'Altar Boyz,' 'Hairspray' among new stage offerings
Praiseworthy
"Altar Boyz," a musical sendup of boy bands, comes to Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts for one night only. Set during the final performance of the Christian pop quintet's national tour, "Altar Boyz" centers around hunky lead singer Matthew, sensitive Mark, bad boy Luke, Latin heartthrob Juan and Abraham, the nice Jewish boy who sing hits like "Jesus Called Me on My Cell Phone" and "Girl, You Make Me Wanna Wait."
8 p.m. Friday, March 13, in the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre at 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. (847) 895-3600.
Pop-tastic
"Hairspray," the John Waters' film turned Broadway musical turned film, returns to the suburbs with socially conscious Tracy Turnblad - a plus-size teen from 1962 Baltimore whose passion for civil rights is exceeded only by her passion for a local teenage TV dance show. The national tour comes to Waukegan for one performance only.
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. (312) 559-1212.
Family laughs
ComedySportz comes to the 'burbs. The Chicago ensemble brings its all-ages brand of competitive improv to the Montrose Room at the Hotel InterContinental O'Hare for a brief run.
8 p.m. Saturdays through April 25, at 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont. (847) 544-5300 or montroseroom.com.
Elsewhere
• Playwright Charles Mee combines music, dance and drama (plus a soupçon of Bollywood) in "A Perfect Wedding" about gay wedding planners whose decision to marry challenges (and reaffirms) their friends' faith. Circle Theatre's Midwest premiere begins previews Friday, March 13, at 7300 W. Madison St., Forest Park. The production, directed by Joanie Schultz, opens Wednesday, March 18. (708) 771-0700 or circle-theatre.org.
• Annoyance Theatre debuts its improve show "Un-Tied" in the Montrose Room at the InterContinental O'Hare Hotel, 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont. The show, directed by Annoyance founder Mick Napier, runs at 8 p.m. every other Friday. (312) 559-1212 or annoyanceproductions.com.
• LiveWire Chicago Theatre's production of David Lindsay-Abaire's "Wonder of the World" opens Friday, March 13, at the Side Project Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave., Chicago. Piccolo Theatre veteran Deborah Craft stars in the play in which a woman, inspired by a Marilyn Monroe movie, leaves her husband and heads to Niagara Falls to meet the man she's destined for. (312) 533-4666 or livewirechicago.com.
• Scott Oken, artistic director of Chicago's Factory Theater, examines The Beatles frenzy in his new comedy, "Mop Top Festival," set during a fan convention at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. Previews begin Friday, March 13, at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. The production opens Friday, March 20. (866) 811-4111 or thefactorytheater.com.
• Lifeline Theatre's KidSeries reprises its 2000 production of "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle," based on Betty MacDonald's children's book about an eccentric woman who has a fondness for outrageous hats and a knack for solving the problems of children. Composer Paul Gilvary has written a new song for the production, which also includes additional dialogue from Christina Calvit. The production opens Sunday, March 15, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.
• "Objects in Motion," a minifestival celebrating puppetry and toy theater featuring Chicago-area theater artists Blair Thomas, Frank Maugeri and Plasticene Theatre, opens Saturday, March 14, at the Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter St., Chicago. (312) 491-1369 or buildingstage.com.
• Court Theatre's Ron OJ Parson directs the company's production of "Wait Until Dark," Frederick Knott's psychological thriller about a smooth-talking criminal who preys upon an unsuspecting blind woman. The production opens Saturday, March 14, at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.
• Previews begin Sunday, March 15, for Porchlight Music Theatre's production of Stephen Sondheim's "Pacific Overtures," a look at the westernization of Japan as seen from two people caught up in it. Porchlight's award-winning team of director L. Walter Stearns and music director Eugene Dizon, who teamed up for the company's highly successful production of "Ragtime" in 2007, head up the artistic team. The production opens Wednesday, March 18, at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 327-5252 or porchlighttheatre.com.