Theater events: Mark Curry, 'King and I' hitting stages

Standup in Schaumburg

Standup comedian Mark Curry, who spent five years starring in the ABC comedy “Hangin' with Mr. Cooper,” headlines the Chicago Improv in Schaumburg this weekend. Curry most recently appeared in the Nick at Nite comedy series “See Dad Run” starring Scott Baio.

8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17; 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18; 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at 5 Woodfield Road, Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg. $22 plus a two-item food or drink minimum. (847) 240-2001 or chicago.improv.com.

'The King and I'

Multiple Jeff Award-winning director Nick Bowling, who received a 2014 award for directing TimeLine Theatre's “The Normal Heart,” takes on a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic for his Marriott Theatre debut. Bowling helms Marriott's revival of “The King and I,” starring Heidi Kettenring as the British governess who clashes with the seemingly progressive King of Siam (Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte). Choreographer Tommy Rapley will incorporate Siamese tradition into the show's dance numbers. Ryan T. Nelson serves as music director.

Previews begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens Oct. 29. $40-$48. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

Reworked 'Titanic'

Griffin Theatre launches its 2014-2015 season with “Titanic,” by composer/lyricist Maury Yeston and writer Peter Stone. The musical follows lesser known passengers aboard the ill-fated ship, which was on its maiden voyage from Great Britain to the United States in April 1912 when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank. Scott Weinstein directs this 2012 chamber version of the musical featuring material cut from the 1997 Broadway version and new orchestrations by Ian Weinberger.

Previews begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 26. $30, $39. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org or griffintheatre.com.What's new#8226; #8220;Parade#8221; concludes Boho Theatre's 10th anniversary season. It's a musical by composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown and writer Alfred Uhry about a northern Jew charged with murdering a teenage girl who worked in his southern factory, Jim DeSelm stars as Leo Frank in this revival, directed by Linda Fortunato, with music direction by Matt Deitchman. The preview is Friday, Oct. 17. The show opens Saturday, Oct. 18, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or bohotheatre.com. #8226; As its seasonal offering, The Chicago Mammals unveil the latest in their All Girl Series, #8220;All Girl Edgar Allan Poe,#8221; a showcase of one-acts derived from Poe's writings. Among them is #8220;The Tell-Tale Heart,#8221; #8220;The Raven#8221; and #8220;The Pit and the Pendulum.#8221; The show opens Friday, Oct. 17, at Zoo Studios, 4001 N. Ravenswood, Chicago. See chicagomammals.blogspot.com.#8226; Dream Theatre Company present the #8220;Audience Annihilated Part Two: Gold Star Sticker,#8221; a combination haunted house and horror show by Jeremy Menekseoglu. The immersive show unfolds as a child's nightmare and is performed from Friday, Oct. 17, through Saturday, Nov. 2, at 5026 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Seating is limited and reservations are required. See dreamtheatrecompany.com for tickets. #8226; #8220;A Nightmare on Backstreet: A Boy Band Musical Parody,#8221; by Ricky Glore, sends up the #8220;Nightmare on Elm Street#8221; film series and the boy band craze. Performances run from Friday, Oct. 17, through Nov. 1 at The Public House Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago. (800) 650-6449 or pubhousetheatre.com. #8226; Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago, opens its KidSeries with ensemble member Elise Kauzlaric's adaptation of #8220;The Velveteen Rabbit,#8221; Margery Williams' tale about a stuffed bunny who ultimately makes a lasting impression on her boy. Jamie Cahill plays the Velveteen Rabbit and Mykele Callicutt plays the Skin Horse in the production, which begins performances Saturday, Oct. 18. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com. #8226; MadKap Productions welcomes Chicago magician Trent James to the Skokie Theater, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie, for one show at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. #8220;Rabbit-less#8221; is comprised of magic, sleight-of-hand, comedy and audience interaction. Tickets are $20. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheater.org or trentjamesmagic.com. #8226; SNORF! #8212; the monthly Saturday afternoon monster and piggy comedy/variety show #8212; returns to the Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St., Chicago, at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18. The all-ages show features puppets from the Noah Ginex Puppet Company. It runs Nov. 15, Dec. 13 and Jan. 10, 2015. Admission is $5. (773) 871-3793 or thesnorfshow.com. #8226; The two-hander musical #8220;Plath/Hughes#8221; by Robert Eric Shoemaker #8212; which premiered earlier this year at Curious Theatre Branch's Rhinofest #8212; opens Saturday, Oct. 18, at Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The musical about the troubled marriage between poets Sylvia Path and Ted Hughes stars Alexandra Merritt Mathews and Justin Krivda. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com. #8226; A young estate apprentice named Hutter is assigned to meet Count Orlock of Transylvania, but encounters the death bird Nosferatu in F.W. Murneau's 1922 film #8220;Nosferatu.#8221; Silent Theatre Company brings the film to the stage in a work adapted and directed by Brendan Balfe with original music by John Urban and Isaiah Robinson. Performances begin Sunday, Oct. 19, at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. The Oct. 31 performance includes a private, post-show party featuring Nosferatu craft beer. See silenttheatre.com for more information. #8226; Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie (who created the role of Cassie in #8220;A Chorus Line#8221;) headlines Simply Sensational, Pride Films and Plays annual fall benefit taking place Monday, Oct. 20, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The event also includes spoken word artist C.C. Carter, performance artist Kimberly Dark and scenes from PFP's upcoming productions. It begins at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring an appetizer buffet and cash bar at Cooper's, 1232 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. That's followed by the show at 7 p.m. General admission is $75. Tickets to a post-show champagne reception with McKechnie are an additional $25. See pridefilmsandplays.com.#8226; After learning his beloved cat is ill, Padraic, a member of the Irish National Liberation Army, leaves Belfast and returns to his home in Inishmore, where he learns things are much worse than he thought which inspires the famously unstable soldier to exact revenge in Martin McDonagh's #8220;The Lieutenant of Inishmore.#8221; AstonRep Theatre Company opens its season with the dark, bloody comedy directed by company member Derek Bertelsen. Previews begin Thursday, Oct. 23, at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 26. (773) 828-9129 or astonrep.com.#8226; Previews begin Thursday, Oct. 23, for A Red Orchid Theatre's U.S. premiere of #8220;Strandline,#8221; by Irish playwright Abbie Spallen. An examination of life in a small town, it centers on three women #8212; each with her own agenda #8212; from a coastal Irish town who join a fourth who is mourning the death of her husband. JR Sullivan directs the production, which opens Oct. 27 at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org. #8226; 16th Street Theater has extended its production of #8220;Agreed Upon Fictions,#8221; Shayne Kennedy's drama about a wife and mother who discovers her elderly, seemingly harmless neighbor is being investigated for possession of child pornography. Performances continue through Nov. 2 at North Berwyn Park District, 6420 16th St., Berwyn. (708) 795-6704 or 16thstreettheater.org. #8226; Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago, has extended its production of #8220;Jane Eyre,#8221; adapted from Charlotte Bronte's novel by ensemble member Christine Calvit and starring Anu Bhatt as Jane and John Henry Roberts as Edward Rochester. Performances continue through Nov. 16. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com. #8226; Eclipse Theatre Company that Terrence McNally will be the featured playwright during the company's 2015 season, which includes three productions as well as readings and other events. #8220;We are thrilled to dedicate our 2015 season to the works of one of the most beloved and prolific playwrights working in American theater today,#8221; said Eclipse artistic director Nathaniel Swift in a prepared statement. The season begins April 16, 2015, with #8220;Lips Together, Teeth Apart,#8221; about two straight couples vacationing during the 4th of July weekend in the gay community of Fire Island, whose individual isolation suggest they have little to celebrate. That's followed on July 16, 2015, by #8220;A Perfect Ganesh,#8221; about two women grieving the deaths of their sons, who travel to India searching for wisdom. The season concludes Nov. 5, 2015, with #8220;The Lisbon Traviata,#8221; which involves a conversation between opera fanatic Stephen and opera queen Mendy about Stephen's troubled relationship with his boyfriend. Performances take place at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 728-2216 or eclipsetheatre.com. 900600Lifeline Theatre has extended its production of “Jane Eyre” through Nov. 16. Anu Bhatt stars as Jane.