| Manic Pixie Dreamland |
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Annoyance Theatre |
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| Manic Pixie Dream Girl -- even if you've never heard the phrase, you know the type. A fictional girl unlike any other, her closet is a vintage explosion, she dances in the rain, sings out loud in public and has any number of other quirks. And of course, she always waltzes in to win the heart of the guy away from whatever dull normal girl is dragging him down -- think Natalie Portman in Garden State or Zooey Deschanel in ... everything. The Annoyance's latest production takes you to Manic Pixie Dreamland, the manufacturing center where all MPDGs are created and trained, then sent out to locate and cure the angsty men of the world. All is running smoothly until a new recruit arrives and starts to unravel the deep, dark mysteries that are kept hidden by the enigmatic ruler, The Dream Queen. Manic Pixie Dreamland is an unabashedly girly musical directed by Ryan McDermott. |
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| The Marvelous Land of Oz |
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New American Folk Theatre at
The Den Theatre |
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| The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman's adventures continue in The Marvelous Land of Oz, the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. With music and book by Anthony Whitaker -- who also directs -- this family-friendly New American Folk Theatre production is based on the children's novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum (which was written in Chicago's Humbolt Park in 1905). In it, young Tip escapes from the witch who has held him captive since birth and sets out on a magical adventure. True to Baum's original vision, this memorable folk musical mixes puppetry with live actors and a narrator. |
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| Mascot |
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Found Objects Theatre Group at
The Den Theatre |
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| In Mascot, a man, comically estranged from his family has something more important to worry
about: a restraining order keeping him from his son's high school football games. As he attempts increasingly grandiose and absurd ways to see his son play without being caught, he must confront the series of events that led to his banishment. Mascot is a humorous tragedy consumed with rage, blackmail, disguises, wet grass and whispers. |
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| Measure for Measure |
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Saint Sebastian Players at
St. Bonaventure Church |
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| In Measure for Measure, the Duke empowers Lord Angelo to rule in his place while he purports to leave on a journey but secretly investigates the moral decay of his dukedom, disguised as a friar. Resorting to an old law against fornication to enforce his strict standards of morality, Angelo proceeds to condemn fornicators to death. The first of these is Claudio, a young man who has had made his fiancée pregnant. Claudio’s sister Isabella, who is about to take her vows as a nun, pleads for her brother’s life. Angelo uses his power to try to blackmail Isabella into his bed, leaving the pious young woman with an impossible choice: uphold her commitment to chastity or commit a serious sin to save her brother’s life. |
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| Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament |
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Medieval Times Schaumburg Castle |
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| Medieval Times is an exciting, family-friendly dinner attraction inspired by an 11th century feast and tournament. Guests are served a four-course banquet and cheer for one of six knights as they compete in the joust and other tests of skill. Expect lots of jousting, swordsmanship, thrilling hand-to-hand combat, and displays of extraordinary horsemanship as part of an exciting story set in Medieval Spain. |
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| Million Dollar Quartet |
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Apollo Theater |
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| MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the smash-hit musical inspired by the famed 1956 recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley for the first and only time. That legendary night is brought to life in this thrilling musical which features a score of hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Great Balls of Fire," "Walk the Line," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog" and more. Don't miss your chance to be a fly on the wall of fame... at MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET! |
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| The Misanthrope |
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Court Theatre |
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| In a society where social graces reign supreme, the cynical Alceste causes a scandal when he refuses to play his part in the charade. Torn between his love for the coquettish Célimène and the pretenses he so despises, Alceste finds himself alone in a world where words are brandished like weapons and status is defined by style. Unwilling to play the hypocrite any longer, Alceste must decide his destiny. |
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| The Miss Neo Pageant |
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Neo-Futurists |
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| The Miss Neo Pageant smashes the traditional American beauty pageant form with real stories of fully-grown girls stumbling into womanhood. The delightfully offbeat contestants walk the fine line between female rivalry and alliance, vying to become fully-realized adults in a world without winners. |
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| The Mother |
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Oracle Theatre |
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| THE MOTHER was originally written in 1930 as a Lehrstücke, or learning play, with the intent of educating the German people about the values of Marxism. Set during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, THE MOTHER tells the story of Pelagea Vlassova, a widow whose only son is embroiled in dangerous political activities. Her desire to protect him draws her deep into a growing labor movement, which ultimately leads her to both catastrophe and triumph. Oracle Theatre holds its lens to Brecht's notion of how a common cause can unite people in overcoming any kind of obstacle, be it personal, economic, or political. Guillen's music transforms Brecht's socialist poetry into an anthemic call to action, while Truax's staging draws the audience into Brecht's conflict, placing them at the very feet of the revolutionary movement. |
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| Next Fall |
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AstonRep Theatre Company at
Heartland Studio Theatre |
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| NEXT FALL follows the ups and downs of an unlikely couple - Luke, who's devoutly religious and Adam, who's an atheist. Despite their differences, they manage to make it work during their five years together. When an accident changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke's family and friends for support... and answers. NEXT FALL paints a touching and witty portrait of modern romance, asking the hard questions about commitment, love and faith. |
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| The Night of the Iguana |
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The Artistic Home |
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| A spiritually-lost reverend battles to save himself amid the denizens of a dilapidated Mexican hotel. Caught between the women who tempt and taunt him, Shannon faces his own personal Gesthemane during the dark tropical night where everyone learns exactly what happens when you come to the end of your rope. |
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| Oklahoma! |
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Lyric Opera |
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| Set in the West just after the turn of the last century, the high-spirited rivalry between the farmers and cowboys provides the colorful backdrop for one of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time. Here is a story that is both touching and gripping-about growing up and falling in love, dreams and nightmares, and the promise and exuberance of a new land on the verge of statehood. |
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| Oliver! |
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Drury Lane- Oakbrook |
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| Set in the dismal slums of nineteenth-century London, OLIVER! follows the adventures of Oliver Twist, a resourceful young orphan. Forced from a seedy workhouse into pick-pocketing, Oliver finds himself caught in a tug-of-war with his family and the sinister characters he has met in the streets. OLIVER! is a poignant story that features a spectacular score including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You've Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I'd Do Anything, and As Long As He Needs Me. |
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| Orange Flower Water |
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BareBones Theatre and Interrobang Theatre Project at
Raven Theatre |
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| Married couples David and Cathy Larson and Brad and Beth Youngquist live with their children in the relatively peaceful town of Pine City, Minnesota. David and Beth, after years of maintaining a platonic friendship, begin an adulterous affair with disastrous consequences. Through a series of scenes which all take place on or around a single bed, we see the painfully intense real-time unraveling of both marriages and, eventually, the construction of a very fragile but authentic new beginning for everyone concerned. |
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| Othello: The Remix |
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater |
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| This fresh urban take on Shakespeare's tragedy returns home for a limited engagement on the heels of an acclaimed world premiere at Shakespeare's Globe in London, and wildly successful tours to Germany and Edinburgh. The CST-commissioned hip-hop adaptation of Othello is spun out and lyrically rewritten over original beats by The Q Brothers-America's leading re-interpreters of Shakespeare through hip-hop (Funk It Up About Nothin', The Bomb-itty of Errors). Whether you're looking for a rockin' night of rhythm and rhyme or a new way to think about Shakespeare, Othello: The Remix delivers an intense, high energy spin like no other. |
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| The Pajama Game |
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Music Theatre Company |
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| The Pajama Game tells the story of Babe and Sid, struggling to fall in love as workers and management clash over seven and a half cents. The legendary score featuring "Hey There," Hernando's Hideaway," "Steam Heat," among others, is one of the most popular scores in the American Theatre canon. Stripped down to its essence to reveal the heart of its story, TMTC's production is a clever, truthful and poignant musical for our times. |
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| Pal Joey |
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Porchlight Music Theatre at
Stage 773 |
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| Wabash Avenue, Chicago, 1939. Joey Evans, a brash, scheming song-and-dance man elbows his way into a job at a south side nightclub and is soon juggling the affections of a naive shop girl and a wealthy society dame who he hopes will set him up in business. When a meddling punk threatens to shake them down, Joey gets a taste of his own medicine in this ground-breaking, hard-as-nails classic featuring one of the greatest American musical scores including “I Could Write a Book,” “You Mustn’t Kick it Around,” “Zip” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.” |
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