Theater events: Goodman hosts world premiere of 'Fish Men'

Chess hustle

Chess hustlers battle each other and their personal demons over the course of a hot, New York City day in “Fish Men” by playwright and chess master Candido Tirado, a Teatro Vista resident playwright. Teatro Vista artistic director Edward Torres directs the world premiere production in collaboration with Goodman Theatre, the second of three productions over a three-year partnership. Raul Castillo and Howard Witt head up the multicultural, multigenerational cast. Previews begin Saturday, April 7, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens April 16. $12-$42. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

All-star ‘Hairspray'

Drury Lane Theatre presents an all-star revival of “Hairspray,” the musical based on John Waters' 1988 film about feisty Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad who integrates a 1960s TV dance program. Lillian Castillo plays Tracy, Jeff Award winner Michael Lindner plays her mother Edna and Tim Kazurinsky (“Saturday Night Live”) plays her father Wilbur. Tony Award nominee Felicia Fields plays Motormouth Maybelle. Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader directs and choreographs. Previews begin Thursday, April 12, at 100 Drury Lane, Oak Brook Terrace. The show opens Thursday, April 19. $35-$46. (630) 530-0111 or drurylaneoakbrook.com.

Donation request

Fox Valley Repertory teams up with Fox Valley Troop Support to collect donations for care packages and letters to be sent to U.S. servicemen and women. FVR patrons attending Neil Sedaka's “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” can contribute at performances, which run through May 20 at the Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. Proceeds will also benefit FVR's Memorial Day production “Letters Home,” comprising letters written by Fox Valley servicemen and women. Call (630) 584-6342 or see foxvalleyrep.org or fvts.org for more information.

• A new ensemble, The Island Theatre Company, begins its inaugural season with the world premiere of “Tourist Trap,” an interactive theater event written by ensemble members and curated by Frederick Ford Beckley. The show invites audience members to examine several notable escapes including those perpetrated by Harry Houdini and Adam and Eve. It runs through Sunday, April 8, at Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. See theislandtheatreco.org or linkshall.org for information.

• Bohemian Theatre Ensemble revives N. Richard Nash's “The Rainmaker,” a drama set during the drought-ravaged Depression about a spinster whose family worries about finding her a husband, and the charismatic drifter who promises rain and more. Previews begin Friday, April 6, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show, directed by BoHo artistic adviser Stephen M. Genovese, opens Saturday, April 7. (773) 975-6150 or bohotheatre.com.

• GayCo Productions hosts its annual spring benefit Gay Friday, from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 6, at Crew Bar & Grill, 4804 N. Broadway, Chicago. The irreverent, adults-only party includes raffles, games and prizes. Proceeds will help fund the group's LGBTQ programming throughout the year. See gayco.com.

• Previews begin Monday, April 9, for Street Tempo Theatre's revival of “Little Shop of Horrors,” about a meek flower shop clerk named Seymour who inadvertently nurtures a bloodthirsty plant from an alien planet. Brian Posen and Kory Danielson direct this B-movie inspired production which stars John Sessler as Seymour, Erin Creighton as his beloved Audrey and Candace Edwards as the diabolical plant, Audrey II. The show opens Wednesday, April 11, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 327-5252 or streettempotheatre.com.

• Three aspiring improvisers seek their fortune on Chicago's stages in Randall Colburn's “The Improv Play,” which incorporates improv, standup comedy and scripted material. InFusion Theatre Company presents the world premiere of this behind-the-scenes look at Chicago improv beginning previews Tuesday, April 10, at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St., Chicago. The show, produced in cooperation with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, opens Thursday, April 12. (312) 742-8497 or infusiontheatre.com or dcatheater.org.

• A white, middle-aged playwright, having trouble getting his work produced, takes on a new identity as a black, lesbian woman with a disability and skyrockets to fame in “Girl You Know It's True” a new play by Bixby Elliot inspired by the rise and fall of the dance pop group Milli Vanilli. The Pavement Group presents the world premiere production beginning previews Thursday, April 12, at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. The show, directed by Pavement Group artistic director David Perez, opens Monday, April 16. See pavementgroup.org for information.

• A newcomer on the musical theater scene, Underscore Theatre Company, presents the world premiere of “Liberal Arts: The Musical!” beginning Thursday, April 12, at The Second Stage, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. The show is about five students navigating their way through college who find higher education has left them in debt and bereft of answers. It opens Saturday, April 14. See liberalartsthemusical.com for information.

• The family-friendly Adventure Stage Chicago has announced as part of its 2012-2013 season the Midwest premiere this fall of “Six Stories Tall,” a play about “mermaids, monsters and spray paint” by Marco Ramirez and inspired by Hispanic folklore. The company's spring 2013 production is “Augusta and Noble,” comprised of stories from the residents of Chicago's West Town neighborhood and centered around a young girl attempting to bridge her immigrant parents' reality with her own. See adventurestage.org for more information.

• The stage adaptation of “Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat” is among the shows Emerald City Theatre has scheduled for its 2012-2013 season which begins this summer with “Alice in Wonderland” (July 17-Dec. 29) and is followed by “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical” (Oct. 2-Jan. 6, 2013) about a girl who refuses to surrender her bunny to the washing machine. Next up is “The Cat in the Hat” (Jan. 26-June 9, 2013) followed by “The Frog Prince Continued” (Jan. 26-Jun 9, 2013) about His Highness' encounters with witches, Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Subscriptions available at emeraldcitytheatre.com. Single tickets are available at the Apollo Theater box office, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 935-6100.

• Lifeline Theatre celebrates its 30th anniversary with three main stage world premieres and the revival of two popular, family-friendly musicals. The main stage season begins Sept. 7 with “The Woman in White,” adapted from Wilkie Collins' novel about an heiress trapped in an unhappy marriage, who's in love with a poor artist for whom she'll risk everything. Next up is “The City & The City” (Feb. 15-April 7, 2013) adapted from the 2009 future-set crime novel by China Mieville about a police officer assigned to investigate the death of an American student, a case with political undertones that spans the dual city-states of Feszel and Ul Qoma. The season concludes with “Bridge of Birds: A Tale of an Ancient China That Never Was,” (May 31-July 21, 2013) about the efforts of a simple peasant and an elderly scholar to save their village from a plague. Lifeline's KidSeries Productions include a revival of “Duck for President” (Oct. 20-Nov. 25) about the charismatic Duck who decides to challenge Farmer Brown and then comes within a few steps of running the whole county; “The Mystery of the Pirate Ghost” (Jan. 12-Feb. 17, 2013), adapted form Geoffrey Hayes' whodunit; and “The Emperor's Groovy New Clothes: A Fashion Statement” (March 23-April 29, 2013), a modern musical inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen folk tale. Season subscriptions and single tickets go on sale April 16. They're available by phone (773) 761-4477 or online at lifelinetheatre.com.

• Pine Box Theater begins its 2012 season next month with Rolin Jones' “The Jammer” an hourlong exploration of the Roller Derby in a production that is part sport/part theater. It runs from May 19 to July 1 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The company follows that up with the world premiere of “25 Saints” by ensemble member Joshua Rollins, about a couple of guys trying to cook up a batch of meth and get out of town before the sheriff or anyone else discovers the dead body they're hiding. Tickets for “The Jammer” are available online at pineboxtheater.org or by phone at (773) 935-6875.

• Theo Ubique's critically acclaimed revival of “The Light in the Piazza,” has been extended through May 20. Performances run Thursday through Sunday at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. (800) 595-4849 or theo-u.org.

• Mary-Arrchie Theatre, 735 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, has extended its production of Tracy Letts' “Superior Donuts,” set in a failing Chicago donut shop run by an aging 1960s activist who hires a brash young man who claims he's written the great American novel. Performances run through May 6. (773) 871-0442 or maryarrchie.com.

• Lookingglass Theatre has added performances of its theatrical feast “Rick Bayless in Cascabel” which incorporates a gourmet dinner, circus acts and a love story about a chef who tries to win the heart of a boardinghouse proprietress with his cuisine. Performances run through April 29 at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago. (312) 337-0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.

• The Genesis Ensemble has extended its production of “The Rest Unknown: how to live and how to die.” A show about taking life slower inspired by Maira Kalman's book “The Principles of Uncertainty,” it unfolds as a walking tour through several spaces. Performances continue through Friday, April 6, at 5344 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. See genesisensemble.org for information.

• The Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago, announced the extension of “The Boy Scout Musical (Knot Prepared)” and “The Holy (expletive) Comedy Hour” through May 25. (773) 561-4665 or theannoyance.com.

• The adults-only weekly burlesque variety show “The Kiss Kiss Cabaret” has an open run at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Show time is 11 p.m. Fridays. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.

• The League of Chicago Theatre's has announced the finalists for the 2012 Broadway in Chicago Emerging Theater Award given to young companies that demonstrate artistic promise and fiscal responsibility. The finalists include: Highland Park newcomer The Music Theatre Company, 16th Street Theater, Red Tape Theatre, Sideshow Theatre Company and Theatre Seven of Chicago. The award comes with a $5,000 prize, consultation with BIC staff members and marketing and advertising supports. The winner will be announced at the League of Chicago Theatres Annual Gala on May 14 at the Burnham Ballroom in the JW Marriott Chicago, 151 W. Adams St., Chicago. Call (312) 554-9800 or see chicagoplays.com for ticket information.