Theater openings: 'All Shook Up' and more

Rock 'n' roll romance

A handsome stranger wearing blue-suede shoes and a guitar strapped to his back rides into town and captures the heart of a young girl looking to escape her humdrum life in “All Shook Up,” a jukebox musical comprised of songs made famous by Elvis Presley. The show comes to the Paramount Theatre this weekend.

8 p.m. Friday, April 1, and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

Some pig

A clever spider, a sly rat and a little girl try to save a sweet pig named Wilbur in “Charlotte's Web,” the next production in Drury Lane Theatre's young adults series. Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader directs Joseph Robinette's musical adaptation of the E.B. White classic featuring Sean Michael Hunt as Wilbur and Johanna McKenzie Miller as Charlotte.

Performances begin Wednesday, April 6, at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-0111 or drurylaneoakbrook.com.

Hitchcockian hilarity

Alfred Hitchcock suspense meets Monty Python mischief in the stage adaptation of “The 39 Steps,” about a man suspected of murdering a mysterious woman he's just met. Four actors play all the characters in this comedy thriller, which closed its Broadway run last year. Elgin Community College presents a touring production; tickets cost $39 (naturally). The preshow dinner is an additional $35.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at the Blizzard Theatre, at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. (847) 622-0300 or tickets.elgin.edu.

Other openings and events:

• A white female professor from Baton Rouge and black chef from Chicago discover their shared roots in “Tree,” Julie Hebert's examination of family that transcends culture and race. Andrea J. Dymond directs Victory Gardens' Chicago area premiere, which begins previews on Friday, April 1, at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago. The show, which stars Aaron Todd Douglas and Elaine Rivkin, opens Monday, April 11. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.

• Previews begin Friday, April 1, for the new rock musical “White Noise,” which counts Whoopi Goldberg among its producers. The cautionary tale about the impact of pop culture and the media centers around a record producer who transforms a pair of sisters into a superstar pop group. Sergio Trujillo directs and choreographs the show, which opens Saturday, April 9, at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. See whitenoisebroadway.com.

• Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's revival of “Dirty Blonde” Claudia Shear's touching comedy about the romance between two ardent Mae West fans — aspiring artist Jo and withdrawn film archivist Charlie — previews on Friday, April 1, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago. Nicholas Bailey, Anne Sheridan Smith and David Tibble star in the show, which opens Saturday, April 2. Stephen Genovese directs. (773) 975-8150 or bohotheatre.com.

• Silk Road Theatre Project presents a staged reading of “Seven” at 8:15 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., Chicago. Described as a “documentary play,” it consists of interviews with seven women's rights activists from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Guatemala, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan and Russia conducted by the playwrights Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deveare-Smith and Susan Yankowitz. Kimberly Senior directs. (312) 846-2085 or siskelfilmcenter.org.

• The Flaming Dames returns to Chicago with their adults-only rock and roll burlesque homage to the 1980s, “Talk Dirty To Me.” Performances run Saturday, April 2, through May 28 at Finn McCool's, 15 W. Division St., Chicago. See flamingdames.com for showtimes.

• Waukegan's Clockwise Theatre presents “A Day at Stateville,” a staged reading about life in an Illinois Department of Corrections facility, written and performed by Stateville Correctional Center inmates under the direction of Joe Schmidtt, founder of Former Inmates Striving Together. The performances are Sunday, April 3, and Saturday, April 9, at 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. See clockwisetheatre.org for information.

• Porchlight Music Theatre hosts its 6th annual “Chicago Sings” fundraiser concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, at the Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse Ave., Chicago. Doug Peck serves as music director for the concert which showcases the music of Richard Rodgers (“Oklahoma,” “South Pacific”), his daughter Mary Rodgers (“Working”) and grandson Adam Guettel (“The Light in the Piazza”). Director Rob Lindley emcees the event, which features performances by Jeff Award winners E. Faye Butler, Mary Ernster, Ross Lehman, Rebecca Finnegan, Corey Goodrich, Michael Lindner, Peggy Roeder and others. Tickets range from $45 to $60 and are available at porchlighttheatre.com or (773) 325-9884.

• Theatreworks USA brings “Freedom Train,” a musical based on the life of the Underground Railroad's pioneering conductor Harriet Tubman, to the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Performances are at 9:30 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, April 6. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

• Theater Wit concludes its extension of “This,” Melissa James Gibson's comedy about a party game that reveals some unpleasant truths about a group of middle-aged friends, this weekend. Performances continue through Sunday, April 3, at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org.

• Lookingglass Theatre has extended its production of “Ethan Frome,” adapted by director Laura Eason from the Edith Wharton novel about a man trapped in a loveless marriage whose passion for life is rekindled by the arrival of his wife's young cousin. Performances continue through Saturday, April 23, at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.

• The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley has awarded Fox Valley Repertory a capital improvement grant of $3,450 to improve stage lighting at its home at the Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. The Community Foundation awards grants to organizations that benefit residents of the greater Aurora area, tri-cities and Kendall County.

• UrbanTheater Company announced it will mark the beginning of its sixth year by moving into a new home at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green St., where they will produce main stage shows. The company will continue to present staged readings and new works at Batey Urbano, 2620 W. Division St., Chicago. See urbantheaterchicago.org for information.

• The Actors Theatre of Minnesota announced it will make its Chicago debut this fall with an interactive dinner-theater show called “We Gotta Bingo!” The action unfolds in a beer hall during a bingo tournament between two rival church congregations. The show will reportedly take place at Block 37 at State and Randolph streets in Chicago. See wegottabingo.com for information.