Chicago Children’s Theatre’s The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party, a holiday rite of passage for Chicago’s newest generation of live theatergoers, returns for its annual holiday run, bringing with it four classic Beatrix Potter animal tales to life with an ingenious puppet show, while bringing families together from all over the city for a communal post-show party with holiday treats. Performances are December 6-28, 2025. Press opening performances are Saturday, December 6 at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.
Children up to eight, and children at heart, watch in astonishment and delight as four adorable Beatrix Potter animal stories come to life during this clever puppet show. Parents enjoy it, too, when they’re not beaming as their little ones discover the magic of live theater, often for the very first time.
(left) Felix Mayes and Lily Emerson, and (center) Felix Mayes, in The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party. (right) Lily Emerson meets audience members at the post-show holiday party. Photos by Charles Osgood.
Three charming storytellers, speaking proper English and wearing lush period costumes, unseal four vintage trunks, then proceed to open hidden compartments, pull levers and turn cranks to tell the tales of four Beatrix Potter animal characters and their storybook friends. Throughout, the actors weave toy theater magic with Potter’s classic narration while encouraging children to chime in, all accompanied by a one-man-band playing original music on guitar, banjo, cello and toy piano.
This year’s Beatrix Potter quartet of stories include a brand new tale, “The Tale of Pickles and Ginger,” with perennial favorites “The Tale of Tom Kitten,” “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin,” and of course, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” After the show, families gather in CCT’s lobby for a warm, communal experience, playing with the puppets, taking pictures with the cast, enjoying Beatrix Potter-inspired crafts and holiday treats courtesy Eli’s Cheesecake, and celebrating the holidays with new friends from all over Chicago.
(left) Felix Mayes and Lily Emerson in The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party. (right) Audience members enjoying the post-show holiday party. Photos by Charles Osgood.
Now in its tenth season, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s holiday-show-plus-after party has been the first introduction to live theater for thousands of Chicago’s youngest theatergoers. The Chicago Reader calls it “dazzling, brisk at under an hour, and sweet as can be.”
So join the tradition, dress in your holiday finest, and bring the whole family. Or come as you are with your neighborhood playgroup. Tickets also make wonderful gifts for families with young children, from toddlers to preschool.
The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party runs December 6-28 at Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine, in Chicago's West Loop. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Exception: show times on Sunday, December 21, are 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Additional holiday week performances are Tuesday and Wednesday, December 23 and 24 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party runs 75 minutes, including the post-show reception.
Tickets, $47.25 including fees, are on sale now at chicagochildrenstheatre.org. Mark your calendar and buy early, because many shows will sell out. Call CCT Guest Services, (312) 374-8835, or email boxoffice@chicagochildrenstheatre.org to learn about weekday morning matinees and discounted rates for schools, playgroups, birthday parties and scouting groups.
Chicago Children’s Theatre is a “no shushing” theater. It is centrally located in the former 12th District Chicago Police Station, now home to the city’s largest professional theater devoted to children and young families. It’s minutes from I-90 and I-290, as well as downtown and Ashland Avenue. Free, onsite parking is available on the south side of the theater. Free street parking can be found nearby on weekends, or try the Impark parking lot, 1301 W. Madison St.
(from left) Charlie Malave, Felix Mayes and Lily Emerson in The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party. Photos by Charles Osgood.
Access performances for The Beatrix Holiday Party
Sensory Friendly
Saturday, December13 at 9:30 a.m.
Audio Description and Touch Tour
Sunday, December 21 at 2 p.m., pre-show touch tour at 12:30 p.m.
*Tickets must be purchased two weeks prior to performance
For more, go to chicagochildrenstheatre.org/access_performances or email access@chicagochildrenstheatre.org.
Felix Mayes and Lily Emerson in The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party. Photo by Charles Osgood.
The original creators of The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party are Chicago Children’s Theatre Director of Production Will Bishop, with Lara Carling, Kay Kron, Grace Needlman and Ray Rehberg. Will Bishop directs. Cast members are Lily Emerson, Felix Mayes and Charlie Malave. Puppets are by Grace Needlman. Original music is by Ray Rehberg and Charlie Malave. Music director, sound designer and musician is Charlie Malave. Costumes are by Janelle Manno, based on original designs by Jillian Gryzlak. Lighting designer is Becca Jeffords. Anastar Alvarez is production stage manager. Rachel Katz is assistant stage manager. Understudies are Magdalena Dalzell, Diego Vazquez Gomez and Steve Schaffer.
For more, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org, follow the company on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to its YouTube channel, CCTv: Virtual Theatre and Learning from Chicago Children’s Theatre.
Coming soon to Chicago Children’s Theatre
In February, Chicago Children’s Theatre will present its first-ever Chicago Sensory Summit, celebrating its 20-year commitment to access and marking its role as a national leader in sensory theater.
Theater artists, educators and audiences from Chicago and around the U.S. will gather for this all-access sensory theater Chicago “happening” including industry workshops and presentations, along with a series of non-verbal, sensory theater experiences for the general public.
To curate the summit, Chicago Children’s Theatre Co-Founder and Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell is drawing from the company’s growing body of sensory work, including 17 years of Red Kite Project live experiences for children on the autism spectrum, all-access productions like X-Marks the Spot: An X-Tra Sensory Xperience for visually impaired audiences, and its recent R.O.A.R. (Residencies of Arts and Resilience) program involving trauma-informed teaching and multi-sensory integration. Stay tuned for the full line-up.
It’s been more than a decade since CCT presented Goodnight Moon, the musical based on Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s book, drenched in primary colors that pay homage to Clement Hurd’s vivid illustrations.
But for CCT’s 20th Anniversary season finale, bunny will be “in the house” in an all-new, immersive setting. Catchy songs, delightful dancing, a technicolor set, the quiet poetry of the original tale, and the humorous antics of one very nocturnal bunny all play a part in this fun, family-friendly celebration of one of the most iconic children’s books of all time.
Chicago director Mikael Burke, who made his CCT debut with Milo Imagines the World in 2024, returns to direct. Performances are April 11-June 7, 2026. Press openings are Sunday, April 12 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Ideal for all ages.
About Chicago Children’s Theatre
“The Chicago theater scene is legendarily vibrant, so naturally a number of companies tailor productions to younger audiences. The cream of the crop is Chicago Children’s Theatre.”
– Chicago Tribune
Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine St. in Chicago’s West Loop, is Chicago’s destination for the best plays, musicals, classes and performing arts camps for young audiences, students and families.
The company was founded in 2005 with a big idea: Chicago is the greatest theater city in the world, and it deserves a great children’s theater. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025-26, Chicago Children’s Theatre is the city’s largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families.
In 2017, following 11 years of itinerancy, Chicago Children’s Theatre opened its forever home in Chicago’s West Loop community. Formerly the 12th District Chicago Police Station, the building was repurposed into a LEED Gold-certified, mixed-use performing arts, education and community engagement facility. For children, parents, caregivers and teachers, CCT is now a convenient, welcoming community hub, centrally located in the city, with free, onsite parking.
Chicago Children’s Theatre has established a national reputation for the production of first-rate children’s theater with professional writing, performing, and directorial talent and high-quality design and production expertise. In 2017, Chicago Children’s Theatre was the first theater for young audiences to win a National Theatre Award from the American Theatre Wing, creators of the Tony Awards. In 2019, the company won the National TYA Artistic Innovation Award from Theatre for Young Audiences/USA.
In tandem with its live productions, Chicago Children’s Theatre offers a full slate of Access services for patrons with disabilities, including ASL interpretation, open captioning, touch tours and sensory friendly performances. Chicago Children’s Theatre provides live theater experiences, classes and camps for children with autism and other special needs via its Red Kite Project. CCT also provides thousands of free and reduced-price tickets to weekday student matinees to under-resourced schools in partnership with Chicago Public Schools.
In addition to shows, CCT offers a full, year-round roster of performing arts education programs for ages 0 to 14. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org/family-programs for information on classes, workshops, winter, spring break and “school’s out” camps, and summer camps. Due to popular demand, in addition to its home in the West Loop, CCT camps and classes have expanded to new locations including Menomonee Club Drucker Center in Lincoln Park.
Chicago Children’s Theatre is supported by Goldman Sachs Gives, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts, Polk Bros Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts, Bayless Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Camp Out for Kids, Crown Family Philanthropies, PwC, Rivers Gives, US Bank, Thomabravo, Theater League Kansas City, Illinois Arts Council Agency and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).
Chicago Children’s Theatre is led by Co-Founders, Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, with Board President Armando Chacon.
For more, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.