Where Chicago Theatre is Second to None! Welcome to Steadstyle Chicago!  Chicago has long been renowned for its innovations in the arts and architecture.  While it has earned its nickname as the Second City, within the past two decades it has also become one of the most vital and important theatre cities in America.  According to a 2009 report from the League of Chicago Theatres, "Each season, Chicago boasts more than 200 producing theater companies, a total 115 performance venues with 5 million tickets sold annually and an average ticket price of only $23."  Our downtown Loop is bustling with over a dozen major venues hosting a wide array of live theatre and performing arts.  Broadway in Chicago brings the cream of Broadway plays and musicals to beautiful and historic venues, including the Auditorium, Cadillac Palace, Bank of America and Ford Center Oriental Theatres.  Chicago now hosts four Tony Award winning regional companies.  The Goodman, Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens Theatres all specialize in top quality, nationally recognized work, while the internationally acclaimed Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier draws an eclectic audience to its beautiful courtyard style theatre and superb mountings of Shakespeare and family friendly fare.  Suburban enterprises such as the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Light Opera Works specialize in presenting the best musicals in the Chicagoland area.  And, of course, the lifeblood of Chicago theatre is the Off Loop storefront companies that constantly introduce the gutsiest, most provocative and edgy work any serious theatre devotee could wish to see.  Read about them all at Steadstyle Chicago, and please visit Theatre in Chicago for complete listings, news, auditions, review round-up and restaurant recommendations.  This site is intended to be both functional and aesthetically appealing.  You can now click on any photo on the site to get more information on the show.  Information and links to all Chicago productions can be found online at ChicagoPlays.com.  Half-priced tickets are always available online at HotTix.org and at the Hot Tix booth locations, 72 E. Randolph and 163 E. Pearson in downtown Chicago.  Visit www.mytheatreclub.com for more articles by Steadstyle Chicago writers. Reviews Chicagoland Marquees Archives Contact Richard Eisenhardt Reviews Theatre in Chicago Chicago Theatre News & Arts Events August 28, 2010 Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater breaks ground on a new $16 million performance arts and cultural facility, its first permanent home in 34-year history. August 21, 2010 Attic Playhouse, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre of Western Springs, and Writers Theatre take the spotlight as a new season begins in the Chicagoland suburbs. August 18, 2010 Silken Veils, The Texas Chainsaw Musical and Moliere Than Thou are among the diverse entries in the first annual Chicago Fringe Festival opening in September. August 6, 2010 For 36 years the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse kept audiences well fed and entertained.  This Chicago institution was the first and finest of its kind in the country. July 17, 2010 Brush up your Shakespeare with a historical look at the creative talents who have brought the centuries old plays of William Shakespeare from page to stage to screen. March 15, 2010 "Billy Elliot" has been declared the best musical of the decade by Time Magazine.  Joe Stead takes a personal look at one of the stars of the Chicago production.   What's in a Rating? Steadstyle Chicago evaluates every performance we review on a scale of one to four.  Since theatre and art are always subjective, these ratings are simply the critical impressions of our reviewers.  They can be taken as a measurement of artistic achievement or as a consumer guide.  With all the entertainment options you have to pick and choose, which ones most merit your time and investment?  We have assigned a unique rating system to each production reviewed on this site.  Four drama masks are an indication of outstanding achievement that is highly recommended.  Three masks indicate a producton with many worthy attributes and is recommended.  Two masks indicate a mix of pro's and con's and is somewhat recommended.  One mask indicates a very disappointing production that we do not recommend to our readers.