Winter theater season will sizzle with premieres, classics

Baby, it's cold outside. But Chicago area theaters keep audiences warm with a number of promising premieres, a smattering of classics and a tribute to an American regionalist.

Add the return of a well-loved cirque to the summer lineup, and you've got a season with some sizzle. Here's a look at some shows on the front burner this year:

Premieres

The Shaw Festival, perhaps Canada's leading theater festival, makes its Chicago debut with artistic director Jackie Maxwell's production of "Saint Joan," George Bernard Shaw's meditation on politics and religion. The play, featuring 2007 Jeff Award winner Ben Carlson, begins a limited run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater Jan. 8.

Also at CST, the only U.S. performances of "Fragments," iconoclastic director Peter Brook's acclaimed salute to Samuel Beckett. The show begins a limited run Jan. 30.

Think of About Face Theatre's production of "The Little Dog Laughed" -- Douglas Carter Bean's satire on celebrity -- as artistic director Eric Rosen's swan song before he takes over the reins at Kansas City Repertory Theatre later this year. Previews begin Jan. 9.

The United States Theatre Project's "columbinus," a play about the Columbine, Colo. school shootings done in the style of Tectonic Theatre Project's groundbreaking "The Laramie Project" begins previews Jan. 22 at Raven Theatre.

Goodman Theatre artistic director Robert Falls reprises his staging for the Broadway premiere of Conor McPherson's ghost story "Shining City" in the Chicago production beginning previews Jan. 12.

Talk about star power. John Mahoney and Michael Nussbaum star in Northlight Theatre's world premiere of "Better Late," a romantic comedy about late-in-life romance by Craig Wright ("Lady," "Grace") and Larry Gelbart ("M*A*S*H"). Previews begin April 2.

Dorothy Milne directs Lifeline Theatre's "The Mark of Zorro," based on the Johnston McCulley character. Previews begin May 2.

Tracy Letts' "Superior Donuts," a culture clash comedy about an eastern-European donut shop owner and his idealistic young black employee by the author of the Steppenwolf Theatre hit "August: Osage County" begins previews June 19 on Steppenwolf's mainstage.

Classics

Shattered Globe Theatre, which does contemporary American drama about as well as anybody, revives "Requiem for a Heavyweight," Rod Serling's heartrending tragedy about an aging boxer on the ropes. Previews begin Jan. 11.

Next up in The Hypocrites season of classics: "Miss Julie," August Strindberg's seminal examination of class, sex and power. Previews begin Jan. 17.

Goodman Theatre hasn't produced a Horton Foote play in 10 years but makes up for it with a two-month salute to the playwright ("The Trip to Bountiful," "To Kill a Mockingbird" screenplay), the chronicler of rural America often compared to Chekhov. The festival, which begins Jan. 26, includes "The Trip to Bountiful," "Talking Pictures" and the one-acts "Blind Date" and "The Actor."

If anybody can bring Shakespeare's tragedy "Richard III" in at two hours - as the press release asserts - Strawdog Theatre artistic director Nic Dimond can, although 'Richard" will certainly challenge the company which is known for its lean, brisk productions. Previews begin Feb. 21.

Musicals

Marriott Theatre's production of the A lain Boubil-Claude-Michel Schonberg blockbuster "Les Miserables" begins previews Feb. 13. Court Theatre's revival of Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein's "Carousel" begins previews March 6. Porchlight Music Theatre follows up its production of Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit's "Phantom" with another Yeston-Kopit musical, "Nine" based on Federico Fellinni's celebrated 1963 film "8 ½," about a filmmaker plagued with director's block and relationship problems. Previews begin April 4. Lastly, Timeline Theatre reprises its hit "Fiorello!" about New York City's crusading mayor, beginning April 19.

Broadway in Chicago delivers "The Drowsy Chaperone," an affectionate sendup of musical theater in which an über fan narrates a 1920s musical (April 1-13 at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre); "Avenue Q" (May 21-June 7 at Cadillac Palace), the adult musical about bright, disillusioned twentysomething singletons featuring "Sesame Street" inspired puppets. Lastly, the national tour of "Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage," puts Baby on stage when this adaptation of the 1987 Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey film begins its national tour Sept. 2 at Cadillac Palace.

Spectacles

Lookingglass Theatre's adapts its distinctive style of storytelling and the talent of members of Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros. and the Wallenda Family to its revival of "Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale" based on the ancient tale of a goddess disfigured and outcast son who has the soul of an artist. Previews begin Jan. 9. Coming to Lookingglass' Water Tower Water Works theater in April, the company's adaptation of Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days."

Expect Cirque du Soleil to produce the biggest spectacle of 2008. The company returns to Chicago this summer with "Kooza," a show about an outsider struggling to fit in which incorporates clowning and the circus arts, runs June 26 through July 27 under the "grand chapiteau" in the United Center parking lot.