Theater events: Well-loved 'Sound of Music' takes stage in Naperville

'Sound of Music'

BrightSide Theatre concludes its fourth season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music," starring Meg McGarry as Maria, Tony Lage of West Chicago as Captain von Trapp and Michelle Hackman of Cary as the Mother Abbess. BrightSide artistic director Jeffrey Cass helms the production of the well-loved musical, about a young postulant turned governess who changes the lives of affection-starved children and their distant father. Michael Kaish serves as music director. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, June 12, at Meiley-Swallow Hall, North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Ave., Naperville. $25. (630) 637-7469 or brightsidetheatre.com.

Steel Beam 'Encores'

Steel Beam Theatre toasts its 14th season with "Encores," a weekend of concerts featuring songs from musicals by Stephen Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown performed by Steel Beam veterans Amy Steele, Cynthia Fortune-Gruel, Kevin Chlapecka, and Steve and Becky Solomon. 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 12-13, and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 14, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. $20. (630) 5887-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.

'Tempest' re-imagined

Walkabout Theater Company, an ensemble known for experimental, site-specific works, and Moon Fool, an international ensemble that incorporates music and physical theater, collaborate on "Storm," a theater piece inspired by William Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Anna-Helena McLean, Moon Fool founding director, helms the production, which incorporates original music, acrobatics and movement to tell the tale of exiled geo-engineer Prospero trying to control the elements to create a more sustainable world. Press preview at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago. Opens June 19. $20. (773) 281-0824 or linkshall.org or walkabouttheater.org.

Other theater events

• Congratulations to Lincolnshire native Brenda Didier, who this week received Joseph Jefferson Awards for musical direction and choreography for Bailiwick Chicago's non-equity production of "The Wild Party." The non-equity Jeffs recognize excellence from Chicago's nonunion theaters. "The Wild Party" led all productions with eight awards including: best musical production, ensemble, principal actress Danni Smith, principal actor Matthew Keffer, musical director Andrew Benham and lighting designer Brian Hoehne. For a complete list of winners, see jeffawards.org.

• Previews begin Friday, June 12, for Victory Gardens Theater's Midwest premiere of "The Who & The What" by 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. Ron OJ Parson directs the drama about the conflict between tradition and contemporary life, which centers around a Pakistani-American writer whose novel about women and Islam disrupts her relationship with her conservative father and sister. The show opens June 19 at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

• Second City alum Ithamar Enriquez brings his Charlie Chaplin-inspired solo comedy show "Ithamar Has Nothing to Say" to Donny's Skybox Theatre at 1616 N. Wells St., Chicago. Enriquez does not utter a word in the show, which is accompanied by an eclectic music score. Performances begin Friday, June 12, and run through June 20. (312) 337-3992 or secondcity.com.

• Cirque veteran and director Anna Vigeland teams up with members of Aloft, a physical performance company whose members incorporate circus arts in their theatrical pieces, for a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at 2000 W. Fulton St., Chicago. (312) 782-6662 or aloftloft.com.

• Oracle Productions commemorates the Voting Rights Act with a revival of Suzan-Lori Parks' "The America Play," a dark comedy about an African-American gravedigger, known as The Foundling Father, whose uncanny resemblance to President Abraham Lincoln inspires him to develop an attraction where people pay to re-enact the assassination of The Great Emancipator. Performances begin Saturday, June 13, at 3809 N. Broadway St., Chicago. Admission is free but reservations are recommended and donations are accepted. See publicaccesstheatre.org.

• Goodman Theatre hosts its fourth annual "Scene Soiree," a Roaring Twenties-inspired event that includes Prohibition-era cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, raffle and dancing. The event begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Ovation Chicago, 2324 W. Fulton St., Chicago. Tickets are $95 in advance, $100 at the door. Proceeds benefit Goodman's new play development and education programs. Tickets are available at goodmantheatre.org.

• The next installment of Collaboraction's "Let Hope Rise," a community talent show inspired by the theater's "Crime Scene" series developed in response to the violence that has plagued Chicago neighborhoods in recent years, begins at noon on Saturday, June 13, at Austin Town Hall, 5601 W. Lake St., Chicago. Collaboraction artistic director Anthony Moseley hosts the event, which features dancers, poets and Collaboraction. (312) 226-9633 or collaboraction.org.

• Amazing Sammo Productions opens its 2015 season with the sketch comedy show "Sam & Mickey Are Friends: Community Service," in which Sam and Mickey must be nice to people and do community service to keep their theater. Performances begin Saturday, June 13, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com or amazingsammo.com.

• The New Colony announced the lineup of Side Stage, its series of free summer performances. They begin at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18, with "Kumate," a one-man improvised Kung fu show featuring improviser/director Ryan Williams with music by Ryan Miera. The adults-only show takes place at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See thenewcolony.org.

• The 4th annual Women's Funny Festival runs from Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. "Saturday Night Live" writer Katie Rich, improv veterans Susan Messing and Rachel Mason, comedian Tamale Rocks, comedian and WGN radio host Patti Vasquez and sketch ensembles Off Off-Broadway and The Cupid Players are among the 160 ensembles performing as part of this celebration of women in all forms of comedy. (773) 327-5252 or stage773.com.

• "Big Sausage Pizza," an original, adults-only musical about a struggling pizza restaurant and the plucky employees who come up with a way to save it, opens Thursday, June 18, at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Performances continue for "My Solo Show of All Duets," starring Rebecca Sohn as a delusional diva performing musical theater duets accompanied by pianist TJ Shanoff. Performances run through June 28 at The Mission Theater, 1501 Kingsbury St., Chicago. (312) 929-2401 or missiontheaterchicago.com.

• Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, has extended its acclaimed production of "Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash" starring Kent M. Lewis as The Man in Black and featuring such hits as "A Boy Named Sue," "I Walk the Line" and the titular tune. Performances continue through Aug. 30. (773) 325-1700 or mercurytheaterchicago.com.

• Broadway in Chicago promises 100 theater fans who purchase new subscriptions to the 2015-2016 season a $25 gift certificate to a partner restaurant if they subscribe by Sunday, June 14. Gift certificates are subject to availability. Call (312) 977-1717.

• American Theater Company has named playwright/director Bonnie Metzgar, former artistic director of About Face Theater, as its interim artistic director following the death of artistic director PJ Paparelli, who was killed in a car accident last month while vacationing in Scotland. "Bonnie will help us identify the right leader to carry on PJ's legacy of developing new work in Chicago and telling vital stories about what it means to be an American," said ATC board president Nancy Shields in a prepared statement. The board will conduct a national search to fill Paparelli's position.

• Jose Antonio Cruz has been named development/managing director of Teatro Vista. Cruz comes to the theater after 11 years as associate producer for New York City's Spanish Repertory Theater Company. Cruz's hiring comes on the heels of the company's selection as a recipient of a Joyce Foundation Award. "I am extremely proud to join a company that produces high-quality theatrical productions and that gifts the work of diverse Latino voices to Chicago theater and its audiences," said Cruz in a prepared statement.

• Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre announced its 2015-2016 season will include the musicals "Rent" and "Blood Brothers" along with a salute to Frank Sinatra. The season begins Sept. 25 with "Blood Brothers," writer/composer Willy Russell's musical about twin brothers separated at birth. That's followed by "My Way ... A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" (Nov. 27-Jan., 10, 2016), conceived by Todd Olson and David Grapes and featuring two dozen songs made famous by the singer. The company revives Jonathan Larson's "Rent" (March 11-May 1, 2016) about the lives and loves of a group of New York City artists and performers. The season concludes with "An Anthony Newley - Leslie Bricusse Songbook" (June 10-July 31, 2015), celebrating the British duo who composed the hits "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "The Candy Man" among others. Performances take place at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Season subscriptions will go on sale at a later date. See theo-u.com for information. Also at Theo Ubique, founder and artistic director Fred Anzevino announced the appointment of Jeremy Ramey as resident music director, Adam Veness as resident set designer and Bill Morey as resident costume designer.

• Michigan's Three Oaks Theater Festival welcomes several Chicago area ensembles to its stage this summer. The 2015 season begins June 27 with a staged reading of Northlight Theatre's 2014 world premiere of "Chapatti," Christian O'Reilly's drama about two lonely animal lovers who embark upon a tentative romance. John Mahoney and Penny Slusher reprise their roles from Northlight's premiere. Emerald City Theatre Company performs its family-friendly "Elephant and Piggie's We Are in a Play!" inspired by Mo Willems' children's' books on July 18. New York City theater artist Jenny Lee Stern channels country music great Patsy Cline in "Patsy Cline - She's Got You" on Aug. 1. That's followed by The Hypocrites' acclaimed re-imagining of Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore" on Aug. 21 and 22. Chicago area favorites The Q Brothers present "Q Gents," their hip-hop version of William Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" on Sept 5 and 6. Three Oaks' season concludes Sept. 25 and 26 with "The Bicycle Men," a bawdy musical comedy about an American tourist and his encounters with the oddball residents of a small French town. "Chapatti" takes place at the Vickers Theater, 6 N. Elm St., Three Oaks, Michigan. All other performances take place at the Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Drive, Three Oaks, Michigan. (866) 811-4111 or threeoaksfestival.com.

• The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced it will honor five Chicago artists and arts organizations at its second annual Fifth Star Awards Sept. 16 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago. The honorees include: writer and MacArthur Fellowship winner Sandra Cisneros ("The House on Mango Street"); architect Stanley Tigerman, who designed the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie; performer/educator Ella Jenkins, who received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2004; longtime WXRT program director Norm Winer; and the renowned Joffrey Ballet, which celebrates its 60th season this year. See fifthstarawards.org for more information.