Actors performing in ‘Hamilton’
Photograph: Joan Marcus

1 Man, the Musical Is Non-Stop

One of the few true cultural juggernauts of the 21st century and more relevant than ever, Hamilton returns for a seven-week run. Mar. 4–Apr. 26. broadwayinchicago.com

2 Give Up the Ghost

Get ready to crow about Lookingglass’s White Rooster, a dark comedy about curses, spirits, and moving on amid grief. Mar. 5–Apr. 12. lookingglasstheatre.org

Jason Isbell performing
Photograph: Josh Druding

3 The New John Prine

A-list Americana rocker Jason Isbell plays two emotive shows with his band, the 400 Unit, at the Salt Shed. Mar. 6–7. saltshedchicago.com

A piece by Henri Matisse from the ‘Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color’ exhibit
Photograph: Courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago

4 The Good Kind of Paper Cuts

In his 70s, master painter Henri Matisse began creating with colored paper and scissors. See the bold results in Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color. Mar. 7–June 1. artic.edu

A dancer performing in a flowy black dress
Photograph: Lois Greenfield

5 The Once and Future Goddess

Choreographer and Guggenheim fellow Nejla Yatkin combines dance with ritual in The Other Witch, her multilingual, multimedia performance about the sacred feminine. Mar. 8. epiphanychi.com

6 One Film to Rule Them All

For the 25th anniversary of Bilbo’s eleventy-first birthday, The Fellowship of the Ring returns — with 238 musicians performing the score live. Mar. 13–14. auditoriumtheatre.org

Actors performing in ‘Madama Butterfly’
Photograph: Philip Groshong

7 One Fine Day, She’s Free

The Lyric reframes Madama Butterfly’s Eurocentric perspective in director Matthew Ozawa’s modern, Japanese-forward take. Mar. 14–Apr. 12. lyricopera.org

8 Bitchcraft

Drag comedy duo Trixie and Katya sashay into the Chicago Theatre with their hilarious act, The Bald and the Beautiful. Mar. 21. trixieandkatya.com

Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Photograph: Dianela de la Portilla

9 Thrall That Jazz

Orchestra Hall hosts Miles Davis at 100, with acclaimed pianists Gonzalo Rubalcaba and John Beasley performing new arrangements of the legend’s music. Mar. 27. cso.org

10 Blues Muse

The Goodman’s centennial season struts on with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, August Wilson’s set-in-Chicago masterpiece. Mar. 28–Apr. 26. goodmantheatre.org