Theater: Standup at Metropolis, plus regional premieres at Porchlight, Steppenwolf and Remy Bumppo

• Previews begin Friday, Jan. 25, for Porchlight Music Theatre's local premiere of "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder," Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman's raucous musical farce. Andres Enriquez stars as Monty Navarro, the heir to a family fortune who decides to bump off the eight relatives (played by Matt Crowle) standing between him and the family fortune. Palatine native Ann Delaney and Emily Goldberg co-star as Monty's love interests in director/choreographer Stephen Schellhardt's production, which opens Tuesday, Jan. 29, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (773) 777-9884 or porchlightmusictheatre.org.

• House Theatre of Chicago ensemble member and third-generation magician Dennis Watkins ("Death & Harry Houdini") celebrates the 1,000th performance of his show "The Magic Parlour" at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the Palmer House, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago. The milestone performance, cementing The Magic Parlour as the city's longest-running magic show, follows the regular 7:30 p.m. show. Watkins says every show is one-of-a-kind. "I keep the show fresh by adding new material throughout the year, always diving deeper into the lessons ... my granddad imparted to me," he said in a prepared statement. (773) 769-3832 or themagicparlourchicago.com.

• Otherworld Theatre presents "Hero's Journey," a long-form improvised adventure, beginning Friday, Jan. 25, at 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago. Performances run through March 1. (773) 857-2116 or otherworldtheatre.org.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company's LookOut performance series and SCOUT, its play development initiative, present a reading of "Bald Sisters" by Vichet Chum, at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The play centers on two estranged sisters who must decide how to put their deceased mother to rest. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• As a precursor to Valentine's Day, comedians Pat Hazell and Helen Keaney share stories about relationships, dating and parenting in "My Funny Valentine: Date Night Just Got Funnier." They perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Also, the Metropolis hosts its annual wine-tasting fundraiser from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. Tuscan Market & Wine Shop supplies libations for the event, which includes hors d'oeuvres, a raffle and entertainment. Tickets are $45 per person. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

• The McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage presents the Johann Straus opera "Die Fledermaus" about a man who tells his wife he is going to be locked up for slugging a police officer, when instead he plans to attend a ball thrown by the prince. Realizing he's lying, his wife disguises herself as a countess and attends the ball herself. Katherine R. Weber plays the clever wife Rosalinde and Jesse Donner plays her husband, Eisenstein, in the production, which plays Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27, at 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org.

• Chicago Children's Theatre debuts "X-marks the Spot," a multisensory show about a family of adventurers created for children who are visually impaired that incorporates sound, taste and smell. Performances begin Saturday, Jan. 26, at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

• The Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists hosts an evening of performances as a companion event to Steppenwolf Theatre's production of "La Ruta," Isaac Gomez's play about the missing and murdered women of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, currently running at Steppenwolf. The event takes place at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, at the 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• The neo-vaudevillian "Hindrance and Hysteria" returns to the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, for a series of adults-only music, dance, burlesque and comedy performances beginning with "Resolutions" on Monday, Jan. 28. That's followed by "Eros" on Feb. 25 and "Power" on March 25. See thedentheatre.com.

• Chicago Dramatists continues its Monday Night Drama Series consisting of public readings of in-progress plays at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, at 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Next up is "Small World" by Jillian Leff and Joe Lino in partnership with The New Colony. See chicagodramatists.org.

• Previews begin Thursday, Jan. 31, for Steppenwolf Theatre's Chicago-area premiere of "A Doll's House, Part 2," Lucas Hnath's sequel to Henrik Ibsen's pre-feminist play about Nora, a young wife and mother who leaves behind her family to fulfill herself. In Hnath's version, Nora returns 15 years later, a changed woman. Robin Witt, of Griffin and Steep theaters, directs the production featuring ensemble members Celeste M. Cooper, Sandra Marquez and Yasen Peyankov along with Barbara Robertson. The show opens Feb. 10 at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.

• Remy Bumppo Theatre Company presents the Chicago-area premiere of "The Father," an examination of family, dementia and love by French writer Florian Zeller featuring ensemble members David Darlow, Lina Gillum and others. Kay Martinovich directs the production, which begins previews Thursday, Jan. 31, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Feb. 5. (773) 975-8150 or remybumppo.org.

• The lives of a struggling folk singer working at a big box retailer, her manager, his recently relocated girlfriend and a drifter intersect in "Fulfillment Center," a dramedy by Abe Koogler. Jess McLeod directs A Red Orchid Theatre's Chicago-area premiere, which begins previews Thursday, Jan. 31, at 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago. The show opens Feb. 9. (312) 943-8722 or aredorchidtheatre.org.

• Performances continue for Tikkun Olam Theatre Company's production of "Infinity Burns," Felix Abidor's examination of the conflict between orthodoxy and heresy centered on 17th-century monk Giordano Bruno, who posited that the universe is infinite. Part of the Rhinoceros Theater Festival, the production runs Wednesdays at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. See rhinofest.com.

• Strawdog Theatre Company announced the appointment of Leda Hoffmann, a seven-year member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater artistic staff, as the new artistic director and actress/producer Charlotte Thomas as the new managing director.