Theater events: Music Theater Works revives 'Anything Goes'

• Music Theater Works continues its season with Cole Porter's madcap 1934 musical comedy "Anything Goes," about a stowaway aboard an ocean liner who falls in love with an engaged heiress and enlists a nightclub singer and a gangster to help him win the girl. Rudy Hogenmiller directs the show, which includes such songs as "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You're the Top." It opens Saturday, Aug. 18, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. (847) 920-5360 or musictheaterworks.com.

• Drury Lane Theatre's summer cabaret series continues with Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael saluting the era that changed popular music. The duo perform "The 60s Show" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, and 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at 100 Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace. Tickets cost $40 and $50, with a $25 food or beverage minimum per person. (630) 530-0111 or drurylanetheatre.com.

• Cinderella, Belle and Jasmine are among the princesses sharing stories of their lives behind the fairy tales as part of "The Broadway Princess Party." Laura Osnes, Susan Egan and Roosevelt University in Chicago graduate Courtney Reed star in the shows at 3 and 6 p.m. (sold out) Sunday, Aug. 19, at the Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg. (847) 240-2001 or chicago.improv.com.

• Blue Man Group and Autism Speaks collaborate on the fifth annual autism-friendly performance taking place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The sensory-friendly show includes the addition of bean bags in the lobby, which will also have dim lighting and quiet corners. Additionally, the performance will include reduced sound levels and noise isolating headphones will be available for audience members who need them. Tickets are $49. See blueman.com/autismspeaks.

• "Left Behind: The Rapture Musical," inspired by the best-selling series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, opens at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at the Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The parody centers on the residents of a recently raptured town who band together to defeat the entities behind the disappearances. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Previews begin Wednesday, Aug. 22, for TimeLine Theatre's production of "A Shayna Maidel," Barbara Lebow's examination of faith and family in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Emily Berman and Bria Sudia star as Lusia and Rose, two sisters separated during World War II and reunited years later in New York City. Vanessa Stalling (The House Theatre's "United Flight 232") directs the production, which opens Aug. 29 at 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. (773) 281-8463, ext. 6, or timelinetheatre.com.

• The Chicago Women's Funny Festival return for its seventh year beginning Thursday, Aug. 23, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. More than 70 shows occur during the four-day festival, which showcases stand-up, sketch and improv comedy. More than 400 women will participate in the festival, which founders and producers Jill Valentine and Liz McArthur describe as the largest of its kind in the U.S. Headliners include comedians Jen Murray and Amanda McQueen, Mary Kennedy ("Shameless"), Harpreet Sehmbi and others. Individual tickets cost $15. Passes are $40 (Thursday), $50 (Friday), $60 (Saturday) or $150 for an all-festival pass. (773) 327-5252 or stage773.com.

Chicago-area theater news:

• Kathryn Lipuma, executive director of Writers Theatre in Glencoe has been named chair of the Theatre Communications Group, a national consortium of not-for-profit theater companies. Steppenwolf Theatre executive director David Schmitz was named a board member.

• Kokandy Productions announced that Allison Hendrix will step down as the company's producing director after six years.

• Victory Gardens Theater announced Lauren Katz, Mikael Burke, N. Emil Thomas, Denise Yvette Serna and Ruby Des Jardins are the artists participating in the 2018-2019 Season Directors Inclusion Initiative. Inaugurated four years ago, the initiative is designed to help nurture emerging stage directors who are female, people of color, transgender, gender nonconforming and who have a disability. "Many directors of color and I would have welcomed such an opportunity when we started out in the field, and I'm glad to be in a position to open this door to our next generation of directors," said VGT artistic director Chay Yew in a prepared statement.

• The New Colony will premiere two new works as part of its 2018-2019 season. It begins Oct. 3 with co-artistic director Fin Coe's examination of online masculinity cults "Fun Harmless Warmachine." That's followed on March 27, 2019, by "Small World," by Jillian Leff and Joe Lino. It's about three theme park employees trapped inside Disney World's Small World ride. New Colony's season concludes in July 2019 with the Uncharted Festival showcasing works by Chicago playwrights developed and curated by the company. Additionally, New Colony's production of "The Light" will run Tuesday, Aug. 21, through Aug. 24 at Theater on the Lake, 2401 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Lastly, the company welcomed new staff members Michael Peters, Laura Stephenson, James Fleming, Elyse Dolan, Kristi Parker-Barnhart and Zoe Benditt. Call (312) 742-7994 or see thenewcolony.org for ticket information.