From community theaters to Broadway musicals, watching a live performance is a great way to observe the arts on a big stage. Families can enjoy an evening together as they join the awe-filled audience for a performing arts production involving music, dance, comedy, and drama at their local theater. Our Crème de la Crème team in Romeoville, Illinois, believes in supporting the arts and community. Here’s our list of five awesome theaters around Romeoville to experience something exciting and new.

Philip Lynch Theatre at Lewis University

Image by Yiran Ding is licensed with Unsplash License

Support your local theater scene by watching a show put on by the staff and students at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. As part of their theater degree program, Lewis University students apply their acting, theater design, and stage management education to showcase their talents on the Philip Lynch Theater stage. Their theater season occurs over the fall and spring semesters, with specific weekends dedicated to performances for everyone to see.

While they do cater to an audience of all ages, the Philip Lynch Theater admits only children 6 and up to most productions. However, the theater values the importance of family, so they perform engaging family shows every year for younger children to enjoy. Stop by the theater during the weekends of April 13 to 16 or 20 to 23 to marvel at the treasured comic strip brought to life in the stage production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

• Location: Philip Lynch Theater at 1 University Parkway, Romeoville.
• Contact: 815-836-5500.

North Central College Fine and Performing Arts

If you want to experience a range of performing arts, consider going to a concert at the Fine and Performing Arts School at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. The North Central College campus houses several performing arts centers, halls, and theaters.

Music lovers will delight in the weekly concerts by students or professional musicians at the Wentz Concert Hall. The historic Koten Chapel, built in 1913, provides an ambient experience for theatergoers with its incredible acoustics and modern lighting system. Those who admire the art of dancing can watch a dynamic recital at the Madden Theatre. 

Here are two more excellent venues where you can observe engaging theater performances at North Central College:

Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall

Opened in 2007 and seating 239 people, the small-scale Meiley-Swallow Hall offers visitors a lovely, cozy setting to take in musical and theater productions featuring talented community artists. The Hall hosts several North Central College student performances, panel discussions, and a summer jazz concert series.

For an involved theater experience that combines diversity, inclusion, and equality in inspirational stories, watch a BrightSide Theatre production. Join them in celebrating their 11th season and catch a performance at Meiley-Swallow Hall. BrightSide Theatre showcases children’s talents and inspires others to try acting or music classes in the Romeoville area. They also host fun junior renditions of Broadway classics, like “Sister Act.”

• Location: 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville.
• Contact: 630-637-7469.

Pfeiffer Hall

Catch a performance at Pfeiffer Hall for a grander theater experience, with its 1,057 seating capacity split between the main floor and balcony. This venue is rich with history, from opening in 1926 to hosting speakers like Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. Pfeiffer Hall hosts numerous live musical and theatrical performances by North Central College. Touring companies often frequent Pfeiffer Hall as well, expanding its reach beyond the local community. Mark your calendars for April 22 to watch New York City’s TheatreWorksUSA perform the family-friendly “Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide” at Pfeiffer Hall.

• Location: 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville.
• Contact: 630-637-7469.

Rialto Square Theatre

Surround yourself with the beautiful architecture of the ornate Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois. This palace-like theater, built in 1926, brought vaudeville movies to the area in a grandiose way. Step into the theater’s lobby and stand in awe of the suspended crystal chandelier with 250 lights that brighten the room. In 2006, the Rialto received a facelift to return the theater to its majestic shine for legendary artists like Patti LaBelle to grace its stage.

Musicals and comedy shows are among the sensational performances Rialto Square Theatre guests can enjoy. However, one of the most memorable experiences at this theater is Reels at the Rialto. Here, movie classics are projected onto a retro screen, giving a nod to their vaudeville history. Adults can watch dramas like “Casablanca” or comedies like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Families with children will love watching “The Sandlot” in the summer or “Hocus Pocus” for Halloween.

Reels tickets are $5 with one movie premiere per month, so everyone can cherish this unique moviegoing experience throughout the year. A concession stand is available so that you can purchase drinks and snacks to maximize your outing.

• Location: 102 N. Chicago St., Joliet.
• Contact: 815-726-6600.

Drury Lane Theatre

Broadway musical fans can trust the Drury Lane Theatre to present show-stopping productions of their favorites. For nearly 40 years, the theater has teamed up with talented directors, actors, musicians, and designers to stage marvelous performances for guests of all ages to appreciate. Love, faith, fantasy, tradition, and humor are some themes explored in the musicals presented at this venue.

Relive the nostalgia of summer loving with “Grease,” premiering April 12 and ending June 4. Immerse yourself in a fairy tale with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” showing Nov. 8 through Jan. 7, 2024. The theater prefers families with children 5 and under to forego a main stage production and attend some of their enchanting children’s programming at Drury Lane’s Theatre for Young Audiences. Don’t miss the hilarious “Shrek The Musical” from Feb. 23 to March 25.

The Drury Lane Theatre seats up to 971 people across its multiple rows of elegant red chairs, providing plenty of space to relish the theater atmosphere. Individual show tickets or season subscription passes are available for purchase, perfect for a date night, family outing, or recurring event to enjoy throughout the year.

• Location: 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace.
• Contact: 630-530-0111.

Plan your next theatergoing experience at one of these amazing theaters. Our team at Crème de la Crème of Romeoville, Illinois, invites you to laugh and cry or dance and sing along. We support building a meaningful connection between the community’s performing arts and our Romeoville families. Let us know which upcoming stage production you are most excited to see or which movie classics you want to share with your little one.