Theater events: Join in Family Fringe Day in Elgin

Family fringe

The Elgin Fringe Festival hosts a Family Fringe Day this weekend in advance of its first festival taking place Sept. 11-14. Sunday's family-friendly event features music, performances, a barbecue, games, face painting and art projects. Fringe Festival buttons, necessary to purchase tickets to fringe performances and for admission to Fringe events and parties, are available for $3. “This is a chance for the community to come out and enjoy some good old-fashioned free fringe festival fun,” said committee member Erin Rehberg in a prepared statement. 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 31, at State Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. Free. See elginfringefestival.com.

‘Day By Day'

Brian Bohr (“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”) stars as Jesus and Devin DeSantis (“Young Frankenstein” at Drury Lane) stars as John/Judas in Marriott Theatre's revival of “Godspell,” Stephen Schwartz's pop musical inspired primarily by the Gospel of Matthew. Matt Raftery directs and choreographs the production. Ryan T. Nelson serves as music director. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens June 11. $40-$48. (630) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.

Nostalgia time

Fox Valley Repertory takes a trip down memory lane with its latest show, “Sisters of Swing,” about the rise and fall of the Andrews Sisters, the best-selling trio of the 1930s and 1940s. Kellie Cundiff, Carol Rose and Brittany Stock play the singing siblings whose personal problems and financial squabbles broke up one of the most successful groups of the pre- and postwar era. While the show examines the Andrews Sisters' career, “it also reveals how important their music was to us all, and how it truly changed America for the better,” said director John Gawlik in a prepared statement. Previews begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. The show opens June 14. $32, $42. (630) 584-6342 or foxvalleyrep.org.

Other theater events

• Real love stories from real people inspired “101 Ways to ... Fall in Love,” a play by Jason B. Williams and Noelle A Schmidt about a writer commissioned to write a play about love the day he receives his divorce papers. The production from Bard and Fool Theater Group runs through June 22 at Studio Be, 3110 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago. (773) 655-0203 or bardandfool.org.

• When her brother goes missing in yet another war involving the fictional Borogravia, Polly Perks decides to try to find him by dressing as a man and enlisting in the army's “Monstrous Regiment.” Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Chris Hainsworth adapted Terry Pratchett's satire on war and identity for the company's world premiere, which begins previews Friday, May 30, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The production opens June 8. (773) 761-4477 or lifetimetheatre.com.

• Teatro Luna begins its residency at Instituto Cervantes, 31 W. Ohio St., Chicago, with a remount of its original, adult-oriented show “Generation Sex,” about how technology has transformed love. Performances begin Saturday, May 31, and run through June 14. (773) 819-5862 or teatroluna.org.

• A couple begins to suspect that marriage wasn't such a great idea in Scott Woldman's “Before Death Do Us Part,” part of redtwist theatre's late-night series titled Dark Red. The adults-only show runs at 10:45 p.m. Fridays beginning May 30 at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. (773) 728-7529 or redtwist.org.

• Curious Theatre Branch concludes its season with “Rung,” an experimental chamber opera by Matt Test about a recluse who builds a body for a disembodied voice. Previews begin Friday, May 30, at the Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. The show opens June 1. (773) 492-1287 or curioustheatrebranch.com.

• Previews begin Saturday, May 31, for the Side Project's world premiere of Kathleen Tolan's “What to Listen For,” the first in the company's two-play repertory. In this drama, which includes imagined conversations with Gustav Mahler and Arturo Toscanini, a middle-aged divorcee struggles with her estranged violinist daughter and with a new relationship with a music-loving librarian. It opens Tuesday, June 3, at 1439 W. Jarvis Ave., Chicago. (773) 340-0140 or thesideproject.net.

• Filament Theatre Ensemble continues its concert series at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 1, with radio personality Tom Jackson hosting Bob Dylan's Birthday Bash at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. That's followed at 7:30 p.m. June 16 with New Orleans guitarist Jimmy Robinson making his solo Chicago debut. Marcello Benetti's Shuffled Quartet plays at 8 p.m. June 21. Concerts range from $5 to $15. (773) 270-1660 or filamenttheatre.org.

• About Face Theatre celebrates Pride Month with a series of readings, performances and special events beginning Monday, June 2, with Michael Urie (“Buyer and Cellar”) participating in a reading of Jonathan Tollins' comedy “Last Sunday in June” about how the LGBTQ community has changed over the last 10 years. About Face artistic associate Paul Oakley Stoval hosts a discussion on lesbians and literature at Uncommon Ground, 1401 W. Devon Ave., Chicago, on June 10. A series pass for all four events is $44. See aboutfacetheatre.org for more information.

• Barrel of Monkeys hosts its annual Celebration of Authors featuring performances of student-written stories from youngsters attending the company's partner schools and adapted by Barrel of Monkeys company members. It begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago. Admission is free. (312) 409-1954.

• Theater Oobleck begins its Tuesday residency at The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago. The June 3 performance is a showcase of short solo work by Oobleck regulars and associate artists. That's followed on June 10 by Oobleck associates Chris Schoen and Emmy Bean performing a revised arrangement of Schoen's song-cycle “The Voyager” inspired by Charles Baudelaire's poem of the same name. See theateroobleck.com.

• A Manhattan Project scientist in declining health is the central character in Jason Lindner's “The Half-Life of Memory,” in its Chicago premiere at Cold Basement Dramatics. The character of Salek is loosely based on a relative of Lindner. Previews begin on Wednesday, June 4, at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St., Chicago. See coldbasement.org.

• The “Third Annual Women's Funny Festival” runs from June 5-8 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. “Saturday Night Live” writer Katie Rich, “Chelsea Lately” contributor Beth Sterling, Turkish performer Aliye AJ and improv veterans Susan Messing and Rachel Mason are among the 400 comedic performers performing standup, sketch, solo, vaudeville and improvisational acts in 70 shows. The mini-fest also includes workshops with Rich and Sterling. Tickets are $14-$15 and are available at the Stage 773 box office, (773) 327-5252 and stage773.com.

• The Annoyance recently launched its new Lakeview location at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, with “Invisible World,” a “collection of offbeat scenes and characters” featuring original music by Lisa McQueen and directed by Mick Napier. The new location includes two stages, a kitchen and bar and is located to attract new audiences, said executive producer Jennifer Estlin, who hopes the venue will become an improvisational landmark. Other favorite Annoyance shows performed at the venue include “Messing With a Friend,” “TNT” and “Becker” among others. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre announced its 2014-2015 season featuring salutes to Kurt Weill and Marvin Hamlisch as well as two musicals. The season begins Sept. 22, with a “Kurt Weill Cabaret” showcasing music from the German composer responsible for “September Song” and “Mack the Knife.” That's followed by a revival of “Always ... Patsy Cline” (Nov. 17-Dec. 28) about the relationship between the country superstar and one of her fans. Artistic director Fred Anzevino directs the company's revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” (March 9-April 26, 2015). The season concludes with “A Marvin Hamlisch Songbook” (June 8-July 26, 2015). All performances take place at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Season tickets will go on sale soon. See theo-u.com for more information.