| Big Lake Big City Jun 19 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Lookingglass Theatre |
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| Detective Bass can't catch a break: his boss is a hard-ass, his partner's a knucklehead, his wife's a cheat, and now he has to chase down a perp who has a screwdriver in his head. An eclectic set of shady characters-crooked coroners, a TV-personality doctor, a femme fatale, and one extraordinarily valuable sculpture-run roughshod through a hilarious maze of double-crosses and double-identities. 2011 Writers Guild Award-winner Keith Huff lampoons the Windy City with a menacing smirk and tongue in cheek in this gritty modern noir directed by David Schwimmer. |
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| Blackademics Jun 19 - Jun 23, 2013 |
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MPAACT at
Theater On The Lake |
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| Two female African-American scholars break down ideas while breaking bread, celebrating black history month in their favorite bistro. They become deeply engrossed in spirited discourse, weaving personal and political, academic and pop culture, and boasts and criticisms. This metaphysical comedy dramatizes one of our longest running debates: what does it mean to be a Black in America? |
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| Shakespeare's Cymbeline: A Folk Tale With Music Jun 19 - Jul 21, 2013 |
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First Folio Theatre |
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| Shakespeare's Cymbeline: A Folk Tale With Music is a powerful story of love, romance, and adventure. Falsely accused of betraying her lover, Imogen must flee to the hills to escape her death. Imogen disguises herself as a man and with the help of the shepherd Belarius and his two sons, she must prove her honesty and chastity, restore her good name, and defeat her evil stepmother. |
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| Tartuffe Jun 20 - Jul 14, 2013 |
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Court Theatre |
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| A devilish comedy about the art of deception and the price of misplaced faith, Moliere’s Tartuffe reveals a tale as outrageous as it is insightful. When the cunning imposter Tartuffe wields a pretense of piety to capture the imagination of aging family-man Orgon, the scoundrel succeeds in insinuating himself into the patriarch’s home, throwing Orgon’s family into utter chaos. As Orgon’s foolish infatuation with Tartuffe’s fraudulent religious fervor grows, the depth of Tartuffe’s deception turns dangerous. Artistic Director Charles directs the French classic Tartuffe with a provocative contemporary approach that will illicit deep laughter of recognition.
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| The Little Dog Laughed Jun 20 - Jul 13, 2013 |
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Kid Brooklyn Productions at
The Den Theatre |
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| The Little Dog Laughed follows the adventures of Mitchell Green, a movie star who could hit big if it weren't for one teensy-weensy problem. His agent, Diane, can't seem to keep him in the closet. Trying to help him navigate Hollywood's choppy waters, the devilish Diane is doing all she can to keep Mitchell away from the cute rent boy who's caught his eye and the rent boy's girlfriend (wait, the rent boy has a girlfriend?). Will there be a happy ending as the final credits roll? |
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| Southern Baptist Sissies Jun 20 - Jul 1, 2013 |
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Ludicrous Theatre at
The Greenhouse Theater Center |
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| Southern Baptist Sissies is the story of four boys who are gay growing up in the Southern Baptist Church and how they each deal differently with the conflict between the teachings of the church and their sexuality. Storyteller Mark Lee Fuller tries to create a world of love and acceptance in the church and clubs of Dallas, Texas, while desperately trying to find a place to put his own pain and rage. The world Mark creates also includes two older barflies, Peanut and Odette, whose banter takes the audience from hysterical laughter to tragedy and tears. |
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| Jason and (Medea) Jun 20 - Jul 7, 2013 |
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(re)discover theatre at
Second Stage Theatre |
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| Utilizing contemporary poetic style, heightened movement and modern language, the play follows Jason and Medea through the part of their story that never gets told: the love story. With an ensemble of Chicago up-and-comers, including Bridget Schreiber as Medea; Alex Thompson as Jason; Shariba Rivers as Chalciope; Erika Lecaj as Atalanta; Mark Lancaster as Heracles; Kyle Geissler as Heller; and Kelly Amshoff as Princess, Jason and (Medea) explores sex, gender, love and power in a funny, aching, accessible and timeless context. |
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| The Jungle Book Jun 21 - Aug 4, 2013 |
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Goodman Theatre |
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| The jungle springs to life in a kaleidoscopic song-and-dance-filled spectacle that chronicles young Mowgli’s adventures growing up in the animal kingdom. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s time-honored children’s tales and featuring music from the classic Disney film, this spellbinding world premiere is the theatrical event of the season.
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| Mama's Boy Jun 21 - Jun 30, 2013 |
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Chicago Tap Theatre's at
Stage 773 |
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| Chicago Tap Theatre's Mama's Boy is a tale of love, rivalry and revenge told entirely through tap dance set to live music. This "Tap Opera" -- the company's eleventh to date -- features choreography from Artistic Director Mark Yonally and, for the first time ever for a Chicago Tap Theatre production, legendary Chicago-based choreographer and director Harrison McEldowney in the director's chair. It's also the first-ever Tap Opera to feature all live music, a toe-tapping blend of 1920s, Chicago-style jazz and electronic elements. |
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| My Asian Mom 2.0.1.3 Jun 21 - Jul 20, 2013 |
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A-Squared Theatre Workshop at
The Den Theatre |
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| My Asian Mom 2.0.1.3 is made up of eight 10 minute one act pieces inspired by Asian motherhood. It is a celebration of Asian Moms in all their awkward glory! The show consists of material written by Asian American writers from all over the country, featuring Kathy Hsieh, Christine Toy Johnson, Melisa Tien, Conrad Panganiban, Larry Leopoldo, Lani T. Montreal, Fin Coe and Damon Chua. |
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| Death and Harry Houdini Jun 21 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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The House Theatre of Chicago at
Chopin Theatre |
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| Artistic Director Nathan Allen returns to his very first script having spent the last decade developing The House's voice. The House's original production featured magic, music, dance, and film. Now Allen, along with The House's incredibly diverse ensemble of artists, bring their experience in creating ensemble theater and devising story to the life of history's greatest magician, while reaching deep into its bag of tricks to create an altogether new theatrical event. |
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| Drink! The Sketch Comedy Drinking Game Jun 21 - Aug 17, 2013 |
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Cornservatory |
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| Corn Productions is celebrating its 21st birthday by introducing an all new, original BYOB sketch comedy show. "DRINK!" will feature original, comedic sketches by Corn Production writers with a new drinking game for every sketch. The seven person ensemble is aided by a luminescent "DRINK!" sign to help the audience follow along in the fun. |
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| Waiting For Lefty Jun 22 - Jul 27, 2013 |
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Oracle Theatre |
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| LEFTY premiered in 1935 at the Group Theatre in New York, of which Odets was a member, and it was a critical success for the company. The play is written as a series of vignettes that spotlight characters trying to make their way during the economic struggles of the early 1930's, and it is loosely based on the events of a New York city taxicab drivers' strike in 1934. The play opens as the cab drivers are on the verge of a strike. Joe Keller is called upon to speak in the absence of their union president, Lefty. The play interweaves stories of corruption in industry with the personal stories of people trying to make a living wage. |
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| Mahal Jun 26 - Aug 2, 2013 |
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Bailiwick Chicago Theater at
Stage 773 |
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| MAHAL is a new play about how one Filipino American family redefines itself after loss and reclaims their culture. One of the first plays about a Filipino American family, MAHAL centers on the Reyes family dealing with the loss of their matriarch. As new relationships blossom and family bonds are tested, a long forgotten secret from the homeland threatens to tear the family apart. Dealing with themes of cultural identity, assimilation, homophobia, interracial and inter-generational relationships, MAHAL examines what it truly means to be an American family. |
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| Lula del Ray Jun 26 - Jun 30, 2013 |
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Manual Cinema at
Theater On The Lake |
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| This feature-length shadow play is performed with overhead projectors, shadow puppets, actors in silhouette, live music and almost entirely without dialogue. When Lula, a lonely adolescent girl, discovers a soulful country music duo on the radio, she leaves home and enters a world of danger and deception to find them. Lula del Ray is a mythic reinvention of a classic coming-of-age story. |
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| Beaten Jun 26 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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The Artistic Home |
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| Focusing on three generations of women fighting to find the way to love each other without hurting each other, Beaten picks up a year after daughter Chloe suffered serious injury at the hands of her true love Jason. Housebound and haunted, Chloe is cared for by her cancer-stricken, pot-smoking, alcohol-swilling grandmother Eileen and her desperately tightly-wound mother Madelynne, whose own complicated relationship pushes and pulls at the recovering girl. Add to the mix, nerd-next-door Greg, who yearns to be Chloe's knight in shining armor, and you have the intimate story of five people who refuse to give in to the idea that love may not beat all. |
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| Belleville Jun 27 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| Twenty-something American expats Zack and Abby live an enviably hip, do-gooder existence in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Belleville, Paris. But a single encounter one morning in the apartment they rent from their Senegalese landlords Alioune and Amina tips the scales of their relationship, revealing that the bubble they’ve built abroad is much closer to bursting than it appears |
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| Facing Angela Jun 27 - Jul 28, 2013 |
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The Ruckus Theater at
Athenaeum Theatre |
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| Angela has lost her face. Acquiring a new face alters more than skin and tissue, cutting into Angela's relationship with her husband, Wes, and mutating her sense of self. As Angela re-constructs, re-invents, and re-defines her identity, Wes ceases to recognize the woman he loves, and doubts whether he really knows himself either. This re-imagining of Barsotti's 2003 play, explored over the course of the season with the cast and company, will delve deep into how we recognize ourselves and those we go to bed with, and the collateral damage of transformative change. |
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| Thom Pain (based on nothing) Jun 27 - Jul 27, 2013 |
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Theater Wit |
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| Chicago favorite Lance Baker, who earned a Jeff Award for Best Solo Performance racing his way back and forth and around Thom's life in Eno's astonishing text, returns to Theater Wit to reprise his starring role for this limited engagement. Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler also returns to direct. |
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| A Long Walk for Water Jun 28 - Jul 14, 2013 |
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Jerry Miller Productions at
City Lit Theater |
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| Set in 1985 in civil war-torn Africa, the play follows the true story of Salva, an 11-year-old boy from the South Sudan whose life is shattered when an explosion in his village forces him to separate from his family and walk hundreds of miles, surviving lions, crocodiles, and famine, on his journey to reach safety in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. Miraculously, Salva is one of 1,500 young men, known as the "Lost Boys," who are rescued from the refugee camps and sent to America. |
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| The Land of Smiles Jun 28 - Jul 14, 2013 |
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Chicago Folks Operetta at
Stage 773 |
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| The operetta begins in Vienna and ends in China. The plot revolves around Lisa, a young European woman who marries the Chinese Prince Sou Chong. She realizes too late that the customs of her newly adopted country will never allow her to be happy there - especially when she discovers that Prince Sou Chong, despite his protestations, is forced to take more wives. When she first expresses her desire to return to Vienna, he refuses to let her go. Only after seeing how terribly unhappy she is does he relent and allow her to go back to Europe. This ending was, in the words of one critic, "the beautiful, and also brave, operetta conclusion, which instead of a hackneyed finale" provided "a worthwhile and psychologically correct solution." The Land of Smiles thus broke new ground in the genre of operetta. It will also be a new direction for our company, as we explore the richly romantic operettas of Lehar's later years. |
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| Nine Jun 28 - Jun 30, 2013 |
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BAMtheatre at
Jedlicka Performing Arts Center |
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| Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1982 as well as Best Revival in 2003, NINE is the story of a celebrated film director Guido Contini and his attempts to come up with a plot for his next film as he is pursued by hordes of beautiful women, all clamoring to be loved by him and him alone. Flashbacks reveal the substance of his life-which will become the material for his next film: a musical version of the Casanova story. |
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| The Burden Of Not Having A Tail Jun 29 - Aug 4, 2013 |
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Sideshow Theatre Company at
Chicago Dramatists |
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| The end of the world is coming and Sideshow wants you to be ready. Join ensemble member Karie Miller in her cozy, fully-equipped and completely secure underground bunker as she walks you through how to survive the inevitable apocalypse. From rice appreciation to the dangers of scented shampoos, you'll get a complete and thorough primer on the ins-and-outs of being prepared for the all worst-case scenarios, from an undisputed expert in the field. But what exactly brought her down here in the first place, and what's the price of complete safety? The answers are revealed in the world premiere of Carrie Barrett's hilarious, surprising and joyfully morbid new play. |
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| Kill Your Boyfriends Jun 29 - Jul 28, 2013 |
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National Pastime Theater |
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| "Kill Your Boyfriends is an innovative, funny and thought provoking show about two couples in a single bed. Or rather, an old mattress, really. We watch as the couples, finding each relationship at a moment of strain, try to make it through one more night, each unable to sleep, refusing to rest. A fever dream of movement and text, the performance combines the words of several writers to voice the panic and obsession that threatens to consume them. Fear of sex. Fear of death. Fear of sleep and the fight against its tranquil oblivion. You always hurt the one you love. Or, at the very least, the one who sleeps next to you. You must kill your boyfriends, poet Alex Dimitrov tells us. You must kill what wants, like death, to keep you. |
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| Simpatico Jul 4 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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A Red Orchid Theatre |
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| High society meets low life in the slippery netherworld of thoroughbred racing. This tragic-comedy explodes when a simple phone call threatens to undo years of blackmail and false identities. Loyalties run fierce or run completely a-muck as Vinnie and Carter reunite in hopes of settling an old score. |
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| Hedwig and the Angry Inch Jul 5 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Haven Theatre Chicago at
Theater Wit |
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| The groundbreaking Obie-winning Off-Broadway smash Hedwig and the Angry Inch also won multiple awards for its hit film adaptation of the story of "internationally ignored song stylist" Hedwig Schmidt (Ryan Lanning). Hedwig, a fourth-wall smashing East German rock 'n' roll goddess, happens to be the victim of a botched sex-change operation, which has left her with just "an angry inch." This outrageous and unexpectedly hilarious story is dazzlingly performed by Hedwig (formerly known as Hansel) in the form of a rock gig/stand-up comedy routine backed by the hard-rocking band "The Angry Inch," including Yitzhak (played by Lauren Paris) and band members Kory Danielson (keyboard) Eric Engelson (drums), Nick David (guitar) and Zach Moore (bass). Using songs and monologues, Hedwig describes her life's search for "The Origin of Love" and her other half. |
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| Rooms: a rock romance Jul 6 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Broken Nose Theatre at
Flat Iron Arts Building |
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| ROOMS: a rock romance begins in late 1970s Glasgow, where ambitious singer/songwriter Monica meets reclusive rocker Ian. The two quickly become creatively and romantically entangled as they journey from Glasgow to London, and from London to New York City, in search of punk-rock stardom. Written by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights, Big City) and Miriam Gordon (Him & Her), this gritty two-person musical, complete with a five-piece live rock band, was nominated for Outstanding Musical by the Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, and the Helen Hayes Awards, and has Broadway World hailing it as "a new contender for Best Musical!" |
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| The Casuals Jul 7 - Jul 28, 2013 |
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Jackalope Theatre Company at
Storefront Theater |
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| THE CASUALS takes us back to 1955, where we meet once-beloved military radio host Richard Hughes, who walks a thin line between a past he's spent 15 years covering up and a profession that demands ultimate secrecy. When family comes to visit, Richard is forced to confront his past. Two stories collide and all of Richard's spinning plates come crashing down on the weekend of a neighborhood boy's birthday. Exploring the strain of power and the strength of the atom, THE CASUALS explores paranoia, curiosity and the dire need to hold on to the truth. Does knowledge truly set us free - and is it the responsibility of those with knowledge to share it? Though a white lie is still a lie, what's best isn't necessarily the truth. |
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| Chicken Little Jul 8 - Jul 13, 2013 |
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Chicago Kids Company at
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre |
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| The sky is falling! The sky is falling! When something mysterious falls from the sky right onto Chicken Little's head, he's convinced that the sky must be falling and rushes to warn the King. Along the way, Chicken Little meets his friends Henny Penny, Turkey Lurkey, Goosey Loosey, and Foxy Loxy who decide to join on the journey. This fun, musical version of the classic tale is a must see for the whole family. Recommended for grades PreK-2. |
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| The Australian Bee Gees Show Jul 9 - Aug 4, 2013 |
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Broadway Playhouse |
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| Get ready for the new Australian Bee Gees Show, a multimedia theatrical concert experience that takes a nostalgic trip through the legacy the Bee Gees left behind while celebrating over four decades of the infectious music written by the Gibb brothers. Together for more than 17 years, The Australian Bee Gees Show has mastered the look, sound and personality of the adored trio, while cementing their reputation as the world's leading Bee Gees show. |
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| There Is a Happiness That Morning Is Jul 10 - Jul 14, 2013 |
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Theater Oobleck at
Theater On The Lake |
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| This comedy in rhymed verse unfolds via two lectures on the poetry of William Blake: one given by a middle-aged, barely published poet of scant scholarship, and the other by his lover, a reputable Ph.D. Having just engaged in a highly inappropriate public display of affection, the two undergraduate lecturers must now either apologize for their behavior, or justify it if they want to keep their jobs. |
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| The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Jul 11 - Aug 18, 2013 |
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Theatre At The Center |
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| This Tony Award-winning musical is the uproarious tale of 6 over-achieving quirky adolescents (played by adults) vying for a spelling championship, overseen by equally colorful grown-ups. Tuneful, clever and heartwarming, it features life lessons such as “winning isn’t everything” and “losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser”. With audience volunteers that join the cast, the show is designed to be fresh and unique with each performance. Veteran David Perkovich will direct and the acclaimed composer is William Finn. |
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| Mojada Jul 12 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph |
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| From the author of last season's critically-acclaimed Oedipus El Rey, Mojada is a breathtaking reimagining of Euripides' Medea transported to Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Medea, a young, gifted curandera (healer) in exile, is running from a past filled with betrayals. With husband Jason and her son in tow, the illegal immigrant is caught in a struggle to adapt to the modern world. Alfaro's stunning modern take on the Greek myth tackles American immigration, family, tradition, culture and the explosive moment when they all collide. |
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| Shrek The Musical Jul 13 - Sep 1, 2013 |
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater |
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| Based on the Academy Award-winning DreamWorks film and the book by William Steig, CST's 75-minute production of Shrek The Musical, staged by Jeff Award-winning director Rachel Rockwell, tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim his once-secluded home. Accompanied by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon and rescues the cursed princess Fiona, discovering the value of friendship and realizing that true love is more than skin deep. |
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| That's Weird, Grandma Jul 17 - Jul 21, 2013 |
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Theater On The Lake |
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| Barrel of Monkeys is an ensemble of actors/educators who hold creative writing workshops with Chicago Public School students and perform these imaginative stories. The result is smart and funny, hailed by chicagotheater.com as "part pep rally, part musical theater extravaganza - and one of the most real, uplifting and engaging theatrical experiences in town." |
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| Slowgirl Jul 18 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| In the wake of a harrowing accident at a house party in Massachusetts, a teenager flees to her uncle's isolated retreat in the Costa Rican jungle to await, or avoid, the repercussions. As the reclusive Sterling (Petersen) and his impulsive niece (Gray) get reacquainted over the course of a week, startling details about their pasts slowly unfold. Performed in the newly configured intimate Upstairs Theatre, Slowgirl is a compelling story about owning your past-and getting on with your life. |
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| Twelfth Night Jul 18 - Aug 24, 2013 |
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Oak Park Festival Theatre |
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| A gleeful romp full of cross-dressing, love triangles and an inadvertent sister-brother marriage, Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night was never that far off from the freewheelin' 1960s. Now, the Oak Park Festival Theatre is closing the gap altogether, transporting the play from Elizabethan England to a '60s beach party movie, chock-full of bikinis, surf boards and rock 'n' roll. Enjoy the show under the stars in beautiful Austin Gardens. It's Shakespeare like you've never seen him, daddy-o! |
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| The Quality of Life Jul 24 - Jul 28, 2013 |
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The Den Theatre at
Theater On The Lake |
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| Red and blue state worlds collide in this compassionate and humorous drama that confronts the human challenge of losing a loved one. After the death of their daughter, church-going conservatives visit left-wing cousins who continue to celebrate life despite hard times. But sympathy turns to rage when religious and moral values about life and death are put to the ultimate test. |
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| Bedroom Farce Jul 25 - Sep 1, 2013 |
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Eclipse Theatre Company at
Athenaeum Theatre |
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| The Ayckbourn season continues with his hilarious classic comedy, Bedroom Farce. Trevor and Susannah’s marriage is on the rocks. They inflict their miseries on their nearest and dearest: three couples whose own relationships are tenuous at best. Taking place in the three beleaguered couples' bedrooms during one endless Saturday night of co-dependence and dysfunction--beds, tempers, and domestic order are ruffled, leading all the players to a hilariously touching epiphany. Remy Bumppo Theatre’s new Artistic Director and Jeff Award Winning actor Nick Sandys makes his Eclipse Theatre directorial debut. |
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| Whistle Down The Wind Jul 26 - Aug 10, 2013 |
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Jedlicka Performing Arts Center |
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| Based on the novel by Mary Hayley Bell and subsequent Richard Attenborough, WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND follows the fortunes of a fugitive caught between the prejudice of adults and the innocence of the young. Reset in in 1959, the musical revolves around the time and place where the word teenager was invented. Swallow, a 15 year-old-girl growing up in America's Deep South, discovers a mysterious man hiding out in a barn. When she asks who he is and the first words he utters are "Jesus Christ," it's as if all her prayers have been answered. Swallow and the town's other children vow to protect the stranger from the world that waits outside - the townspeople who are determined to catch a fugitive hiding it their midst. As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow is torn between the two and begins to discover who she is and where she's going. Webber's emotive score combines hauntingly beautiful love songs and explosive rock music. |
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| Buena Vista Jul 29 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| When Noah shows up at his family's isolated Colorado cabin, he discovers his estranged mother has been squatting there for months. Then Dad walks in-questioning the reason for his son's retreat-and Noah's weekend getaway turns into a bizarre, snowed-in family nightmare. A series of revelations ignite Buena Vista's surreal conclusion, unfolding in a frozen wooden box at 12,000 feet above sea level. |
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| Flashdance Jul 30 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Cadillac Palace Theatre |
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| Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the pop culture phenomenon of FLASHDANCE is now live on stage. With electrifying dance at its core, FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her steel mill boss threatens to complicate her ambitions, Alex learns the meaning of love and its power to fuel the pursuit of her dream. FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL features a score that includes the biggest hit songs from the movie, including the Academy Award-winning title song "Flashdance - What a Feeling," "Maniac," "Gloria," "Manhunt," and "I Love Rock & Roll." In addition to these hits, 16 brand new songs have been written for the musical with music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Robert Cary and Robbie Roth. FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL features a book by Tom Hedley (co-writer of the original screenplay), and Robert Cary with direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis). |
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| Invasion! Jul 30 - Sep 1, 2013 |
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Silk Road Rising at
Chicago Temple |
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| Invasion! is a tornado of words, images and ideas, all centered around a magical name: Abulkasem. The play assaults our deepest prejudices about culture, race and language. At once hilarious, disturbing and poignant, this mischievously subversive play deconstructs a "threatening" identity - the Arab male - and forces us to confront our own complicated identities. |
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| Annie Bosh is Missing Jul 31 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| Annie Bosh is desperate for a connection, no matter the cost. 22 years old, mixed race and just out of rehab, Annie escapes her gated Houston subdivision into the confusion of post-Hurricane Katrina. Where will she find the connection she needs?: from a hookup, getting high, or a journey to New Orleans to find the father her family shut out long ago? |
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| Long Way Go Down Jul 31 - Aug 4, 2013 |
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Jackalope Theatre at
Theater On The Lake |
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| An imaginary line at the edge of America fosters a dangerous story of trust between two truckers and two Mexican immigrants smuggled into Arizona. In a business this dangerous, someone has to pay up. Fast-paced and sharp-tongued, this play is a poignant reminder that life requires large sacrifices for large changes. |
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| The Last Five Years Aug 1 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Kokandy Productions at
Theater Wit |
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| Written by Jason Robert Brown, "The Last Five Years" premiered at Northlight Theatre in 2001; the subsequent 2002 Off-Broadway production received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics and was nominated for five additional Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical. The piece explores the five-year relationship of Jamie and Cathy, the beauty and difficulty of balancing professional and personal passions, and the nature of love and loss. |
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| The Gospel of Franklin Aug 2 - Aug 25, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| Franklin is a man of God with a talent for recognizing people who suffer in secret. A working-class black man, he mentors young white men at the factory with a preacher's zeal. But when Franklin himself needs help, it is his son William who comes to the rescue. The Gospel of Franklin is a warm, fiercely intelligent play that asks the question: can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved? |
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| The Chi-Town Clown Revue Aug 7 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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Chicago Physical Theater at
Theater On The Lake |
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| This special edition of Chi-Town Clown Revue's visceral, hilarious, and unrepeatable theatrical event features Honeybuns, a gigantic creature billed as "The World's Greatest Mime." To share space with Honeybuns is to experience a highly physical, interactive piece of performance art that has impressions of mime, improv, and electro shock treatment with physical comedians and circus clowns. |
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| Enchanted April Aug 8 - Sep 8, 2013 |
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Idle Muse Theatre Company at
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble |
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| When a pair Hampstead housewives, a London socialite, and an aging widow agree to rent a castle together in Italy for the month of April...among the sun, sea, and wisteria...each begins, in their own way, to come to terms with the fact that they've done nothing but what was expected of them their whole lives. With a little bit of Providence - and a lot of patience - they just might realize they need each other a good deal more than they thought they did...and that the loss of what came before...though quite unbalancing, can turn out to be the beginning of something beautiful. |
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| The Birds Aug 8 - Sep 15, 2013 |
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Hell in a Handbag Productions at
Berger Park Coach House |
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| Hell in a Handbag's The Birds receives the full parody/homage treatment audiences have come to expect. In addition, the audience is playfully immersed in the show as " invited guests of Mr. Hitchcock" to watch filming on location near Bodega Bay (our own Lake Michigan). As filming progresses, the audience experiences Tippi's difficulty in distinguishing the film's reality from her own. |
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| Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sins Aug 9 - Aug 11, 2013 |
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The Den Theatre |
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| This festival was originally created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethesda, NY. This would be the 44th anniversary of Woodstock. To celebrate the silver anniversary of Abbie Fest, as it is affectionately known as, it will be produced at The Den Theater, 1333 N. Milwaukee in Chicago. It will be on the weekend of August 9, 10, & 11. This will expand the festival to 3 times its size. There will be 3 stages and 3 more performing groups and individuals than usual. There is anticipation of onwards of 150 performing groups and individuals. Each group will provide 1 hour or less of material. The mark of a successful fest is that each group performs only one time. That may not necessarily happen but that is the goal. |
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| 9 to 5, The Musical Aug 14 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire |
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| 9 TO 5, The Musical - "What a Way to Make a Living!" This hilarious new musical from Grammy Award-winner Dolly Parton features the hit title song and Tony Award-nominated score. 9 to 5 is the hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the rolodex era. When three unlikely friends take control of the office and put their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss in his place they learn there is nothing they can’t do, even in a man’s world. |
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| The Color Purple Aug 14 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Mercury Theater |
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| From the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Stephen Spielberg, comes the soul-stirring musical THE COLOR PURPLE. It is an inspiring story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life. |
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| The Last Cyclist Aug 15 - Sep 1, 2013 |
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Genesis Theatrical Productions at
National Pastime Theater |
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| The Last Cyclist is an example of the extraordinary resilience displayed by concentration camp inmates. Incredibly, the play, written by Karel Švenk is funny and was meant to be funny. The audiences at Terezín that attended the open rehearsals of The Last Cyclist laughed and we are meant to laugh too. But ours is uncomfortable laughter: first because we realize that the play is not just a joke but, rather, a brave protest against totalitarianism; and, second, because we know the fate of the cast and the rest of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. The play, in a non-confrontational way, clearly demonstrates that it is the personal responsibility of every human being to fight intolerance, prejudice, bullying and racism. |
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| A Raisin In The Sun Aug 20 - Nov 17, 2013 |
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TimeLine Theatre Company |
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| This award-winning drama "changed American theater forever" (The New York Times) through the striking and poignant story of an African American family living in a crowded apartment on Chicago's south side in the 1950s. When the Younger family receives a $10,000 life insurance check, the promise of a better life seems to be just around the corner. But the family struggles with conflicting ideas about how to use the money, and their plans to buy a home in the all-white Clybourne Park neighborhood are thwarted by racist intolerance. Set just before the Civil Rights and Women's movements, this powerful and beloved play celebrates faith, courage, and the human spirit while also casting a spotlight on issues that still plague Chicago more than 60 years after its premiere. |
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| This Is War Aug 22 - Sep 28, 2013 |
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Signal Ensemble Theatre |
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| It is 2008. Canadian Forces are holding Panjwaii, the most volatile region of Afghanistan, with very little support from NATO-ISAF. Captain Stephen Hughes is always looking for the next threat, knowing it can come at any time from any direction. He just didn't expect it would come from within. From the writer of Signal's sold out hit productions of East of Berlin/The Russian Play, This Is War received its world premiere at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. |
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| Mr. Marmalade Aug 22 - Sep 1, 2013 |
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Dream Sequence Theater at
The Den Theatre |
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| Noah Haidle's outrageous, offensive, and all-around adorable comedy, Mr. Marmalade, follows the story of a tutu-clad four year-old named Lucy and her relationship with a middle aged, overworked, abusive, cocaine-addled, imaginary friend, Mr. Marmalade. When Lucy's sphere is invaded by her babysitter's boyfriend's younger brother, Larry, the youngest suicide attempt in the history of New Jersey, she's faced with the decision (almost) every kid faces. Should she cultivate her relationship with this very real, very sad boy, or can she find what she needs in her marriage to Mr. Marmalade? |
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| In God's Hat Aug 23 - Oct 13, 2013 |
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Profiles Theatre - The Main Stage |
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| In God's Hat examines the extremes of humanity and the love of family as well the contempt for it. For nearly a decade, estranged brothers Roy and Mitch found themselves kept apart by prison bars and a nefarious history. On the day of Mitch's release, he is shocked to see Roy waiting for him, unsure of his intentions. Together they travel down a desolate road stopping at the only lodging around - a fleabag motel where confrontation and tension manifest themselves through darkly comical situations. In the end, the brothers must confront both the past and present as some secrets are revealed and new ones must be kept. |
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| The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Aug 23 - Sep 8, 2013 |
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Stage 773 |
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| The Last Days of Judas Iscariot tells the story of a court case over the ultimate fate of Judas Iscariot. Set in a time-bending, darkly comic world between heaven and hell, the play reexamines the plight and fate of the New Testament's most infamous and unexplained sinner. The play uses flashbacks to an imagined childhood, and lawyers who call for the testimonies of such witnesses as Mother Teresa, Caiaphas, Saint Monica, Sigmund Freud, and Satan. |
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| Let's Misbehave Aug 29 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Fox Valley Repertory |
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| Celebrate the life and times of legendary Broadway wit and composer Cole Porter in a must-see revue showcasing over 30 of his classic songs. From Porter classics like "Anything Goes" and "Kiss Me Kate," this de-lovely revue features selections from early musicals including "Gay Divorce" and "Fifty Million Frenchmen" to late-career classics such as "Silk Stockings" and "Can- Can." Clever, funny, and irresistibly romantic, you're in for a rollicking song-and-dance revue of one of America's most beloved and prolific musical theater composers. |
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| The Crownless King Aug 30 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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The House Theatre of Chicago at
Chopin Theatre |
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| For the second time in the company's history, Artistic Director Nathan Allen employs the epic format and creates a multi-year play cycle. Begun in the fall of 2012 with The Iron Stag King and the story of young Casper Kent seeking and winning the Crown, this trilogy combines the classical fantasy of King Arthur and Norse mythology with uniquely American themes. The story explores the nature of leadership, governance, and the American struggle to balance personal liberty with sacrifice for a greater good. |
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| Double Trouble Aug 31 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Porchlight Music Theatre at
Stage 773 |
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| In 1940s Hollywood, two song-and-dance brothers get the career making opportunity to write a song for a major motion picture. The challenge is they only have a few hours to create it. Triple-threat, real-life brothers Adrian Aguilar and Alexander Aguilar play more than 10 characters (and musical instruments) in this hilarious, quick change, tap dancing musical comedy that celebrates the crazy days of making the movie musicals that featured the likes of Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Donald O'Connor. |
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| The Old Man and the Old Moon Sep 3 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Pigpen Theatre Co. at
Writers' Theatre |
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| The Old Man and the Old Moon creates an epic new mythology, centered on a man whose job is to collect spilled light to refill the leaking moon. When his wife unexpectedly leaves home in pursuit of much-needed adventure, he abandons his post to follow her, throwing the world into chaos as he searches for his lost love, his fading memory and, ultimately, himself. |
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| The Mountaintop Sep 5 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Court Theatre |
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| On the eve of his assassination, a weary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. returns to his lonely hotel room in Memphis. Restless, he begins to work on his next speech when he's suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a young hotel maid named Camae. The two strike up an unlikely conversation and as the hour grows late and Dr. King's fate presses closer, Camae reveals that she is more than she appears. The Mountaintop offers a beautiful and powerful meditation on mortality, destiny, and the liminal space where the material meets the divine. Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson will direct this revelatory new portrayal of Dr. King. |
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| Sweet Child of Mine Sep 5 - Sep 21, 2013 |
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Neo-Futurists |
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| Sweet Child of Mine is an exciting U.S. premiere, featuring Australian performer Bron Batten and her 60 year-old parents live onstage, discussing art, theater and what Bron actually does for a living. Their insights are earnest, poignant and at the same time, painfully hilarious, as they ask themselves and the audience, what exactly is the point of art? Sweet Child of Mine is an inter-generational performance investigation combining theatre, modern dance, stand up comedy, audience participation and visual digital media. These elements combine to create an innovative style of post-dramatic performance that is honest, real and uniquely Australian - whilst also transcending cultural boundaries to speak to a universal experience. |
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| The Killer Angels Sep 6 - Oct 27, 2013 |
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Lifeline Theatre |
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| It is the third summer of the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee leads the Army of Northern Virginia into the North and the Army of the Potomac has no choice but to pursue. Over the course of three historic days, beside campfires and amidst firefights, a remarkable group of soldiers wrestle with their doubts, their fears, and their hopes for a shattered nation. Cemetery Hill, Culp's Hill, Little Round Top, and Pickett's charge come to vibrant life through the remarkable stories of the men who fought the legendary battles. |
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| To Master The Art Sep 10 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Broadway Playhouse |
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| TimeLine Theatre Company's 2008 World Premiere hit, receiving more than 20 rave reviews and five Jeff Award nominations, including New Work and Production, TO MASTER THE ART by William Brown and Doug Frew comes to the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. The play recalls the adventure and romance of Julia and Paul Child's journey of discovery to Paris during the 1950s. From the bistro where Julia fell in love with food, to the kitchen table where she recreated everything learned during cooking class, to a room where Paul was grilled by U.S. agents about alleged Communist contact, this is the story of a larger-than-life culinary icon and her remarkable husband as they struggle to find themselves as Americans abroad. |
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| In the Heights Sep 11 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Paramount Theatre |
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| Nominated in 2008 for 13 Tony Awards, taking home for four including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestration, In the Heights follows three days in the lives of residents living on 183rd Street in New York's Washington Heights. A largely Hispanic neighborhood, family bonds are strong; neighborhood ties are equally as binding; but change is in the air that will impact everyone. It's a story of dreams and sacrifices, loyalties and love, all taking place in one city block surrounded by millions. The pure energy of Washington Heights pulses with the poetry of rap, soaring ballads and powerful Latin-inspired grooves resulting in one of the most original scores to hit Broadway in years. In a community on the brink of change, full of hopes and dreams, the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you and which you leave In the Heights. |
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| Godspell Sep 12 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Theatre At The Center |
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| The groundbreaking, energetic musical is one of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, running for over 2,600 performances during its initial run. The upbeat retelling of biblical parables is punctuated and amplified by a playful and poignant score by Stephen Schwartz (WICKED). Popular tunes like the international hit “Day by Day,” “All Good Gifts,” “Turn Back, O Man” and “By My Side” share messages of kindness, tolerance and love. GODSPELL is a recipient of the 1972 Grammy Award for Best Score from an Original Cast Show Album. A revival opened on Broadway in October 2011 and just completed a nine month run. Stacey Flaster will direct and choreograph. |
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| The Wheel Sep 12 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Steppenwolf Theatre |
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| On a 19th century Spanish farm, Beatriz is happily preparing for her sister's wedding when the house is overrun by soldiers. In the chaos, she becomes the unintentional guardian of a young girl. Her determination to reunite the child with her father sweeps Beatriz along on a journey across war zones and through time. But what began as a simple act of kindness takes on a strange twist when the girl acquires curious powers. The Wheel is a spellbinding story of what happens to hope and human nature in times of war. |
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| Terminus Sep 12 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Interrobang Theatre Project at
Athenaeum Theatre |
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| Interrobang Theatre Project brings TERMINUS-the international sensation and tour de force of poetry and drama-to the Chicago stage for the first Midwest production with an American cast. A- scours the depths of Dublin to rescue her ex-student who is about to take a life. B- finds herself face-to-face with a demon and falls in love just in time. C- sold his soul to the devil for the world's greatest voice, but he's building a body count faster than an audience. TERMINUS is a supernatural fantasy of interlocking monologues sweeping the audience on a helter-skelter ride through the wildest parts of the imagination, our greatest hopes, and our darkest fears. Be warned - it's not for the faint of heart! |
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| 4000 Miles Sep 14 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Northlight Theatre |
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| At the end of an arduous cross-country bike trip, a rudderless 21 year-old seeks refuge in his elderly grandmother's West Village apartment. These two outsiders face ideological differences, but ultimately find their way together in "a beautifully rendered portrait" (The New York Times) of a cross-generational relationship |
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| Pullman Porter Blues Sep 14 - Oct 20, 2013 |
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Goodman Theatre |
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| With original and classic Blues favorites-including "Sweet Home Chicago"-performed by a live on-stage band, Pullman
Porter Blues is a rollicking ride back in time into the luxurious Pullman Trains, where the hidden lives of African American
porters emerge to take center stage. It's June of 1937, and the Panama Limited Pullman Train is speeding from Chicago to
New Orleans on the night of the Joe Louis/James Braddock world heavyweight championship. Three generations of Sykes
men-African American train porters-wrestle with ghosts of the past and dreams for the future as they eagerly await word of
the Brown Bomber's victory. |
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| Evita Sep 17 - Oct 6, 2013 |
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Ford Oriental Theatre |
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| TIM RICE and ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER's Tony Award-winning musical returns at last! Eva Peron used her beauty and charisma to rise meteorically from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady. Adored by her people as a champion for the poor, she became one of the most powerful women in the world - while her greed, outsized ambition and fragile health made her one of the most tragic. EVITA tells Eva's passionate and unforgettable true story, and features some of theater's most beautiful songs, including "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" and "High Flying, Adored." Don't miss the stunning new production of EVITA, directed by MICHAEL GRANDAGE and choreographed by ROB ASHFORD, that Channel 4 New York calls "THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN!" |
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| The Trip to Bountiful Sep 17 - Nov 17, 2013 |
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Raven Theatre |
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| Pulled from her beloved home in tiny Bountiful, Texas, an elderly woman is forced to live with her hen-pecked son and resentful daughter-in-law in a cramped apartment in Houston. With every breath she longs to return and with every attempted escape, she is foiled. Will she ever make it back to Bountiful? This heartfelt drama is presented 60 years after the original Broadway production. |
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| Signs Of Life Sep 18 - Oct 27, 2013 |
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Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph |
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| SIGNS OF LIFE, a new drama with music based on the true story of the Czech ghetto Theresienstadt, tells one of the most fascinating and least known stories of the Holocaust. Originally founded by the Nazis, Theresienstadt was specifically designated for the academic and artistic Jews of Europe. In an attempt to deceive the Red Cross and sway public perception, the Nazis decided to "beautify" the ghetto and commission a propaganda film. SIGNS OF LIFE shows the struggles of the captives of Theresienstadt as they try to expose the truth through art and music--and in doing so, discover the humanity they all share. |
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| Old Jews Telling Jokes Sep 24 - Nov 24, 2013 |
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Royal George Theatre |
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| OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES showcases five actors in a revue that pays tribute to and reinvents classic jokes of the past and present. Think you've heard them all before? Not this way. If you've ever had a mother, visited a doctor, or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog - OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion, and ask you where you got that. |
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| Cyrano de Bergerac Sep 24 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater |
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| Cyrano, a brilliant soldier and intellectual with a rather large nose, believes he is too ugly to be loved. Eloquently expressing his passion for Roxane in poetry through a handsome, young cadet, he courts his love to humorous and near disastrous results. Staged by Penny Metropulos and featuring Harry Groener in the title role, Cyrano de Bergerac reunites the artistic team of CST's acclaimed 2011 production The Madness of George III (Jeff Award, Production of a Play) in this homage to love and poetry. |
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| The North China Lover Sep 25 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Lookingglass Theatre |
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| You never forget your first lover. The affair plays like a moving picture over and over in your mind: passionate, consuming, secret, taboo. Fade in: the seamy French Quarter of Southern Indochina in the 1930s where the 14-year-old impoverished schoolgirl who will someday be French novelist Marguerite Duras is about to meet and captivate a wealthy 27-year-old Chinese aristocrat. With the older Duras as our guide, The North China Lover transports us on a provocative and haunting journey of awakening and sacrifice, revealing the delicate and indelible effect of life on art. |
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| Wrecks Sep 27 - Nov 17, 2013 |
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Profiles Theatre - The Alley Stage |
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| Edward Carr, an ordinary man, an adoring father of four and a successful business owner, sees his world shattered by the death of his beloved wife JoJo. Through his grief, he picks through his past, piecing together the story of his life, like the wrecks of the cars he so lovingly restores. In this fiercely passionate, unflinching and concise powerhouse of a play, LaBute explores the boundaries of love, and the extent of what society accepts as opposed to what the heart desires. |
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| Northanger Abbey Oct 2 - Nov 10, 2013 |
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Remy Bumppo Theatre at
The Greenhouse Theater Center |
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| Jane Austen has a high time with the literature of her day, as 17-year old Catherine, a voracious reader, makes the Gothic tale she's reading come all-too-much to life, causing her to misinterpret much that's happening around her. Remy Bumppo presents the U.S. Premiere of a new adaptation, complete with charming heroes, sneering villains, love lost and found, and a setting perfect for the Halloween season. There's debate whether Northanger Abbey was the first Jane Austen novel, but there's no debate that it's full of fun and romance in inimitable Austen style. |
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| Smokefall Oct 5 - Nov 3, 2013 |
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Goodman Theatre |
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| Change is in the air as Violet prepares to bring twin sons into the world. Inside her womb the boys contemplate their future, while her outer world is in transformation: her husband is secretly planning to leave her; her father is slipping into senility; and her daughter has taken a vow of silence. Smokefall follows the lives of this family in an expansive poetic treatise on the fragility of life and the power of love. |
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| Once Oct 9 - Oct 27, 2013 |
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Ford Oriental Theatre |
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| Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who's about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights... but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, ONCE draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It's an unforgettable story about going for your dreams... not living in fear... and the power of music to connect all of us. |
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| A Year with Frog and Toad Oct 9 - Nov 24, 2013 |
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Chicago Children's Theatre at
Ruth Page Center For Arts |
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| Lobel's well-loved characters hop from the page to the stage in this whimsical show that follows two best friends - the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad - through four, fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation in the spring, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons, celebrating and rejoicing in their differences that make them unique and special along the way. Part vaudeville, part make believe, all charm, A Year With Frog and Toad tells the story of a friendship that endures, weathering all seasons. |
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| Compulsion Oct 10 - Nov 17, 2013 |
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Next Theatre Company |
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| It is 1951 and Sid Silver is on a mission to be the guardian of one of the most moving and provocative accounts of the 20th century. Inspired by the true story of Meyer Levin and his obsession with Anne Frank's diary, Compulsion uses complex and inventive storytelling to explore the lengths that one man will go to honor Anne Frank's powerful and enduring legacy. |
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| Chicago's Golden Soul Oct 17 - Jan 5, 2014 |
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Black Ensemble Theater |
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| The fantastic BE season will end with a combination of Treasure and Tribute. First produced in 1998, this wonderful treasure of a production is a tribute to the music that put Chicago on the map as a national musical force. This Chicago celebration brings back the music of Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, Gene Chandler, Barbara Acklin and many, many more in this rollicking tribute to the music that made Chicago famous. |
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| The Sovereign Statement Oct 17 - Nov 23, 2013 |
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Neo-Futurists |
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| Using the genre conventions of political thrillers and procedurals, The Neo-Futurists explore the strange phenomenon of "micro-nations" by attempting to establish their theater as an independent state in its own right, utilizing the audience as citizens of the endeavor. Featuring rapid-fire dialogue and interlocking, simultaneous narratives taking place throughout the space, each evening Dardai and his cohorts proceed to build the basic trappings of a modern nation while fighting against intrigue, paranoia, misinformation, politicking, and revisions to the play itself. The Sovereign Statement examines not only the birth of nations, but also the circumstances that lead to their fracture and collapse. Can the new Neo-Futurist nation survive? And if so, should it? |
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| Click, Clack, Boo! A Tricky Treat Oct 19 - Nov 24, 2013 |
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Lifeline Theatre |
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| It's Halloween! Duck, Pig, Cow, and Hen can't wait to throw a party, complete with apple-bobbing, bottomless candy bowls, and a spook-tacular costume contest. But when mean ol' Farmer Brown refuses to allow the festivities, it's going to take some clever trickery to enjoy the tasty treats. Join the beloved barnyard crew as they teach Farmer Brown that sometimes a little scare can be big fun, in a world premiere musical for the entire family. |
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| We Will Rock You Oct 22 - Oct 27, 2013 |
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Cadillac Palace Theatre |
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| From London's West End, the worldwide smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton comes to Chicago for a limited engagement! WE WILL ROCK YOU features the greatest hits of the legendary British rock group, Queen. Now in its 11th year in London and seen by a staggering 15 million people worldwide, this hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon boasts a fantastic score of killer Queen tunes that you just can't resist singing along to, such as Another One Bites The Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Are The Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody and of course, We Will Rock You. |
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| Mary Poppins Oct 23 - Jan 5, 2014 |
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Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire |
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| Disney’s MARY POPPINS is a Supercalifragilistic hit! The world’s favorite nanny arrives on the Marriott stage! Mary Poppins, based on P.L. Travers’ beloved stories and the classic Disney film, features a magical score and thrilling dancing with “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Feed the Birds,” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” coming to life in front of your eyes for the very first time. So bring the whole family and spend a “Jolly Holiday” with Mary and an irresistible cast of characters. |
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| The Normal Heart Oct 25 - Dec 22, 2013 |
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TimeLine Theatre at
Stage 773 |
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| Originally produced Off-Broadway at New York's Public Theater in 1985, TimeLine's production of The Normal Heart will be the first Chicago staging of the play since its Tony Award-winning Broadway premiere in 2011. Set between 1981 and 1984, The Normal Heart is a searing drama about public and private indifference to the AIDS plague and one man's lonely fight to awaken the world to the crisis. The Normal Heart follows Ned Weeks, a gay activist enraged at the unresponsiveness of public officials and the gay community. While trying to save the world from itself, he confronts the personal toll of AIDS when his lover dies of the disease. |
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| Port Authority Oct 29 - Feb 16, 2014 |
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Writers' Theatre |
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| A young man escapes his parents' house to share digs with two alcohol-soaked friends and a mesmerizing young woman; a middle-aged laborer lands a dream job that he's not remotely qualified for; and a widower receives a mysterious package that touches a hidden part of his memory. The lightly interlocking stories of these three men at three different stages of life weave together a tale that is both spirited and moving in its portrait of ordinary lives. |
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| Wicked Oct 30 - Dec 21, 2013 |
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Ford Oriental Theatre |
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| Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald-green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. |
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| Miss Saigon Oct 30 - Nov 24, 2013 |
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Paramount Theatre |
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| From the creators of Les Miserables comes one of the most epic stage productions of modern theater. Miss Saigon is the riveting story of an American solider that has fallen in love with a Vietnamese bargirl as the fall of Saigon is looming. Following a quick wedding and an evening of passion, the GI is forced to evacuate, pledging to return for his new bride. Years later, he learns his love escaped the country with their son he never knew...beginning a quest that will change everyone. |
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| Haunting Julia Oct 31 - Dec 8, 2013 |
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Eclipse Theatre Company at
Athenaeum Theatre |
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| The Ayckbourn season concludes with the Chicago premiere of Haunting Julia. Julia Lukin was a musical prodigy who committed suicide 12 years earlier. Her father Joe has never come to terms with her death, and in the Julia Lukin Centre For Performing Studies, he hopes to discover what happened by meeting with a psychic, Ken, and Julia's boyfriend, Andy, who was the last person to see her alive. The men meet in Julia's preserved bedroom and Joe reveals that he believes Julia is trying to contact him, haunting him in order to explain what happened. Between the three men, the story of Julia's life and death is gradually revealed. As each of the men's feelings and recollections come to light, Ken believes Julia is poised to appear. Former Shattered Globe Artistic Director and Jeff Award Winning artist Kevin Hagan returns to Eclipse to direct the thrilling conclusion to the Alan Ayckbourn season. |
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| Making God Laugh Nov 7 - Dec 29, 2013 |
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Fox Valley Repertory |
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| As Woody Allen once said "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans..." Join two empty-nesters as they welcome home their three grown kids for the holidays - a priest, an aspiring actress, and a former star athlete. Over the course of three decades, not only do the hairstyles change, but their life adventures continue to evolve - dreams are crushed, relationships develop, unresolved issues surface, and yet old family traditions remain. Join in on this family comedy as you watch two parents hilariously and emotionally adapt to the change around them. There's no place like home for the holidays! |
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| Appropriate Nov 8 - Dec 8, 2013 |
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Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph |
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| When the Lafayettes descend upon a crumbling Arkansan plantation to liquidate their dead patriarch's estate, his three adult children collide over clutter, debt, and a contentious family history. But after a disturbing discovery surfaces among their father's possessions, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive, unleashing a series of crackling surprises and confrontations. Acclaimed director Gary Griffin (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Sunday in the Park with George and Follies) directs a potent and exciting play about the trouble with inheritance, memory loss, and the art of repression. Appropriate was developed and workshopped through Victory Gardens' IGNITION New Play Festival in 2012. |
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| Hellcab Nov 8 - Jan 12, 2014 |
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Profiles Theatre - The Main Stage |
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| Presented last season for its 20th Anniversary, Profiles remounts their acclaimed production for the holidays. Hellcab portrays the story of a cab driver during the longest night of his life as he transports a bizarre and mysterious array of customers through the gritty streets of Chicago. Playwright Will Kern draws from personal experience as a former cab driver to create this alternately frightening, hilarious and poignant journey. Throughout his long shift, the eclectic collection of passengers includes a trio of drug-addicts, a born-again couple, a smug lawyer, and a randy duo on their way to a motel. Set during a bitter cold Christmas Eve, Hellcab presents a rear-view image mirroring the passing parade of humanity. |
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| Detroit '67 Nov 8 - Dec 15, 2013 |
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Northlight Theatre |
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| It's 1967 and the world is changing around Chelle and Lank, who run an after-hours club in the basement of their late parents' house. Tensions mount when the siblings discover that their dreams have diverged, their tight-knit community is threatened by the arrival of an outsider, and the city around them erupts in violence. The music of Motown fuels this riveting new play set in America's Motor City. |
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| The Nutcracker Nov 8 - Dec 29, 2013 |
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The House Theatre of Chicago at
Chopin Theatre |
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| The House's fantastical expansion of this holiday classic centers on young Clara's journey to save Christmas. With the help of a magical Nutcracker, this brave little girl will fight the Rat King and save her family! This modern holiday production weaves together riveting dialogue, astonishing puppetry, original song and spellbinding spectacle to tell a heartwarming, darkly moving story of magic and hope -- a fun outing fit for the whole family. |
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| An Iliad Nov 13 - Dec 8, 2013 |
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Court Theatre |
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| Timothy Edward Kane returns to reprise his jaw-dropping, award-winning performance in this highly anticipated revival of Artistic Director Charles Newell's critically acclaimed 2011 production. A one-man adaptation of Homer's Iliad created by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare (TV's True Blood), An Iliad returns Homer's epic poem to the voice of the lone poet as he recounts a story of human loss and folly that echoes across three millennia of war and bloodshed. An Iliad will once again illuminate this ancient classic by taking a harrowing look at the human cost of war. |
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| A Christmas Carol, The Musical Nov 14 - Dec 22, 2013 |
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Theatre At The Center |
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| An endearing combination of a treasured tale and soaring music by a Disney musical genius, composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Aladdin”), it infuses the Charles Dickens holiday classic with music the whole family will cherish. After 10 smash years on Broadway, The New York Times raved that A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE MUSICAL is "a tonic for adults, and for children a transfixing journey.” The immortal story is set in London in the 1800s. On Christmas Eve, miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge is confronted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future that reveal the possible results of his selfish, uncaring life. Will Scrooge promise to change and become a new man? This musical favorite is full of holiday merriment and has proven to be popular for all ages. |
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