warsaw
Trap Door Theatre
Playing Now – July 1
Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to round out its 29th season with the US premiere of Bowie in Warsaw, Dorota Masłowska’s absurd comedy about freedom of self-expression in Soviet era Poland.
What the Constitution Means to Me
TimeLine Theatre Company
Playing Now – July 2
Announcing the first Chicago-based production of Heidi Schreck’s Tony Award-nominated Pulitzer Prize finalist! Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful, and guttingly human debate-meets-play, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the relationship between four generations of women—all while grappling with the founding document that, for better and worse, shapes their lives.
Being Seen
The Den Theatre
June 14 – July 2
This captivating, fast-paced comedy by Richard Gustin looks at launching a “fresh start.” An actor answers the audition notice of a highly acclaimed director and finds herself navigating his outlandish creative process. This tour de force comedy asks the question: “What would you do for a dream?”
Another Marriage
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
June 15 – July 23
You meet. You marry. You have kids. That’s the way it always goes. Or is it? What if your story changes? What would it cost? Another Marriage is an intimate and beautifully rendered portrait of an ever-evolving relationship that may never be quite finished.
Pretty Shahid
Jackalope Theatre Company at Broadway Armory
June 16 – July 23
The Kazem family immigrated to Chicago from Iraq and are attempting to assimilate and live and then 9/11 happens. This romantic comedy uses classic film tropes to examine identity and which knots we choose to untie to become our ideal American.
The Spongebob Musical
Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theatre
June 22 – September 3
When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. An exciting new musical featuring irresistible characters and magical music, this deep-sea pearl of a show is set to make a splash with audiences young and old. The future is bright, the future is bold, the future is The SpongeBob Musical.
Cymbeline
Midsommer Flight at Various Chicago Parks
July 7 – August 13
Midsommer Flight celebrates its 11th season of free Shakespeare in Chicago parks with Cymbeline. The play has true love, adventure, disguised identities, adulterous schemes, an evil stepmother queen, and even a potion whose effects mimic death. There are also timely questions of equity, gender roles, power, and deceit.
Rock of Ages
Mercury Theater
July 13 – September 10
Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! This Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical features the hits of bands including Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more.
Suburbs:
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Oil Lamp Theater
Playing Now – July 2
The second longest-running Off-Broadway musical of all time, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a series of vignettes that suggests the overall journey of relationships throughout the course of a life. Join us for Oil Lamp Theater’s very first musical!
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
Marriott Theatre
June 21 – August 13
Buddy is the smash hit musical celebration of the life of Buddy Holly. In just three short years, Buddy set the music world on fire and forever changed the face and sound of rock ‘n’ roll. Charting the true story of Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise in popularity from the moment in 1957 when “That’ll Be the Day” hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later, this rocking musical features several of the decade’s greatest hits, including “Peggy Sue,” “Everyday,” Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba,” The Big Bopper’s
“Chantilly Lace”, “Oh Boy,” and many more.
A Distinct Society
Writers Theatre
June 22 – July 23
A quiet library that straddles the border of the U.S. and Canada becomes an unlikely crucible for five people from around the world. When an Iranian family, separated from one another by the “Muslim ban,” uses the library as a meeting place, the head librarian, a U.S. border patrol officer and a local teenager must choose between breaking the law and saving themselves.
Hair
MadKap Productions at Skokie Theatre
June 23 – July 30
The American musical that changed theatre forever, Hair celebrates the sixties in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory. To an infectiously energetic rock beat, the show wows audiences with songs like “Aquarius,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” “Hair,” and “Let The Sunshine In.”
Marie and Rosetta
Northlight Theatre
July 6 – August 6
Hailed as the “Godmother of Rock ‘n Roll,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe influenced rock icons from Elvis Presley to Jimi Hendrix. Bringing fierce guitar playing and sizzling swing to gospel music, Rosetta was a trailblazer, a young Black woman singing at church in the morning and the Cotton Club at night. This play with music, directed by E. Faye Butler and starring Bethany Thomas and Alexis J. Roston, chronicles Rosetta’s first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare for a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history.
Xanadu
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
July 13 – August 19
Xanadu is all at once romantic comedy, celebration of ‘80s kitsch and a ridiculously moving, endlessly fun tale. This Tony Award-nominated, hilarious musical about following your dreams took audiences and critics by surprise when it transformed a cult classic movie, starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, into the hottest comedy on Broadway.
For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Available half-price tickets will be listed at HotTix.org. Chicago theatres prioritize safely gathering. Patrons are encouraged to confirm current protocols at each theatre. Shows and protocols are subject to change.
About Chicago theatre
Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 6 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com.
The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement
Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.