Theater events: Second City's 'Holidazed' at Metropolis puts a light spin on season

'Dazed' at Metropolis

One of Second City's touring ensembles returns to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre to perform "Holidazed," a seasonal sketch comedy sendup of everything from shopping and gift-giving to office parties and family dinners. New Year's Eve performances include a champagne toast, a balloon drop and party favors. Opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $30, $35. New Year's Eve tickets cost $50, $60. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

Marley's turn

Jacob Marley tells his side of Ebenezer Scrooge's story in Organic Theater's revival of Tom Mula's "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol." Inspired by Charles Dickens' classic tale, the play centers on Marley, who examines his life with help from a spirit named Bogle. Richard L. Gross stars as Marley opposite Amy Powell's Bogle. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Meiley-Swallow Hall, North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville. $20, $30. (630) 637-7469 or organictheater.org.

'Wonderful Life'

Improv Playhouse executive producer David Brian Stuart directs and stars as George Bailey in the company's production of "It's A Wonderful Life," staged as a 1940s radio broadcast with sound effects and period radio commercials. Libertyville character actor Egon Schein plays Clarence, the angel eager to get his wings. The show is recommended for ages 7 and older. Opens at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Advance tickets cost $10-$20; $15-$25 at the door. (847) 968-4529 or improvplayhouse.com.

Other theater events

• "Baritones Unbound," a new play with music that salutes the voice part and chronicles its transformation into the "voice of the common man," begins previews Friday, Dec. 11, at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The production stars creator/writer/performer Marc Kudisch, Nathan Gunn, Mark Delavan and music director/pianist Timothy Splain. Tickets for a special New Year's Eve performance including champagne and a dessert reception are $150. (312) 988-9000 or ticketmaster.com.

• Li'l Buds Theatre Company debuts its original holiday show "Tinsel! The Musical," co-written by founders J. Preddie Predmore and Jenny Lamp and Jeff Award-winner Maggie Portman. The show tells the story of a nearsighted reindeer's rise from clumsy waitress to pop star. The show opens Saturday, Dec. 12, at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. See lilbudstheatre.org.

• Previews begin Saturday, Dec. 12, for Black Ensemble Theater's revival of its 2001 revue "Dynamite Divas, A Tribute to Women of Soul" showcasing such artists as Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin and Nancy Wilson. The show, written by founder and artistic director Jackie Taylor, opens Dec. 20 at 4450 N. Clark St., Chicago. (773) 769-4451 or blackensemble.org.

• Chicago Children's Theatre hosts a groundbreaking for its new home at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. The former 12th district police station will be converted into a performing arts facility with two theaters, offices, classrooms and parking space. "After 10 years of staging our productions and educational programs at museums, theaters and other venues throughout the city and suburbs, our new home will provide CCT with a solid foundation to engage, inspire and serve all Chicagoland families," said co-founder and artistic director Jacqueline Russell in a prepared statement. Phase one of the conversion, including a small flexible theater, is scheduled to be completed by early 2017, with phase two, including the 299-seat main stage theater, completed in 2020. See chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• Adventure Stage Chicago hosts a free script-writing workshop for middle school students in grades 6 to 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago. The workshop is for juvenile aspiring playwrights interested in entering the Young Playwrights for Change Competition. The 2016 theme is "On the outside looking in: What does it mean to be an outsider?" Plays should be 10 minutes long. Submissions are due Jan. 18. (773) 342-4141 or adventurestage.org.

• The Broadway-bound musical "Gotta Dance," about basketball's first dance team for performers age 60 and older, begins previews Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago. The production opens Dec. 28. It stars Broadway veteran Andre De Shields (who appeared in Goodman Theatre's "The Jungle Book"), Georgia Engel ("Mary Tyler Moore," "Everybody Loves Raymond") and Stefanie Powers ("Hart to Hart"). (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• Midsommer Flight's final free performance of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" takes place at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago. The comedy centers around the shipwrecked Viola, who disguises herself as a boy and goes to work for Duke Orsino, with whom she falls in love. See midsommerflight.com.

• The Neo-Futurists celebrate 2015 with a best-of revue of "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind," Friday, Dec. 11, through Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.

• Performances continue for The Artistic Home's radio play adaptation of "Miracle on 34th Street," about a department store Santa who claims to be the real Kris Kringle and, in the process, makes a little girl's dreams come true. Kristin Collins and Frank Nall star. Performances run through Dec. 20 at 1376 W. Grand Ave., Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or theartistichome.org.

• ICU Ensemble, for its inaugural production, presents the world premiere of "Exit." Written by artistic director Leah Isabel Tirado, the play is an examination of depression through a character named Lucy, a foil for other characters who are coping with their own issues. Performances run through Dec. 20 at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or icuensemblechicago.org.

• Redtwist theater has extended its revival of Arthur Miller's "Incident at Vichy" about the debates that unfold among French detainees in a German-occupied town in France during World War II. Performances run through Jan. 10 at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. (773) 728-7529 or redtwist.org.

• The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, has extended, for the second time, its world premiere of Tony Award winner David Rabe's "Good for Otto," about a psychiatrist treating residents of a small town. Performances run through Dec. 20 and resume Jan. 14 and continue through Feb. 7. (773) 283-7071 or thegifttheatre.org.

• Griffin Theatre has added an additional performance of its Midwest premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's "Pocatello," about an Idaho restaurant manager struggling to maintain connections with his family and co-workers. The performance is at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or griffintheatre.com.

• The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, has extended through Jan. 30 its adults-only improv show, which runs at midnight Saturdays. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Theater at the Center in Munster, Indiana, announced that artistic director William Pullinsi - who co-founded the nation's first dinner theater, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Summit, in 1961 - will step down, but will remain artistic director emeritus. The recipient of 19 Joseph Jefferson Awards, including a lifetime achievement award in 2009, Pullinsi directed or produced more than 400 shows including the Chicago premiere of Stephen Sondheim's "Follies," the world premiere of "Boss" at the Forum Theatre he founded in 1970, and Chicago premieres of "Company," "The Real Inspector Hound" and "Steambath" among others. "His record of accomplishment in Chicago theater will never be matched," said general manager Richard Friedman in a prepared statement. "During his 12 years as artistic director our company reached new heights of artistic success and increased subscriptions and single ticket sales." Taking over for Pullinsi is Linda Fortunato, a Jeff Award-winning choreographer and director. See theatreatthecenter.com.

• About Face Theatre has named Dean Carpenter as its new managing director. Former general manager of New York's Second Stage Theatre and a graduate of Northwestern University, Carpenter takes over for Corrinne Neal, who stepped down earlier this year. "I know Dean's breadth of knowledge and experience will be instrumental as we look toward the future," said artistic director Andrew Volkoff in a prepared statement." See aboutfacetheatre.com.

• Brian Loevner, founder and executive producer of the Chicago Commercial Collective and former managing director of Chicago Dramatists, has been appointed managing producer for Second City Theatricals. "I am delighted to have Brian as a partner as Second City moves into this next phase of touring and theatricals ... We're very excited about the work we have planned for 2016 and beyond," said Erica Daniels, president of Second City Theatricals, in a prepared statement. See secondcity.com.

• "Somebody to Love," Jay Cipriani's dramedy about two gay men who form an unlikely friendship when they are forced to share a rental car on a cross-country trip, has been named the winner of Pride Films & Plays Great Gay Screenplay contest. See pridefilmsandplays.com.

• Erasing the Distance, an organization that uses performance to promote understanding of mental illness, received a grant totaling $33,000 over three years from the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. The grant will allow Erasing the Distance to expand programming. See erasingthedistance.org.

• The Body Politic is the theme of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble's recently announced 2016 season. It begins Jan. 28 with the world premiere of "Body/Courage." Written and performed by Danielle Pinnock, the play - compiled from more than 300 interviews conducted worldwide - is an examination of body image through one woman's experience. The production will be accompanied by a matching grant, whereby any amount donated to the Rivendell will be matched up to $5,000 by The Reva and David Logan Foundation. That's followed by the Midwest premiere of Ruby Rae Spiegel's "Dry Land" (April 22-May 1). Directed by ensemble member Hallie Gordon, the play is about the unlikely relationship between two high school girls struggling to balance swim team, friendship and other teenage issues. The season concludes with the Midwest premiere of George Brandt's dark comedy "Grizzly Mama" (Sept. 2-Oct. 8), about single mom Deb who moves to Alaska with her teenage daughter after the death of Deb's mother. Performances take place at 5779 N. Ridge Ave., Chicago. Flex passes, which include four tickets to any combination of performances throughout the season, are available for $110. (773) 334-7728 or rivendelltheatre.org.

• Red Theater recently announced it will convert to free theater and rely only on donations when its fourth season begins in 2016. The season commences Jan. 9 at Frontier Theatre, 1106 Thorndale Ave., Chicago, with "Year of the Rooster," Eric Dufault's comedy about violence and masculinity as it plays out among fast food employees and the chickens they have trained to fight. The new year also marks an extension of "R & J: The Vineyard," a spoken and American Sign Language production of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," resuming Jan. 22 at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Red Theater holds its fourth playwriting competition and staged reading in March. The season concludes with the Chicago premiere of Benjamin Brand's "Taste" (April 23-May 22), a play about love and cannibalism produced in collaboration with redtwist theatre and Aperture Entertainment. See redtheater.org.