Entertainment

Fall theater launches with world premieres, acclaimed musicals

Posted September 12, 2015 12:30 pm

Barbara Vitello

Opening "October Sky" in August and "Peter and the Starcatcher" last week gave Marriott and Drury Lane a jump on the competition which will heat up as theater companies roll out their big guns for fall.

Here's a preview of a baker's dozen notable shows, plus a few additional offerings worth checking out.

"October Sky" - runs through Oct. 11, at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com. An appealing book and score by Aaron Thielen and composer/lyricist Michael Mahler propel this coming-of-age tale based on the 1999 film about a budding rocket scientist in 1957 desperate to "slip the surly bonds" of his struggling West Virginia mining town.

Caleb Donahoe plays Boy, opposite Matt Mueller's Black Stache, center, and Emma Rosenthal's Molly in Drury Lane Theatre's regional premiere of "Peter and the Starcatcher." Courtesy of Brett Beiner

"Peter and the Starcatcher" - runs through Oct. 18, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. (630) 530-0111 or drurylane.com. Artistic director William Osetek directs Drury Lane newcomer Caleb Donahoe, who plays Boy in the regional premiere of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's hit Peter Pan prequel about The Boy Who Never Grew Up.

"American Idiot" - Sept. 6-Oct. 25, at The Den Theatre, 1329 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. the-hypocrites.com. It's hard to imagine a company better suited to stage the regional premiere of Green Day's punk rock opera about three friends coming of age in post-9/11 America. Longtime ensemble member Steven Wilson directs.

"The Tempest" - Sept. 8-Nov. 8, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com. Joseph Jefferson Award winner Larry Yando plays the deposed duke turned sorcerer in this magic- and music-fueled production directed by Aaron Posner and Teller (of Penn & Teller), with songs by Tom Waits and featuring modern dance ensemble Pilobolus. Also, CST presents the U.S. premiere of "Ride the Cyclone," the quirky musical comedy about six members of a Canadian teen choir who are killed in a freak roller coaster accident. Rachel Rockwell directs the show, which runs Sept. 29 to Nov. 8.

Tim Kazurinsky, left, and George Wendt star in Northlight Theatre's world premiere of "Funnyman," Bruce Graham's comedy about a fading vaudeville comedian attempting to revive his career. Courtesy of Joe Mazza and Brave Lux Chicago

"Funnyman" - Sept. 11-Oct. 18, at Northlight Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org. George Wendt and Tim Kazurinsky return to Northlight for this world premiere by Bruce Graham ("White Guy on the Bus," "The Outgoing Tide"). Set in 1959, the dramedy centers on a former vaudeville comic and his longtime agent who attempt to revive the funnyman's career with a role in an avant-garde play. Artistic director BJ Jones directs.

Aaron Himelstein of Buffalo Grove and Casey Thomas Brown rehearse a scene from Steppenwolf Theatre's world premiere adaptation of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden." Courtesy of Joel Moorman

"East of Eden" - Sept. 17-Nov. 15, at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org. Steppenwolf's 40th season opens with the world premiere of John Steinbeck's examination of the conflict between good and evil evidenced by the relationship between twins Caleb and Aron. Adapted by ensemble member Frank Galati (who adapted Steppenwolf's acclaimed 1988 production of Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath"), it's directed by Steppenwolf co-founder Terry Kinney.

Olivia Cygan, left, Eric Slater and Christina Hall rehearse for Goodman Theatre's world premiere of "Feathers and Teeth," a "thriller comedy" by Charise Castro Smith. Courtesy of Liz Lauren

"Feathers and Teeth" - Sept. 19-Oct. 18, at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org. "Thriller comedy" is how Charise Castro Smith describes her play, developed through Goodman's New Stages Festival. It's about a 13-year-old girl grieving the death of her mother who's convinced her father's live-in fiance is evil. Goodman artistic associate Henry Godinez directs. Also at Goodman, the post-Broadway production of "Disgraced," Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning examination of identity, class and religion, which runs Sept. 12 to Oct. 18.

The Broadway production of "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder" opens its first national tour in Chicago this fall. Courtesy of Broadway in Chicago

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder" - Sept. 29-Oct. 11, at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000, broadwayinchicago.com or agentlemansguidebroadway.com. The national tour of 2014's Tony Award-winning best musical opens in Chicago. The deadliest tuner since "Sweeney Todd," the farcical show is about Monty Navarro, the distant heir to a family fortune who's determined to secure his inheritance even if it means doing away with a few family members.

"Good for Otto" - Oct. 1-Nov. 22, at The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org. Gift artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton helms the new dramedy by David Rabe ("Hurlyburly," "In the Boom Boom Room"), about a psychologist and the clients at his bucolic Connecticut health center. Wheaton native John Gawlik is among 10 ensemble members reuniting for Gift's world premiere.

Lawrence E. DiStasi plays the pirate Long John Silver in Lookingglass Theatre's world premiere adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island." Courtesy of Sean Williams

"Treasure Island" - Oct. 10-Jan. 17, 2016, at Lookingglass Theatre, Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org. Lookingglass Theatre, in a coproduction with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, takes on another literary classic: Robert Louis Stevenson's 18th century adventure tale about an innkeeper's son turned cabin boy and his encounters with the ship's pirate crew over the course of their quest to find buried treasure. Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman adapts and directs the family-friendly show.

"Never the Sinner" - Nov. 6-Dec. 6, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org. Gary Griffin ("The Color Purple") returns to Victory Gardens Theater to direct "Never the Sinner" by John Logan ("Red"). The play, which premiered in Chicago 30 years ago, examines the relationship between upper-crust thrill killers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who murdered a 14-year-old boy in 1924 and were defended by Clarence Darrow.

Also worthy of note:

• Metropolis Performing Arts Centre embarks on what is perhaps the theater's most ambitious undertaking: "Monty Python's Spamalot." Robin Hughes directs the deliciously silly stage version of the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which premiered in Chicago 10 years ago. Performances run Sept. 10 to Oct. 25 at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

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Colleen Fee and Britt-Marie Sivertsen play conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton in Porchlight Music Theatre's regional premiere of the revised "Side Show." Courtesy of Brandon Dahlquist

Porchlight Music Theatre presents the first post-Broadway production of the revised "Side Show," Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's musical about conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton (Colleen Fee and Britt-Marie Sivertsen), carnival and vaudeville performers during the 1920s and 1930s. Performances run Sept. 11 to Oct. 18 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 327-5252 or porchlightmusictheatre.org.

Allison Sill and Colte Julian star as Laurie and Curly in Paramount Theatre's revival of "Oklahoma." Courtesy of Paramount Theatre

• On the heels of its 16 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, opens its season with Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's "Oklahoma." Colte Julian and Allison Sill make their Paramount debuts as Curly and Laurie in the musical, which runs Sept. 16 through Oct. 18. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

• Libertyville native Marti Lyons directs Raven Theatre's premiere of Boo Killebrew's "The Play About My Dad." It's about her physician father, who stayed behind during Hurricane Katrina to care for stranded Gulfport, Mississippi, residents. Raven's Midwest premiere runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 28 at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.

• Ensemble member and Academy Award-nominee Michael Shannon returns to his artistic home, A Red Orchid Theatre, for the world premiere of Brett Neveu's "Pilgrim's Progress," about the domestic drama that unfolds within the dysfunctional McKee family during Thanksgiving dinner. It runs Nov. 4 through Dec. 13 at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.

Sandra Marquez plays Clytemnestra, who seeks revenge for her daughter's death, in Court Theatre's world premiere adaptation of "Agamemnon." Courtesy of Joe Mazza and Brave Lux Chicago

• Jeff Award-winner Sandra Marquez stars as Clytemnestra, determined to avenge her daughter's death, in Court Theatre's world premiere adaptation of Aeschylus' "Agamemnon," the second in founding artistic director Nicholas Rudall's three-part Greek Cycle. The production, starring Mark Montgomery in the title role, runs Nov. 5 to Dec. 6 at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.

• American Theater Company's "Fulfillment," a coproduction with New York's Flea Theater, marks the second Thomas Bradshaw play premiering here this season. ("Carlyle" opens next year at the Goodman Theatre.) ATC's first production since the death of artistic director PJ Paparelli in May, "Fulfillment" is about a wealthy, successful attorney who suspects race may be the reason he's been passed over for partner. The play runs Nov. 6 to Dec. 13 at 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago. (773) 409-4125 or atcweb.org.

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