What's new in the theaters
Ÿ Comedian Mike Toomey brings his one-man show “TV & Me” — a nostalgia trip involving 1960s and 1970s television — to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Toomey performs at 2 and 8 p.m. Friday, March 4, as part of the Metropolis comedy series. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.
Ÿ Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts presents “Mystery Rocket-a-Gogo,” a musical comedy and murder mystery that combines sci-fi favorites like “Star Trek” and “Lost in Space” with TV dance shows like “Hullabaloo” and “Shindig” to tell the tale of a group of space travelers and the oddball aliens they encounter. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5, at 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. A preshow reception with appetizers and beverages is available for an additional fee. (847) 895-3600 or prairiecenter.org.
Ÿ Porchlight Music Theatre presents the musical adaptation of the 1941, Gary Cooper-Barbara Stanwyck film “Meet John Doe,” about a female reporter who invents a man so despairing of society that he threatens to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge on Christmas Eve. The reporter begins writing a column as John Doe, which proves so popular with readers, the editor agrees to hire an unemployed ballplayer to play the role. James Beaudry directs the show by composer/writer Andrew Gerle and lyricist/writer Eddie Sugarman (managing director of Cicero's Jedlicka Performing Arts Center). Previews begin Friday, March 4, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Tuesday, March 8. (773) 327-5252 or porchlighttheatre.com.
Ÿ Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company continues its 25th season with Harold Pinter's examination of family dysfunction “The Homecoming” about an academic estranged from his North London family who brings his American wife home to meet his n'er-do-well brothers, abusive father and bullied uncle a visit, only to find she may prefer his coarse family to their life in America. The Hypocrites' Geoff Button directs the production featuring Mary-Arrchie ensemble members Richard Cotovsky and Dereck Garner. The show opens Friday, March 4, at Angel Island, 735 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago. (773) 871-0442 or maryarrchie.com.
Ÿ A professor hypnotizes a troupe of sleepwalkers into believing they are characters from the journals of Doctor Jekyll in The Mammals Theatre Company's “The Dream Journal of Doctor Jekyll.” The adults-only show opens at 10 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at Zoo Studio, 4001 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago. (866) 593-4614 or themammals.blogspot.com.
Ÿ Bailiwick Chicago presents “Bailiwick Chicago Live,” a fundraiser consisting of music, comedy and improv, beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 969-6201 or bailiwickchicago.com.
Ÿ Siblings mourning the deaths of their parents confront an unpleasant family secret in “Catharsis or The Thing You Should Have Told Me,” a new drama by Aaron Holland. Emergency Theater Company and Your Mom Productions present the world premiere Mondays, March 7 to 21, at the Skokie Theater, 7924 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (847) 677-7761 or skokietheater.com.
Ÿ With only title of an unwritten play supplied by the audience to inspire them, the improv group K.C. Redheart creates a new play every Saturday at the Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The all-access pass into the creative process continues Saturdays through March 26. See the-playground.com or facebook.com/kcredheart.
Ÿ American Blues Theater performs Tennessee Williams' rarely produced play collection “American Blues” as part of its fundraiser on Tuesday, March 8, at the Victory Gardens Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. “American Blues — Collected One Acts” consists of: “Moony's Kid Don't Cry” directed by Dennis Zacek; “The Dark Room” directed by Damon Kiely; “The Case of the Crushed Petunias” directed by Steve Scott and “The Unsatisfactory Supper” directed by Andrea J. Dymond. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a pre-benefit reception featuring a performance by E. Faye Butler, currently co-starring in “Working.” Appetizers, drinks and a silent auction follow at 6 p.m. with the program commencing at 7 p.m. Tickets are $125 and include an open wine bar, appetizers and general admission seating. Proceeds benefit the theater company, now in its 26th year. (312) 725-4228 or americanbluestheater.com.
Ÿ Glass Onion Theatre has taken over Absolute Shakespeare which introduces middle and high school students to Shakespeare. The newly formed ensemble opens “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night's Dream” on Tuesday, March 8, at the Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The plays will run in repertory Mondays and Tuesdays through May 10. (773) 217-8151 or glassoniontheatre.org.
Ÿ Stage 773 hosts Laughing Hearts Comedy Night — an evening of sketch and improvisational comedy — beginning at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Proceeds benefit the American Heart Association. Tickets are $25. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Patricia True Agos, of Elgin's Janus Theatre Company, coordinates the event. See laughingheartscomedynight.com for information. Ÿ The national tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of “Hair” comes to the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre for a limited run. Performances begin Wednesday, March 9, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.
Ÿ Previews begin Thursday, March 10, for Court Theatre's production of Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of Virginia Woolf's “Orlando,” which chronicles the life of an Elizabethan nobleman who lives several centuries, falls asleep and awakes as a woman. Ruhl's longtime collaborator Jessica Thebus directs the production, which opens Saturday, March 19, at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org.
Ÿ Redtwist Theatre has extended its production of Conor McPherson's very resonant ghost story “Shining City.” Performances run through Sunday, March 6, at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago. (773) 728-7529 or redtwist.org.
Ÿ Performances of “A Million Little Zombies,” about a newly minted undead protagonist named Steve trying to find his place in the new world order, continue Wednesdays through March 23, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Also at Gorilla Tango, the sketch comedy revue, “Best of Sketch and Sniff 2010” continues Wednesdays through March 30. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.
Ÿ Broadway in Chicago has announced a Facebook deal offering a limited number of $25 tickets to select BIC performances on the 25th of each month. The deal is available only on the 25th of the month and for Broadway in Chicago Facebook fans only. The featured shows will vary monthly. See broadwayinchicago.com.
— Barbara Vitello