Spotlight: Paramount goes ‘The Full Monty’ in season opener
Paramount launches 13th Broadway season
Unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York, make ends meet by organizing a male strip show in “The Full Monty,” the musical based on the hit 1997 comedy. The feel-good tuner, which launches Paramount Theatre’s 13th Broadway series, is directed by Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi (co-directors of Paramount’s current hit, “Million Dollar Quartet”). Note: The show contains strong language and brief nudity. Previews at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 21-22 and 28-29; 8 p.m. Aug. 23; 3 and 8 p.m. Aug. 24; and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Aug. 25 at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. $28-$85. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.
A musical for the moment
In time for election season, Marriott Theatre revives “1776,” the 1969 musical by composer/lyricist Sherman Edwards and writer Peter Stone chronicling the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and John Adams’ efforts to persuade his colleagues to vote for freedom and self-determination. Broadway veteran Tyrick Wiltez Jones plays John Adams, Richard R. Henry is Benjamin Franklin and Erik Hellman plays Thomas Jefferson in director Nick Bowling’s production. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 21-22; 8 p.m. Aug. 23; 4 and 8 p.m. Aug. 24; and 1 and 5 p.m. Aug. 25 at 100 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens Aug. 28. Tickets start at $63. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.
Chekhov reworked
Janus Theatre Company continues its 26th season with “Life Sucks,” Aaron Posner’s reworking of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” in which a group of “old friends, ex-lovers, estranged in-laws, and lifelong enemies gather to grapple with life’s thorniest questions and each other.” Artistic director Sean Hargadon directs. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17 and 23-24, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 and 25, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. $20. janusplays.com.
Horror rock tuner premiere
Previews continue for The Factory Theater’s “Stabbed in the Heart,” an original “horror rock musical” by Nate Hall and Cody Lindley. Described as a mashup of “Halloween” and the musical “Spring Awakening,” the tuner centers on a group of friends whose weekend getaway at a remote cabin turns into a blood-soaked nightmare courtesy of a maniac killer. Previews at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, at 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. The show opens Thursday, Aug. 22. $35. (312) 275-5757 or thefactorytheater.com.
Batman returns
The Annoyance Theatre pays homage to classic comics with its production of the original comedy “Batman Returns,” inspired by the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Created for longtime fans and newcomers alike, Annoyance’s version examines the dynamic duo’s relationship, as well as their moral dilemmas. 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 17 through Sept. 14, at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. $25. theannoyance.com.
Welcome to ‘La Havana Madrid’
Teatro Vista Productions and Collaboraction present an outdoor concert version of “La Havana Madrid” as part of Millennium Park’s 20th anniversary season. Sandra Delgado wrote and stars in the play-with-music partly about a 1960s Chicago nightclub frequented by Cuban, Puerto Rican and Colombian immigrants. Cheryl Lynn Bruce directs. 5:30 p.m. salsa dance party, 6:30-10 p.m. show Friday, Aug. 23, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. Free. teatrovista.org.