'Alegria' in limited run in Hoffman Estates

Cirque du Soleil's 1994 spectacle "Alegria" - a celebration of happiness that was re-imagined last year for stadiums - comes to the Sears Centre Arena for a brief run. The international cast features aerialists, contortionists and clowns among other performers.

Wednesday, March 3, to Sunday, March 7 at 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. (800) 745-3000 or cirquedusoleil.com/alegria.

All-star 'Beauty' Some of Marriott Theatre's most popular main stage performers - including Susan Moniz, Heidi Kettenring, Bernie Yvon, Jessie Mueller and Johanna McKenzie Miller - star in its young audiences production of "Sleeping Beauty." Matt Raftery directs and choreographs Marc Robin's version of the fairy tale about the sleeping princess who can be awakened only by a kiss from her true love.Info: Opens Wednesday, March 3, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.Steel Beam whodunitA failed composer's decision to bequeath the family estate to a stranger ignites murderous impulses in his equally unsuccessful siblings in Alan Ayckbourn's whodunit sendup, "It Could Be Any One of Us," in which the audience chooses the murderer. Info: Opens Friday, Feb. 26, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.What's newbull; Prop Thtr enters its 29th season with the world-premiere production "The Informer," Charles Pike's homage to the John Ford film of the same name about a down-and-out member of the Irish Rebellion of 1922 who betrays his best friend to the British to save himself and his beloved. Previews begin Friday, Feb. 26, at 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. The show opens Friday, March 5. (773) 539-7838 or propthtr.org.bull; Annoyance Theatre's latest productions include the premiere of "Flames and Blazes," a musical comedy set on New Year's Eve 1928 at the Marriotropolis, a chic Chicago hotel dubbed "unburnable." It opens Friday, Feb. 26, at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. Also at Annoyance, a new solo show by Ryan Heywood called "Confessions of a Tramp Stamp." It opens Sunday, Feb. 28. (773) 561-4665 or theannoyance.com.bull; After years of friendship, the relationship between married (but not to each other) David and Beth turns romantic in "Orange Flower Water," Craig Wright's drama about troubled marriages. BackStage Theatre presents its version of the play directed by New Leaf Theatre's Jessica Hutchinson beginning Friday, Feb. 26, at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or backstagetheatrecompany.org.bull; Late night at Strawdog Theatre hosts a screening of improv veterans TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi's film "Trust Us, This is All Made Up" at 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at 3829 N. Broadway, Chicago. At 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, several local theater companies participate in Strawdog's version of a survey-style game show. (773) 528-9696 or strawdog.org.bull; Redmoon Theatre hosts "Boneshaker," a late-night, club-style event beginning at 10:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, following its production of "The Cabinet" at 1463 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. Tickets cost $5, free with paid admission to the performance. (312) 850-8440 or redmoon.org.bull; Victory Gardens Theater's Fresh Squeezed Walk of Shame series examining awkward morning-afters continues with a performance of The New Colony's "Walk of Shame - Queer" at 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.bull; Lifeline Theatre actors offer a sneak peek of their spring family show, "The Blue Shadow," with folk tales and theater games at a free event for children ages 5 to 8. It takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Rogers Park Library, 6907 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.bull; The Cathedral Room at the University Club of Chicago, at 76 E. Monroe St., is the site of Remy Bumppo Theatre's annual benefit from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28. The final play of Remy Bumppo's season, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," inspired the event, which features brunch, a live and silent auction and a preview of the 2010-11 season. Tickets range from $125 to $175. (773) 244-8119 or remybumppo.org.bull; Writers Theatre debuts the first of four cabaret evenings at 7 p.m. Monday, March 1, at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe. Rob Lindley, from Writers' "Oh Coward!" is joined by Foiled Again (Allison Bazarko and Anne Sheridan Smith) in a salute to the music of Harold Arlen ("Stormy Weather," "Come Rain or Come Shine"). (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.bull; The Silver Project, American Theater Company's yearlong 25th anniversary celebration, continues at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 1, at 1909 W. Byron St., Chicago. The project consists of the world premieres of 30 short plays over 10 evenings through June 20. Next up, plays by Kristoffer Diaz, Steve Harper, Laura Jacqmin, Joel Drake Johnson and Justin DM Palmer. (773) 409-4125 or atcweb.org.bull; Silk Road Theatre Project and Goodman Theatre unite for the world premiere of "The DNA Trail: A Genealogy of Short Plays About Ancestry, Identity and Utter Confusion." Conceived by Silk Road artistic director Jamil Khoury and directed by Goodman artistic associate Steve Scott, "The DNA Trail" showcases short playlets by Elizabeth Wong, Velina Hasu Houston, Lina Patel, Jamil Khoury, Shishir Kurup, David Henry Hwang and Philip Kan Gotanda all of which examine self, identity and community. Previews begin Tuesday, March 2, at the Chicago Temple Building, 77 W. Washington St., Chicago. The shows open March 7. (312) 857-1234 or srtp.org.bull; TheatreworksUSA returns to Aurora's Paramount Theatre with the musical revue, "If You Give a Pig a Pancake Other Story Books." Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and noon Wednesday, March 3. Featured stories include: "Diary of a Worm" about the difficulties an invertebrate faces; "Fluffy the Classroom Guinea Pig" about a flea who disrupts Fluffy's chance to win a best pet contest; "Horace Morris But Mostly Delores" about three mice who promise to remain forever friends; and "How I Became a Pirate" about a boy who wants to sail away unbound by any rules. The Paramount Theatre is at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com. bull; Previews begin Wednesday, March 3, for Lookingglass Theatre's world premiere of "Trust," about a teenage girl targeted by a predator in an online chat room. David Schwimmer and Heidi Stillman direct the screenplay by Andy Bellin and Rob Festinger. Schwimmer also directed the film version, which is set for release next year. The production opens Saturday, March 13, at Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.bull; Urban development and issues surrounding it underscore George F. Walker's dark, futuristic comedy "Beautiful City," about a developer from an organized crime family who envisions an exclusive, hermetically sealed city to shield the rich. Theater Mir's Chicago premiere begins previews Thursday, March 4, at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St., Chicago. The show opens Friday, March 5. (312) 742-8497 or dcatheater.org or theatremir.com. bull; Profiles Theatre has extended its hit production of Tracy Letts' early play "Killer Joe" an additional six weeks. The production, directed by Steppenwolf Theatre's Rick Snyder, runs through April 11 at 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 549-1815 or profilestheatre.org.bull; The Evanston-based Idle Muse Theatre Company opened its production of Rick Cleveland's dark comedy "Jerry and Tom" about a professional hitman Tom who takes up-and-coming Jerry under his wing. The show runs through Sunday, March 21, at the Side Project Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis, Chicago. See idlemuse.org for information.bull; Metropolis School of the Performing Arts, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, partners with Chicago Dramatists to offer a playwriting workshop April 10 and 11 for writers 18 and older. Chicago Dramatists resident playwright and Jeff Award-winner Robert Koon will participate in the staged reading of the plays. Call (847) 577-5982 or see metropolisarts.com/sopa for more information. bull; Speaking of Chicago Dramatists, resident playwright and Arlington Heights native Keith Huff, who penned the bristling "A Steady Rain" - currently in a hit Broadway production starring Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman - is now writing for TV's "Mad Men."bull; Buffalo Theatre Ensemble member Kurt Naebig takes over as artistic director of the Theatre of Western Springs on April 1.