The theater scene in Lake County is thriving this fall and will be next year, with numerous offerings for every taste. It’s enough to keep us from venturing into Chicago to satisfy our culture-vulture itch.
That and Windy City officials are mulling penalizing those visiting from out of town with higher parking fees.
It may be time to stiff the big city, stay and play local.
Indeed, Lincolnshire’s Marriott Theatre recently unveiled its 2027 season five-play lineup which includes “Les Misérables,” aka “The Glums,” as the Brits have long called the adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel; “The Wiz,” an African-American version of “The Wizard of Oz”; and “Pippin,” a chestnut dating back to the early 1970s.
Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan, a few blocks north of the Historic Genesee Theatre, is offering “Silent Waters” through Nov. 1. The troupe says it is a play about a family’s legacy set in New Orleans in 2005, a week before Hurricane Katrina devastated the Crescent City.
Antioch’s PM&L Theatre has a macabre musical, “Ride the Cyclone,” at the venue on the village’s Main Street (Route 83) through Nov. 1.
The Improv Playhouse, 130 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, is showcasing “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” in a radio drama. It opens Oct. 16, with five performances through Oct. 30.
Also staging a radio play is the Citadel Theatre in the former Lake Forest High School West Campus, 300 S. Waukegan Road. The cast is presenting “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Nov. 13 to Dec. 13. The play is based on the holiday-themed and legendary 1946 film from director Frank Capra, which starred James Stewart.
Then there is the Historic Genesee Theatre itself, which hosts well-known stand-up comic and television host Chelsea Handler on Oct. 8, followed by a roster of holiday programs and rock stars. Those booked into the Genesee in the coming days and months include fan favorites Styx and The Temptations. In one bill, Oct. 26, hitmakers from the ‘70s — Jefferson Starship, Orleans, Firefall and the Atlanta Rhythm Section — take the downtown Waukegan theater’s stage.
The James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts on the College of Lake County campus in Grayslake also has touring professional ensembles and acts, as does the Gorton Center in Lake Forest. Ravinia Festival in Highland Park is pumping $38 million into renovating its Martin Theatre.
Who needs Broadway in Chicago with such close-to-home entertainment? Besides, all the above venues offer plenty of free or cheap parking.
Which is the opposite of what Chicago will be greeting outliers with. Especially with city alders wanting to slap that parking surcharge on suburban visitors.
The parking pluck is the latest in a litany of snubs aimed at those who live in the suburbs ringing the city. From Arlington Heights to Waukegan, the suburbs offer live entertainment rivaling Chicago. Except for sports teams, and one of those may be moving to Indiana in the near future, perhaps to escape further slights from city and state officials.
As part of late last month’s decision by the City Council to approve the sale of the city’s parking meter system in a $2.53 billion package, officials are toying with adding fees for non-Chicagoans who park on city streets. Increased parking costs would raise revenue and foster use of public transit, officials maintain.
According to the baiduhai, the surcharge would be 25 to 50 cents an hour. Suburbanites would be tracked by license plate readers to determine who pays what parking rate. Privately owned Loop parking garages are expected to follow suit and raise their exorbitant fees in a match game.
A recent study by personal finance company WalletHub determined Chicago has the 79th highest average vehicle parking rates out of 100 major U.S. cities. The Tribune quoted one alder: “We want our suburban counterparts to help when they’re clogging up the system.”
For us cloggers, it certainly isn’t a smooth driving experience getting to Chicago’s Loop for entertainment options. The city is fifth highest in traffic congestion, according to the same study.
Of course, to avoid being a clogger, there are always Metra trains to downtown from our provincial stations. Guess we should use them because Lake County residents helped bail out Metra, Pace bus, and the CTA under a transit overhaul bill approved by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker.
More Top Picks How To Improve Eye Teaming And Focus Naturally
Fuel taxes suburban dwellers paid into the Illinois road fund were easily transferred by Chicago and state officials to boost the Windy City’s public transportation network. There’s always a way to make sure city residents are taken care of and funded by us unsophisticated.
Under the law that led to the formation of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, some 1.7 million mainly suburban drivers are left holding the bag for hefty toll increases from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. The toll hike for passenger cars, an additional 45 cents at most tollgates, takes effect on Jan. 1.
Supporting local stage productions keeps money in-county, fostering future investment in offerings and talent. It also may save money in big city parking fees.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor, and editor. [email protected]. X @sellenews