Last chance for 'Yohen' at North Central
The seemingly stable, 40-year marriage between Japanese Sumi and her black American husband, James, starts to feel the effects of clashing cultures in Philip Kan Gotanda's "Yohen." Silk Road Theatre Project remounts a brief run of its fall production at North Central College.
Facts: 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville. (630) 637-7469.
Brenner performs
Judging by the numbers - 158 "Tonight Show" appearances, collaborator on 115 documentaries, author of five books and recipient of one Emmy Award - comedian David Brenner has had quite a career. He demonstrates the reason for his longevity this weekend at suburban Zanies.
Facts: 8 and 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 584-6342, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at 230 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills, (847) 549-6030. zanies.com
Piccolo panto
Evanston's Piccolo Theatre presents as this year's holiday panto, a quirky adaptation of "Robinson Crusoe," Daniel Defoe's adventure tale about a shipwrecked sailor. Written by Ken Raabe and directed by artistic director John Szostek, the show draws upon the British holiday tradition - rooted in the Commedia del'Arte - and adds some American pop culture ("Gilligan's Island," "Survivor") flavor.
Facts: Opens Friday, Nov. 21, at the Evanston Arts Depot, 600 Main St., Evanston. (847) 424-0089 or piccolotheatre.com.
What's new
• Previews continue for Emerald City Theatre's world premiere of "Hansel & Gretel," a new family-friendly musical by former Bad Examples frontman turned children's entertainer, Ralph Covert. The show opens Saturday, Nov. 29, at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6100 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.
• Larry Yando caps off a stellar year playing Ebenezer Scrooge in Goodman Theatre's "A Christmas Carol" directed by William Brown, Kissinger to Yando's Nixon in Writers' Theatre's recent hit, "Nixon's Nixon." Previews begin Friday, Nov. 21, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.
• WNEP Theater adapts its regular Soiree DADA production to the season with its latest, "Soiree DADA: Schmuckt der Hallen," which offers an absurdist and interactive take on the holidays. The show opens Friday, Nov. 21, at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 742-8497 or dcatheater.org.
• Sparkle Sisters Carol Moss and Monica McCarthy perform their Stephen Sondheim revue "The Sparkle Sisters: 7 Secrets of Highly Effective Chicks" at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Village Players Performing Arts Center, 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. (866) 764-1010 or villageplayers.org.
• The inventive and always spirited Neo-Futurists offer their politically inspired take on a holiday classic with "A Very Neo-Futurist Christmas Carol." Previews are Thursday, Nov. 20, and Friday, Nov. 21, at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. The show opens Saturday, Nov. 22. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.
• "Magic Tree House: The Musical," based on Mary Pope Osborne's children's book about two children who travel back in time to Camelot to save King Arthur and his court, has its Chicago-area premiere at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway at Governors Highway and University Parkway. Performances are at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. (708) 235-2222 or centertickets.net.
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings director Tim Supple's South Asian-inspired adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to Navy Pier as part of the theater's World's Stages Series. The cast is comprised of actors, acrobats, dancers, martial artists and musicians from India and Sri Lanka who perform Shakespeare's dialogue in the author's English as well as in their native languages of Tamil, Malayalam, Sinhalese, Hindi, Bengalie, Marathi and Sanskrit. Performances run from Tuesday, Nov., 25, to Sunday, Dec. 7, at 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com.
• Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace's version of Charles' Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," opened this week at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The show runs through Saturday, Dec. 20 and includes special breakfast and dinner buffets with Santa for an additional fee. (630) 530-0111 or drurylaneoakbrook.com.
• The Gift Theatre launched its late night sketch and improv show this week at 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. "Santa's Great American Depression Holiday Show! America" runs through Saturday, Dec. 13. (773) 283-7071 or the thegifttheatre.org.