Must-See Shows For Chicago Theatre Week 2013

Chicago is the best theatre town in the country. There, I said it. Artists and audiences have been embroiled in this debate for decades, weighing the cons between the Great White Way and The City of Big Shoulders. Beyond the prevalent debates of commercialism versus artistry, why Chicago wins it for me as an audience member is the sheer diversity of programming offered all over the city at a reasonable ticket price. Chicago Theatre Week celebrates that diversity. From February 12 through February 19th, theatres of varying levels of prestige and size come together. From Tony-award winning regional theatres to nomadic storefronts, the Chicago community can sample a play a night with discounted tickets starting at $15. Here's a look at my top picks to see this week:

Disconnect
Victory Gardens Theater
2433 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
February 12-17: Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday at 3 PM, with additional matinees Wednesday and Saturday

A powerful and witty drama about the consequences of consumer culture and the intricacies of our interconnected global economy.

A post-show discussion will follow each performance of 'Disconnect' during Theatre Week.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, in-person (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago) or by phone (773.871.3000) until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.

$30 (Use promo code: THWEEK)

Teddy Ferrara
Goodman Theatre in the Owen Theatre
170 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60601
February 13-17: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday at 7:30 PM; Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, with 2PM matinees on Satuday and Sunday

From Pulitzer-Prize finalist Christopher Shinn comes a gripping new drama (inspired by the suicide of LGBT youth Tyler Clementi) that explores what happens when a tragedy sparks a movement--and the truth gets lost along the way.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, in-person (170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago) or by phone (312.443.3800) until sold out. Please note that fees may apply. A post-show discussion will follow the Wednesday 2/13 performance.

$15 tickets will be in the BALCONY. $30 tickets will be on the MAIN FLOOR or MEZZANINE. (Use promo code: THWEEK)

The City & The City
Lifeline Theatre
6912 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago, IL 60626
February 15-17: Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday at 4 PM

Borlu must bring to justice the mastermind of the most unusual and dangerous case of his career. A thrilling crime story set in a location both fantastical and eerily real, in a world premiere adaptation.

Receive a return coupon for a future show at Lifeline Theatre.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, or by phone at (773) 761-4477 until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.

$15 (Use promo code: THWEEK)

Happy Now?
Shattered Globe Theatre at Stage 773
1225 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
February 14-17 (Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 PM, Sunday at 3 PM)

Kitty struggles to balance personal freedom with family life, fidelity and a demanding job. Happy Now? is a painfully truthful, darkly comic take on contemporary life and how to survive it.
A behind-the-scenes tour and post-show discussion will follow each performance of Happy Now? between February 14-17. Receive a return coupon to a future Shattered Globe performance.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, or by phone (773-327-5252) until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.
$15 (Use promo code: THWEEK)

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773
1225 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
February 15-17: Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 4 PM & 8 PM, Sunday at 2 PM

With her stellar jazz trio, Billie Holiday revisits her life, loves and losses in more than a dozen quintessential, thrilling and gut-wrenching numbers. Salty, sensual, often humorous and always riveting. Receive a coupon to attend a future Porchlight Music Theatre show.

Theatre Week tickets are available online or by phone (773.327.5252) until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.
$30 (Use promo code: THWEEKLADY)

Blacktop Sky
Theatre Seven of Chicago at the Steppenwolf Garage
1624 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614
February 15 at 8:00 pm

Blacktop Sky examines the intersection of love, violence, and seduction inside an institution with a haunting Chicago legacy: the public housing project.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, in-person at 1624 N. Halsted, or by phone (312-335-1650) until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.

$15 (Use promo code: THWEEK)

She Kills Monsters
Buzz22 Chicago at the Steppenwolf Garage
1624 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614
February 16 at 8:00 pm

Qui Nguyen's touching comedy combines real life, fantasy, and 90's pop culture in the search for the badass in us all.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, in-person at 1623 N Halsted, or by phone at (312)335-1650 until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.

$15 (Use promo code: THWEEK )

See What I Wanna See
Bailiwick Chicago at the Steppenwolf Garage
1624 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614
February 17 at 8:00 pm

Michael John LaChiusa's three-part musical explores lust, greed, murder and redemption through the stories of a 1950s murder noir, a priest's crisis of faith, and the final tryst of two lovers.

Theatre Week tickets are available online, in-person at 1624 N Halsted, or by phone at (312) 335-1650 until sold out. Please note that fees may apply.

$15 (Use promo code: THWEEK)

This is just a sampling of numerous shows happening this week, which brings me back to my point: Chicago is the best theatre city in the country. Period. Or, Exclamation Point if it's a musical. Because this week isn't out of the ordinary for us, this is how the Chicago theatre community lives, loves, and works year-long. Chicago Theatre Week allows us to engage with potential new audience members by offering discounted tickets and special programming. So if you're a regular theatre goer or a sporadic audience member, use this week as a way to try out a new company. Check out what else is playing here. I've seen a couple of these shows (and will be seeing the rest over the course of their runs) so tweet me your thoughts, using hashtag #BackstagePassDB.