Theater events: 'It's a Wonderful Life' in Naperville

'A Wonderful Life'

BrightSide Theatre presents “It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” Adapted by Joe Landry from Frank Capra's film, it's set on Christmas Eve in the fictional WBST radio studio where five actors recreate the film, sound effects and all. Jeffrey Cass directs the show which features original music by Kevin Connors.

Opens 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, at Meiley-Swallow Hall, North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Ave., Naperville. $22, $25. (630) 637-7469 or brightsidetheatre.com.

Holiday traditions

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents its annual production of “A Christmas Carol” adapted by resident playwright Scott Woldman and helmed by music director/arranger Micky York. Also Second City returns to Metropolis with its annual yuletide sendup, “Holidays in the Heights.”

“A Christmas Carol” opens 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, $15, $30; “Holidays in the Heights” opens 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, $29.50, $34.50; at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

Holiday alternative

A Brazilian maid would rather tell jokes than clean the house belonging to two doctors, whose marriage suffers after the husband falls in love with one of his patients. Those are the basics of Sarah Ruhl's “The Clean House.” Ann Filmer directs Remy Bumppo Theatre's revival of this whimsical dramedy starring ensemble members Annabel Armour and Shawn Douglass.

Previews begin 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens Dec. 8. $32.50-$57.50. (773) 404-7336 or remybumppo.org.

What's new

• An anxious, ailing, artsy young woman is assigned to collaborate with a classmate — an athletic, easygoing young man — on a project examining the poetry of Walt Whitman in Laura Gunderson's play, “I And You.” Redtwist theatre presents the Chicago premiere of the play which, opens 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago. (773) 728-7529 or redtwist.org.

• Dream Theatre Company immerses theatergoers in Victorian England as part of “A Christmas Carol: An Evening of Dickensian Delights.” The show, adapted and directed by Rachel Martindale, begins performances Friday, Nov. 28, at 5026 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 552-8616 or dreamtheatrecompany.com.

• American Demigods debuts its comic, dystopian take on seasonal fare, “A Very Orwellian Christmas Special,” in which a dictatorial Santa rules with help from his secret elf police who force good cheer upon the populace. The show opens Friday, Nov. 28, at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 988-9000 or americandemigods.com.

• Previews continue for Hell in a Handbag Productions' 17th annual holiday production of the adults-only “Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer.” In David Cerda's production, only partly inspired by the television special, Santa is depressed and morale at the North Pole is low. That leaves it to Rudolph, who likes wearing women's clothing, a misfit elf and a mannish prospector to help save Christmas. Previews run through Thursday, Dec. 4, at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. The show opens Dec. 5. (800) 838-3006 or handbagproductions.org.

• Whiskey Wry Productions presents “2014 Causes a Scene,” a satirical revue of the year's hot topics, beginning Saturday, Nov. 29, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.

• Stratford Shakespeare Festival veteran Ben Carlson returns to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater to star in “Pericles,” William Shakespeare's play about a prince who endures storm-tossed seas and shipwrecks to be reunited with his wife and daughter. Previews begin Sunday, Nov. 30, at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. The show opens Dec. 9. (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com.

• Red Tape Theatre hosts The Red Masquerade on Monday, Dec. 1, to raise money for its upcoming Chicago premiere of Taylor Mac's “A Walk Across America for Mother Earth” opening in February 2015. The fundraiser features Molly Brennan as Madam Barker, along with guest artists. Admission is $50, $75 for VIP admission and includes beer, wine, spirits and appetizers. The VIP dinner begins at 7 p.m. at the Mystic Celt, 3443 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The open bar starts at 8 p.m. See redtapetheatre.org.

• Erasing the Distance, an arts organization that examines mental health issues through theatrical productions, teams with Rebecca's Dream, a depression bipolar disorder support group, to present the world premiere of “Tell Me What You Remember.” Adapted by Gedalya Chinn from stories collected from families, it's about how one member's depression impacts the family. Performances begin Monday, Dec. 1, at Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See erasingthedistrance.org.

• Commedia Beauregard performs “A Klingon Christmas Carol,” its popular holiday show done entirely in the language created for the “Star Trek” TV series but with English surtitles. The play centers on SQuja' (Scrooge) who is visited by three ghosts who help him to reclaim his honor and courage. Performances begin Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6875 or cbtheatre.org or athenaeumtheatre.org.

• Billy Corgan, former frontman for the Smashing Pumpkins, premieres his 20-minute musical “Pretty Persephone” during The Music Theatre Company's season-opening “48-Hour Musicals: Encore!” beginning Thursday, Dec. 4, at 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park. The showcase features 15-minute musicals which composer/lyricists Scotty Arnold, Diana Lawrence, Michael Mahler and J. Oconer Navarra created, rehearsed and performed in 48 hours as part of the annual project which TMTC debuted in 2008. All four have been commissioned into full-length musicals, which the company will produce later this season. (847) 579-4900 or themusictheatrecompany.org.

• Performances continue for Strawdog Theatre Company's world premiere of “Desperate Dolls” by Darren Callahan. Set in 1968 Hollywood, it's about an aspiring filmmaker whose desire to make female-centered independent works takes a dark turn. Due to mature subject matter, no one under 18 is admitted to the show which runs through Dec. 23, at 3829 N. Broadway, Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or strawdog.org.

• There's a decidedly adult theme to some of the holiday offerings at the Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. An extramarital affair and a murder surround the holiday gathering of the dysfunctional James family in “It's Christmas (expletive)” running at 8 p.m. Saturdays, through Dec. 27. That's followed at 10:30 p.m. Saturdays by the adults-only “Nice N' Naughty” by Burlesque is More. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, has extended its revival of Agatha Christie's mystery/thriller “The Mousetrap.” Performances of the play, which has run continuously in London since 1952, continue through Dec. 21. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.

• Black Ensemble Theater has extended its remount of its original show “At Last: A Tribute to Etta James.” Performances continue through Jan. 11, 2015, at 4450 N. Clark St., Chicago. Also, BET hosts a New Year's Eve celebration titled “With Love from Black Ensemble Theater” from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dec. 31 at the theater. Tickets are $125 for singles, $200 for couples. Admission includes dinner, dancing, champagne toast and performances from BET ensemble members. (773) 769-4451 or blackensembletheater.org.

• UrbanTheater partners with several local restaurants to offer special dinner-theater packages for Thursday performances of “Julia de Burgos: Child of Water,” running through Dec. 14 at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, 3015 W. Division St., Chicago. For $30, theatergoers can choose one of three dinner options at Ay!, 2723 W. Division St., Chicago, before taking in the 8 p.m. performance at the museum located a few blocks west of the restaurant. (312) 239-8783 or urbantheaterchicago.org.

• Dead Writers Theatre Collective announced it will devote its 2015 season to the theme of forbidden love and the season will feature works by Oscar Wilde and Moliere. The season opens April 17, 2015, with Wilde's “Lady Windermere's Fan,” about a woman who becomes suspicious when her husband begins spending time and money on another woman. That show is followed in August of 2015 by David Hare's “The Judas Kiss,” about the time just before and after Wilde's 1895 imprisonment. The company's fifth season concludes in October with David Grimm's romantic comedy “The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue,” adapted from Moliere's comedy about a mother determined that her daughter marry a man of mom's choosing. Performances take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Season subscriptions start at $90. See deadwriters.net.