Metropolis Performing Arts Centre returns to main stage this fall

The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, which last month resumed live, in-person performances outdoors, reopens its main stage on Sept. 16 with a revival of "Shout! The Mod Musical," a revue of the greatest hits of the 1960s.

The show marks the beginning of Metropolis' female-centered 2021-2022 season, which also includes the bio-drama with music "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill." A portrait of the great Billie Holiday, the show unfolds in 1959 in a seedy, Philadelphia bar where the chanteuse known as Lady Day shares the highs and lows of her tragic life while performing such iconic songs as "Strange Fruit," "God Bless the Child" and "Crazy He Calls Me" among others. Performances being Jan. 27, 2022.

Next up is "Legally Blonde" (April 28-June 11, 2022). Adapted from the hit film of the same name, the musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods from a sorority girl determined to get back her ex-boyfriend to a law student who ably meets the challenges Harvard Law School poses.

The season concludes on a joyful note with a revival of "Sister Act" (July 14-Aug. 27, 2022), adapted from the Whoopi Goldberg film about a Las Vegas lounge singer who witnesses a mob crime and is placed in protective custody at a convent. Once there, she upends the nuns' routine and revitalizes their choir, whose newfound popularity blows her cover.

Performances take place at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. A four-show subscription ranges from $95 to $110. A three-show subscription ranges from $75 to $90. Individual tickets are $35 for previews and $40 for the regular run. They're available online at metropolisarts.com or by phone (847) 577-2121, ext. 239.