Although arguably anachronistic in an era of snap decisions and changed minds, the traditional subscription season remains the bedrock of Chicago theaters. Such packages provide troupes with a loyal (and paid-up) audience on which they can always count, allowing for more programmatic growth, experimentation and long-term planning. In return, theatergoers get a price break on a
year’s worth of theater-going, along with the best seats in their price range and a variety of other discounts and perks. And in a concession to our frantic lives here at the end of a millennium, most theaters have boosted exchange privileges and otherwise made their once-inflexible subscriptions more user-friendly.
As there are so many Chicago theaters, there are a large number of subscription packages on sale (and in these days, they represent a major investment). So in an attempt to help you spend your money wisely, here’s a selective guide to the seasonal offerings of the best of Chicago theater. Most subscriptions include the usual perks of the genre (choice seats, exchange privileges etc.), but where there’s something especially nice and unusual, we’ve included that in the description. We’ve grouped theaters in an entirely subjective set of categories.
FINE ART AND SOCIAL CACHET: Although they hate to think of themselves this way, some Chicago theaters carry a certain social clout. The Goodman Theatre has traditionally appealed to the city’s cultural elite, while the Steppenwolf Theatre has become the venue of choice for young professionals who like to wear black, sip cocktails and swap gossip about the ensemble. A little heavier than usual on the classics, the Goodman’s 1998-99 season is nonetheless a high-profile collection of major revivals and new work. (The edgier Studio season, which opens this year with Henry Godinez directing “Straight as a Line”, is much cheaper). The chestnut “A Christmas Carol” is here as well. Steppenwolf, meanwhile, offers subscribers the chance to see the first post-“Ragtime” Frank Galati epic (“Morning Star”), along with new ensemble member Martha Plimpton starring in Mark Lamos’ revival of “The Glass Menagerie,” and innovative work by Charles Mee and the Irish wunderkind Martin McDonagh.
Goodman Theatre, 200 South Columbus Drive. “Death of a Salesman,” “Waiting for Godot,” “Oo-Bla-Dee,” “Floyd Collins,” “Jitney.” Subscriptions range from $119-$200. Studio Season: “Straight as a Line,” “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,” “Spinning Into Butter.” Subscriptions range from $46-$81. Special perks: Goodman Membership Card, offering discounts at a variety of hotels and retail outlets. 312-443-3800.
Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. “The Berlin Circle,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Three Days of Rain,” “Morning Star,” “The Beauty Queen of Leenane.” Subscriptions range from $71-$192. Special perks: Free admission to New Plays Lab readings, invitations to special events including movie premieres. 312-335-1650.
TOURING BROADWAY: For many years, the main place to buy touring Broadway shows in Chicago has been the season at the Shubert Theatre run by the Nederlander Organization (the suburban Rosemont Theater no longer has a subscription season). That does not mean all the shows will be at the Shubert — “Titanic” (the musical, not the movie), for example, will be sailing into the Civic Opera House in the spring. Still, there’s a decent slate of shows on offer, including the return of the immensely popular “Chicago.” For the first time in a while, there’s a competing (smaller and cheaper) season of touring Broadway this year, presented by Jam Productions at the Chicago Theatre. Road-show groupies would probably enjoy buying the whole lot.
Shubert Theatre, 22 W. Monroe St. “Barrymore,” “Chicago,” “Titanic.” Subscription details to be announced. 312-977-1707.
Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. “Victor/Victoria,” “Evita,” “Fame.” Subscriptions range from $55-$155. 312-951-0080.
FEEDING ON A DIET OF NEW PLAYS: For the last 25 years, loyal subscribers at the Victory Gardens have renewed their season tickets without insisting on familiar titles. That’s because Victory Gardens has a long-standing reputation as a citadel of new work. It’s the kind of season to buy if you’re more interested in rolling the dice on the latest jottings of a Chicago playwright than viewing something from New York. For subscribers this year, there’s the added attraction of Julie Harris, one of the greatest American stage actors, starring in Claudia Allen’s new play, “Winter,” playing early next year. On the South Side, meanwhile, the ETA Creative Arts Foundation has an equally distinguished tradition of nurturing affirmative new work by African-American playwrights.
Victory Gardens Theatre, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. “The Sovereign State of Boogedy Boogedy,” “Rain, River, Ice, Steam,” “Danny Bouncing,” TBA, “Winter.” Subscriptions range from $43-$120. Special perks: three-play or five-play option, post-show discussions, pre-show receptions. Many price breaks for persons with special needs. 773-871-3000.
ETA Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. “Union Station,” “Looking for a Good Thing,” “Fortunes of the Moor,” “The Dreamers,” “Anchorman,” “Sing Sister Sing.” Subscriptions are $50. Special perks: “Playwrights Speak.” 773-752-3955.
THE CLASSICS: There has been a renaissance in the last couple of years for classical theater in Chicago. While Shakespeare Rep’s new home on Navy Pier will not be ready for another season, the city’s leading classical troupe has a three-show subscription season (both parts of “Henry IV” are featured in repertoire) at its old, intimate location in the Ruth Page Theatre. The Court Theatre, meanwhile, has declared an intention to cultivate a national reputation as a major American home for the classic repertoire (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). This year, the European-style theater on the campus of the University of Chicago offers a full season of classical (and interesting new works with a toe in classical themes), ideal for the pointy-headed crowd in Hyde Park. On a smaller scale, North Shore residents should check out the rapidly improving Writers Theatre Chicago in Glencoe. With a collection of very strong reviews in its vest pocket, this generally Anglocentric troupe has become known for strong acting and impressive design values taking place in a tiny theater space where subscribers find themselves right on top of the action.
Shakespeare Repertory Theatre, Ruth Page Theatre, 1016 N. Dearborn St. “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Henry IV (Parts One and Two).” Subscriptions range from $60-$195. Special perks: speakers series. 312-642-2273.
Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis St. “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” “Nora,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Little Foxes,” “La Bete.” Subscriptions range from $90-$150. 773-753-4472. Special perks: post-show discussions, chances to meet the artists, dining discounts.
Writers Theatre of Chicago, 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe. “Look Back in Anger,” “Candida,” “Dear Master,” “Eastville.” Subscriptions range from $60-$90. Special perks: post-show discussions on Fridays. 847-835-5398.
AFFORDABLE PACKAGES OF HIT PLAYS: Whenever a new play hits it big in London and New York, there’s a bidding war in Chicago to secure the rights. Several of Chicago’s mid-size theaters specialize in such works (along with some new projects of their own). As a group, they typically offer a subscription price more affordable than the biggest theaters, a chance to see some of the most talked-about plays of recent seasons, a showcase for Chicago-based actors, and neighborhood or suburban theater spaces that are usually more intimate. Among the seasonal highlights this year: Northlight’s productions of Paula Vogel’s “How I Learned to Drive,” Apple Tree’s version of Steven Dietz’s “Private Eyes,” and Organic’s presentation of David Ives’ hugely popular “Mere Mortals.”
Northlight Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie. “Master Class,” “Cowgirls,” “How I Learned to Drive,” “The Old Neighborhood,” “The Cripple of Inishman.” Subscriptions range from $95-$150. Special perks: Free Danny Newman lecture on the topic of his memories of Maria Callas, dining and retail discounts. 847-673-6300.
Organic Theatre Company, 2851 N. Halsted St. “An American Daughter,” “Mere Mortals,” “Belfry,” “Collected Stories,” “The Old Settler.” Subscriptions range from $65-106. Special perks: Dining discounts. 773-404-4700.
Apple Tree Theatre, 595 Elm Pl., Highland Park. “Private Eyes,” “Songs for a New World,” TBA, “Violet,” “Joy of the Desolate.” Subscriptions range from $69-$115. Special perks: discounts to the new Second City performances at Apple Tree, invitations to staged readings. 847-432-4335.
THE MUSICAL HOUSES: Here’s a little-known fact: The Marriott Lincolnshire has the second largest number of subscribers of any theater in America. Why? Audiences enjoy the diet of well-produced musical revivals, sprinkled with new works. The 1999 slate includes “Houdini,” a musical about the great escapologist, and a new musical based on the movie “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Among the other musical houses, the Drury Lane Evergreen Park is worth a look under the impressive new direction provided by artistic director Marc Robin (especially for folks who live south of the city). The Stage Right Dinner Theatre has been steadily increasing in quality and building an audience in Wood Dale.
Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up,” “Houdini,” “Peggy Sue Got Married,” TBA, “Phantom.” On sale in November, subscriptions range from $85-$131. Special perks: discounts throughout the resort. 847-634-7020.
Stage Right Dinner Theatre, 276 E. Irving Park Rd., Wood Dale. “My One and Only,” ” ‘Tis the Season,” “Plaza Suite,” “South Pacific,” “Don’t Dress for Dinner.” Subscriptions range from $110-$120 (all packages include dinner). 630-595-2044.
Drury Lane Evergreen Park, 2500 W. 95th St., Evergreen Park. “Perfect Wedding,” “La Cage Aux Folles,” “All Night Strut,” “A Chorus Line,” “Millennium On Ice.” Subscriptions range from $45-$135 (some packages include dinner). 708-422-0404.
Black Ensemble Theatre, 4530 N. Beacon St. “The Other Cinderella,” “The Story of a Living Legend,” “Wang Dang Doodle,” “Elvis Presley Was a Black Man,” “Life Before . . . Def,” “Indigo Blues.” A five-show subscription card ($100) buys five entries to any show. 773-769-4451.
THE ECLECTIC COLLECTION: Although many of the smallest and edgiest Chicago theaters do not offer subscription seasons, preferring to live and die by single-ticket sales, the potential subscriber can find several interesting seasons, each with a singular panache. Pegasus Players mixes dance, music, plays and the work of teenage authors. The Chicago Theatre Company is offering an anniversary season of its greatest hits. American Theatre Company has a slate of edgy, unusual shows. And the Illinois Theatre Center has an ambitious mix of familiar titles and provocative new works. Even the itinerant and avowedly alternative Lookingglass Theatre Company has now expanded its offerings into a three-show subscription package.
Illinois Theatre Center, 400A Lakewood Blvd., Forest Park. “The Value of Names,” “Another Antigone,” “70 Girls, 70,” “Playing With Fire.” Subscriptions range from $75-$90. 708-481-3510.
Chicago Theatre Company, 500 E. 67th St. “Ritual,” “Train is Comin’,” “Pill Hill.” Subscriptions are $45.75. 773-493-5360.
American Theatre Company, 1909 W. Byron St. “The Threepenny Opera,” “One Day Only,” “Pledge of Allegiance,” “The Monogamist.” Subscriptions range from $35-$75. Special perks: dining discounts, all-new newsletter. 773-929-1031.
Pegasus Players, 1145 W. Wilson Ave. “Jellyeye,” “The Lynching of Leo Frank,” “Thirteenth Annual Young Playwrights Festival,” “Magic Banjo,” “Saturday Night.” Subscriptions range from $80-$250. Special perks: backstage events, dining discounts, tickets to dress rehearsals. 773-878-9761.
Next Theatre, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston. “Scientific Romances,” “My Three Angels,” “Between East and West,” “The Adventures of Herculina,” “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?” Subscriptions range from $50-$90. Special perks: various discounts. 847-475-1875.
Lookingglass Theatre Company, 2936 N. Southport St. “Metamorphoses,” “The Great Fire,” TBA. Subscription prices range from $50-$100. Special perks: discount admission to readings, discounts on merchandise. 773-477-7088.
You’ll also find subscriptions available in the new year to the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, and Theater at the Center in Munster, Ind. Defiant Theatre offers a summer-based play package, Lifeline Theatre has its own eclectic season of literary adaptations, and smaller companies such as European Repertory, the Aurora-based Borealis Theatre Co., Circle Theatre in Forest Park, Trap Door Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre Company, and greasy joan and co. are all slowly building subscription audiences. When you add the other subscription seasons available, it’s a veritable smorgasbord for folks who like to plan ahead.
