Displaying items by tag: Kinky Boots

Chicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, music, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer Theatre Guide, which showcases more than 100 productions; not just in Chicago's iconic theatre districts, but also across vibrant suburban communities. From Oak Park to Naperville, Glenview to Des Plaines, theatres across the region offer top-tier performances that make it easier than ever to experience the magic of live theatre close to home.

For additional details about this summer's performances and the Summer Theatre Guide visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Many summer shows will also be available at HotTix.org, Chicago's local, discounted ticketing service.

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago this Summer, organized by location.

A selection of productions playing in theatres located Downtown are:

Brokeback Mountain

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

May 28 – June 28, 2026

When Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, all their certainties of life change forever as they flounder in unexpected emotional waters. This intense tale of a hidden love spans 20 years and is interwoven with soulful, original Country Western songs, performed live onstage.

Eugene Onegin

The Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House

June 4 – 14, 2026

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian society, this cautionary tale follows the enigmatic and aloof aristocrat after his fateful encounter with the earnest Tatiana. Richly layered and deeply human, Eugene Onegin explores the fragility of the human heart and how unspoken words can shape destinies.

Untitled Vampire Play

Lookingglass Theatre Company

June 4-July 12, 2026

This romantic-comedy-meets-horror-story world premiere by Kevin Douglas explores love, commitment, codependency...and, of course, vampires.

Champions of Magic

Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building

June 6 – July 5, 2026

The production that critics have described as 'the most spectacular show,' 'two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment' and 'the summer blockbuster of magic shows.'

SUFFS

Broadway In Chicago at CIBC Theatre

June 7– 19, 2026

Direct from Broadway comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote.

Kinky Boots

Broadway In Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre

June 9 - 21, 2026

Kinky Boots follows the journey of two people with nothing in common—or so they think. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn a shoe factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized.

Iceboy!

Goodman Theatre

June 20 – July 26, 2026

Broadway's brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm, is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring Eugene O'Neill and challenging his legendary mother for center stage.

A Musical Tribute to John Williams & Steven Spielberg

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 23, 2026

Celebrate the legendary collaboration between composer John Williams and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. From Jurassic Park and Jaws to Indiana Jones and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the scores born of this 50-year creative partnership have captured imaginations around the world.

Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 25 – 27, 2026

Embark on an epic adventure to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: A New Hope! Experience the iconic film like never before as CSO performs John Williams' legendary Oscar-winning score live.

& Juliet

Broadway in Chicago at Auditorium Theatre

July 22 - August 2, 2026

Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there's life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.

Theatres are located in almost every neighborhood in Chicago.  A selection of productions playing throughout Chicago are:

Always...Patsy Cline

American Blues Theater

Playing through June 13, 2026

This musical play, complete with down home country humor and big-heart ed emotion, includes hits "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," "Sweet Dreams," "Walkin' After Midnight" and more!

LOKI-The End of the World Tour

Lifeline Theatre

Playing through June 13, 2026

In this World Premiere musical, Loki arrives at Asgard, bringing chaos, comedy, and three monstrous (maybe) children. In an us vs. them world, can we envision a new mythology?

The Targeted

A Red Orchid Theatre at Chopin Theatre

Playing through June 14, 2026

Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance, and harassment by global intergovernmental powers.

OCTET

Raven Theatre Company

Playing through June 14, 2026

Hailed by the New York Times as "the most original and topical musical of the year" for its 2019 Off Broadway premiere, this inventive and acutely relevant piece reflects the perils of the digital age.

Antigone

Promethean Theatre Ensemble at The Den Theatre

May 31 - June 27, 2026

A timely production of the classic WW2 era adaptation made all the more relevant by recent local and national events.

Catch As Catch Can

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

June 4 - July 12, 2026

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere—featuring an all-ensemble cast—must be witnessed to be believed.

As You Like It

Midsommer Flight

June 26 – August 2, 2026

Free outdoor performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It will be presented outdoors in six Chicago Parks District parks – Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Gross Park, Nichols Park, Kelvyn Park, Winnemac Park, and Touhy Park. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming.

Hair

Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre

July 2 - September 13, 2026

Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, Hair remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Marble
Gift Theatre at Copernicus Center

August 2 – August 30, 2026

Marble follows two married couples, Ben and Catherine, and their friends Art and Anne, whose comfortable lives begin to splinter after a shared dream triggers suspicion and desire.

A surreal and haunting exploration of two couples whose lives collide through shared dreams, this production anchors the company's homecoming to the neighborhood where it was founded.

Productions playing in the suburbs of Chicago include:

Nunsense
Drury Lane Theatre

June 10 – August 2, 2026

Get ready to laugh the summer away with nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken. This beloved revue, directed by E. Faye Butler, will have you in stitches as the five sisters stage a variety show fundraiser filled with outrageous musical numbers and zany comedy. 

A Little Night Music

Marriott Theatre

Playing June 17 – August 9, 2026

Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her. Amid a flurry of jealousy and suspicion, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises. Stephen Sondheim's witty, brilliant masterpiece.

Leopoldstadt

Writers Theatre

June 4 - July 19, 2026

At the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna is the heart of European culture. While an extended family gathers in the elegant Merz home for the holidays, two brothers-in-law passionately debate their conflicting visions for the future of their family and the Jewish people–a tension that will echo through the generations that follow.

The Producers

BrightSide Theatre at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall

June 12 – 28, 2026

Mel Brooks' outrageous musical comedy about two schemers trying to stage the biggest Broadway flop of all time—only to accidentally create a smash hit!

The Last Five Years

Oil Lamp Theater

June 6 - July 5, 2026

This widely beloved show takes audiences on the romantic rollercoaster of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in...and out of love over the last five years.

BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical

Highland Park Players at McGrath Family Performing Arts

July 17 – 26, 2026

Before she was hit-maker Carole King—she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. 

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Available discounted tickets will be listed at HotTix.org.

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.

There is an economic theory centered around shoes. The theory, in short, says that one should spend more money on the best pair of boots that will last you ten years, as opposed to buying cheap shoes that will need to be replaced every six months. The latter path inevitably leads to more expenditure but the higher up front cost for the better pair is a barrier to those who cannot afford it. The theory is a perfect commentary on economics, poverty, and accessibility among many other factors, and this very same theory is one of the prevailing themes of one of the newest plays to come to Chicagoland; Kinky Boots.

Based on the 2005 British film Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth and mostly inspired by true events, the musical tells the story of Charlie Price. Having inherited a shoe factory from his father, Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola to produce a line of high-heeled boots and save the business. In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all. Kinky Boots is the big-hearted musical extravaganza that won six Tonys including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre album and London’s Olivier Award for Best Musical. Kinky Boots features a joyous, Tony-winning score by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner, Harvey Fierstein.

The Highland Park Players performed Kinky Boots amongst the immaculate Loyola Academy McGrath Family Performing Arts Center in Wilmette. This production of Kinky Boots, like a good pair of boots, has an incredibly solid foundation. Headlined by the burgeoning talent of Anania Williams playing Lola, and Ben Frankart as Charlie, the two lead an ensemble cast of shoemakers and drag queens bouncing between London and Southampton. Williams was captivating as the incomparable Lola, bringing the tenderness and vulnerability to the role that demanded attention whenever on stage. Frankart was an endearing and charming Charlie, displaying the tenacity of the character in the wake of his father’s death and rallying to save his people’s jobs. At times the actors fell out of their English accents or delivered a key line or zinger without the right force or timing of delivery though the latter could have been caused due to some technical issues with their mics which also cut in and out on several actors. Despite some earlier issues, as the play progressed, the underlying themes of appreciation, respect of differences, and overcoming obstacles with help and support prevailed. There is real talent in the Highland Park Players ensemble cast, couple that with great set design and staging, and Kinky Boots has all the makings of great production off Broadway in Chicago.

If this Kinky Boots production were a shoe, it would have an incredibly solid foundation and be quite comfortable, and could be worn by many different people, old and young, and have the added benefit of being worn for multiple occasions. With a good scrubbing a bit of polish it will be a performance with lasting stay power. Kinky Boots tickets can be purchased at: www.highlandparkplayers.com. The production runs from August 18-27th

Kinky Boots has now come through Chicago a few times and I am glad I finally had a chance to see this musical, being so hyped everything. With lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, I was curious to see how her music would translate to live theater.

Based on a true story, the play starts at Price & Son’s gentlemen shoe factory in Northampton, England. It centers on Charlie Price (Adam Kaplan) trying to turn around his father’s failing business. With the help from Lola (J. Harrison Ghee), who happens to be a drag queen, they collaborate to build a new direction for Price & Son and take it all the way to Milan.

What stands out more than anything else in this play is Ghee’s performance as Lola. Ghee is an amazing singer who exudes the energy you’d expect from a Broadway performer. Additionally, many of the other characters that are part of Lola’s Angels do a fantastic job (Joseph Anthony Byrd, Sam Dowling, Ian Gallagher Fitzgerald, JP Qualters, Xavier Reyes, and Sam Rohloff). They are toned, vibrant, and of course beautiful!

Another stand out performance is Tiffany Engen as Lauren. Lauren is a longtime employee of Price & Son and has a crush on Charlie. Engen is quirky and effortlessly breaks the ice when she is on stage. I would have liked to see more of her character in the play than the script allowed along with her fun dance moves.

I felt like there was some disconnect with the casting for Adam Kaplan. I had a really hard time connecting to his portrayal of Charlie. So much so that in the end, I just wished that Lola took over the entire operations at Price & Son.

Kinky Boots is fun and full of many ups and downs. If anything, you should go for the solo Ghee performs close to the end of the show. I felt remnants of Whitney Houston in the air and a lot of soul.

More importantly, the play touches on many of the injustices that are faced around the LGBTQ community. This is something that is still a challenge and many people still are not familiar or understanding of the community. I would implore people to watch this play and actually have a real conversation about gender identity. Although the play has a humorous tone, there is an underlying message that should be discussed.

You can catch Kinky Boots at the Oriental Theatre (24 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601) during their short engagement ending on September 4th. Ticket prices range from $25-$98. 

Kinky Boots, based on the 2005 British dramedy film, was written for the stage by Harvey Fierstein with music by Cyndi Lauper. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Charlie Price, who inherits his fathers failing shoe company, and Lola, a drag queen from London who inspires Charlie and helps him save the company. On a trip to London, Charlie takes a blow to the head trying to protect Lola from men accosting her on the street. He recovers backstage at Lola’s show and in talking with Lola about her busted heel gets an ingenious idea that just may save the factory. With the help of Lola and her Angels, they design a new line of shoes with the sparkly, sexiness befitting a drag queen and the stability to support a man and manage to convince the team at the factory on board with production for a fashion show in Milan.

The set design was inspired. Elaborate set pieces transformed from the dark and dull shoe store in Northampton to the glittery set of the Angel’s Drag Show before your eyes. Creative sets and staging combined with exciting choreography for some unforgettable scenes. One of my favorites was “Everybody Say Yeah” where Charlie and Lola pump up the factory workers and the Angels as they start producing Kinky Boots. With 4 operational conveyor belts on stage, people are flying left and right, flipping around the handles of the belts and it all was seamless! Another amazing scene is the fight scene where people sub in for sets in such a creative and unique way.

The costumes were the next standout of the show, designed by Gregg Barnes. There is a great dichotomy between the glitz and glamor of Lola and the Angels, and the plainness of the factory workers that helped you appreciate the tensions the two groups need to work through. And the boots!! What can’t you say about these boots! In the final scene we are dazzled with dozens of fantastic thigh high, rhinestone covered, 6 inch heeled boots that made my choice of flats for the evening seem very uninspired.

The showstopper of the entire show is most definitely Kyle Taylor Parker as Lola. His singing is phenomenal, his portrayal of Lola will make you laugh, cry, and want to be a better person, and he does it all in 6 inch stilettos. Steven Booth is great as Charlie, and there was a great chemistry between him and Lola on stage as their friendship develops, is challenged and comes out even stronger in the end. Another highlight for me was Lindsay Nicole Chambers as Lauren. One of my favorite songs of the night was her song – “The History of the Wrong Guys”. Her comedic style on stage and powerhouse voice was a perfect combo.

Overall, the show wows with a great mix of characters, fabulous costumes, catchy music, exciting choreography that plays well with a creative set and of course incredible shoes! Kinky Boots will be in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through July 26^th and it is a must see!