Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1 The Big Venues
Arie Crown Theater
Musicals and pop acts are the focus here; a renovation
has improved what were terrible acoustics (Elton John once interrupted a per-
formance to complain about the sound), but this is still a massive, somewhat
impersonal hall.
2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., in the McCormick Place convention center at 23rd St.
and Lake Shore Dr.
&
312/791-6190.
Bus: 3 or 4.
Auditorium Theatre
This beautiful theater is a certified national landmark,
too. Built in 1889 by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, the grand hall hosts
mostly musicals and dance performances. Even if you don't catch a show here,
stop by for a tour. The occasional show will appeal to kids, from
Riverdance
to
the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago's
The Nutcracker.
50 E. Congress Pkwy., between Michigan
and Wabash aves.
&
312/922-2110.
www.auditoriumtheatre.org. Subway/El: Brown, Green,
Orange, or Purple Line to Library/Van Buren, or Red Line to Jackson. Bus: 145, 147, or 151.
Briar Street Theatre
The Briar Street Theatre has been turned into the
“Blue Man Theater” since fall 1997. The New York City performance phenom-
enon known as
Blue Man Group
has transformed the 625-seat theater, begin-
ning with the lobby, which is now a jumble of tubes and wires and things
approximating computer innards. The show—which mixes percussion, per-
formance art, mime, and rock 'n' roll—has become an immensely popular per-
manent fixture on the Chicago theater scene. The three strangely endearing
performers, whose faces and heads are covered in latex and blue paint, know
how to get the audience involved. Your first decision: Do you want the “splat-
ter” or the “nonsplatter” seats? (The former necessitates the donning of a plastic
sheet.) I dare you to find a kid who doesn't get a kick out of seeing the Blue Men
stuff their faces (literally) with marshmallows. Of all the long-running hits in
Chicago, this is the one to beat—and the best kid-pleaser in town. This show is
often a sellout, so call for tickets in advance.
3133 N. Halsted St. (at Briar St.).
&
773/
348-4000.
Tickets $46-$56. Subway/El: Red or Brown Line to Belmont.
Chicago Cultural Center
Built in 1897, the Cultural Center's mandate
has always been to provide the people of Chicago with access to the arts. Fortu-
nately for families, children's shows are a major thrust of their programming,
especially on Saturday and sometimes Sunday. The center puts on workshops
and performances for children several times a month and major festivals four
times a year. Concerts featuring Thai music or dance programs depicting the his-
tory and architecture of Chicago are just a few of the types of programs you
might find. Your children can become familiar with many performing-arts gen-
res and with the artists themselves. Best of all, it's free.
78 E. Washington St.
&
312/
346-3278.
Free tickets. Subway: Red or Brown Line to Randolph and State.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier
Normally I wouldn't rec-
ommend that parents take kids to a performance of Shakespeare, especially with
audiences as dedicated as those who attend this theater. However, this company
does a great job of making Shakespeare accessible to kids with Family Saturdays,
an annual winter/spring offering that brings abbreviated versions of the Bard's
work to life (the 2004 selection was a 75-min. abridgement of
Comedy of Errors
).
This group's home on Navy Pier is a visually stunning, state-of-the-art jewel.
The centerpiece of the glass-box complex, which rises seven stories, is a 525-seat
courtyard-style theater patterned loosely after the Swan Theater in Stratford-
upon-Avon. The complex also houses a 180-seat studio theater, an English-style
pub, and lobbies with commanding views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago
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