Theater events: Holiday hilarity courtesy of Second City

Ha-Ha-Holidays

The Second City national touring company sends up holiday hassles such as crowded stores, long lines, extended stays by out-of-town relatives, office parties and bad gifts as part of “The Second City Dysfunctional Holiday Revue.” The adults-only revue opens this week for a brief run at the Copley Theatre.

Opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. $35. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

‘Airline' premiere

Steppenwolf Theatre presents the Broadway-bound, world premiere of “Airline Highway,” Lisa D'Amour's examination of community in which a ragtag group gathers to pay respects to burlesque performer Miss Ruby, who has requested her funeral take place before she dies. Directed by Joe Mantello (“The Last Ship,” “Wicked”), this Steppenwolf commission opens on Broadway in 2015.

Previews continue at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens Dec. 14. $20-$86. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

Northlight's 40th

Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown (“Parade,” “The Bridges of Madison County”), whose musical “The Last Five Years” premiered at Northlight Theatre in 2001, headlines the theater's 40th anniversary celebration. The fundraiser includes a cocktail reception, raffle and auction.

7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. $150. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.

What's new

• The holiday musical “The Christmas Schooner” sailed into the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, earlier this week. The musical by John Reeger and Julie Shannon recounts the true story of the wreck of the Rouse Simmons, the Christmas tree ship that transported trees from Michigan's upper peninsula to Chicago's German immigrants during the early 20th century. Performances continue through Dec. 28. (773) 325-1700 or mercurytheaterchicago.com.

• Goodman Theatre and The Second City team up for “Twist Your Dickens, Or Scrooge You,” a holiday sendup by former “The Colbert Report” writers Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort featuring Scrooge and Tiny Tim alongside the “Peanuts” characters, Little Orphan Annie and the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys. Previews begin Friday, Dec. 5, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens Wednesday, Dec. 10. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• Trap Door Theatre remounts the absurdist comedy “Vatzlav” Friday, Dec. 5, at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The play by Slawomir Mrozek unfolds on an enchanted island where a genius professor pimps his daughter named Justice and where entrepreneurs are bloodsucking vampires. (773) 278-1500 or trapdoortheatre.com.

• The Neo-Futurists conclude the year with a special version of their long-running signature show, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: Best of 2014” running Friday through Sunday, Dec. 5-7 and 12-14, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. Also, the company hosts a New Year's Eve performance that includes refreshments, hors d'oeuvres and champagne toast. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 31. Reservations required. Lastly, the company recently welcomed Kendall Karg as the new managing director. A former New York producer, Karg served as project manager for the inaugural Shakespeare in the Parks program in 2012 and an expanded program in 2013. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.

• Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, co-hosts of the Discovery series “MythBusters,” bring their stage show “MythBusters: Behind the Myths” to the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, for two shows at 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The show includes experiments, audience interaction and behind-the scenes stories from the show. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• Soap opera star and actress Deidre Hall (“Days of Our Lives”) joins the cast of Hell in a Handbag Productions' “Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer,” an irreverent, adults-only satire of the Christmas tale, on Sunday, Dec. 7. Hall is the guest of honor at the fundraiser, which takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Dank Haus German American Cultural Center, 4740 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Tickets range from $80 to $175 and include a performance of the play, food and beverages, live and silent auction and a raffle. (800) 838-3006 or handbagproductions.com.

• “That's Weird, Grandma: The Holiday Special,” a Barrel of Monkeys showcase featuring holiday-themed sketches written by Chicago Public School students, opens Monday, Dec. 8, at the Neo Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. It runs through Jan. 5. (312) 409-1954 or barrelofmonkeys.org.

• Thea Brooks and Euriamis Losada star as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in the remount of “I Love Lucy Live on Stage,” a stage show set in 1952 during a taping of two episodes of the famed sitcom and including a look behind the scenes at the filming of a TV show. Performances begin Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective and his fellow sleuth Dr. Watson tackle a holiday mystery in Raven Theatre's fourth annual production of “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose,” beginning previews Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. Co-artistic director Michael Menendian helms the play he adapted with John Weagly from Conan Doyle's “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.” The family-friendly show opens Dec. 12, and the theater has added performances to accommodate demand. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.

• Performances begin Wednesday, Dec. 10, for the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “Newsies,” based in part on the 1992 film and inspired by the real-life newsboy strike of 1899. The Chicago leg of the tour opens Dec. 12 and continues through Jan. 4 at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• The SAG/Aftra Senior Radio Players, featuring Darryl Schultz of Elk Grove Village, perform “Radio Ho Ho Ho,” a holiday event featuring re-creations of several classic radio shows as well as an original piece titled “Yulenet.” The performance, which also features music from the 1930s to 1950s, takes place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 744-3315.

• Salsation Theatre Company rings in the holidays with a new improvised show “Feliz Navidachi,” in which Salsation's musical improv arm, Los Improviachis, examines holiday tribulations and celebrations. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 and 18, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. “Exposing mariachi music and culture to the masses in a comedic way is our goal,” said Salsation artistic director Nelson Velazquez. (773) 327-5252 or salsation.org.

• Burlesque troop Kiss Kiss Cabaret performs its adults-only “Holiday Spectacular” at 11 p.m. Fridays through Dec. 19 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or kisskisscabaret.com.

• The improv group Buffalo performs a new musical at 8 p.m. every Wednesday at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Strawdog Theatre Company has extended its production of “Great Expectations,” adapted from Charles Dickens' novel by Gale Childs Daly and directed by Jason Gerace. Six actors portray all the characters in this tale of an orphaned boy plucked from poverty and placed among England's upper crust. Performances continue through Dec. 20 at 3829 N. Broadway St., Chicago. Additionally, Strawdog presents an accessible performance at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. It includes a touch tour at 6:45 p.m. (773) 528-9696 or strawdog.org.

• Three new writer/director/performers have joined the Neo-Futurists. They are Ida Cuttler, Nick Hart and Jeewon Kim. They were selected from “a very large pool of excellent artists because of their strong writing, compelling onstage energy and confidence in their individual perspectives,” said co-artistic director Bilal Dardai in a prepared statement,

• Irish Theatre of Chicago, formerly known as Seanachai Theatre, embarks upon its 20th season with the installation of Michael Grant and Ira Amyx as co-artistic directors and Jennifer Bukovsky as stage manager. Additionally Matthew Isler, Jodi Kingsley and Jamie Young have joined the ensemble.