BTE to stage musical, two comedies

Glen Ellyn-based Buffalo Theatre Ensemble announced its 2013-14 season of three plays Thursday and its intended return in January to College of DuPage’s McAninch Arts Center (MAC), which is undergoing renovation.

“We are extremely grateful to the staff of the McAninch Arts Center and the College of DuPage for providing the Theatre K space during the renovation process and for our season opener,” said BTE artistic director Connie Canaday Howard in a statement. “We are thrilled with the anticipation of returning to the MAC in the new year, to present works in the renovated Playhouse and Studio Theatre spaces.”

The season opens with the regional comedy “Leading Ladies” by Ken Ludwig (“Lend Me a Tenor,” “Moon Over Buffalo”). It follows two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors who try to extract a fortune from an elderly woman by pretending to be her long-lost nieces. “Leading Ladies” plays Sept. 6-22 in Building K.

Next up is Richard Dresser’s dark 1998 off-Broadway comedy “Gun-Shy,” which is about a divorced couple and their new lovers as they become snowbound in a New England cabin. “Gun-Shy” runs from Jan. 31 to March 2, 2014, and is set to play in the Studio Theatre of the renovated MAC.

Concluding the season is a revival of the 1966 Broadway musical “I Do! I Do!” This two-character musical version of Jan de Hartog’s 1951 play “The Fourposter” features a score by “The Fantasticks” songwriters and follows the lives of a married couple over the course of 50 years. “I Do! I Do!” runs from April 25 to May 18, 2014, in the MAC’s Playhouse space.

Subscription tickets are on sale now, while single tickets, ranging from $28 to $36, will go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 14. For more information, call (630) 942-4000 or visit atthemac.org.