Rise of rock n' roll colors 'Side Man' at the Metropolis

A life in musicThe eclipse of jazz by rock 'n' roll serves as the backdrop for Warren Leight's "Side Man," in which a young man relates the story of his relationship with his alcoholic mother and self-absorbed, trumpeter father who put his art above everything else. Lauren Rawitz directs the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre production.Previews begin Thursday, March 11, at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. The show opens March 14. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.Hail 'The Hobbit'Montreal's Theatre Sans Fils, a puppet theater, brings its production of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" to Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts for one show only. Incorporating traditions of Japanese Bunraku theater and contemporary stagecraft, including lasers and quadraphonic sound, the company tells the story of Bilbo Baggins and his adventures battling the dragon Smaug.4 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at the 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. (847) 895-3600 or prairiecenter.org.Lenten dramaSuburban newcomer The Bird and the Baby Theatre Company presents "The Rock," about the transformation of Peter from fisherman to apostle. Dan Roche directs the ensemble he founded last fall.Opens Saturday, March 6, at Wheaton Academy High School, 900 Prince Crossing Road, West Chicago. (630) 876-2351 or birdandbabytheatre.com. bull; Previews begin Friday, March 5, for Theo Ubique's production of "Chess," the rock musical by Tim Rice and ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, it centers on a chess match between the U.S. and Soviet champions with a woman who loves them both in the middle. The show opens Sunday, March 7, at No Exit Caf#233;, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. (773) 347-1109 or theoibuque.org.bull; LiveWire Chicago Theatre presents the world premiere of "Lower Debt," written by executive director Joshua Aaron Weinstein and developed in conjunction with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs "Incubator Series." The play centers on a white collar everyman who ends up living in a tent city. The show opens Friday, March 5, at the Viaduct Theatre, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago. See livewirechicago.com for more information.bull; A Holocaust survivor recounts how he endured one of the greatest crimes in history in Emilie Beck's one-man show "Number of People" in its world premiere at Piven Theatre Workshop. Beck's father and Piven ensemble member Bernard Beck stars as Leo Gold. Previews begin Saturday, March 6, at the Noyes Cultural Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. (847) 866-8049 or piventheatre.org.bull; TheatreworksUSA brings its musical revue, "If You Give a Pig a Pancake Other Story Books" to the Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park. The performance is at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 6 and includes the titular tale about a bossy pig's demands of a little girl; "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; "How I Became a Pirate" about a boy who wants to sail away unbound by any rules; "Lilly's Big Day" about a flower girl suffering from stage fright; and "The Paper Bag Princess" about a plucky young princess who makes the best of things after a dragon smashes her castles and burns all her clothes. (708) 235-2222 or centertickets.net. bull; Former "Daily Show" correspondent Bob Wiltfong debuts his one-man show "The Manny Diaries," at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show chronicles Wiltfong's experiences as a stay-at-home dad. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.bull; Gift Theatre ensemble members Paul D'Addario and Alexandra Main star as Randall P. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched in the company's production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," adapted from Ken Kesey's novel by Dale Wasserman. John Kelly Connolly directs the production which begins previews Thursday, March 11, at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The show opens March 15. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org.bull; Tony Kushner's adaptation of "The Illusion," 17th century French writer Pierre Corneille's play-within-a-play about a father's search for his wayward son, begins previews Thursday, March 11, at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. The all-star cast includes Kevin Gudahl, Timothy Edward Kane, Elizabeth Ledo, John Reeger, Kareem Bandealy, Michael Mahler, Chris Sullivan and Hillary Clemens. Charles Newell directs. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.bull; Previews begin Thursday, March 11, for Hubris Productions' "Messiah on the Frigidaire," John Culbertson's comedy about how the discovery of the image of Jesus on a refrigerator in a South Carolina trailer home upends the town when the trailer park becomes a destination for disciples and miracle seekers. Dennis Frymire directs the show which opens March 13 at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or hubrisproductions.com.bull; A Chicago newcomer, The State Theatre presents its first production "AjaxAntigone," a combination of two Sophocles' tragedies, beginning Thursday, March 11, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 621 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Written and created by director Tim Speicher and Ross Matsuda, the stories unfold simultaneously to tell of a great warrior, tricked by the gods and subsequently disgraced, and of a dutiful sister who defies a king to pay homage to her slain brother. For information see statetheatrechicago.com. bull; Cock Bull Theatre makes its Chicago debut with the camp musical "The Legend of Ginger Bred: A Story of Sex, Salvation and Baked Goods," about a rock 'n' roll, porn star, a junkie who hears God's voice during an electrical storm. The show opens Thursday, March 11, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. See cockandbulltheatre.org for information.bull; Redmoon Theatre hosts another "Boneshaker!" a late-night club event beginning at 10:15 p.m. Saturday, March 6, following its production of "The Cabinet" at 1463 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. Tickets are $5, free with paid admission to the performance. (312) 850-8440 or redmoon.org.bull; Writers Theatre's next cabaret evening is at 7 p.m. Monday, March 8, at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe. Ross Lehman, currently starring in Marriott Theatre's "Fiddler on the Roof," is joined by Doug Peck, music director for the Marriott revival, for an evening of standards and funny stories. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.bull; Director/actress Megan Wells has been named the first artistic associate at Village Park Players Theater in Oak Park. The company's next production, "A Chorus Line" opens Saturday, March 13, at 1010 W. Madison St., Oak Park. (866) 764-1010 or village-players.org.bull; Evanston's Next Theatre has extended its Midwest premiere of "Return to Haifa," Evanston-based playwright M.E.H. Lewis' drama about Palestinian couple forced to evacuate their Israel home during 1948's Battle of Haifa. After losing their newborn son in the ensuing chaos, they return years later to find him alive and a Jew. The production runs through March 21 at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. The production opens Monday, Feb. 8. (847) 475-1875 or nexttheatre.org. bull; "Show Us Your Love," Bailiwick Chicago's new, weekly cabaret revue will continue at 7:30 p.m. Sunday's through March at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. Featured performers include Sean Effinger-Dean, Mark LeBeau Jr., Emily B. Macomber, Eric Martin, Matthew W. Miles, Abby E. Sammons, Jill Sesso and Brittany Townsley. (773) 969-6201 or bailiwickchicago.com.