Theater events: Williams Street Rep revives 'Little Shop of Horrors'

Don't feed the plants

Williams Street Repertory stages "Little Shop of Horrors," the musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken based on the darkly comic 1960 film about a mousy flower shop worker named Seymour who unwittingly nurtures a killer plant intent on taking over the world. Joe Lehman directs. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. $32.50, $38.50. (847) 356-9212 or wsrep.org.

Salute to Ellington

Evan Tyrone Martin, who played Jesus in Paramount Theatre's "Jesus Christ Superstar," and Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Justin Adair, of Woodridge, are among the singers performing in Music Theater Works' concert-style production "Duke Ellington's Greatest Hits." Artistic director Rudy Hogenmiller directs the show, which features Ellington favorites "Take the 'A' Train," "Mood Indigo" and "Satin Doll." Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $34-$64. (847) 920-5360 or musictheaterworks.com.

Scary tales

For its autumn production, Theatre-Hikes presents four of Edgar Allan Poe's scariest stories - "The Raven," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" - as part of its latest outdoor show "Nightfall With Edgar Allan Poe." The performance lasts about two hours and theatergoers will hike about two miles. Performances begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. $15, $20. There is a low-impact hike on Oct. 15 and an ASL interpretation on Oct 21. (630) 725-2066 or theater-hikes.org.

Other theater events

• Previews continue for Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's season-opening revival of Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth," about a family that manages to survive military conflicts, global disasters and refugee crises. Krissy Vanderwarker directs the production featuring ensemble members Peter A. Davis and Linda Gillum. The show opens Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or remybumppo.org.

• Performances continue for The Neighborhood Theatre Company's inaugural production of "Good Night, Fred Rogers," which examines what happened to the neighborhood after Rogers' 2003 death. Performances run through Oct. 28 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago. See haveyouseenmisterrogers.com.

• Collaboraction's annual Peacebook Festival - a free festival of theater, dance, spoken word and music focused on promoting peace in Chicago neighborhoods - continues through Saturday, Oct. 7, at Hamilton Park, 2513 W. 72nd St., Chicago. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday. Events include a performance of "Dandelions," a play about loss and violence; "Hoods," in which various neighborhoods sit down to talk about communication problems; a solo show about prejudice by Brian Keys; and a dance performance titled "Triumphs, Burdens and Laughs." For details, see collaboraction.org. In other Collaboraction news, the company hired Dr. Marcus Robinson, who headed the Consortium of Community Development and Citizens for Progressive Change Inc., as its new managing director.

• Previews begin Friday, Oct. 6, for Porchlight Music Theatre's production of "Billy Elliot, The Musical," which marks the company's debut at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Brenda Didier, of Lincolnshire, directs and choreographs the musical by Elton John and Lee Hall based on the 2000 film about a young boy from an English mining town who dreams of becoming a dancer. The revival opens Oct. 15. (773) 777-9884 or porchlightmusictheatre.org.

• Magician Dennis Watkins returns to the Palmer House, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago, on Friday, Oct. 6, to preside over The Magic Parlour, in cooperation with The House Theatre of Chicago. Intimate performances (only 44 seats are available for each show) of sleight of hand for ages 12 and older take place at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and 4:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. (773) 769-3832 or themagicparlourchicago.com or thehousetheatre.com.

• The Hypocrites scare up some chills this month with their world premiere of "Dracula," adapted and directed by Sean Graney from an original script by Timothy F. Griffin based on Bram Stoker's novel. Joseph Jefferson Award winner Breon Arzell stars in the production, which begins previews on Saturday, Oct. 7, at The Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The show opens Oct. 12. (773) 325-1700 or mercurytheaterchicago.com.

• Hell in a Handbag Productions transfers its hit production "The Golden Girls - The Lost Episodes" to Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, for six weeks beginning Saturday, Oct. 7. The late-night, adults-only show riffs on the 1980s sitcom about four mature women sharing a Florida home. This incarnation showcases the best of the original run, plus new material from writer David Cerda. Performances begin Saturday, Oct. 7. (773) 327-5252 or handbagproductions.org. Also, the adults-only "Bad Taste," a collaboration between Hell in a Handbag and Mo Less featuring burlesque, drag, clowning, cosplay and sideshow comedy plays the first Wednesday of the month at The Charnel House, 3421 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. This is a 21 and older show. See badtastechicago.com.

• Steppenwolf Theatre begins its young adults season with "The Crucible," Arthur Miller's classic condemnation of McCarthyism in the guise of the 17th century's Salem Witch Trials. Griffin Theatre ensemble member Jonathan Berry directs the production, which stars Erik Hellman as the farmer John Proctor and Naima Hebrail Kidjo as Abigail Williams, the spurned young woman who gets her revenge by accusing townspeople, including John's wife, of witchcraft. Performances run Saturday, Oct. 7, through Oct. 21 at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• Previews begin Sunday, Oct. 8, for First Floor Theater's world premiere of "Two Mile Hollow," Leah Nanako Winkler's satire about a wealthy, quasi-famous family whose members gather to divide their belongs after the sale of their oceanfront mansion. The production, directed by Hutch Pimentel, opens Wednesday, Oct. 11, at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See firstfloortheater.com.

• Anne Carrere channels legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf in "Piaf! The Show" at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6875 or athenaeumtheatre.org.

• Comedy Night at Black Ensemble Theater, showcasing comedians of color, debuts Monday, Oct. 9, at 4450 N. Clark St., Chicago. Proceeds benefit the African-American Arts Alliance and Creative Cypher. See blackensembletheater.org.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company honors longtime artistic director Martha Lavey, who passed away in April from complications from a stroke, with a celebration of life beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. Tickets are free, but reservations are required. (312) 335-1650. The next day, on Tuesday, Oct. 10, the stretch of Halsted Street in front of the theater will be renamed "Martha Lavey Way" during an honorary ceremony.

• The well-loved musical "Les Miserables," adapted from Victor Hugo's epic tale, returns to Chicago in a new production on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Performances of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg's award-winning musical run through Oct. 29 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• The Neo-Futurists mark the beginning of their season with the premiere of "Tangles & Plaques" - an attempt to use theater to demystify dementia by Kirsten Riiber, with assistance from counselor Alex Schwaninger, memory care director at Bethany Retirement Community. Performances begin Thursday, Oct. 12, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. The show, directed by Jen Ellison, opens Oct. 16. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.

• The Chicago International Latino Theater Festival continues Thursday, Oct. 12, with Aguijon Theater's production of Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman's "Death and the Maiden," about a former political prisoner who encounters the man she believes tortured her years earlier, after her husband unwittingly invites him to their home. The production takes place at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. Also, Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, presents Felix Rojas' "Growing Up Gonzales," about a man who uncovers a great deal about his late brother when he goes through his personal effects. It runs Thursday, Oct. 12, through Oct. 15. Most single tickets are $25. See clata.org/festival.

• The League of Chicago Theatres Theatre Thursday series continues Thursday, Oct. 12, with The Other Theatre Company's production of "The Making of a Modern Folk Hero." Martin Zimmerman's dramedy is about a congressman who hires an old friend to pose as a superhero as a publicity stunt, but the ruse goes awry when the actor goes rogue. The evening begins with an 8 p.m. performance followed by a post-show cheese and wine talk with director Kelly Howe. It takes place at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. See chicagoplays.com.

• iO Theater recently debuted "Peter Gwinn's Launchpad," a monthly sketch comedy and improv revue hosted by Gwinn, a former writer for the "Colbert Report." The next show is at 10 p.m. Oct. 26 at 1501 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago. (312) 929-2401 or ioimprov.com.

• The League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago, announced Chicago Theatre Week will run from Feb. 8 to 18, 2018. Tickets, prices at $15 and $30, will go on sale Jan. 9, 2018. Theaters expected to participate include Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Writers Theatre in Glencoe, along with Goodman, Steppenwolf, Porchlight, Stage Left, Court and Greenhouse theaters in Chicago, among other venues. See chicagotheatreweek.com.