Chicago Children's Theatre Unveils 2026-27 Season, Featuring Four Revived Productions

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The lineup also includes Carmela Full of Wishes, The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party, and Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster.

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Chicago Children’s Theatre will honor its 21st birthday with a 2026-27 season by bringing back four of its greatest “childhood hits” for a whole new generation of live theater fans. Learn more about the full season lineup!

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The first is Carmela Full of Wishes, a moving ode to family – and dreamers – adapted from the popular children's book by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson. This 2022 CCT world premiere tells a warm, hopeful story about a loving Latino migrant family. Carmela also exemplifies CCT's work bringing contemporary children's literature by Black and Brown authors to the live stage the past 20 years. Performances are October 25-November 15, 2026.

With the holidays comes The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party, returning for its 11th season at Chicago Children's Theatre. Tried and true, this clever trunk and puppet show brings four beloved Beatrix Potter animal stories to life, while bringing families from all over the city together for a post-show holiday party. CCT's seasonal rite of passage for Chicago toddlers runs December 5-30, 2026.

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster, Manual Cinema's original adaptation of Mo Willems ' children's stories about a monster who tries to be scary but just…isn't…premiered at Chicago Children Theatre in 2023, and has since wowed audiences at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, in Edinburgh, and beyond. A hilarious, endearing, family-friendly fusion of shadow puppetry, video projection, DIY cinema, green screen, original music, and immersive sound, Leonardo returns to make new friends at Chicago Children's Theatre, February 13-March 7, 2027.

Chicago Children's Theatre's 21st season finale, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, stars every toddler's favorite insatiable caterpillar, along with three more animal stories, in a bright, bold, stage version of Eric Carle 's timeless children's books. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller and featuring more than 75 larger-than-life puppets, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show will be ready to open the eyes and minds of a whole new generation of Chicago children as wide as butterfly's wings, April 11-June 13, 2027.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/THE-VERY-HUNGRY-CATERPILLAR-SHOW-and-More-Set-For-Chicago-Childrens-Theatre-2026-27-Season-20260505)._