Chicago Children’s Theatre, the city’s first and largest professional theater devoted to young audiences, kicks off its 2025-26, 20th anniversary season with Leo Lionni’s Frederick, a playful, warm-hearted musical based on Lionni’s classic, much-loved Caldecott Award-winning picture book about a mouse who saves the day.
Performances are September 27-November 16. Press openings are Sunday, September 28 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. For tickets and information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.
Little kids love Frederick and his quirky family of field mice who play and sing their way through the four seasons. As they gather food for the winter, Frederick seems as quiet as a mouse, daydreaming his way through summer while the other mice are hard at work. But when dreary weather arrives – surprise! – it’s Frederick, the artist among them, who has been storing up something special to help everyone survive the long cold winter.
A musical celebration of the idea that there is a place for all of us in this world, Leo Lionni’s Frederick is undoubtedly one of Chicago Children’s Theatre’s favorite live theater creations from the company’s 20-year history. It had its world premiere in CCT’s 10th anniversary season, was remounted in 2017, and returned as Frederick: A Virtual Puppet Show, narrated by Michael Shannon, in April 2020 to help keep children entertained during the first days of the pandemic.
Leo Lionni’s Frederick features a book by Suzanne Maynard Miller and a folk and rock blues music score by Sarah Durkee and Paul Jacobs. The cast boasts six talented actor-musicians, led by Brandon Acosta (he/him) in the title role, Frederick. Acosta, already a stand-out performer on Chicago’s top musical stages including Paramount Theatre, Theo Ubique and Drury Lane, is making his CCT debut.
Public performances of Leo Lionni’s Frederick are September 27-November 16: Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Press openings are Sunday, September 28 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The production runs approximately 75 minutes and is recommended for ages 4 and up.
Single tickets, $47.25 including fees, go on sale Monday, August 4 at chicagochildrenstheatre.org. Purchase early, because many performances will sell out.
New in 2025-26, Chicago Children’s Theatre is introducing a “20 tickets for $20” 20th Anniversary Lottery. For each show this season, CCT will offer 20 tickets per weekend for $20 via a lottery system. Patrons can enter once per production and drawings will happen each week with the winners receiving their special offer (maximum four tickets per patron).
Call CCT Guest Services, (312) 374-8835, or email boxoffice@chicagochildrenstheatre.org to learn about additional discounts for schools, playgroups, birthday parties and scouting groups.
Or, if you have children in your life, agree Chicago is the greatest theater city in the world, and that Chicago kids deserve an equally great children’s theater, purchase a subscription to Chicago Children’s Theatre’s 2025-26 season, on sale now at chicagochildrenstheatre.org. Two- and three-play mix-and-match packages start at only $97, through July 31 only.
