Spotlight: Paramount Theatre revives coming-of-age tuner ‘Billy Elliot’
A coming-of-age tuner
Paramount Theatre begins the year with a revival of “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” the Tony Award-winning tuner adapted from the 2000 coming-of-age film about a young boy from a mining family in northern England who discovers a love of ballet that he must keep secret from his working-class family. Dancer/actors Neo Del Corral and Sam Duncan alternate in the titular role in director Trent Stork’s production featuring choreography by Isaiah Silvia-Chandley. Previews are at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 and 14; Thursday, Feb. 8 and 15; 8 p.m. Feb. 9; 3 and 8 p.m. Feb. 10; and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. The show opens Feb. 16. $28-$79. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com/.
‘Music Man’ in concert
The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, in collaboration with the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts and members of The Jam Orchestra, present a concert version of “The Music Man,” Meredith Willson’s 1957 musical about a smooth-talking traveling salesman who tries to bamboozle the residents of a small Iowa town then falls in love with its librarian. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and Feb. 9-10; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3; 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4; and 1 p.m. Feb. 11 at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $20 students, $40 adults. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com/.
Court concludes Oedipus Trilogy
Aeriel Williams plays the titular role in Court Theatre’s “Antigone,” Sophocles’ tragedy about a woman who defies her uncle’s edict to leave her brother Polynices unburied after he led an insurrection against their other brother, Eteocles. Directed by associate artistic director Gabrielle Randle-Bent, Court’s production concludes its Oedipus Trilogy, which included “Oedipus Rex” and “The Gospel at Colonus.” Previews at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and Feb. 7-9, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4, at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. The show opens Feb. 10. $40-$88. (773) 753-4472 or courttheatre.org/.
‘Golden Girls’ on stage
The national tour of “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue,” a stage parody of the popular 1980s sitcom about four older single women sharing a home in Florida, stops briefly at the Broadway Playhouse. The cast includes Ryan Bernier as Dorothy, Vince Kelley as Blanche, Adam Graber as Rose and Christopher Kamm as Sophia. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, and Thursday, Feb. 8; 1 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10; and 1 p.m. Feb. 11 and through Feb. 25 at 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. $30-$85. broadwayinchicago.com/ or goldengirlstour.com/video/.
Writers regional premiere
Egyptian musicians in Israel to play for the opening of a new Arab cultural center board the wrong bus and end up lost in a small desert town in the uncommonly lovely musical “The Band’s Visit” by composer/lyricist David Yazbek and writer Itamar Moses. Zi Alikhan directs Writers Theatre’s regional premiere, which is co-produced with TheatreSquared. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8-9 and 14-15; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10; and 2 and 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The show opens Feb. 16. $35-$90. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org/.
Climate crisis drama
Raven Theatre’s 41st season continues with the world premiere of “brother sister cyborg space,” Paul Michael Thomson’s timely play in which environmental advocate Giselle (Brittney Brown) spars with her billionaire brother Elon (Matt Bowdren) over the climate crisis. Terry Guest directs. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 8-10, and 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. The show opens Feb. 12. $35, $45. raventheatre.com/.