October 19-24, 2010

• TUE, OCT 19
  After arrival in Chicago (on your own), airport transfer (on your own) and hotel check-in, our group will enjoy a private, three-course dinner with complimentary cocktails at The Signature at the 95th atop the John Hancock Center. Overlooking the Magnificent Mile, Lake Michigan beaches, dazzling skyline and Chicagoland lights, the contemporary, art-deco styled private dining room exhibits breathtaking views of the city (with floor to ceiling windows) expanding as far as Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
  
  WED, OCT 20
  Our day begins with a coach and walking tour exploration of The Loop and beyond, including a survey of historic and contemporary skyscraper architecture. Critics say that no other city has influenced and embodied the state-of-the-art in high-rise design and modern architecture as prominently as Chicago. A private tour of The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University is next. A National Historic Landmark Theatre, The Auditorium Theatre is the crowning achievement of famed architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. It opened in 1889 and was immediately acclaimed as one of the most beautiful and functional theatres in the world. In addition to being the resident home of The Joffrey Ballet, the Auditorium hosts a variety of events from dance to music, from Broadway to rock concerts. We will meet Executive Director Brett Batterson. Following a stroll through Millennium Park, we will enjoy a private, docent-led tour of The Art Institute of Chicago including its new Modern Wing, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano. The Modern Wing provides a new home for the museum’s collection of 20th- and 21st-century art. Now a decade in the making, this 264,000 square-foot building makes the Art Institute the second largest art museum in the United States. Tonight, you may choose a performance at one of the following:
  
  • The Lookingglass Theatre
  • Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
  • "Broadway In Chicago" Musical
  • The Chicago Theatre
  • The Auditorium Theatre
  • Victory Gardens Theatre
  • Court Theatre at the University of Chicago
  
• THU, OCT 21
  We enjoy a walking tour of The Loop en route to the offices of Broadway In Chicago, the heart of the most exciting shows in Chicago's bustling Downtown Theater District, where we’ll meet with the executive staff. Broadway In Chicago includes the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Bank of America Theatre, the Auditorium Theatre and the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, all of which host productions direct from Broadway and world premieres of productions destined for Broadway. We will tour the magnificently ornate Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre. After lunch (on your own), we enjoy a private tour of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and meet with members of its executive and creative teams and members of the world-renowned ensemble. The company was formed in 1976 by a collective of actors including John Malkovich and Laurie Metcalf and has grown into an internationally-renowned company of 42 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation. Later, we gather for an exclusive cocktail reception hosted by DCPA Trustee Leo Kiely and his wife, Susan. We then journey back for a Steppenwolf Theatre Company show.
  
  FRI, OCT 22
  We depart for a walking exploration and ride on the “L” en route to the lavish Chicago Theatre for a private tour. The grandeur of this venue often leaves its visitors breathless and some called it "the Wonder Theatre of the World" when it opened on October 26, 1921. After lunch (on your own) in The Loop, we gather in a local rehearsal studio for a private “mini-Broadway” entertainment session featuring two Broadway/Chicago entertainers with piano accompaniment. These sessions have always been a highlight of every Denver Center tour! Later, we visit the Goodman Theatre and tour its new venues before meeting with the executive and creative staff. Established in 1925, Goodman Theatre has been a part of life in Chicago for more than 80 years. Every season, the Goodman presents the work of an extraordinary group of local, national and international artists. We return later this evening to enjoy a Goodman Theatre production.
  
  SAT, OCT 23
  Our exciting and performance-filled day begins with an architectural boat cruise on the Chicago River to explore this city’s unmistakable skyline. Each year thousands of architecture lovers make a pilgrimage to this birthplace of the skyscraper. Virtually every major architect has a signature building here. After the cruise, enjoy a matinee “Broadway In Chicago” show of your choice. Tonight, you may choose a performance at one of the following:
  • The Lookingglass Theatre
  • Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
  • “Broadway In Chicago” Musical
  • The Chicago Theatre
  • The Auditorium Theatre
  • Victory Gardens Theatre
  • Court Theatre at the University of Chicago
• SUN, OCT 24
  Hotel check-out and departure (on your own)

Please Note: Itinerary subject to change at anytime

Cost is $3,670 per person based on double occupancy (single occupancy must add $1,361) and does not include air transportation. A nominal portion benefits The Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We must have a minimum of 15 participants. A deposit, refundable only if the minimum participation needed is not met, of $700 per person is due at registration. The balance of the fee will be due in full by August 13, 2010.  If your deposit is paid by December 18, 2010, we'll make a gift-wrapped present available for you to give that special someone!

To register or to receive further information, please contact David Zupancic, Associate Director of Development, at 303.446.4811 or davidz@dcpa.org. 

The trip is organized with the assistance of Dr. Joseph Rosenberg of VIP Tours of New York, Inc.