Banana Shpeel from Cirque du Soleil is a roller coaster mix of styles that blends comedy with slapstick. Propelled by crazy humor and intense choreography, the show follows a succession of wacky adventures led by Schmelky, the irritable and over-the-top theater producer. Banana Shpeel is written and directed by David Shiner, the creator of Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA. Learn more...
Hubbard Street Dance Winter Series
Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park (Chicago, IL)
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, known around the world for its innovative, athletic repertoire by top choreographers, presents its Winter Series. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton, the program includes Off Screen by Alejandro Cerrudo, Tabula Rasa by Ohad Naharin and Walking Mad by Johan Inger. Learn more...
Carnival Nocturne, a Dark Fable with Carnival Acts and Live Band
The Storefront Theater (Chicago, IL)
Silent Theatre Company welcomes visitors into the mysterious underground world of a traveling carnival. In the midst of fire breathers, fortune tellers, bestial tamers and natural freaks, a somber secret lies - a curse that binds them all together. With a live band and physical acts of carnival performance, this original dark fable combines the styles of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey in a thrilling and enchanting ride through a world of whimsy and the macabre. Learn more...
The Magic Cabaret - Chicago's Best Magic Performed Live
Greenhouse Theater Center (Chicago, IL)
In the Golden Age of Magic, during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, Chicago was a major center for magic in the United States. Great magicians gathered here to amaze audiences in theaters and parlors, nightclubs and showrooms, restaurants and bars throughout the city. The Magic Cabaret reawakens the Chicago magic tradition and brings it to modern audiences eager for mystery and wonder. Learn more...
Salt Creek Ballet Performs The Nutcracker
The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University (University Park, IL)
The Salt Creek Ballet presents holiday favorite The Nutcracker, featuring a talented cast of more than 75 local dancers, joined by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. This fairy tale ballet for the entire family tells the story of young Clara, the debonair Nutcracker Prince and a thrilling Christmas Eve journey filled with swirling snowflakes, waltzing flowers, giant mice and sugar plum fairies. Learn more...
Nativity Opera Amahl and the Night Visitors from Chamber Opera Chicago
Cindy Pritzker Auditorium (Chicago, IL)
Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the story of how a crippled young shepherd boy's life is changed forever when he sees an amazing star in the sky. When Amahl and his mother encounter three kings following the star in their search for a wondrous child, the result is a timeless and inspiring message of how faith, charity, and unselfish love can work miracles. This production will be directed by Francis Menotti, based on his father's original 1951 production. Learn more...
The Nutcracker: Holiday Favorite from Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet
David and Diane B Heller Auditorium (Chicago, IL)
Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet performs The Nutcracker at Heller Auditorium. This beloved holiday tradition tells the story of Clara and her Nutcracker prince, combining an internationally acclaimed choreographer, world class principal dancers and some of the Chicagoland's most talented dance students, making von Heidecke's rendition of The Nutcracker a must-see-event. This production is traditionally classical while featuring gymnastics and exciting athleticism. Learn more...