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Special Events in the U.S. Midwest

Special Events in the U.S. Midwest

This events guide features all the information we have on events in the U.S. Midwest. The guide covers theatres featured on this website so you may wish to check local listings for any additional theatre tours available in the U.S. Midwest. Enjoy your event!



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List View shows only the first instance of a recurring event, e.g. only the first instance of a regular weekly tour series.
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Theatre Tour

Various days and times – see schedule

Theatre Tour

Go behind the scenes of this National Historic Landmark, built by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, and view it as few do. Enjoy the radiant 24-karat gold-leafed ceiling arches, hundreds of Sullivan’s beautifully restored intricate stencil patterns, ornate gilded and bas-relief designs, and the endless floor and wall mosaics and murals by Charles Holloway and Albert Fleury.

The general tour schedule is: 2nd or 3rd Thursday of the month at 10:30am and 12:30pm, and 3rd or 4th Tuesday of the month at 10:30am and 12:30pm. Check the event website Link opens in new window for the latest schedule and availability. Tours last approximately 60 minutes and cost $15.

COVID-19 safety measures are in place during the tour. The theatre has increased cleaning efforts, including in high-touch areas like railings and elevator buttons. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the building. Tours are for six people max per tour, and all patrons and tour guides must wear a mask covering the nose and mouth throughout the tour. All ticket holders and the tour guide must maintain 6 feet distance per household throughout the tour. Please arrive 10 minutes early to guarantee access. All tour ticket holders will be subject to a wellness check-in that includes a touch-less temperature check, plus a short verbal questionnaire. All Auditorium Theatre staff are subject to a wellness check before tours. Tickets will be scanned by Auditorium staff, but only ticket buyers may handle their print at home ticket, or phone. The Auditorium Theatre will refund any tour ticket if these guidelines are not followed, or if a patron or tour guide does not pass the wellness check.

Additional dates and times may be available for private group tours of up to 6 people. Private tours are only available by appointment, depending on theatre availability. To schedule a group tour of the Auditorium Theatre, please call (312) 341-2300 Link opens in new window.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window

Chicago Theatre

Chicago Theatre

Chicago


Chicago Theatre Marquee Tour

Fridays at 12pm, Saturdays at 12pm and 2pm

Chicago Theatre Marquee Tour

Go on a history-filled journey, from the inception of this majestic venue in 1921, all the way to its present-day incarnation as a premiere entertainment venue. The Marquee Tour encompasses historical and architectural highlights of the building, including the grand lobby, sweeping staircase and majestic auditorium. Tour guests have the chance to stand on the famous Chicago Theatre stage, plus view artist signatures on the dressing room walls, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Dolly Parton and so many more!

Tours run Fridays at 12pm and Saturdays at 12pm and 2pm. Duration approximately 60 mins. Please note tour content is subject to change based on events in the building and that some tours can take up to 75 mins. There is no stage or dressing room access on concert days.

Tickets: Adults $20; Children (12 & under), Students (with valid ID), and Seniors (65 and older): $15. For groups (15+) call (212) 465-6080 Link opens in new window or email Group.Sales@msg.com Link opens in new window.

Tour content, prices, dates, and times are subject to change without notice. Tours are offered on a first come, first served basis and are subject to availability.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window

CIBC Theatre

CIBC Theatre

Chicago


Theatre Tour

Saturdays at 11am

Theatre Tour

Broadway In Chicago offers a public tour of our theatres every Saturday at 11am. Each tour visits two of our three theatres: the Nederlander (previously Oriental_ Theatre, the Cadillac Palace and the CIBC Theatre. The tour showcases the glittering vintage décor inspired by the foremost theatre designers of our time, who created through their designs in the French Renaissance styling. You will also learn about the cutting edge technology that makes each theatre the home to today’s most complex theatrical productions and the recent restorations that brought beauty and elegance back to these century-old theatres.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window


The Art Deco Nutcracker

5th to 6th December 2020, Times TBA

This event has passed and is shown for archival purposes only.

The Art Deco Nutcracker

Set in 1920s America, Kremnev’s “The Art Deco Nutcracker”, featuring Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, is a fresh, yet traditional take on the beloved holiday favorite. The Chicago Tribune has described it as “A glossy rendition filled with gorgeous, glitzy costumes” and The Cincinnati Enquire writes that Kremnev has “brought dance to a whole new level”.

“The Art Deco Nutcracker” is Kremnev’s eighth full-length ballet. His work has been presented at the world-renowned Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Lincoln Center in New York, and the Opernhaus Zurich in Switzerland, among other prestigious venues across the globe. The Huffington Post describes his choreography as “encompassing the best and brilliance of what movement can be while breaking boundaries of what we know”.

A glossy rendition filled with “gorgeous, glitzy costumes” and an “impressive cast" (The Chicago Tribune).

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window


Devil’s Ball

27th August 2021, 7:30pm

This event has passed and is shown for archival purposes only.

Devil’s Ball

The Auditorium Theatre Auxiliary Board hosts their annual Devil’s Ball, the first public event at the theatre since its temporary closure in March of 2020. All proceeds benefit the restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre.

This year’s theme, Roaring Back, is a revival of the spirit of the 1920s and signals the return of arts and culture to the theatre following its year-and-a-half long closure during COVID-19. Devil’s Ball is hosted annually by the Auxiliary Board, a dedicated group of young professionals devoted to raising awareness and generating support for the Auditorium Theatre.

The event takes place on the historic Landmark Stage that has welcomed legendary performances from Prince, American Ballet Theatre, David Bowie, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bernadette Peters, Chance the Rapper, Kathleen Battle, and many more.

Event highlights include Gatsby-themed cocktails, fabulous nosh, live jazzy tunes, a photo booth, silent auction, wine raffle, behind-the-scenes tours, a surprise pop-up performance, and dancing beneath the architectural brilliance of the theatre!

Come celebrate the re-opening of the theatre - we cannot wait to welcome you back!

Early Bird Special Tickets $75.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window


The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

19th August 2024, 7pm

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

From August 19-22, Stephen Colbert will bring the signature satire and comedy of THE LATE SHOW to Chicago. This special week of THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT, the #1 show in late night, will feature an eclectic mix of guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment and more. Featuring bandleader Louis Cato and “THE LATE SHOW band,” the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated show will broadcast from the Auditorium in downtown Chicago.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window


The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

20th August 2024, 7pm

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

From August 19-22, Stephen Colbert will bring the signature satire and comedy of THE LATE SHOW to Chicago. This special week of THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT, the #1 show in late night, will feature an eclectic mix of guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment and more. Featuring bandleader Louis Cato and “THE LATE SHOW band,” the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated show will broadcast from the Auditorium in downtown Chicago.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window


The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

21st August 2024, 7pm

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

From August 19-22, Stephen Colbert will bring the signature satire and comedy of THE LATE SHOW to Chicago. This special week of THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT, the #1 show in late night, will feature an eclectic mix of guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment and more. Featuring bandleader Louis Cato and “THE LATE SHOW band,” the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated show will broadcast from the Auditorium in downtown Chicago.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window


The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

22nd August 2024, 7pm

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

From August 19-22, Stephen Colbert will bring the signature satire and comedy of THE LATE SHOW to Chicago. This special week of THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT, the #1 show in late night, will feature an eclectic mix of guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment and more. Featuring bandleader Louis Cato and “THE LATE SHOW band,” the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated show will broadcast from the Auditorium in downtown Chicago.

Click here to go to the event website. Link opens in new window

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Photographs copyright © 2002-2024 Mike Hume / Historic Theatre Photos unless otherwise noted.

Text copyright © 2017-2024 Mike Hume / Historic Theatre Photos.

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