Dennehy returns to Goodman for 'Hughie'

Goodman Theatre artistic associate Brian Dennehy returns to Chicago for the Broadway-bound, double bill of Eugene O'Neill's "Hughie," about a down-on-his-luck gambler seeking solace from the night clerk at a SRO hotel, and Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape," about a man reviewing his life on audiotape. Robert Falls directs "Hughie;" Jennifer Tarver helms "Krapp's Last Tape."

Previews begin Saturday, Jan. 16, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The productions open Jan. 24. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

Epistolary comedy Four decades of correspondence reflect the love story of playwright George Bernard Shaw and 19th century actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell (the original Eliza Doolittle in Shaw's "Pygmalion") revealed in Jerome Kilty's "Dear Liar." Richard Westphal and Denise Blank star in the Cap-a-pe production.Runs Thursday, Jan. 21, to Saturday, Jan. 23, at the New England Congregational Church, 406 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 606-5375.Timely revivalMount Prospect's Demetrios Troy makes his Northlight Theatre debut in "Awake and Sing!" Clifford Odets' 1935 drama about a working-class family from the Bronx struggling to survive the Depression. Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Amy Morton directs. Previews begin Thursday, Jan. 21, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The production opens Sunday, Jan. 31. (847) 673-6300 or northlight.org.What's newbull; Steel Beam Theatre recently opened its production of "Rabbit Hole," David Lindsay-Abaire's moving, 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a couple coping with the loss of their young son. The production, directed by founder Donna Steele, runs through Feb. 7, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com.bull; "I Am My Own Wife," Doug Wright's one-man dramatization of the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who survived the Nazis and the Communists, gets a revival courtesy of Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. BoHo company member Peter Robel plays more than 30 characters in the solo show opening Friday, Jan. 15, at 7016 N. Glenwood, Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or bohotheatre.com.bull; Scott Phelps and his wife Ellen Phelps co-star in Citadel Theatre's production of Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," in which a middle-aged couple's ever-escalating problems provide the fodder for this comedy set in the early 1970s. The production opens Friday, Jan. 15, at the Grotto of Gorton Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. (847) 735-8554 or citadeltheatre.org.bull; Village Players Theatre starts off the year smiling with a revival of Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers," a coming-of-age comedy about two young brothers raised by their domineering grandmother and their sweet but mentally challenged aunt. Brian Rabinowitz directs the production opening Saturday, Jan. 16, at 1010 Madison St., Oak Park. (866) 764-1010 or village-players.org.bull; Infamous Commonwealth Theatre hosts its fifth 24 Hour Project during which four playwrights will produce short plays for which four musicians will compose an overture and which four directors will stage. Actors will perform the plays one time only, at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble St., Chicago. (312) 458-9780 or infamouscommonwealth.org. bull; John Scieszka and Lane Smith lend a sympathetic ear to the infamous Big Bad Wolf by telling his side of the story - which he characterizes as merely a misunderstanding - in their tale, "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs." Emerald City Theatre's Alyn Cardarelli adapts the story and Ernie Nolan directs and choreographs the family-friendly production. The production opens Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6100 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.bull; Writers' Theatre hosts a free performance of Chicago writer Yolanda Androzzo's one-woman play "The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights" as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at Am Shalom Synagogue, 840 Vernon Ave., Glencoe. The performance is part of a Day of Service and Celebration which begins at 9 a.m. Following Monday's performance, the production of "The MLK Project" will tour Chicago area schools. See writerstheater.org/mlkproject for more information. bull; It's a big week for Broadway in Chicago. Its productions of the hit shows "Mamma Mia!" "Annie," and "Dreamgirls" all open within 24 hours this upcoming week. "Mamma Mia" plays the Rosemont Theatre at 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont," from Tuesday, Jan. 19, to Jan. 24. "Annie" plays the Auditorium Theatre at 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago, from Tuesday, Jan. 19, to Jan. 24. "Dreamgirls" plays the Cadillac Palace Theatre at 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, from Tuesday, Jan. 19, to Jan. 31. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.bull; Chicago Kids Company - Theatre for Children presents a modern musical version of "Pinocchio" featuring singalong songs and audience participation. Performances run Wednesday, Jan. 20, through March 3, at the Stahl Family Theater at St. Patrick High School, 5900 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 205-9600 or chicagokidscompany.com.bull; "In The Brown and Red Water," "The Brothers Size" and "Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet" comprise The Brother/Sister Plays, the latest offerings from Steppenwolf Theatre Company to be presented in repertory beginning Thursday, Jan. 21, at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. A gifted athlete must choose between family obligations and her own future in "In The Red and Brown Water." A man recently released from jail finds himself torn between his new life and his past in "The Brothers Size," and a 16-year-old boy comes to terms with his sexuality in "Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet." The shows open Saturday, Jan. 30. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.bull; Halcyon Theatre presents its annual Alcyone Festival showcasing female playwrights. This year's festival celebrates Cuban-born writer/director/teacher Maria Irene Fornes. Featured plays include Chicago-area premieres of "Letters from Cuba," directed by Juan Castaneda; "Manual for a Desperate Crossing," directed by Coya Paz; "Sarita," directed by Gina LoPiccolo; "Summer in Gossensass," directed by Lavina Jadhwani; and "Tango Palace," directed by Jenn Adams. Also included is "What of the Night" directed by Margo Gray. Performances run Thursday, Jan. 21, through Feb. 27, at the Barry United Methodist Church, 4754 N. Leavitt Ave., Chicago. (773) 413-0453 or halcyontheatre.org.- Barbara Vitello