The beautifully restored Oriental Theatre is part of the revitalized downtown theater district. The Ford Center houses mostly Broadway tours, and is managed by Broadway in Chicago. Currently, this venue is hosting an open run of the smash hit musical "Wicked." "Wicked," with music by Stephen Schwartz, tells the back story of the witches of Oz, and is loosely based on the Gregory Maguire novel of the same name. The Chicago company was organized after the tour of "Wicked" sold out its stay in Chicago in just three days. Starring such well known locals as Gene Weygandt, Rondi Reed and Heidi Kettenring, as well as featuring such beloved songs as "Popular" and "Defying Gravity," the show has become a major tourist attraction and is showing every sign of running for some time to come.

The inside of the theater itself is so ornately designed that it's almost in competition with the spectacular set for "Wicked." Ornate designs and sculptures line the enormous domed ceiling and surrounding pillars, with some truly fascinating work visible just over the head of the set's moving "Time Dragon" piece.

View the Ford Center seating chart here.

Centerstage Reviewer: Ed Rutherford