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A Midsummer Night's Dream Feb 7 - Apr 8, 2012  
Chicago Shakespeare Theater A Midsummer Night's Dream
 
On the heels of his critically acclaimed production of As You Like It, CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin takes on Shakespeare's most popular comedy, in which a quartet of mismatched lovers and a gaggle of hapless actors cross paths with the king and queen of the fairies, entangled in their own domestic dispute. A wondrous wood brimming with paramours and possibilities sets the scene for Shakespeare's spectacular tale, exploring the inexplicable magic of falling in love—and the wonder of waking up from the sweetest of dreams.
 
   
Dating Walter Dante Feb 7 - Mar 24, 2012  
Raven Theatre Dating Walter Dante
 
His first wife may or may not have died accidentally. His second wife is missing.The police watch him around the clock. Walter Dante isn't exactly a prize catch.Which is why Laura Bakersfield shocks her friends when they find out she's dating Walter Dante!
 
   
American Idiot Feb 7 - Feb 19, 2012  
Ford Oriental Theatre American Idiot
 
Direct from Broadway, the smash-hit musical AMERICAN IDIOT tells the story of three lifelong friends, forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Based on Green Day’s GRAMMY Award-winning multiplatinum album and featuring the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track, AMERICAN IDIOT boldly takes the American musical where it’s never gone before. With direction by Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), choreography by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch) and orchestrations and arrangements Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), the result is an experience Charles Isherwood of The New York Times declares “thrilling, emotionally charged, and as moving as any Broadway musical I’ve seen this year!”
 
   
Orpheus Descending Feb 10 - Mar 11, 2012  
Shattered Globe Theatre at Stage 773 Orpheus Descending
 
Orpheus Descending is inspired by the Greek myth and features a young, charismatic musician who descends on a small, repressive Southern town. There, he forms a relationship with a passionate woman who has a tragic past - and is trapped in a loveless marriage. Williams' story of loneliness and desire, sexuality and repression and the ever-present longing for freedom continues to shock and entertain audiences 50 years after its 1957 debut.
 
   
The People's Barnum Feb 10 - Mar 18, 2012  
Quest Theatre Ensemble The People's Barnum
 
Set in the center ring, The People's Barnum! tells the true story of Phineas Taylor Barnum and the acts that made him famous. The tale is set to Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart's legendary music and features Quest Theatre Ensemble's well known shadow/rod puppetry. See General Tom Thumb only 25 inches from toe to crown! Witness Jumbo, the largest elephant in the world! Behold the oldest woman on the planet with your very own eyes! Marvel at the feats of contortionists, gymnasts, tumblers, and stilt-dancers! And find out first hand why The People's Barnum! is the "Greatest Show on Earth!"
 
   
Kill Me Feb 11 - Mar 18, 2012  
WildClaw Theatre at Athenaeum Theatre Kill Me
 
Upon awakening from a post-traumatic coma, Cam is convinced that she has lost her ability to die. As her reaction to immortality rapidly shifts from invincible wonder to cosmic terror, her sanity begins to break. Fearing life eternal, Cam attempts suicide...again...and again...causing her sister and lover to grapple with nightmares of their own, born in the dream world, and the real one. Are the demons plaguing these women real or imagined...and is there ultimately a difference? Through relentlessly shifting dimensions, soundscapes, and mental worlds, KILL ME creates a lyrical horror story in which unending life proves worse than death.
 
   
The Ritz Feb 11 - Apr 1, 2012  
Circle Theatre The Ritz
 
When straight businessman Gaetano Proclo discovers he’s being pursued by the mob, he unwittingly takes cover in a gay bathhouse with an increasingly bizarre and endearing cast of characters. He takes on the guise of a Broadway producer to further hide his identity and farcical merriment ensues. By the author of Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class and Ragtime.
 
   
Show Boat Feb 12 - Mar 17, 2012  
Lyric Opera Show Boat
 
This spectacular new production marshals the choral and orchestral forces of our world-renowned company to present Show Boat in all its glory! Created in 1927, this seminal masterpiece gave American musical theater and opera a new voice — one with powerful subject matter, astonishing musical variety and an unmistakably American atmosphere. Moving from 1890s Mississippi to Chicago to “Roaring 20s” Broadway, Show Boat follows the lives of a company of theater folk — deeply involving us in their triumphs and sorrows, while illuminating the racial and social changes that were shaping the country.
 
   
South Pacific Feb 14 - Feb 26, 2012  
Cadillac Palace Theatre South Pacific
 
SOUTH PACIFIC is based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. “Simply Wonderful! Beguiling Theatrical Magic!” hails the New York Post for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC. This breathtaking new production of SOUTH PACIFIC is based on the 2008 Tony Award® winning Lincoln Center Theater production, directed by Bartlett Sher. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices.
 
   
The 3 Divas Feb 14  
Northlight Theatre The 3 Divas
 
Susie McMonagle, Heidi Kettenring and Christine Sherrill - These celebrated women of song have graced countless stages in Chicago, on Broadway, and around the country. Now performing together for the very first time, this trio of chanteuses will explore the romantic side of the American Songbook in a Valentine’s Day cabaret concert showcasing their musical passion and powerful pipes!
 
   
Superior Donuts Feb 14 - Mar 25, 2012  
Mary-Arrchie Theatre at Angel Island Theater Superior Donuts
 
This delicious comedy-drama from Tracy Letts, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of August: Osage County, tells the story of the off-beat friendship that grows between the cantankerous white owner of a struggling uptown Chicago donut shop -- a former radical who holds on tight to the past -- and his only employee, an ambitious African-American teenager who has big dreams for the place.
 
   
My Kinda Town Feb 16 - Mar 10, 2012  
Nothing Special Productions at The Den My Kinda Town
 
Blakenship’s My Kinda Town is a farcical comedy which follows two Chicago best friends and roommates, Tony and Drew. Tony is an up and coming musical theater actor while Drew, a down on his luck writer, battles writer’s block by writing crossword puzzles for The Times. When Tony lands the lead in a sure-fire hit musical, My Kinda Town, a role that could help him fulfill his dream of bringing his theatrical talents away from Chicago to New York, Drew begins scheming up ways to keep Tony in town. The hopelessly romantic girl next door, an agent with ambition of his own, and a surprise visit from Tony’s mother, who cares just a little too much, punctuate this romp about friendship, ambition, and the places between.
 
   
Shakespeare's R and J Feb 16 - Mar 18, 2012  
Idle Muse Theatre Company at Side Project Shakespeare's R and J
 
We all know the story--it’s everyone’s story. Romeo and Juliet has endured 400 and more years because it’s a story about love; in fact, it’s about that rarest of all things: first love. When you first read or saw Shakespeare’s immortal story about young lovers who insist on each other against all odds--who were you? Which character could you see in yourself? When did it occur to you that what they were feeling--that hopeless, fantastic, elevating, crushing madness could be yours too, and led you to wonder: what would I do?
 
   
Man Boobs Feb 16 - Mar 10, 2012  
Pride Film and Plays at Mary's Attic Man Boobs
 
Christopher, veteran of the New York International Fringe Festival, conjures up Spence and Marty, two extraordinary men with very ordinary desires who expose much more to each other than their bodies as they strive for meaningful connection.
 
   
They Are Dying Out Feb 16 - Mar 24, 2012  
Trap Door Theatre They Are Dying Out
 
Riddled with absurdity and farce, Handke’s They Are Dying Out is an epic meditation on the corporate mindset and how it infects the souls of those who engage it. Business mogul Hermann Quitt knows that it is impossible for him to live up to his own ideal image. This knowledge makes him an amoral monster who humiliates his wife and mistress, breaks agreements and contracts, betrays and ruins his business associates, and leads him to commit the ultimate crime.
 
   
The Tragedie of Hamlet: Prince of Denmarke Feb 16 - Feb 25, 2012  
(re)discover theatre at Live Bait Theatre The Tragedie of Hamlet: Prince of Denmarke
 
(re)discover theatre, a new addition to the Chicago theatre scene, will open its inaugural production on February 16 at the Live Bait Theater. This text-oriented version of Hamlet promises to preserve the integrity of Shakespeare’s verse, while uncovering new and exciting opportunities in the script.
 
   
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Feb 17 - Jun 28, 2012  
Emerald City Theatre Company at Apollo Theater Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
 
Some days are just epically horrid. Alexander is having that day-gum in his hair, kissing on TV, railroad pajamas and no one EVEN CARES! In this larger-than-life musical written by the classic picture book's author even the copy machine come alive to conspire against Alexander. And how do you deal with all this frustration? Pack for Australia.
 
   
How the West Was Done In Feb 17 - Feb 26, 2012  
GreenMan Theatre at Angelo's Ristorante How the West Was Done In
 
"How the West Was Done In" is a spoof of Hollywood, the 1960s, and classic westerns such as "True Grit," "Blazing Saddles," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," and "High Noon," among others. The show features several musical and dance numbers to help entertain the audience, who will enjoy a full course family style dinner and an interactive style of theater during the performance.
 
   
The Secret of the Alabaster Box Feb 17 - Mar 10, 2012  
Overshadowed Theatrical Productions The Secret of the Alabaster Box
 
Receiving a box of forgotten treasures is not unusual for Mary. As the owner of "Lost in Time." people are always dropping off heirlooms and unusual items that they consider worthless. But now Mary receives a box that captures her thoughts. As she tries to uncover the mystery around it, she is swept into the past and reminded of lessons learned long ago.
 
   
Mark Twain: Patriot, Teacher, Philosopher Feb 17 - Mar 11, 2012  
Saint Sebastian Players at St. Bonaventure Church Mark Twain: Patriot, Teacher, Philosopher
 
Mark Twain: Patriot, Teacher, Philosopher is an evening of drama, humor, innocence and wit, including The War Prayer, The Diaries of Adam and Eve, The French Duel, Running for Governor and more. “The emphasis of the text is on Twain’s patriotism, his philosophy and his lifelong quest to change the world and make it a better place as he tries to make the people in it better,” commented Oster. “We want audiences to see the Twain beyond Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The production features live music that will get your feet stompin’ and your blood pumpin’!”
 
   
Devil May Care Feb 17 - Mar 17, 2012  
Wishbone Theatre Collective at Flat Iron Arts Building Devil May Care
 
Staring John Mark Sawyer and Denise Smolarek, Devil May Care finds two residents of a small town with disparate experiences of faith challenging the other’s motives for being in an empty church at midnight. Lost in their lives and beliefs, they will be redefined by this chance encounter.
 
   
Happy Endings: A Drinking Game Performance Feb 17 - Mar 3, 2012  
Cornservatory Happy Endings: A Drinking Game Performance
 
Once upon a time, in the land of Three Sheets Away, an ingenious and resourceful troupe of amusing artists combined fantastical sketch comedy and over-indulgent drinking games and created a whimsical night of fractured fairy tales, generous guffaws, and intoxicating beverages. And now Corn Productions, creators of such Drinking Game Performances as DeathToll, Off the Paddy Wagon and The Variety Show, brings the enchanted evening to in Happy Endings: A Drinking Game Performance.
 
   
A Catered Affair Feb 18 - Apr 1, 2012  
Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 A Catered Affair
 
Set in the Bronx in 1953, A Catered Affair is a bittersweet reflection on the complexities of relationships between husbands and wives and parents and children. A couple must decide whether to spend their life savings on a family business or to celebrate their only daughter's marriage with a lavish catered affair, providing her with the joyful wedding they never had for themselves. A beautiful exploration of the resilience of love, A Catered Affair features a melodious, 50s-inspired score. The production received three Tony Award nominations, eleven Drama Desk Award Nominations as well as the Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical.
 
   
The Fisherman Feb 18 - Apr 1, 2012  
Stage Left Theatre at Theater Wit The Fisherman
 
For brothers Carl and Chucky Lund, retirement means building a cabin on Pequot Lake, the perfect place for fishing while listening to the Twins lose (again). But that dream is destroyed when they are forced out of their jobs and pensions by the airline to which they’ve devoted their lives. With his back against the wall, Carl begins to question how far a man can be pushed before he pushes back.
 
   
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Feb 22 - May 12, 2012  
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
 
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT was originally written by Andrew Lloyd Webber for school children in 1968. The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences is excited to take Joseph “back to its roots” with an amazing ensemble of professional actors, guitars and other instruments in hand, presenting one of the most beloved shows of all time… but with a contemporary musical twist. Kids (and parents) of all ages will celebrate one of musical theatre’s most joyful shows in a whole new way!
 
   
Petrified Forest Feb 23 - Mar 31, 2012  
Strawdog Theatre Petrified Forest
 
Part crime drama, part political allegory, The Petrified Forest uses a tense roadside hostage drama to show both the rewards and the consequences of taking action during a time of widespread stagnation, national uncertainty, and personal desperation. Written by a gifted playwright who would go on to become one of FDR's most valued speech-writers, The Petrified Forest is a Depression-era masterpiece which is alternately funny, romantic, thrilling and violent, but consistently political.
 
   
Always... Patsy Cline Feb 23 - Apr 1, 2012  
Theatre At The Center Always... Patsy Cline
 
This international hit musical had its world premiere in 1988 and has enjoyed great success over the United States, including a long run Off-Broadway. More than just a tribute to the legendary country singer, this musical, based on a true story, recounts Cline’s friendship with a fan from Houston, Louise Seger (played by Janelle Snow). Patsy befriended Louise at a Texas honky tonk and the two remained pen pals until her untimely death at the age of 30 in a 1963 plane crash. The title comes from the closing in all of Patsy’s letters to Louise – “Love always, Patsy Cline.” Complete with humor and true emotion, this show includes many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Sweet Dreams and Walking After Midnight.
 
   
The North Plan Feb 23 - Mar 31, 2012  
Theater Wit The North Plan
 
What would ordinary Americans do if the U.S. government fell into tyranny? Quentin Tarantino meets All the President’s Men in Jason Wells’ The North Plan. In a small-town Missouri jailhouse in the not-too-distant future, a wrongly imprisoned federal bureaucrat is desperate to escape so he can thwart an unspecified constitutional crisis. To achieve this goal, he’ll need a drunk, a laptop, and guns. Many guns.
 
   
Fulton Street Sessions Feb 23 - Mar 25, 2012  
TUTA Theatre Chicago at Chicago Dramatists Fulton Street Sessions
 
TUTA's production of Fulton Street Sessions is a cabaret-style production in the form of a collection of sketches, musical numbers and interludes reflecting current national and local news and social, cultural and political gossip.
 
   
We Have Always Lived in the Castle Feb 24 - Apr 1, 2012  
City Lit Theater We Have Always Lived in the Castle
 
Scandal forced the Blackwood sisters and their invalid uncle into seclusion from their rural New England community. The three remain happily isolated from the outside world until the unexpected arrival of an estranged relative, which forces them into a confrontation with everyone and everything they had sought to avoid in the first place. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a compelling exploration of provincialism, the dark side of family ties, and the supernatural.
 
   
Tammy: A Coming of Age Story About a Girl Who is Part T-Rex Feb 24 - Mar 24, 2012  
Cornservatory Tammy: A Coming of Age Story About a Girl Who is Part T-Rex
 
Tammy Rex only wants one thing in the world—to be a normal eighth grade girl. But there's one problem: Tammy is a little different, and it's hard for the students of Thomas Midgley, Jr Memorial Middle School to accept the girl whose talons make for bloody square dancing and who can only eat raw flesh. But when the most popular girl in school suddenly reaches out with a super important 4-1-1, it seems that this part-T-rex tween might finally have a chance to win the acceptance of her shiny, happy, popular peers and even score a dance with the coolest boy in school. She can have everything she always wanted; she just has to turn her back on the only friend who likes her for the human she almost genetically is. Will Tammy get the guy and fit in just like a real, human girl? Or will the beast within destroy her last chance at sweet conformity?
 
   
Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew Feb 25 - Mar 31, 2012  
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew
 
CST provides an introduction to William Shakespeare for all audiences on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. with its annual Short Shakespeare production, presenting a 75-minute abridged production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, telling the tale of the strong-willed Kate and Petruchio, a man willing to marry her if the price is right. These likely foes and unlikely lovers enter into Shakespeare's most famous battle of the sexes, leaving audiences wondering who from this colorful cast of characters tames whom.
 
   
The Convert Feb 25 - Mar 25, 2012  
Goodman Theatre The Convert
 
Set amid the colonial scramble for southern Africa in 1895, The Convert tells the tale of Jekesai, a young girl who escapes a forced marriage arrangement with the help of a stalwart black African catechist, Chilford Ndlovu. Caught between her loyalties to her family and culture but indebted to this new Christian god, she becomes Chilford's protégé, but when an anti-colonial uprising erupts she is forced to decide which side of the conflict she will choose—and where her heart truly belongs. With wit and compassion, The Convert explores the untold cultural and religious collisions caused by British colonists in this section of southern Africa (now Zimbabwe), and the reverberating effects still felt in the region today. Emily Mann, the award-winning Artistic Director of McCarter Theatre, returns to the Goodman to direct.
 
   
In the Heart of America Feb 27 - Apr 1, 2012  
Theatre Seven of Chicago at The Greenhouse Theater Center In the Heart of America
 
Theatre Seven of Chicago continues its 2011-12 season with a revival of In the Heart of America, Naomi Wallace’s 1994 political dream play about the shattering effects of war and the search for hope amidst the ruins of violence.
 
   
The Price Feb 28 - Apr 14, 2012  
Raven Theatre The Price
 
Two long estranged brothers - one a cop of limited means, the other a successful doctor - meet in the attic of a New York City brownstone to sort through their deceased parents' belongings. Each has paid a price to get where they are in life and their stories unfold in this penetrating family drama.
 
   
fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life Feb 28 - Mar 18, 2012  
Steppenwolf Theatre fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life
 
Jo's junior year of high school in suburban LaGrange, Illinois started off just fine—not that it's ever easy being queer at 16. Thankfully, a new English teacher assigns Carson McCullers’ famed novel The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter and Jo discovers an unshakable kinship to McCullers’ central character John Singer. Like Singer, Jo is forever the listener, definitively the outsider, perpetually misunderstood and filled with unrequited love. Yet when she is a victim of a gay-bashing incident, her world is turned upside down and she must decide whether to seek revenge or redemption. A story about isolation, fitting in and finding oneself, fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life is a play about surviving high school and how literature still has the power to transform how we see the world.
Weekday matinee performances (Tuesdays - Fridays at 10 am) are available for school groups only
 
   
Absolute Hell Mar 1 - Apr 29, 2012  
The Gift Theatre Absolute Hell
 
It’s London in the summer of 1945. Christine Foskett tends bar at La Vie en Rose, a homey private club where servicemen and bohemians drink rye, gin-and-French and black-market brandy. Ackland beautifully explores the necessity for escape and the awful loneliness that goes along with it, and his cast of characters includes the most powerful of critics, the most washed-up writers and American air force officers who have no interest in becoming movie stars. Outside the ground floor window, the neighborhood prostitute turns 25 tricks a night and a deranged elderly woman cries out that Jesus was born on Boxing Day.
 
   
The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later Mar 1 - Apr 7, 2012  
Redtwist Theatre The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
 
The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later is the epilogue to the original. Ten years after Shepard's murder, members of the Tectonic Theater Project returned to Laramie to conduct follow-up interviews with residents featured in the original play. Those interviews were turned into this companion piece. The play debuted as a simultaneous reading at nearly 150 theatres across the US and internationally on October 12, 2009 - the 11th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death. Most of the theaters were linked by webcam to New York City where Judy Shepard and the play's producers and writers gave an opening speech to begin this unique memorial and evening of theater.
 
   
Paradise Lost Mar 1 - Apr 7, 2012  
The Agency Theater Collective at Charnel House Chicago Paradise Lost
 
The play, made up of a cast of 25, invites you into the home of the Gordons, an American family struggling during a time of upheaval and economic desperation. Although set in the 1930s, this story is one that is unfolding right now at the dinner table of families all over the country, who, like the Gordons, are taking inventory of their lives, their businesses and their homes, as the framework of their lives crumbles under financial disparity, foreclosure, classism and the erosion of the American Dream. In the Gordons’ struggle to change the world they inhabit, we see the paths to change ours.
 
   
The Dinner Party Mar 2 - Mar 18, 2012  
BrightSide Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall The Dinner Party
 
The Dinner Party is a decidedly posh dinner party served up in a chaotic mode that only the master of comedy could create. Five people are invited to dine at a first rate restaurant in Paris. They do not know who the other guests will be or why they have been invited. Tossed together in a private dining room, they have a sneaking suspicion that this unorthodox dinner party will forever change their lives. The evening is filled with playful antics, sudden zaniness and masterful comic dialogue as the mystery unfolds.
 
   
Bring It On: The Musical Mar 6 - Mar 25, 2012  
Cadillac Palace Theatre Bring It On: The Musical
 
BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL is the explosive new musical comedy that raises the stakes on over-the-top high school rivalries. Set against the world of competitive cheerleading, this powerhouse new show hilariously proves that winning isn’t everything when it means losing something - or someone - you really care about.
 
   
The Fall Of Man Mar 7 - Apr 7, 2012  
RBP Rorschack The Fall Of Man
 
The Right Brain Project kicks off its exciting season with British playwright Jonathan Holloway's titillating story of man's passion and inevitable fall from grace - a steamy and illicit affair between a wealthy man and his children's Polish nanny, fused with Milton's “Paradise Lost.” A restless play about humanity’s longing and our fall.
 
   
Ten Chimneys Mar 9 - Apr 15, 2012  
Northlight Theatre Ten Chimneys
 
For decades, Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne entertained the most influential artists of their time-from Noel Coward to Sydney Greenstreet- at Ten Chimneys, their legendary Wisconsin retreat. In this new play, the arrival of a young Uta Hagen for an onstage rehearsal sparks an offstage romantic triangle. The result is a comically revealing look at the private lives of these very public figures.
 
   
The Maids Mar 10 - Apr 21, 2012  
Oracle Theatre The Maids
 
Inspired by the notorious 1933 murder when the Papin sisters brutally killed their employer and her daughter, Jean Genet’s famous depiction of bourgeois society and its abject servants is a portrait of the struggle for power - what it means to possess it and what it means to lack it. When the Madame is away, her two maids plot the demise and murder of their beautiful boss by role-playing the sadomasochistic scenario over and over again. Taking turns imitating their Madame, as well as each other, sisters Claire and Solange pick at one another maliciously and push each other to a blood-lusting edge. On this night, they are determined to overthrow their sovereign once and for all. When the Madame returns, they must find the courage to strike, or face the consequences of their delusional mistakes.
 
   
Light in the Piazza Mar 12 - Apr 29, 2012  
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre at No Exit Cafe Light in the Piazza
 
Set in Florence and Rome in 1953, a young American tourist traveling with her mother meets and falls for a young Italian. The mother opposes the affair for reasons that only gradually become apparent as the musical unfolds. Music and lyrics are by the grandson of Richard Rodgers. Based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer, it was developed at the Intiman Playhouse in Seattle in 2003, then played at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 2004 before moving to Broadway in 2005.
 
   
Riverdance Mar 13 - Mar 18, 2012  
Ford Oriental Theatre Riverdance
 
FAREWELL TOUR! EXPERIENCE THE ORIGINAL! Now in its 17th phenomenal year, RIVERDANCE, the internationally acclaimed celebration of Irish music, song and dance that has touched the hearts of millions around the world is coming to Chicago’s Oriental Theatre for one week only. “A phenomenon of historic proportions!” raves The Washington Post. “An explosion of sight and sound that simply takes your breath away,” cheers the Chicago Tribune. “A family evening unlike anything else!” declares The London Times. Discover why nothing in the world compares to the original! Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, there is no better way to experience the magic of magic of RIVERDANCE with your family.
 
   
Beyond the Horizon Mar 15 - Apr 22, 2012  
Eclipse Theatre Company at Athenaeum Theatre Beyond the Horizon
 
A rare revival of O’Neill’s very first full-length 1920 Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Beyond the Horizon is the story of two brothers, one a dreamer and the other a pragmatist, who share their love for the same woman. Their tale unfolds when the woman's rejection of one brother and her marriage to another set the stage for discontent and disillusionment. Originally produced on Broadway in 1920, O'Neill's first full-length play captures the powerful, perilous emotional currents swirling below the surface of everyday life. Jeff Award winning director Louis Contey returns to Eclipse to direct one of Eugene O'Neills hidden gems.
 
   
Bard Fiction Mar 16 - Apr 15, 2012  
Commedia Beauregard Chicago at The Greenhouse Theater Center Bard Fiction
 
Commedia Beauregard Chicago perform an unholy mash-up of William Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino. Bard Fiction is an Elizabethan retelling of Pulp Fiction, an electrifying tale of honor, betrayal and foot rubs. The story follows the seedy characters of Tarantino's opus, now part of London's underworld, in seemingly disparate plotlines that merge in unexpected ways. The play was first presented in the Minnesota Fringe Festival as a single one-hour version by Tedious Brief Productions. Now the show has been expanded to be a full-length play that is being directed by Christopher O. Kidder for Commedia Beauregard, and features the music of Il Troubadore (who scored the 2011 production of A Klingon Christmas Carol).
 
   
Tea and Sympathy Mar 16 - Apr 22, 2012  
The Artistic Home at Stage 773 Tea and Sympathy
 
Behind the closed doors of a seemingly idyllic boarding school, one boy struggles with what it means to be a man. A woman realizes her marriage has taken a very wrong turn. Drawn together, the two discover the personal cost of trying to fit in as they dance around illicit emotions and head toward a relationship that is much more than an offering of tea and sympathy.
 
   
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed Mar 17 - May 26, 2012  
Lifeline Theatre Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed
 
Unlike other naked mole rats, young Wilbur loves to wear clothes. By daring to defy social tradition, Wilbur makes life miserable for himself and his best friend. When the teasing and bullying at school get out of control, the pups take their case before Grand-pah: the greatest, wisest, and most naked naked mole rat ever. Will Grand-pah crush Wilbur’s self-expression, or open the door of acceptance to a misunderstood outsider? A heartwarming lesson on tolerance, in a world premiere musical adaptation for the whole family. Based on the 2009 book by New York Times bestselling author Mo Willems (Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!).
 
   
The Last Duck Mar 18 - Apr 15, 2012  
Jackalope Theatre Presents at The Viaduct The Last Duck
 
At the cold and muddy edges of a ruined lake, Gerry, an actor, and Royall, a writer, engage in a battle of whiskey and wits, but only one knows the true end game. Tense and precise, the play follows the unexpected and dramatic events of a single night between strangers. In this world premiere production, the actors will alternate roles nightly, illuminating the psychological differences of and between each character as well as within the story itself. Neff’s swift, muscular dialogue hammers at the moral constructs of our society and does so with a breathless, unceasing tension that begs the question, “Given the choice, given the chance... what would you really do?"
 
   
Rick Bayless in Cascabel Mar 21 - Apr 22, 2012  
Lookingglass Theatre Rick Bayless in Cascabel
 
Rick Bayless in Cascabel is an unforgettable theatrical adventure featuring a sumptuous feast, world-class circus acts, and a tantalizing love story starring celebrity chef Rick Bayless. The extremely limited engagement is created by Rick Bayless, Artistic Associate and founder of Silverguy Entertainment Tony Hernandez (Hephaestus, Lookingglass Alice), and Lookingglass Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman (Hephaestus, The Brothers Karamazov, Hard Times).
 
   
Freud's Last Session Mar 21 - Jun 3, 2012  
Mercury Theatre Freud's Last Session
 
Freud's Last Session centers on legendary psychoanalyst Dr. Sigmund Freud, who invites the rising academic star C. S. Lewis to his home in London. Lewis, expecting to be called on the carpet for satirizing Freud in a recent book, soon realizes Freud has a much more significant agenda. On the day England enters World War II, Freud and Lewis clash on the existence of God, love, sex, and the meaning of life – only two weeks before Freud chooses to take his own. Not just a powerful debate, this is a profound and deeply touching play about two men who boldly addressed the greatest questions of all time. Mark St. Germain’s celebrated new play was suggested by the bestselling book The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr., professor of psychology at Harvard University.
 
   
The Giver Mar 22 - Apr 26, 2012  
Adventure Stage Chicago The Giver
 
Jonas lives in a carefully constructed community of “sameness,” where individuality is discouraged and feelings like pain, fear, and love do not exist. When Jonas turns 12 and begins training with The Giver, he discovers the contradictions of his supposedly perfect world and grows determined to regain power over his own destiny. Based on the beloved Newbery Medal-winning novel by Lois Lowry, this remarkable story is recommended for ages 9 and up.
 
   
Trash Mar 24 - May 5, 2012  
Babes With Blades Theatre Company at Side Project Trash
 
Fresh from a funeral, sisters Diane and Becky dig through a landfill – and family grievances – in search of the letter from their dying mother that Becky threw away unopened.
 
   
Fela! Mar 27 - Apr 8, 2012  
Ford Oriental Theatre Fela!
 
FELA!, the joyous dance, theater, music spectacle, has thrilled audiences in three continents. The Tony Award® winner, directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones explores the extravagant world of Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti. FELA! comes to Chicago’s Oriental Theater following its sold-out run at London’s prestigious National Theatre where The Guardian’s Michael Billington exclaimed, “It breaks down conventional barriers between stage and auditorium and joins passion and politics.
 
   
Chesapeake Mar 28 - May 6, 2012  
Remy Bumppo Theatre at The Greenhouse Theater Center Chesapeake
 
Controversial performance artist Kerr has his NEA funding cut in a calculated, political trick by his home town candidate, the folksy, dog-toting Therm Pooley. For revenge, Kerr attempts a dog-napping to reveal that the Senator also has the public on a leash. But the Universe exacts its own fantastical revenge on Kerr. Fate, along with the help of some good belly rubs, compels Kerr to sit and stay closer to the Senator than he ever could have imagined. Blessing celebrates the inner life of our canine companions and spots the artist-activist in us all. Artistic Associate Greg Matthew Anderson stars in this one-person comedy about a conservative senator, the performance artist he demonizes, and the lovable Chesapeake Bay retriever called Lucky.
 
   
Angels in America Mar 30 - Jun 3, 2012  
Court Theatre Angels in America
 
"The Great Work Begins." The year is 1985: Ronald Reagan has just been reelected to a second term, and the deadly AIDS epidemic is at its height in New York City. Tony Kushner’s two-part epic historical drama captures the lives of the HIV-positive Prior; Louis, his lover who abandons him; Joe, a closeted gay Mormon; his Valium-addicted wife Harper; Roy Cohn, a notorious lawyer from the McCarthy hearings, dying of AIDS; Belize, his African-American nurse; Hannah, Joe’s mother from Utah; and the Angel, a terrifyingly beautiful herald of the apocalypse. As these characters discover, confront, and seduce each other during a time of death, hypocrisy, and tumultuous change, Kushner summons a restless pastiche of the historical and the supernatural, the theological and the political—all told with surging theatricality by a company of eight actors. Having directed Kushner’s Caroline, or Change and The Illusion, Court’s Artistic Director Charles Newell will direct Millennium Approaches and a newly-revised Perestroika in repertory performance, giving Court audiences the unique opportunity to experience Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning magnum opus in its magnificent entirety.
 
   
The Pirates Of Penzance Apr 4 - Jun 10, 2012  
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire The Pirates Of Penzance
 
Stash the gold! Guard the women! Hide the rum! The “Pirates” have arrived! THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE is the fifth collaboration of the renowned Gilbert and Sullivan. The comedic opera officially premiered in New York City December 31, 1879. Over one hundred and thirty years later, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE is still a beloved tale of love, laughter, and loyalty. The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his apprenticeship to a band of pirates on his 21st birthday, is released from his servitude. Soon after, he meets the fair maiden Mabel, daughter of Major-General Stanley. The two fall instantly in love; but, as always, obstacles threaten to cause trouble for young Frederic. It turns out Frederic was born during the leap year which means even though he is 21 he has only had 5 birthdays, and is in fact indebted to the pirates for 63 more years! Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully. THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE is a marauding, swash-buckling tale that will have you crying from laughter.
 
   
Re-Spiced: A Silk Road Cabaret Apr 4 - May 6, 2012  
Silk Road Rising at Chicago Temple Re-Spiced: A Silk Road Cabaret
 
Re-Spiced: A Silk Road Cabaret is a playful, sexy, occasionally subversive, always entertaining, musical pastiche of Asian and Middle Eastern images in American and British song. From Broadway show tunes to pop, from country to rap, from folk to jazz to rock, Re-Spiced turns the tables on “us” and “them” with panache and glee and leaves us wondering just who’s who?
 
   
The March Apr 5 - Jun 10, 2012  
Steppenwolf Theatre The March
 
General William Tecumseh Sherman, Uncle Billy to his men, marches 62,000 Union soldiers through lush Georgia countryside. Bearing along both black and white refugees, the march destroys everything in its path, turning home into exile and exile into home. Its epic force forever changes the lives of those caught up in its sweep: a liberated slave, a sheltered daughter of a Southern judge, a pair of Confederate deserters and Uncle Billy himself. The March is a story of momentous upheaval and the limits of courage and love.
 
   
After the Revolution Apr 5 - May 13, 2012  
Next Theatre Company After the Revolution
 
The young, brilliant Emma Joseph (Stulik) proudly carries the torch of her family's Marxist tradition by devoting her life to the memory of her famously blacklisted grandfather. When history reveals a shocking truth about the man himself, the entire family is forced to confront questions of honesty and an allegiance they thought had been long resolved. After the Revolution is a bold and hilariously moving portrait of an American family, forced to reconcile a thorny and delicate legacy.
 
   
The Butcher of Baraboo Apr 5 - May 20, 2012  
A Red Orchid Theatre The Butcher of Baraboo
 
Skewed family values and the deep and dark secrets they create become a life force for Valerie, the infamous butcher of Baraboo, Wisconsin. Once her husband has gone missing everyone suspects she played a hand, especially her nosy sister-in-law who just happens to be the town sheriff. Enter the drug-pushing pharmacist daughter who just might hold the key to the ultimate unanswered questions.
 
   
Jersey Boys Apr 5 - Jun 2, 2012  
Bank of America Theatre Jersey Boys
 
JERSEY BOYS is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty.
 
   
Tunnel Rat Apr 5 - Apr 29, 2012  
Genesis Theatrical Productions at National Pastime Theater Tunnel Rat
 
In late 1965 after a run-in with the law, 17-year old Ronnie Giles was given the option of joining the Army....or going to jail. He chose the Army-and inevitably-Vietnam. Because he was short, he was 'volunteered' to go into the Vietcong Tunnels in and around the jungles of Cu Chi. By now it is early 1966. He is 18-years old, and yet another reluctant Tunnel Rat is born. Many years later as an older, troubled and guilt-ridden man, he cannot remove nor can he escape from the images he encountered in the tunnels.
 
   
Doubt Apr 5 - May 5, 2012  
AstonRep Theatre Company at No Exit Cafe Doubt
 
"What do you do when you're not sure?" Father Flynn asks in the opening line of this drama set in 1964 in a Catholic grade school in the Bronx. His colleague, Sister Aloysius, suspects him of sexual misconduct with the school's first African American student. She faces a gravely drastic decision: openly accuse a higher-up without firm evidence, or bury her suspicions and leave room for doubt. Doubt offers an honest and timely examination of the ambiguous line between gossip and truth, justice and compassion, right and wrong, certainty and doubt.
 
   
Fish Men Apr 7 - May 6, 2012  
Goodman Theatre Fish Men
 
In Fish Men, a group of chess hustlers engage each other in spirited matches on a hot summer day in Washington Square Park, hoping to draw unsuspecting players into a high-stakes hustle. Their patience is soon rewarded by the appearance of Rey Reyes, a young student who naively agrees to their challenge. As the game progresses, the chess tables are turned—raising the stakes and revealing the traumatic circumstances that have made them seek refuge in a game that has become their obsession. esounding with biting humor and unexpected pathos, Fish Men focuses on a group of unforgettable characters drawn together by their need to overcome their individual tragedies.
 
   
Hairspray Apr 12 - Jun 17, 2012  
Drury Lane- Oakbrook Hairspray
 
Set in 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray is the exuberant story of pleasantly plump teen Tracy Turnblad, who does whatever it takes to fulfill her lifelong dream of appearing on the popular Corny Collins Show. Can this plus-size trendsetter vanquish the program's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her fabulous 'do? Hairspray won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, and inspired the 2007 blockbuster feature film.
 
   
In a Forest, Dark and Deep Apr 13 - Jun 3, 2012  
Profiles Theatre - The Main Stage In a Forest, Dark and Deep
 
On a dark and stormy night, all Bobby thought he was doing was helping his sister Betty clear out her cottage in the forest. But in this cabin of lies nothing is as it seems and the truth refuses to be packed away. What is she hiding? Does he really want to find out? In A Forest, Dark And Deep is a dark journey into sibling rivalry escalating into a psychological thriller bursting with savage conflict.
 
   
Moscow, Cheryomushki Apr 14 - Apr 25, 2012  
Chicago Opera Theatre at Harris Theater Moscow, Cheryomushki
 
Dimitri Shostakovich's Moscow, Cheryomushki was chosen as The Peoples' Opera in 2009, a fundraising initiative where COT audiences picked from one of three operas to be performed in a future season. This comedic operetta in three acts illuminates the trials of 20th-century urban Russia: sub-standard living conditions, chronic housing shortages, and love games.
 
   
Being Shakespeare Apr 18 - Apr 29, 2012  
Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Broadway Playhouse Being Shakespeare
 
Celebrated British star of stage and screen Simon Callow returns to Chicago with a tour de force solo performance that took the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by storm and played to great acclaim throughout its UK tour and West End engagement. Callow weaves together excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays and poems, breathing new life into his unforgettable characters and the real man behind the legend. Presented as part of CST’s World’s Stage, this unique portrait of the Bard follows Callow’s major international success The Mystery of Charles Dickens (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Broadway and London’s West End) in addition to memorable film roles including Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and A Room with a View. London’s Guardian raved, “we’ve had some fine one-man shows about Shakespeare from John Gielgud, Ian McKellen and Michael Pennington. But Simon Callow’s is among the very best... a memorably multidimensional picture of Shakespeare, steeped in scholarship and love.”
 
   
Duchess of Malfi Apr 19 - May 26, 2012  
Strawdog Theatre Duchess of Malfi
 
Based on actual events in the Italian Court of the Sixteenth Century, Webster’s The Duchess Of Malfi tells the story of the widowed Duchess and her secret marriage to Antonio. The love of the Duchess defies both social convention and the wishes of her brothers, The Cardinal, and her twin, Ferdinand. Publicly the brothers want the Duchess to remain unmarried, appealing to Christian piety; however, their true motives are greed and an incestuous lust. When the brothers learn of the marriage, it unleashes a storm of murderous revenge.
 
   
Pride and Prejudice Apr 20 - Jun 10, 2012  
Lifeline Theatre Pride and Prejudice
 
In the town of Meryton, reputation and marriage can secure – or destroy – a young woman’s happiness. Faced with the loss of their land and income, Elizabeth Bennet’s mother is desperate to secure husbands for her daughters at any cost. When Lizzy is introduced to Mr. Darcy at a local dance, tempers flare as her independent spirit clashes with his ingrained arrogance. Can the headstrong rivals overcome their pride and prejudice to repair the romantic entanglements which surround them and find lasting love? A world of unforgettable characters comes to life in this sparkling comedy of manners, freshly updated for its first appearance on the Lifeline stage in twenty years. Based on the 1813 novel by Jane Austen (Emma, Sense and Sensibility), one of the most beloved books in English literature.
 
   
Teseo Apr 21 - May 2, 2012  
Chicago Opera Theatre at Harris Theater Teseo
 
Teseo was written in London by Handel at the age of twenty-eight. In this final opera of the trilogy the wicked Medea is tormented by jealousy and resorts to her infamous magic spells.
 
   
The Iceman Cometh Apr 21 - Jun 10, 2012  
Goodman Theatre The Iceman Cometh
 
In The Iceman Cometh, Harry Hope's saloon is home to a ragtag band of drunks and dreamers who celebrate the arrival of Hickey, the charismatic traveling salesman whose raucous presence always ensures a grand good time. But when a newly sober Hickey blows in with a renewed outlook on life, his zealous attempts to fix the lives of his old friends leads to a series of events that are at once devastatingly comic and heartbreaking-and a revelation that threatens to shatter the tenuous illusions that fuel their lives.
 
   
Timon of Athens Apr 24 - Jun 17, 2012  
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Timon of Athens
 
In a high-risk world of quick profits and borrowed luxury, Timon is a financial god among men. But when the tides of monetary fortune turn, and his former friends become ruthless creditors, Timon is left in an all-too-familiar financial freefall. The cast of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines' staging of Shakespeare's powerful, rarely produced dark satire is led by Tony Award winner Ian McDiarmid—an internationally celebrated actor whose credits range from performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company and on Broadway, to a turn as Senator and Evil Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films.
 
   
tick, tick... BOOM! Apr 27 - Jun 10, 2012  
Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773 tick, tick... BOOM!
 
ick, tick... BOOM! is Larson’s semi-autobiographical story of Jon, an aspiring composer anxiously approaching his 30th birthday. Jon’s girlfriend wants to get married and leave New York for a more conventional life, his best friend is earning a fortune on Madison Avenue, and Jon is still waiting on tables while trying to create the great American musical. An inspiring story of a struggling artist who chooses to follow his dreams, tick, tick... BOOM! features a dynamic pop-rock score blended with traditional musical theater styles, in what many believe to be Larson’s homage to Stephen Sondheim.
 
   
Rent Apr 27 - Jun 17, 2012  
American Theatre Company Rent
 
East Village. 1990. American Theater Company teams up with About Face Theatre to create a fresh look at Jonathan Larson’s 1996 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock opera. At the end of the 1980’s, a group of Bohemian artists struggle to find life, love and art in a brutal economy and the height of the AIDS crisis. Director David Cromer will bring a staggering reality to this landmark musical.
 
   
A Little Night Music May 1 - Jul 8, 2012  
Writers' Theatre A Little Night Music
 
Set in turn of the century Sweden, A Little Night Music is a sumptuous musical celebration of love. Desirée Armfeldt has always captured the hearts of men. When both of her lovers—and their wives—show up for a weekend in the country, the boundless possibilities of an old romance and newly awakened passions bring endless surprises. Full of quick wit and evoking the harmonious rhythm of waltz time, Tony Award-winner Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is the must-see musical of the season!
 
   
Cats May 1 - May 6, 2012  
Cadillac Palace Theatre Cats
 
The show that revolutionized musical theatre, CATS, is coming to Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre for one week only! In October of 1991 CATS became the longest continuously touring show in American theatre history. Five continents, 26 countries, over eight and a half million audience members and almost 30 years later, CATS is still America’s most loved family musical. Celebrating not only its Broadway touring legacy but the birth of the musical spectacular, CATS is still revolutionary and awe inspiring. Now that it was been seen by millions of audience members worldwide, it is time to celebrate with the whole family the magic, the mystery, the wonder of CATS. Create a special ‘memory’ one more time.
 
   
My Kind Of Town May 1 - Jul 29, 2012  
TimeLine Theatre Company My Kind Of Town
 
For nearly 20 years, John Conroy has covered the Chicago police torture scandal as a journalist, becoming one of the leading voices drawing public attention to the allegations. His two decades probing the halls of power and reporting on ruined lives culminate in this groundbreaking new drama. Stories inspired by victims, police officers, prosecutors, and families whose lives have been poisoned by the scandal are interwoven into a thoughtful and passionate examination of corruption, responsibility, and the culture of law and order.
 
   
Hostage Song May 3 - Jun 9, 2012  
Signal Ensemble Theatre Hostage Song
 
Bound and blindfolded in a war-torn country, two hostages take refuge in music, memory and each other in this provocative indie-rock musical. The New Yorker called it "A high-decibel romantic comedy with a seriously unnerving edge" and Time Out New York called it "A devastatingly poignant, strangely philosophical meditation on salvation that just happens to sport a sick downbeat."
 
   
Making God Laugh May 3 - Jun 10, 2012  
Theatre At The Center Making God Laugh
 
Produced in association with First FolioTheatre, the play is inspired by the Woody Allen joke, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” The play centers on a couple of empty nesters welcoming home their three children over various holidays spanning three decades. As the parents and grown children deal with each of their evolving lives, we get a glimpse inside their dreams, unresolved issues, old family traditions, and of course, dubious holiday recipes. Tensions flare up and laughs break out as audiences join the family fun during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s visits.
 
   
Arcadia May 3 - Jun 16, 2012  
New Leaf Theatre at Lincoln Park Cultural Center Arcadia
 
Lady Thomasina Coverly, aged thirteen, quietly unravels the mysteries of the universe in the midst of an English estate's worth of intrigue. Nearly two centuries later, Hannah Jarvis tries to put the pieces together and discover meaning in the debris. Three generations pursue passion and knowledge through the chaos of history.
 
   
[title of show] May 4 - Jun 10, 2012  
Northlight Theatre [title of show]
 
When two young writers decide to create a new musical in just three weeks, they must navigate creative differences and commercial success in this meta-musical comedy laced with pop culture wit and infectious enthusiasm. Perfect for anyone who’s dared to dream that they can actually get paid for doing what they love!
 
   
Bang the Drum Slowly May 15 - Jul 14, 2012  
Raven Theatre Bang the Drum Slowly
 
A moving look at life, loyalty and America's pastime, this touching drama unfolds during a season of baseball with the New York Mammoths, focusing on the friendship between a world-wise star pitcher and a country boy catcher struggling to cope with devastating news.
 
   
The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead May 22 - Jul 29, 2012  
Writers' Theatre The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead
 
Thwarted housewife Rhonda Russell loses herself in a heated moment of passion, setting into motion an unbelievable series of events that ripple through the lives of everyone around her. One performer intricately weaves together the many different sides of Rhonda's story with engrossing narrative, wit and compassion. An international hit, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead is a surprising and touching tale of loss and ultimate redemption.
 
   
Camelot Jun 1 - Jun 10, 2012  
Light Opera Works at Cahn Auditorium Camelot
 
The 1960 musical of King Arthur and his queen Guenevere, includes the classic songs "If Ever I Would Leave You," "How to Handle a Woman" and "The Lusty Month of May."
 
   
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do Jun 10 - Jul 22, 2012  
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre at No Exit Cafe Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
 
This musical showcases the many favorites in the 1950s, 60s and 70s of singer-songwriter teen idol Neil Sedaka with the songs providing the framework for the story. Many of the Top 40 songs from his early years are: The Diary (his first), Where the Boys Are, Stupid Cupid, Calendar Girl, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and the title song. Songs from Sedaka’s come-back years in the 1970s include Solitaire, Laughter in the Rain, Love Will Keep Us Together, The Hungry Years and a duet of Little Devil/Stairway to Heaven.
 
   
The American Plan Jun 13 - Jul 29, 2012  
The Artistic Home The American Plan
 
A young girl, continually waiting for her white knight. A mother unwilling to relinquish her hold on her beautiful, damaged daughter. The young man cast as hero, secretly and dangerously torn between two worlds. In The American Plan, Richard Greenberg tells the brutally funny, heart-rending tale of love and loss set against the backdrop of the Catskills during a 1960s summer.
 
   
Oh the Humanity (and other exclamations) Jun 14 - Aug 12, 2012  
The Gift Theatre Oh the Humanity (and other exclamations)
 
The writer of Middletown and Thom Pain (based on nothing) gives us a series of short plays in which a coach gives a postseason press conference to own up to his failures; a man and woman pour out their lonely hearts online, not really connecting; and an airline spokeswoman publicly accounts for a catastrophe, struggling to spin existential optimism out of tragedy. By clustering these dramatic snapshots, Eno shows common threads running through adjacent lives.
 
   
Hero Jun 20 - Aug 19, 2012  
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire Hero
 
The Marriott Theatre continues its tradition of producing exciting world premiere musicals with HERO, conceived and written by Aaron Thielen (FOR THE BOYS), with music and lyrics by Chicagoland rising star Michael Mahler. Aspiring comic book artist Hero Batowski lives anything but a superhero’s life – he’s 28 years old, works in his family’s comic book shop, and still lives at home with his dad. A long-ago tragedy left Hero unable to move on with his life. When a series of unexpected events occur, Hero must decide whether he is ready to finally face his fears and get his life on track. This quirky new musical explores those extraordinary moments in an ordinary life as a young man discovers the hero within.
 
   
Three Sisters Jun 28 - Aug 26, 2012  
Steppenwolf Theatre Three Sisters
 
The Prozorov family chafes at the constraints of life in their small provincial town, once a bustling army garrison where their late father served as general. Attempts to shore up their crumbling social status lay bare the larger forces of unrest that will soon engulf them all. Tony® Award-winning ensemble members Tracy Letts and Anna D. Shapiro continue their celebrated collaboration, bringing fresh insight to this classic story of a privileged family’s changing fortunes.
 
   
Oedipus el Rey Jun 29 - Jul 29, 2012  
Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph Oedipus el Rey
 
In Luis Alfaro's thrilling reboot of the daddy of all tragedies, a juvenile delinquent from South Central Los Angeles sets off on his journey to be the king of the gangland. Set amid the sizzling rhythms and explosive violence of a California barrio, the gripping story follows his family of ex-cons through the vicious cycle of fate and violence in which they find themselves trapped. Oedipus el Rey is a sexy, dangerous and modern Latino take on a classic.
 
   
   

 






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