Double shot of holiday cheer with 'A Christmas Carol' and Second City
Offering contrasting views of the holidays, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre pairs Charles Dickens' family classic "A Christmas Carol" with Second City's irreverent take on the season, the "Exceedingly Dysfunctional Holiday Revue." The productions run in repertory most of December.
Previews begin Friday, Nov. 27, at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. "Revue" opens Saturday, Nov. 28. "Carol" opens Sunday, Nov. 29. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.
Area children perform in "Oz"
Area children will play munchkins in the national tour of "The Wizard of Oz" which comes to Aurora's Paramount Theatre for a brief, post-Thanksgiving run. Based on the 1939 film, the show includes such classics as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Follow The Yellow Brick Road."
8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.
Steppenwolf revives American classic
Amy Morton directs fellow ensemble members Francis Guinan, Patrick Andrews and Tracy Letts in Steppenwolf Theatre's revival of David Mamet's "American Buffalo," about three small-time hoods plotting to steal a rare buffalo nickel.
Previews begin Thursday, Dec. 3, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens Saturday, Dec. 12. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org
What's new
• "The D-Cup Diatribes," Melody Swink's one-woman comedy about the struggles women have with body image, begins previews Friday, Nov. 27, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens Thursday, Dec. 3. Donate a new, unused bra (preferably 38B and up) through Dec. 19 and receive two-for-one tickets. The bras will be donated to Deborah's Place, which assists homeless women. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.
• Spike Lee's film "School Daze" inspired "Crossed," Calvin Leroy King's drama chronicling the lives and shifting relationships between several friends beginning in high school and continuing through college. The show runs Friday, Nov. 27, to Saturday, Nov. 28, at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Place, Chicago. For information, see crossedtheplay.com.
• Cirque Le Masque brings its visually arresting "Carnivale" to Centre East at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The show centers on the experiences of a young tourist in Rio de Janeiro and boasts aerialists, acrobats and special effects. Performances are Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29. (877) 447-7849 or northshorecenter.org.
• Native Chicago performer Erick Esteban returns from Los Angeles for a performance of his show "A Fight Club for One" Sunday, Nov. 9, at Lakeshore Theatre, 3175 N. Broadway, Chicago. The show recounts every fight Esteban had, growing up the only Filipino kid on Chicago's West Side. (773) 472-3492 or lakeshoretheater.com.
• The relationship between friends Danielle and Gizele becomes strained after Dan begins having premonitions of Giz's future in "Stars in the Attic" a new show from the Project Theatre. The show runs Tuesdays, beginning Dec. 1, and continuing through Dec. 15, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.
• Sleight of hand artist Ricky Jay returns to Chicago after a 14-year absence to introduce his new show "A Rogue's Gallery - an Evening of Conversation and Performance." David Mamet directs the show which offers a glimpse into Jay's life and career. Jay performs Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 988-9000 or royalgeorgetheatre.com.
• Raven Theatre extends its highly praised production of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" six weeks through Jan. 16, at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com.
• To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Latina theater company Teatro Luna reprises its 2007 show "LUNATIC (a) S (A Play About Women's Everyday Insanity)," which tackles the myths surrounding Latina women and the moon. Presented in English and accented with Spanish, the show runs through Dec. 20, at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. See teatroluna.org for more information.
• Cirque du Soleil offers one enterprising entertainer the chance to perform before the 8 p.m. Dec. 9, performance of "Banana Shpeel" at the Chicago Theatre. Contestants should upload a 60-second video of themselves performing in a vaudeville style - the more original and creative the better - to YouTube.com. Participants can fill out an entry form at www.broadwayworld.com/shpeel.cfm. The winner receives to complimentary tickets to "Banana Shpeel" and accommodations at the Doubletree Hotel in Chicago. Twenty-five runners up will receive two complimentary tickets to the Dec. 9 show. The entry deadline is Nov. 30. The contest is open to performers age 18 and older. Those under 18 must have parental permission.
• "The Audacity of Nope," GayCo's LGBT sketch comedy revue, continues through Dec. 5, at Strawdog Theater, 3829 N. Broadway, Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or gayco.com.