| 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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