Articles filed under Theater

• 

  'Married Alive' takes lightweight approach May 25, 2012 12:00 AM
  Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's "Married Alive" is a par-for-the-course relationship revue, ably performed. The show juxtaposes two couples: newly wedded idealists Erin (Katie Siri) and Paul (David Hathway) who are determined to make their marriage perfect, and long-married pragmatists Diane (Elizabeth Haley) and Ron (Jerry Mills), who understand perfection is impossible and have settled for a happy marriage instead. Contrasting points of view aside, each couple grapples with essentially the same issues: intimacy, kids, career and communication, the latter of which figures prominently in both relationships.
  

   
• 

  Director understands challenges of being 'Married Alive!' May 25, 2012 12:00 AM
  Marriage changed Stacey Flaster. Once a singer-dancer-actress, she didn't have the performing bug after she started her family. So it's fitting that someone so changed by marriage should direct "Married Alive!" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.
  

   

• Stage events: A tribute to soldiers at Pheasant Run May 25, 2012 12:00 AM
  Fox Valley Repertory hosts its second annual Memorial Day armed forces tribute and welcomes Chicago's Theo Ubique, which remounts its Rodgers & Hammerstein revue as part of the Summer Theater Festival. Lastly, Light Opera Works revives Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot."
  

   
• 

  West Dundee arts center taking shape May 25, 2012 12:00 AM
  A downtown West Dundee building that once housed a grocery store and later a hardware store, is on the road to becoming a regional performing arts center. Rick Browne, a local architect and actor, has drawn up plans to convert the former Ziegler's Ace Hardware store into the Fox Performing Arts Center. But as part of an agreement with West Dundee, Browne has until Aug. 1 to raise $500,000 in seed money. It's a figure village leaders say would prove there's enough support to make Browne's vision a reality.
  

   

• ‘Letters Home’ a tribute to the armed forcesMay 24, 2012 12:00 AM
  Fox Valley Repertory, in partnership with Fox Valley Troop Support and The Fox Valley Concert Band, will present its second annual tribute to the armed forces, "Letters Home: A Memorial Day Remembrance," at 8 p.m. Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26 at the Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage, St. Charles.
  

   
• 

  Shatner trekking to Aurora’s Paramount Theatre stage May 24, 2012 12:00 AM
  Television icon William Shatner is bringing his one-man show revolving around his decades-long career in show business back to the Chicago area. Aurora's Paramount Theatre will stage Shatner's World on Jan. 4. Tickets go on sale June 11.
  

   
• 

  Kirk Players' ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ to close seasonMay 22, 2012 12:00 AM
  The Kirk Players will present the final show of their 46th season, "Lend Me a Tenor," on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9 at 7:30PM at Mundelein High School Theatre. A matinee is also planned for Saturday, June 9 at 2pm.
  

   

• Arlington Heights helps pay for Metropolis piano repair May 21, 2012 12:00 AM
  Jack Kehe of Piano4te in Rolling Meadows will sell the vllage of Arlington Heights a restored Steinway Grandpiano for the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and will restore the theater's Baldwin grand piano for $35,961, about half the retail value.
  

   
• 

  ‘Newsies’ choreographer draws on his background May 20, 2012 12:00 AM
  Christopher Gattelli is a busy man these days — in addition to "Newsies," he's choreographed "Godspell" on Broadway, directed and choreographed the goofy parody "Silence! The Musical" off-Broadway, and is preparing to choreograph "Dogfight" at Second Stage Theatre next month. Later this year, he is choreographing "The Great American Mousical" for the Goodspeed Opera House.
  

   

• Local theater: ‘Screwtape Letters’ at Paramount May 18, 2012 12:00 AM
  This week's suburban opening include Max McLean bringing the stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" the the Paramount Theatre; Writers' Theatre's production of the one-woman show, "The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Readhead" and an invitation from the Actors Gymnasium to experience the creation of new circus acts.
  

   
• 

  Fine cast shines in 'Night Music' revival May 18, 2012 12:00 AM
  Writers' Theatre has done something to “A Little Night Music” audiences may find impossible to forget. So enchanting is director William Brown's comely, chamber-style revival of the 1973 Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical, it may well spoil for audiences subsequent productions staged in larger venues on a grander scale.
  

   
• 

  Schaumburg Street Theatre will open ‘Brave Little Tailor’ in June May 17, 2012 12:00 AM
  The Schaumburg Street Theatre, which specializes in family-friendly performances at multiple locations around the Schaumburg Park District, will perform "The Brave Little Tailor" in June. The play follows a timid tailor who is turned to when the royal family and frightened townspeople are threatened by three fierce giants.
  

   
• 

  Palatine Park District Accepting Registration for Summer Youth Theater ProgramMay 17, 2012 12:00 AM
  Caught in the Act is a summer youth theater program that immerses participants in the world of musical theater. This year's production is Seussical the Musical.
  

   

• What’s new on stage May 16, 2012 12:00 AM
  Upcoming Chicago area theater productions include: The Building Stage's contemporary adaptation of the 17th century play "Life is a Dream," Oracle Productsion's world premiere adaptation of a 19th century story "The Sandman" and Pine Box Theatre's roller derby inspired show, "The Jammer."
  

   
• 

  '[title of show]' aims high, and Northlight hits it May 16, 2012 12:00 AM
  Accuse “[title of show]” of being an esoteric, navel-gazing meta musical targeting die-hard theater geeks all you want. "[title of show]" is a fun and zippy modern-day show about two friends' process of writing a Broadway musical. This ground-up tale of success and self-determination is now receiving its Chicago-area debut at Northlight Theatre in Skokie.
  

   

• Auditions set for ‘Taming of the Shrew’ in Batavia May 15, 2012 12:00 AM
  In its 14th season, Shakespeare on Clark will present The Taming of the Shrew this summer in downtown Batavia. The production will take place weekends July 27-Aug. 12 outdoor on Clark Island. The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeares most famous comedies, featuring the tumultuous love story of Kate and Petruchio.
  

   
• 

  Medical corpsman still trying to heal Vietnam warriors' scars May 15, 2012 12:00 AM
  Virtually blind in one eye and barely topping 100 pounds, suburban teenager Bob Adams never thought he'd be shipped off to combat in Vietnam with the unenviable task of trying to save the lives of wounded warriors. Forty-five years later, the 64-year-old Adams, a playwright and a counselor, is still doing the same job, only this time from his cramped office in the Midwest Shelter For Homeless Veterans that he founded in Wheaton.
  

   

• Contemporary musical: May 14, 2012 12:00 AM
  Liberty Town Productions, Libertyvilles not-for-profit entertainment company, is presenting the musical drama, The Last Five Years, the next two weekends, May 18-19 and May 25-26 at Austins Fuel Room, 481 Peterson Road, Libertyville.
  

   
• 

  Technical director's work in spotlight at COD theater May 11, 2012 12:00 AM
  While Michael Moon says he's never longed to be in the spotlight, his work is always center stage. That's because Moon is the technical director of College of DuPage's theater. And his latest work is on display in Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's current production of Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom's stage version of "Tuesdays with Morrie."
  

   

• Theater events: Slapstick at Steel BeamMay 11, 2012 12:00 AM
  This week's suburban theater openings include the farcical "Leading Ladies" at Steel Beam in St. Charles, Raven Theatre's "Bang the Drum Slowly" in Chicago and the musical revue "Married Alive!" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.