Spotlight: Buffalo Theatre opens season with political farce
Politically charged farce
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble opens its season with “The Outsider,” a sendup of U.S. politics timed to coincide with the upcoming election season. Written by actor/writer Paul Slade Smith (“Unnecessary Farce”), a veteran of Goodman, Steppenwolf, Drury Lane and Marriott theaters, the farce centers on hapless politico Ned Newly, who seems destined to lose until his paid consultant intervenes. Ensemble member Kurt Naebig directs. Preview at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. The show opens Sept. 6. $44. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org.
Broadway tuner gets suburban premiere
Writers Theatre presents the Chicago-area premiere of “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” the Tony Award-winning musical partially adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s epic “War and Peace.” Director Katie Spelman and music director Matt Deitchman (the duo behind Writers’ exquisite “Once”) helm the production, which tells the story of a young woman who, while awaiting the return of her fiancee from the Napoleonic wars, succumbs to a womanizer and is aided by a brooding aristocrat. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 5-7, and Sept. 11-12, and 2 p.m. Sept. 8 at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The show opens Sept. 13. Tickets start at $45. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.
Romance in real time
Drinks at a New York City restaurant between blind date neophyte Aaron and serial-dater Casey turns into more than either one imagined in “First Date,” a musical examination of the ups and downs of dating by Austin Winsberg (“Gossip Girl”) and composer/lyricists Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Oil Lamp Theater’s production, which unfolds in real time, stars Dani Pike as Casey and Adrian Thornburg as Aaron. Preview at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview. The show opens Sept. 6. $20-$48. oillamptheater.org.
Soul mates
Northlight Theatre commences its 2024-2025 season with “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk,” a musical by Daniel Jamieson and Ian Ross that “captures the essence of a marriage that soared above the upheaval through which it endured.” The show chronicles the romance between artist Marc Chagall and his wife (the inspiration for many of his works), writer Bella Rosenfeld. Elizabeth Margolius directs the production, which stars Jack Cahill-Lemme as Marc and Emma Rosenthal as Bella. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 5-7, and Sept. 10; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The show opens Sept. 12. $35-$79. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.
Mike Royko remembered
“The Toughest Man in Chicago,” a one-man show about legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko as written and performed by Mitchell Bisschop, premieres at the Chopin Theatre. Incorporating excerpts from Royko’s columns and books, the multimedia show examines the life of the cantankerous and compassionate writer whose career spanned 34 years at three major Chicago newspapers. The pay-what-you-can preview is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 6. $60. chopintheatre.com.
Screenplay to stage play
“Within A Shadow,” a dramedy by LaRose Washington adapted for the stage from her screenplay, premieres in a collaboration between Red Theater and Lex the Movie. The play is about a Black college senior at a predominantly white university who struggles with her self-worth and identity while also juggling romantic crushes, friendships and cultural identity. Opens at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 5-7, and 3 p.m. Sept. 8 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $28.50. (773) 697-3830 or thedentheatre.com or lexthemovie@gmail.com.