Theaters in Chicago are opening back up — and so is HotTix. Located on Randolph across from the Chicago Cultural Center, the theater service will resume offering half-price tickets on Aug. 11. This signals a return to normalcy for the city’s theater industry.
“After more than a year of introspection, planning, and change while theaters have been closed, it is a thrill to have live theater back — and to experience this great, collective art form in Chicago again,” says League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Deb Clapp.
“HotTix is a unique discount option in that all profits support the theater industry through the programs, initiatives and grants generated from the League of Chicago Theatres,” explains Clapp. “It’s an affordable way for audiences to return to the theater while supporting theater and theater practitioners in our area.”
In honor of HotTix reopening in person, Broadway In Chicago is offering half-price tickets to select performances of “Rent” 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour (Oct. 5-10) at the CIBC Theatre; “What the Constitution Means to Me” (Oct. 26-Nov. 21) at the Broadway Playhouse; “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” (Nov. 2-7) at the CIBC Theatre; and “Disney’s Frozen” (Nov. 19-Jan. 22) at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
Additional live productions that can be seen at half-price via HotTix include Goodman Theatre’s “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” (through Aug. 29), written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Lilli-Anne Brown; and the Music Theater Works rendition of “Mamma Mia!” (Aug.19 -29) at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts.
Other venues that have reopened include The Second City, Teatro ZinZanni, The Annoyance, The Drunk Shakespeare Society at the Loop at The Lion Theatre, Corn Productions, and MadKap Productions at the Skokie Theatre.
City Lit Theater, Marriott Theatre, Chicago Opera Theater, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Citadel Theatre will reopen in September.
“The Infinite Wrench” resumes its 33-year-long run with live performances on Sept. 18. “Our work is dependent on a live audience, as we see the audience as active and necessary participants in the show,” says Artistic Director KR Riiber. “We are thrilled to bring our late-night, high-energy assemblage of sports, poetry and living newspaper back to the stage, where the audience determines the order of 30 plays written, directed and performed by The Neo-Futurist Ensemble.” For tickets, visit NeoFuturists.org.
“After taking a year off due to the pandemic, Destinos, Chicago’s annual citywide international Latino theater festival, is back,” says Myrna Salazar, executive director of Chicago Latino Theater Alliance. “Please be sure to join us this fall. It’s been too long, and now more than ever, it’s time to come together to share the Latino experience as told by Latino artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America.” For tickets and more information on the festival (Sept. 23-Oct.17). Click here for tickets, show dates, times, and locations.
Chicago theaters prioritize gathering safely. Patrons are encouraged to confirm current protocols at each venue.
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Image: Kyrie Courter and Ciera Dawn in “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” at Goodman’s Albert Theatre. Courtesy of Goodman Theatre.