World premiere of 'Bowery Boys' at Marriott
A streetwise kid and a British heiress meet on the mean streets of 19th-century New York City in "The Bowery Boys," a musical by writer/lyricist David Bell and composer Jeremy Cohen inspired by Horatio Alger's, rags-to-riches tales. Marriott Theatre presents the world premiere of the show directed by Bell and featuring veterans Susan Moniz, Sean Fortunato, Bernie Yvon and Roger Mueller in supporting roles.
Facts: Previews begin Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens Dec. 17. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.
Holiday improv at NWRT
New World Repertory Theater gets into the spirit of the season with its new offering, "Xtreme Holiday Makeover." The family-friendly, tradition-skewering improv show runs about 75 minutes with no intermission.
Facts: Opens Friday, Dec. 5, at 923 Curtiss St., Downers Grove. (630) 663-1489 or newworldrep.org.
Brothers and sisters; mothers and sons
The musical "Jon & Jen" examines the complex, frustrating and often rewarding relationships between siblings, and between parents and children. Composer Andrew Lippa and lyricist Tom Greenwald also wrote the book for the chamber musical scored for piano, cello and percussion. McKinley Carter and Jon Cunningham star in Apple Tree Theatre's production. Rachel Rockwell directs and Valerie Maze serves as music director.
Previews begin Wednesday, Dec. 10, at the Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park. Opens Saturday, Dec. 13. (847) 432-4335 or appletreetheatre.com.
What's new
•The folks at Shantz Theatre won't let rising unemployment, home foreclosures and a sinking economy dampen their holiday spirits. Instead, they've used the financial crisis as fodder for their annual holiday sendup. This year's show, "Northern Foreclosure: All I want for Christmas are My Front Door Keys," opens Friday, Dec. 5, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.
•Actor/improviser Bob Kulhan skewers celebrity Christmas specials with his one-man partly improvised show, "Bing Faithful & the Bing Faithful Five in Bing Faithful's Very Merry Nondenominational Holiday Special." It opens Friday, Dec. 5, at the Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 561-4665 or annoyanceproductions.com.
•Also at the Annoyance Theatre, 4820 N. Broadway, Chicago, is the ensemble's annual family-friendly retelling of holiday classics "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." The double-bill opens Saturday, Dec. 6. (773) 561-4665 or annoyanceproductions.com.
•The Nebraska Theatre Caravan brings its touring production of "A Christmas Carol" to the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, and at 9 a.m. and noon, Monday, Dec. 8. (630) 896-6666 or paramounttheatre.com.
•TheatreworksUSA performs its musical version of "A Christmas Carol" at the Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, Sauk Village, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. (708) 235-2222 or centertickets.net.
•On Christmas Eve, a Midwestern family and its guests, all of differing faiths, ethnicities and sexual orientations, confront secrets that could destroy them in Nathaniel Wright's "Faith." Sandhill Theatre Company's production, directed by Brandon Hayes, opens Sunday, Dec. 7, at Stage 33 Chicago, 3655 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago. (773) 648-0583 or sandhilltheatre.org.
•The Bricklayers team up with the French ensemble Collectif Masque to present the English language premiere of Frederic Fort's farcical, mask theater version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." The show opens Monday, Dec. 8, at the Bailiwick Arts Center, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. All performances are free but donations are accepted. (773) 655-7325 or bricklayerstheatre.org.
•About Face Theatre celebrates the holidays with a gay-themed, concert version of "My Fair Lady" Thursday, Dec. 11, through Dec. 14 at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre at the Center on Halsted, 2656 N. Halsted St., Chicago. In managing director Rick Dildine's version, Eliza is an aspiring drag queen tutored by veteran drag queen Henry Higgins. For information, see aboutfacetheatre.com.