Best Shows To See On Valentine's Day Weekend 2013 In Chicago
By Jodie Jacobs
When it comes to romance, some theaters think Sinatra, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rogers and Hammerstein have nailed it. Four of the following five shows contain lyrics fit for a Valentine, leaving the shows to say it all for you and the timing of going the week of Valentine's Day is perfect. The League of Chicago Theatres with Choose Chicago (tourism) asked venues to discount tickets for Chicago Theatre Week from February 12-17, 2013. When calling the box office for tickets, ask if the theater is participating. Maybe a Valentine date won't be as expensive as expected.
Now & Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Marriott Theatre
10 Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
(847) 634-0200
www.marriotttheatre.com
Price: $35 - $51
Dates: Now through March 17, 2013
You can count on Marriott Theatre in north-suburban Lincolnshire to deliver award-winning, quality musicals. But to give romance an extra push, there is hardly a better song than Andrew Lloyd Webber's "All I Ask of You" from "Phantom of the Opera." Favorites from "Phantom" and other Webber musicals are showcased in "Now & Forever," a song-and-dance revue that includes "Love Never Dies," the "Phantom" sequel. Webber's touch-the-heart music will do more for a relationship than flowers or a card.
The Joffrey Ballet - American Legends
Auditorium Theatre
50 E. Congress Parkway
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 341-2310
www.auditoriumtheatre.org
Price: $31 - $152
Dates: Feb. 13 through Feb. 24, 2013
Think Frank Sinatra songs and Jerome Robbins music and you have The Joffrey Ballet's "American Legends" in the Auditorium Theatre. A three-part production, the first section is "Interplay Choreography," a number that pairs the joy of children getting older with the music of Robbins and Morton Gould. It is followed by "Nine Sinatra Songs" interpreted by Twyla Tharp choreography. The performance ends with the world premiere of a dance piece by Houston choreographer Stanton Welch. If you didn't see The Joffrey perform its iconic "Nutcracker Suite" at the Auditorium Theatre, this is a chance to enjoy the venue's fine acoustics and architecture.
We're All in This Room Together
The Second City
1616 N. Wells St.
Chicago 61614
(312) 337-3992
www.secondcity.com
Price: $23-$28
Dates: Now through April 2013
Maybe you will find out more about your date than either of you care to have the other person know, but possibly "Were All in This Room Together" at The Second City will bring you closer together. The show has been running at the world-renowned improve comedy club since summer 2012 but new audiences and their interaction make every performance a fresh experience.
Related: Date Spots on the 'L'
Sweet Charity
Writers' Theatre
325 Tudor Court
Glencoe, IL 60022
(847) 242-6000
www.writerstheatre.org
Price: $65
Dates: Now through March 31, 2013
"Sweet Charity," a Broadway show by Neil Simon with Bob Fosse choreography, suggests girls should learn from their dating mistakes but don't. The Writers' Theatre production directed by Michael Halberstam might leave couples thinking that mistakes are behind them and only winning choices are in their future. "Sweet Charity" is a good evening of entertainment enhanced by a live jazz combo under the musical direction of Doug Peck.
A Grand Night for Singing
Mercury Theatre
3745 N. Southport Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 325-1700
www.mercurytheaterchicago.com
Price: $25-$59
Dates: Now through March 10, 2013
With a title of "A Grand Night for Singing" from "State Fair," you know you are in for a treat of Rogers and Hammerstein songs. The Mercury production fuses them into life's phases such as falling in love. Indeed, few songs say it better than "Some Enchanted Evening" from "South Pacific." The show continues on to other stages including marriage and parenting so expect songs from "Sound of Music" and "The King and I."
Jodie Jacobs is a veteran journalist who loves writing about Chicago, art, theater, museums and travel. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
