This past weekend, our family was lucky enough to head to the Chicago Children’s Theatre for the premiere of ‘Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve!’ based on the classic children’s book by P.D. Eastman.
The Chicago Children’s Theatre is the city’s largest professional theater company exclusively dedicated to children and young families. In addition to their amazingly inclusive live theater experiences for kids, they also provide classes, summer camps, and programming for children with other special needs. It is the ideal location for children to develop a love for theater and performing arts.
‘Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve!’ is a first of it’s kind in the bilingual musical department. Imagine reading the two books, Go Dog Go and Ve Perro ¡Ve! in unison with amazingly engaging songs, props and dancing throughout. The show ran approximately 75 minutes and my three kids (ages four, seven & eight) were mesmerized from start to finish.
The show has many familiar elements from the books, with plenty of cute surprises and fun songs to keep both children and adults actively engaged.
Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve! will run at Chicago Children’s Theatre from March 16, 2025 – May 18, 2025. There are weekend performances open to the public, and school performances available on weekdays. Please check their website for added performance dates and further details.
We were invited to attend this performance to share our experiences; all opinions are my own.
Review of Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve!’ at the Chicago Children’s Theatre
The 2025 spring theatre season is officially under way at the Chicago Children’s Theatre, with the premiere of Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve!’ on March 16. My kids and I are huge fans of Go Dog Go! and we were excited to see one of our favorite books come to life in front of our eyes. Even if you are not familiar with the book by P.D. Eastman, you will have no problem following the journey of four different colored dogs through multiple, comedic adventures of their day. The cast is high energy and kept our attention the entire performance.
This was our kids’ first experience at a theatre performance, and it was a great show to start with. The performance is easy enough for even small kids to follow and understand the journey of the Dogs as they experience the many different activities that make up the production.
The entire show is set to the music of an accordion being played by an actor onstage The music and choreography is lively and fun, and the show flew by. There is constant movement and music throughout the show, and I was very impressed by their thoughtful use of props with actual P.D. Eastman dog characters from the books onstage. The costumes the dogs wore were eye-catching and helped capture each dog’s unique personality.
Age Recommendations
The production is ideal for children of all ages, especially toddlers (2 and up) and preschoolers. Adults in the room were smiling and laughing from start to finish as well.
Tips for Visiting Chicago Children’s Theatre
Parking
Chicago Children’s Theatre has free parking in their lot! It’s located along the south wall of the building and can be accessed from Racine Avenue. Their lot tends to fill up on busy days, so plan to arrive a little early to secure a spot and enjoy the pre-show entertainment. There is also street parking available nearby.
Restrooms
When you enter the theater, there are restrooms located on the first level at the end of the hallway. They do encourage guests to use the restrooms before the show begins to help prevent any distractions throughout. There are gender-neutral single-family bathrooms located on the first floor, and additional restrooms on the second floor. Changing tables are available in all restrooms.
Concessions and Merch
The lobby has light concessions for sale (coffee, juice, water and light snacks). They also offer production related books.
Pre-show Entertainment
Chicago Children’s Theatre always has engaging and age appropriate show related activities and games for your kids to enjoy, no matter what show you attend. They encourage families to arrive when the doors open to take advantage of pre-show experiences in the lobby. We colored Go Dog Go pictures, learned some Spanish before the show, and made small crafts.
Seating
For Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve!’ the couch-like seating was arranged into 3 rows in front of the stage. There were literally no bad seats in the house, everyone had a great view. For those needing additional leg room or more back support, standard chairs are available along the back row. Let a staff member know upon arrival if you would like a backed chair to sit in.
Because the seating is general admission, you should go inside early when they open the house in order to get settled in the spot of your choice. Late seating is available at the discretion of the House Manager. If you must enter after the performance has begun, your party may not be able to sit together.
Performance Length
Go Dog Go! Ve Perro ¡Ve!’ lasts approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.
Ticket Pricing
Tickets for the show are $55.25 per person (including fees). For children under 18 months, they offer lap seat tickets for $12. Visit their website or contact boxoffice@chicagochildrenstheatre.org for more details about specific ticket requests.
Special Accommodations
The building has a ramp entrance located on the south side of the building. Every public space in the Chicago Children’s Theatre is wheelchair and walker accessible. There is an elevator to access the second floor. If you have specific accessibility questions or needs, please contact Guest Services at boxoffice@chicagochildrenstheatre.org or by calling (312) 374-8835.
There are locations in the building to park strollers during classes and performances. It would be easier to just leave your stroller in the car if possible. The parking lot is close to the building, and the theatre is very family friendly.
Restaurants Near The Chicago Children’s Theatre
There are some great spots to grab a bite to eat while in the West Loop. Here are some nearby places listed on the Chicago Children’s Theatre website, and also some of our nearby favorites:
- Waffle
- Freshii
- Wishbone
- Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
- Haymarket Pub & Brewery-one of our family favorites
- VietFive Coffee
- Do-Rite Donuts – they have awesome gluten free donuts
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams-very accommodating of allergies
Please note, outside food is not allowed in the theater. You may bring in a drink with a lid.
About Chicago Children’s Theatre
Founded in 2005, Chicago Children’s Theatre focuses on the production of first-rate children’s theatre in Chicago, with top writing, performing, and directorial talent and high-quality design and production expertise. Chicago Children’s Theatre also produces The Red Kite Project, a multi-sensory interactive theatre program tailored specifically to the needs of children on the autism spectrum. In 2017, Chicago Children’s Theatre became the first theater for young audiences in the nation to win a National Theatre Award from the American Theatre Wing, creators of the Tony Awards. Chicago Children’s Theatre is currently enrolling for Spring and Summer Theatre Camps for ages 4-14.
Chicago Children’s Theatre
100 S. Racine Avenue
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 374-8835
Highlights from Past Performances
Our team has been attending performances at Chicago Children’s Theatre for years and we have had wonderful experiences there. Here’s a taste of what we’ve seen in the past.
I was very impressed by their thoughtful use of props and costuming that helped enhance and illustrate the story so well.
Jondra Davis about A Year with Frog and Toad on April 17, 2024
One of our favorite parts was when the narrator and guitarist paused a song to poll the audience and get the kids involved. This short but significant moment was a great way to make them feel like they were a part of the action. We also had the opportunity to meet the actors and puppets after the show, which was pretty special.
Kaitlyn Agnew about Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster on September 13, 2022
Every kid got a small pouch with a few props to aid the play. This was a really nice tactile element that made it much more approachable for kids.
Rachel Matuch about Wake Up, Brother Bear! on January 27, 2020
If you are bringing your child to the theater for the first time, this would be a wonderful introduction. Watching my daughters’ faces entranced with this show was truly magical!
Kristen Sheehan about The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party in 2018
Our 2025-2026 guide to live theater has all of the upcoming shows at The Chicago Children’s Theatre.
