Upcoming Mainstage Events

The 2026-27 Season: Electrifying Performances Sparked by Joy!

The 2026-27 Season. Tickets On Sale July 7

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The Southland Creative Spotlight

Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 PM

Experience the creativity and talent of The Southland, featuring music and dance from the region’s most gifted performers. From show-stopping solos to dynamic duets and energetic ensembles, it’s a celebration of local artistry and community spirit, bringing everyone together for one unforgettable night.

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Cirque Us Stories

Saturday, October 3 at 2 PM

This joyful, high-flying performance brings stories off the page and into the air, weaving together themes of community, identity, and creativity through breathtaking circus arts, featuring aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, clowns, and more.

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Robert Townsend's Living the Shuffle

Living the Shuffle promotional graphic featuring Robert Townsend portrait on red background with bold title text

Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 PM

Natural-born storyteller Robert Townsend (known for FX’s The Bear, Meteor Man, A Soldier’s Story, and The Five Heartbeats) takes you on a rollercoaster ride, from the dangerous Chicago streets, to performing Julius Caesar at a pimp convention in NYC. This one-man show takes you behind the scenes of his first film, Hollywood Shuffle. This edgy, vulnerable, and hilarious show will inspire the dreamer in everyone.

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SUGAR SKULL! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure

Sugar Skull Día de Muertos musical promotional graphic with colorful skeleton costumes and festive stage set

Saturday, October 24 at 2 PM

This bilingual musical follows twelve-year-old Vita Flores, who thinks her family has gone loco planning a celebration for deceased loved ones. Why throw a party for the dead? But when a spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life, Vita is swept into a magical adventure that helps her discover the meaning of remembrance, family, and cultural heritage.

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Swan Lake by The United European Ballet Company

Swan Lake promotional graphic featuring principal ballet dancers and a corps of swans performing on a moonlit stage. Text reads: “Classical Arts Entertainment Presents The United European Ballet Company. Swan Lake. October 28, at 7:00 PM.”

Presented by Classical Arts Entertainment

Performed by United European Ballet

Wednesday, October 28 at 7:00 PM

Step into the magical world of Swan Lake, one of the most iconic and beloved classical ballets of all time, brought to life in a breathtaking production filled with romance, mystery, beauty, and theatrical magic.

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Arrested Development

Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 PM

Hip-hop trailblazers and Grammy-award winners Arrested Development perform incredible music about self-reflection and revolution. This show features classic hits like “Tennessee”, “People Everyday”, “Mr Wendal” and more. Along with music from their 2025 double album Bullets in the Chamber and singles “All I See Is Melanin” and “Pack It Out”.

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A Midsummer Night's Dream

Presented by GovState's Theatre and Performance Studies

Thursday, November 12 at 7:30 PM

Friday, November 13 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, November 14 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, November 15 at 3 PM

This fresh, playful take on one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies reimagines the story on the campus of Governors State University—where administration, athletes, theatre kids, and counterculture kids collide in a whirlwind of mischief, magic, and mistaken identity.

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J is for Jazz

A Celebration of Oscar Brown, Jr.

Presented by MPAACT

Friday, November 20 at 7:30 PM

Experience the vibrant history and cultural impact of jazz through J is for Jazz, an interactive musical theater event honoring Oscar Brown Jr., featuring his daughters Maggie and Afrika, as Jae teaches her brother, Jason, about jazz's richness.

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Ruth Page's The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker ballet performance featuring two dancers in lift pose beside decorated Christmas tree and event title text

Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 2 PM

Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 3 PM

This beloved holiday family classic is the only production that recreates the original version’s full-length staging. Little Clara, her mysterious godfather magician, a handsome prince, the battle between toy soldiers and mice, and a forest glade of dancing Snowflakes are all brought to life in this beautiful and joyful production.

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It's a Wonderful Life

A Live Radio Play

Saturday, December 12 at 2 PM & 7:30 PM

Sunday, December 13 at 3 PM

Experience the nostalgia of classic radio theater as talented actors bring George Bailey, Clarence the angel, and the residents of Bedford Falls to life. You will be transported into a vintage radio studio, complete with a Foley artist creating sound effects right before your eyes. A perfect holiday tradition for the entire family!

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The Greatest Love of All

A Tribute to Whitney Houston Starring Belinda Davids

Friday, February 12 at 7:30 PM

Whitney Houston’s musical legacy is brought to life in this critically acclaimed tribute concert described as “mind-blowingly spot on.” You will be stunned by the breathtaking vocals of Belinda Davids – as seen on Britain’s Got Talent, Showtime at the Apollo, and winner of the BBC’s Even Better Than the Real Thing. Accompanied by her live band and backing vocalists plus glorious state-of-the-art sound, lighting, vision, and theatrical FX, making this a beautifully crafted tribute to one of the world’s most revered singers.

*Not Affiliated with the Estate of Whitney Houston

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Carmina Burana

by Carl Orff

Presented by the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Saturday, March 13 at 3 PM

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is not merely a concert; it is an event and a work of extremes. The opening and closing O Fortuna is one of the most overwhelming things a symphony orchestra and chorus can produce — a wall of sound that hits you in the sternum. Then, without warning, Orff pulls everything back to a whisper. The dynamic range is shocking. The drama is total. Powered by a multitude of high school choruses, you will leave this concert feeling as if something large and ancient just ran directly through you.

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Once On This Island

Presented by GovState Theatre and Performance Studies

Thursday, April 8, 2027, at 7:30 PM

Friday, April 9, 2027, at 7:30 PM

Saturday, April 10, 2027, at 2 PM

Sunday, April 11, 2027, at 3 PM

Once on This Island, by the Tony Award-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, is a Caribbean adaptation of The Little Mermaid that follows Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with a wealthy boy named Daniel.

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The Doo Wop Project

Presents Echoes of the Street

Saturday, May 1 at 2 PM

The Doo Wop Project, America’s premiere Doo Wop group, brings their dynamic 90-minute show “Echoes of the Street,” featuring classic Doo Wop hits and reimagined contemporary songs, to life for audiences of all ages. Experience their unique blend of nostalgia and modernity and see why they’re keeping the Doo Wop spirit alive!

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