Theater events: 'Hairspray' gets a new 'do at Aurora's Paramount

Tracy Turnblad returns

Paramount Theatre goes retro with a revival of "Hairspray," the buoyant musical inspired by John Waters' 1988 cult film. Amelia Jo Parish stars as the pleasantly plump Tracy, a determined 1960s teen with a social conscience who lands a part on a popular Baltimore teen dance show. Michael Kingston and Michael Ehlers star as her parents Edna and Wilbur and Joseph Jefferson Award winner E. Faye Butler makes her Paramount debut as Motormouth Maybelle. Previews begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. The show opens Jan. 23. $41-$56. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

Steel Beam's 'Tavern'

Steel Beam Theatre revives "Yankee Tavern," Steven Dietz's taut thriller examining Americans' obsession with conspiracy theories surrounding the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. At its core, however, this drama, set in 2006, is about four people grieving individual losses. Bernie Weiler directs. Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. $22-$28. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.

'Birdie' perches

Long-married Roger Mueller and Jill Shellabarger play the first couple of Sweet Apple, Ohio, in Drury Lane Theatre's revival of "Bye Bye Birdie," the nostalgic 1960 musical by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse about a rock star drafted into the army who decides to give one female fan the farewell kiss of her life. Matthew Crowle stars as quick-thinking agent Albert and 2015 Joseph Jefferson Award winner Michelle Aravena stars as his long-suffering girlfriend Rosie in director/choreographer Tammy Mader's production. Previews continue at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, and other times through Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The show opens at 8 p.m. Jan. 21. $45-$60. (630) 530-0111 or drurylanetheatre.com.

Other theater events:

• Previews continue Friday, Jan. 15, for Marriott Theatre's preseason revival of "Spring Awakening," Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind's late 19th-century play about teenagers' sexual coming of age. Artistic director Aaron Thielen directs and choreographs the show, which opens Saturday, Jan. 16, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

• Profiles Theatre's double-bill of short plays by resident artist Neil LaBute ("In the Company of Men," "Nurse Betty," "Reasons to be Happy") continues at 4147 N. Broadway St., Chicago. The "Vices" program includes world premieres: "I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart" and "Totally" along with the Midwest premieres of "Happy Hour," "The Great War" and "Lovely Head." The "Virtues" program consists of the Midwest premieres of "Good Luck (in Farsi)," "Romance," "Kandahar," "10-K," "Swallowing Bicycles" and "Mulberry Bush." The programs run in repertory through March 6. Both open Jan. 24. (773) 549-1815 or profilestheatre.org.

• A widowed Hindu woman living in Mumbai is the object of romantic advances from her recently divorced neighbor, who is also her son's best friend, in "A Widow of No Importance," by Shane Sakhrani. Rasaka Theatre's Midwest premiere begins previews Friday, Jan. 15, at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show, directed by Lavina Jadhwani, opens Sunday, Jan. 17. (773) 871-3000 or rasakatheatre.com or victorygardens.org.

• About Face Theatre opens its 20th season with the world premiere of "Le Switch," a romantic comedy by artistic associate Philip Dawkins about a gay, young man grappling with commitment and marriage. Previews begin Friday, Jan. 15, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Jan. 22. (773) 404-7336 or aboutfacetheatre.org.

• Lifeline Theatre's 19th annual Fillet of Solo Festival begins Friday, Jan. 15, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago, and at Heartland Studio Theatre, 7016 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The celebration of storytelling showcases 24 ensembles and solo performers during its three-week run in Rogers Park. Among the suburban artists scheduled to perform are Stephen Bastion of Gurnee and Elmhurst resident Tekki Lomnicki, whose Tellin' Tales ensemble is made up of adult and child storytellers. Other performers include the all-female comedy group the kates, Stir-Friday Night, Story Club, Outspoken!, David Kodeski, Anu Phatt, Cathy Schenkelberg, Jasmin Cardenas and others. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.

• Previews begin Saturday, Jan. 16, for Goodman Theatre's world premiere of "Another Word for Beauty," a play with music by Jose Rivera inspired by the true events surrounding the beauty pageant held annually at El Buen Pastor prison in Bogota, Colombia. Directed by Steve Cosson and co-commissioned by his company The Civilians, the play features original music by Grammy Award winner Hector Buitrago. It opens Jan. 25 at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• The Curious Theatre Branch's 27th annual Rhinofest, a fringe festival curated around the works of absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco, begins Saturday, Jan. 16, at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. The Ruckus, Theatre Y and the Side Project are among the ensembles presenting new works during the six-week festival. Additionally, Curious Theatre Branch will revive Ionesco's "Rhinoceros," a critique of the rise of communism and fascism in which nearly every resident of a small French town slowly turns into a rhinoceros. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. (773) 492-1287 or rhinofest.com or curioustheatrebranch.com.

• A young girl stages a backyard talent show to demonstrate to her friends that her pet sloth isn't as lazy as they think in "Sparky!" a musical by composer/lyricist Laura McKenzie and writer Jessica Wright Buha, based on the 2014 book by Jenny Ofill and illustrator Chris Appelhans. Lifeline Theatre stages the world premiere as part of its KidSeries. Ensemble member Amanda Link directs the show, which begins Saturday, Jan. 16, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.

• Playwright Rohina Malik returns to her artistic home at 16th Street Theater, which opens its ninth season with the world premiere of Malik's "Yasmina's Necklace," beginning previews Thursday, Jan. 21, at 6420 16th St., Berwyn. Ann Filmer directs the play about a young man with an Iraqi father and a Puerto Rican mother who describes himself as Italian and marries an American in an effort to "shed his cultural identity." It opens Jan. 28. (708) 795-6704 or 16thstreettheater.org.

• Halcyon Theatre artistic director Tony Adams helms the Chicago-area premiere of "Estrella Cruz (the junkyard queen)," Charise Castro Smith's modern take on the Greek myth of Persephone in which a young Cuban-American woman is inspired by her imaginary friend Bette Davis to begin a journey of independence. Previews begin Thursday, Jan. 21, at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3253 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago The show opens Jan. 28. (773) 413-0454 or halcyontheatre.org.

• Signal Ensemble Theatre co-artistic director Ronan Marra directs the company's final production, the Chicago-area premiere of "The Consultant," by Heidi Schreck. A satirical look at corporate culture, it centers on a precocious young consultant hired to save a man's job and his life. Previews begin Thursday, Jan. 21, at 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago. The show opens Jan. 22. (773) 698-7389 or signalensemble.com.

• Performances continue through Feb. 6 for Red Theater Chicago's Chicago-area premiere of "Year of the Rooster," a comedy by Eric DuFault set in the cockfighting world. Performances are at The Frontier, 1106 W. Thorndale Ave., Chicago. See redtheater.org.

• Performances continue for Pride Films and Plays' Chicago-area premiere of the "Ten Dollar House," a drama by Rick Kinnebrew and Martha Meyer set during the Depression and centered on the unlikely romance between a London decorator and a local drifter restoring a cottage in Wisconsin. The production runs through Jan. 31 at Piccolo Theatre, 600 Main St., Evanston. (800) 737-0984 or pridefilmsandplays.com.

• "Dave Maher Coma Show," inspired by the diabetic coma the standup comedian suffered in 2014, runs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Feb. 24 at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Also at The Annoyance, the adults-only "Burlesque is More," a "comedic strip club" in which seven performers and the "club owner" improvise based on audience suggestions. It runs Saturdays through Feb. 27. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Broadway in Chicago announced "The Lion King" tour, closing Sunday, Jan. 17, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, broke the record for highest grossing week in Chicago theater history. The show grossed $2,356,724 for the week ending Jan. 3, breaking the 2015 record held by "Newsies." For "Lion King" tickets, call (800) 775-2000 or see broadwayinchicago.com.

• Light Opera Works general manager Bridget McDonough and artistic director Rudy Hogenmiller announced the company will change its name beginning in the 2017 season. "Light Opera Works has been a wonderful name for a long time, but we feel it no longer tells the full story of who we are and what we do," said McDonough in a prepared statement. The new name is expected to better reflect LOW's productions, which include light opera as well as Broadway musicals and revues. The company will accept suggestions through Jan. 31. Email suggestions to info@lightoperaworks.org.

• Victory Gardens Theater announced managing director Christopher Mannelli has left the company to take over as executive director of Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, New York. The board of directors has begun a national search for his replacement. Artistic director Chay Yew described Mannelli in a prepared statement as a wonderful partner to him and the board and a tremendous collaborator. See victorygardens.org.

• Having resolved building permit issues, The Factory Theater will proceed with its 23rd season at 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. The company reopens with "The Last Big Mistake" (Jan. 22-Feb. 27), about two women paid to transport a package in 1975 who fail in their task, upsetting the package's owner, whose search leaves a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Manny Tamayo directs. The season concludes May 6 with Mike Ooi's "Dating and Dragons," about a guy who loves to play sword and sorcery games with his friends, until he meets a girl and falls under her spell. The Factory's 24th season begins Oct. 21 with "Zombie Broads," by ensemble members Corrbette Pasko and Sara Sevigny. It's about a couple who prepare themselves and their daughter for a zombie uprising, even though she only wants a cellphone and a date with her secret boyfriend. See thefactorytheater.com.