THE HOT WING KING & More Lead Chicago's Summer 2024 Top Theatre Shows

Chicago is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month.

We understand the importance of choosing the perfect show, especially for new theatregoers. That's why our experienced editorial team meticulously reviews a wide range of productions each month. We consider various factors including a producer's track record, audience reviews, and overall production value, to bring you the very best recommendations for the following month.

See what the experts recommend! Check out our editorial team's top picks for the best shows to see in Chicago for May 2024.

The Hot Wing King

Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre - June 20, 2024 through July 21, 2024

When it comes to wings, Cordell is king! Supported by his beau Dwayne and the best friends who serve as his fry crew, the group embarks on a fun night of pre-competition prep for Memphis’s Annual hot wing festival. But when Dwayne’s troubled nephew unexpectedly needs a place to stay, it quickly becomes a recipe for disaster. Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The Hot Wing King is a fierce comedy about the risks and rewards of celebrating who you are.

For tickets: click here.

Jersey Boys

Mercury Theater Chicago - March 15, 2024 through May 19, 2024

Winner of Best Musical at both the Tony Awards and Olivier Awards, “Jersey Boys” takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to discover the secret of a 40-year friendship as the foursome work their way from the streets of New Jersey to the heights of stardom. Full of electrifying performances of chart-topping hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “My Eyes Adored You,”and more “Jersey Boys” will have you “Beggin” for more!

For tickets: click here.

Guys and Dolls

Drury Lane Theatre - April 10, 2024 through June 09, 2024

The perfect Broadway musical comedy Guys and Dolls is coming to Drury Lane Theatre! Praised by TIME Magazine as “the greatest of all American musicals!” and hailed by The New York Times as “the show that defines Broadway dazzle,” this musical fable of Broadway promises an unforgettable evening at the theatre.

For tickets: click here.

Meredith Willson's The Music Man

The Marriott Theatre - April 10, 2024 through June 02, 2024

Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy is a family-friendly story to be shared with every generation. Follow fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a band that he vows to organize – despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian. By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic and touching, THE MUSIC MAN is family entertainment at its best.

For tickets: click here.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Paramount Theatre - April 24, 2024 through June 16, 2024

Before she was the Carole King we know today, she was a young songwriter from Brooklyn trying to make a name for herself. Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom as part of the hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin and going on to become one of the most successful singer, songwriter and musicians in popular music history. Her credits include songs such as “You’ve Got a Friend,” “[You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman,” “It’s Too Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “So Far Away,” and many more. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote THE SOUNDTRACK TO A GENERATION.

For tickets: click here.

9 to 5: the Musical

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre - May 02, 2024 through May 10, 2024

Three unlikely friends take control of their office and learn there is nothing they can’t do, even in a man’s world. Set in the late 1970s, this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking, and even romantic. Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy, and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy – giving their boss the boot! While Hart remains “otherwise engaged,” the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down.

For tickets: click here.

English

Goodman Theatre - Owen Theatre - Now through June 09, 2024

“English Only.” Four adult students in Karaj, Iran are studying for the Test of English as a Foreign Language—the key to their green card, medical school admission or family reunification. Chasing fluency through a maze of word games, listening exercises and show-and-tell sessions, they hope that one day, English will make them whole. But it might be splitting them each in half.

For tickets: click here.

The Kite Runner

CIBC Theatre - June 11, 2024 through June 23, 2024

Afghanistan is a divided country, and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither of the boys can foresee the incident which will change their lives forever. Told across two decades and two continents,THE KITE RUNNER is an unforgettable journey of forgiveness, and shows us all that we can be good again.

For tickets: click here.

Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil

Goodman Theatre's Albert Theatre - June 25, 2024 through August 11, 2024

Acclaimed author John Berendt’s iconic New York Times best seller becomes a seductive new musical. Southern charm is bountiful in Savannah, Georgia. But behind polite smiles, the eccentric residents are filled with secrets and motives. When wealthy antiques dealer Jim Williams is accused of murder, the sensational trial uncovers hidden truths and exposes the fine line between good and evil – which sparks Lady Chablis and other Savannahians to change the city forever. MacArthur “Genius” grantee Taylor Mac, Tony Award winners Jason Robert Brown and Rob Ashford, and choreographer Tanya Birl bring the true-crime blockbuster book and its beloved characters to life in a new musical adaptation.

For tickets: click here.

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