Theater in Chicago has turned a corner, and not just because of the gradual return of audiences following the pandemic. Major institutional theaters such as the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, and Writers have all seen recent changes at the top. Those leaders all now have at least a year under their belts and — this should never be taken for granted — seem to have uniformly settled in successfully.
Meanwhile, storefront theaters in the city remain in a state of flux. Many closed due to the pandemic, which disrupted the entire acting eco-system, and some lost their spaces thanks to increasing real estate values.
Theaters with deep roots and strong financial backers are also upgrading to new homes, even if that means they’re itinerant for a while. Timeline, for example, will co-produce “Falsettos” with the Court Theatre this year while starting construction on a new building. The Gift Theatre just came off an explosive surprise with “Obliteration,” which had a too-short sold-out run in Steppenwolf’s 1700 space, and its next show will be staged at The Filament Theatre.
Despite all the shuffling, this promises to be a robust fall season, albeit perhaps a touch on the conservative side. Audiences still require wooing into old, or new, theater-going habits.
Here’s a sampling of what’s coming up:
“Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” (Writers Theatre; through Oct .27; 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe; writerstheatre.org)
This critical darling, a sung-through musical based on a sliver of “War and Peace,” started as a small cabaret-style show and ended up on Broadway starring Josh Groban. It didn’t survive much past his eventual exit, but that’s not surprising when Tolstoy meets operatic electronica. It returns to its intimate roots at Writers Theater, in a Chicago premiere reuniting director Katie Spelman and music director Matt Deitchman, who previously teamed on the theater’s much-praised “Once.”
“Never Better” (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre; through Oct. 13; 721 Howard, St., Evanston; theo-u.com)
For the third year in a row, Theo Ubique begins its season with a new musical. From composer Preston Max Allen, this one’s billed as a “developmental production,” meaning it’s still a work in progress, but I tend to prefer the raw and spunky to the polished and bland. The storyline about a young woman battling both loneliness and illness may sound initially like a downer, but expect plenty of humor from Allen, who previously composed the Jeff-nominated “Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody).”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” (James M. Nederlander Theatre; through Feb. 2, 2025; 24 W. Randolph St.; broadwayinchicago.com)
If you aren’t familiar with the Harry Potter books or films …. oh, who am I kidding? This is a special-effects-laden, J.K. Rowling-blessed stage sequel that follows Harry’s son Albus to Hogwarts and then on a time-traveling adventure with, of course, big stakes. Let’s hope for spectacular magic in this brand-new touring version, which is starting in Chicago and will play here for over four months.
“Noises Off” (Steppenwolf Theatre; through Oct. 27; 1650 N. Halsted St.; steppenwolf.org)
Anna D. Shapiro, who won a Tony Award for directing “August: Osage County,” returns to her theatrical home for the first time since she stepped down as artistic director. The surprising choice of Michael Frayn’s 1982 intricate backstage farce suggests she believes audiences could use some light-hearted entertainment staged with Steppenwolf ensemble faves. For more daring fare, audiences can return in late October for the world premiere play “Leroy and Lucy.”
“Topdog/Underdog” (Gift Theatre; through Oct. 20; 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave.; thegifttheatre.org)
Gift Theater’s ensemble member Gregory Fenner (I’m not sure I’ll ever get his performance in the play “Hang Man” out of my head) stars, along with Martel Manning, in Suzan Lori-Parks’ masterpiece about two struggling African-American brothers named Lincoln and Booth, and three-card monte. In Parks’ art, history doesn’t live in the past but is constantly re-generated and performed.
“Happy Days Are Here (Again)” (Steep Theatre; through Oct. 27; 1700 N. Halsted St.; steeptheatre.com)
The Steep Theater is coming off a summer hit with “The Case for the Existence of God” by Samuel D. Hunter. Hunter is an ensemble member at Steppenwolf who recently wrote “Little Bear Ridge Road” for the company. And now Steep Theatre presents a world premiere by its ensemble member Omer Abbas Salem (“Mosque4Mosque”) that the playwright/actor wrote for the Steep company. The play will run at the intimate Steppenwolf 1700 space while Steep continues renovating its new theater. Got that?
Destinos: 7th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival (Sept. 30-Nov. 17; various locations; clata.org)
This festival, timed to Latino Heritage Month, continues to expand. International imports this year include productions from Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Local companies join with world premieres, including “Elvira,” from Teatro Tariakuri, about a Mexican immigrant who took sanctuary in a Humboldt Park church, and “Que Te Vaya Bien,” from Subtext Studio Theater, a play about fatherhood set at Wrigley Field. Albany Park Theater Project and Third-Rail Projects also bring back their celebrated, immersive immigration piece, “Port of Entry.”
“Primary Trust” (Goodman Theatre; Oct. 5-Nov. 3; 170 N. Dearborn St.; goodmantheatre.org)
Eboni Booth writes plays about the Black working class, and this one about a 38-year-old man who loses his longtime job in a bookstore and seeks a new one at the Primary Trust Bank won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Taking on the lead role at the Goodman will be Namir Smallwood, who has consistently delivered intense and intensely sympathetic performances in shows like “Charm” and, especially, “Bug.”
“Pericles” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Oct. 20-Nov. 7; Navy Pier; chicagoshakes.com)
The Royal Shakespeare Company comes to town for the first time in 30 years, with a production of a lesser-known Shakespeare play that the RSC hadn’t produced for 18 years. As such, maybe you should think of this “Pericles,” directed by the RSC’s new co-artistic director Tamara Harvey, as something akin to a rare eclipse.
“Some Like It Hot” (Cadillac Palace Theatre; Oct. 22-Nov. 3; 151 W. Randolph St.; broadwayinchicago.com)
This musical adaptation of the 1959 Billy Wilder film, a cross-dressing comedy classic, was supposed to have a pre-Broadway run in Chicago, which makes sense since the opening scenes are set here during Prohibition. But … pandemic! This madcap comedy from the “Hairspray” composing team finally arrives in its first tour, having won four Tony Awards, including for Casey Nicholaw’s tap-heavy choreography.