Theater events: 'Give a Mouse' at Paramount

Children's story

Eight children's stories make up TheatreworksUSA's musical revue “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books,” which comes to Aurora's Paramount Theatre for multiple performances Friday, March 25. Tickets range from $8 to $10 for this family-friendly show centered on characters who use wit, kindness and perseverance to achieve their goals.

9:30 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. Friday, March 25, at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

Ghost story

First Folio Theatre presents the supernatural thriller “The Woman in Black,” adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill, about a lawyer, attending to the estate of a deceased client, who uncovers grim secrets. Ensemble member Kevin McKillip co-stars with Joe Foust, whose appearance marks his First Folio debut. Alison C. Vesely directs.

Previews begin Wednesday, March 30, at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook. The show opens Saturday, April 2. (630) 986-8067 or firstfolio.org.

Broadway story

A young hoofer heads to New York and her first Broadway show where she catches the eye of a leading man and inspires the ire of the leading lady in “42nd Street,” the musical based on the 1933 Busby Berkeley film of the same name. Rachel Rockwell, 2010's Jeff Award-winning director, helms the Marriott Theatre production.

Previews begin Wednesday, March 30, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens Sunday, April 10. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

Other productions opening this week

• Actors try to bilk mourners at a funeral for enough money to produce a show in “Naughty,” by composer, lyricist, writer Leo Schwartz. National Pastime Theater presents the Chicago premiere of the musical directed by Shifra Werch. It opens Friday, March 25, at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 327-7077 or np2.com.

• Goodman Theatre presents the world premiere of “El Nogalar” (“Pecan Orchard”), a riff on Anton Chekhov's “The Cherry Orchard,” by Tanya Saracho (“The House on Mango Street,” “Our Lady of the Underpass”). Set in present-day Mexico, the play centers around a family about to lose its beloved orchard to developers, whose matriarch ignores not only their declining fortune but also her country's growing social unrest. Cecilie Keenan directs the production, which stars Charin Alvarez, Sandra Delgado, Christina Nieves, Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, Yun Pardo and Bert Matias. The show opens Sunday, April 3, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.

• The Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University presents the touring production of “The 39 Steps,” the stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller about a man who meets a woman who is later murdered, after which he finds himself pursued by a secret organization. Four actors play 150 different characters in the production, which ran on Broadway last year. The performance is at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at 1 University Parkway, University Park. (708) 235-2222 or centertickets.net.

• A Jewish grandmother does her best to share her life with the grandchild she may never know in “From Generation to Generation,” a musical about the importance of family legacy opening Thursday, March 31, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Karen Sokolof Javitch wrote the music and lyrics, Javitch and Elain Jabenis wrote the book and Lisle native David Zak, artistic director of Pride Films and Plays, directs. (773) 327-5252 or stage773.com.

• Babes With Blades follows its all-female version of “Macbeth” with what some consider Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, “Romeo & Juliet,” opening Monday, March 28, at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. Brian LaDuca directs the production, which features fight choreography by company member Libby Beyreis. (773) 904-0391 or brownpapertickets.com or babeswithblades.org.

• The National Theatre of Scotland brings its world tour of “Black Watch,” inspired by interviews playwright Gregory Burke conducted with members of the Scottish Regiment during their tour of Iraq and accompanied by a score that includes anthems, folk songs and the resounding cry of the bagpipes, to Chicago. Presented as part of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's World's Stage series, “Black Watch” examines what it means to be part of a force fighting the war on terror and how it affects soldiers returning home. Performances begin Tuesday, March 29, and run through Sunday, April 10, at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway, Chicago, used as a training site for Illinois soldiers during World War I. (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com.

• Theatre at the Center's young audiences series presents “Anne of Green Gables,” adapted from Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel about a precocious orphan girl and her adventures with her adoptive family and newfound friends. Performances begin Tuesday, March 29, at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Ind. (219) 836-3255 or theatreatthecenter.com.

• Previews begin Wednesday, March 30, for Remy Bumppo's revival of “The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?” Edward Albee's tragicomedy about a middle-aged man who seemingly has everything going for him — a happy marriage, a successful career — until he admits to a shocking love affair that shatters the family. Artistic associates Annabel Armour and Nick Sandys star along with Will Allan and Michael Joseph Mitchell. The production marks the last show directed by artistic director and co-founder James Bohnen, who helmed more than 30 productions over his 14-year tenure and who announced that 2011 would be his final year with the Chicago company. The show opens Monday, April 4, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or remybumppo.org.

• A 100-year-old woman reflects on her life in Greg Romero's “Dandelion Momma,” the next in New Leaf Theatre's play-reading series taking place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center, 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago. See newleaftheatre.org for information.

• Chicago Kids Company and the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre collaborate on “Pinocchio,” the musical tale of the precocious puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy. The production is part of the Metropolis' Stories in Action! series for ages pre-Kindergarten through third grade. Performances run Thursday, March 31, to Friday, April 8, at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

• A rock star undergoing past life regression uncovers the source of his soul-ache in “Soul One,” a musical by Travis Hughes that gets its world premiere courtesy of Clock Productions. The show opens Thursday, March 31, at The National Pastime Theater, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. (773) 327-7077.

• Mary Hollis Inboden, a member of The New Colony and a survivor of the 1998 massacre at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark., teamed up with fellow ensemble member Evan Linder to create the company's latest production, “The Warriors,” an examination of the school murders. The show opened this week at the Second Stage Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. Inboden and Lindner interviewed fellow survivors — all of them former Westside Middle School Warriors — about their daily lives and their struggle to make sense of, and move beyond, the tragedy that occurred there on March 24, 1998, when two boys opened fire on classmates. Linder wrote the play, which features Inboden and is directed by Benno Nelson. It runs through Sunday, April 17. (773) 413-0862 or thenewcolony.org.

• The producers of Gordon Greenberg's intimate, vividly rendered revival of “Working,” the musical inspired by Studs Terkel's 1974 book, have announced an extension. Performances run through June 5 at the Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.

• “First Ladies,” Werner Schwab's critique of domestic life in which fantasies overtake the lives of three women, opened last weekend at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland Ave., Chicago. Zeljko Djukic directs the production, which runs through Saturday, April 16. (773) 384-0494 or trapdoortheatre.com.

• Young songwriters working in any genre may apply for a no-fee joint program sponsored by The Johnny Mercer Foundation and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. Composers Craig Carnelia (“Sweet Smell of Success”), Andrew Lippa (“The Addams Family”) and Lari White will lead the workshop, which culminates with a showcase June 24 at the Josephine Louis Theater and a concert celebration June 25 at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on Northwestern's Evanston campus. Applications must be postmarked by Sunday, April 10. They're available for download at mercersongwriters.org.

• As part of its commitment to making performances accessible to all, Steppenwolf Theatre has added open-captioned performances for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. An LED text display on the side of the stage features words and sounds heard during the play. Steppenwolf also offers sign-interpreted performances, audio-described performances, hearing devices, audio recordings, Braille and large-print programs and wheelchair accessibility. See audiences services at the theater at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, or check the Plan Your Visit tab at steppenwolf.org.