On stage: Metropolis salutes stage and screen legend Julie Andrews

Posted November 22, 2019 5:00 am

• The new, adults-only holiday comedy "Emory Marmot's Hidy-Hole Christmas" opens Friday, Nov. 22, at Judy's Beat Lounge, Piper's Alley, 230 W. North Ave., Chicago. Written and directed by Will Fancher, this "mash-up of Jim Henson and 'Winter's Bone'" is the story of a woodland creature whose home is put up for auction after her sister skips bail. Performances run through Dec. 13. (312) 337-3992 or secondcity.com.

• Metropolis Performing Arts Centre salutes one of the great stars of film and theater in "Spoonful of Sugar - Celebrating the Music Career of Julie Andrews" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Diane Penning and Paul Langford perform music from Andrews' beloved films "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music" and her Broadway triumphs including "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot." (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.

• The Annoyance Theatre's holiday offerings include the return of the Annoyance Christmas Pageant, which consists of a family-friendly double-bill of TV favorites "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Performances begin Saturday, Nov. 23, at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Also at The Annoyance is the adults-only comedy "Burlesque is More Presents: Nice N' Naughty." (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• AstonRep Theatre hosts its 11th Annual Writer's Series showcase from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at The Edge Theater, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago. The company presents staged readings of "Leaving Wonderland," an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," and "Two-Legged Ghosts," Ellen Wiese's drama about three generations of females who get caught in a snowstorm in their family's rural Massachusetts home. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. (773) 828-9129 or astonrep.com.

• Emerald City Theatre hosts a benefit performance of its family-friendly production of "Corduroy" on Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. The event includes pastries, a hot chocolate bar, crafts, and a cast meet-and-greet. Activities start at 9 a.m. The performance is at 10 a.m. Proceeds benefit ECT programs. (773) 529-2690 or emeraldcitytheatre.com.

David Cerda, left, Ryan Oates, Grant Drager and Ed Jones star in Hell in a Handbag Productions' parody "The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes - The Holiday Edition, Vol. 2." Courtesy of Rick Aguilar Studios

• Previews begin Wednesday, Nov. 27, for Hell in a Handbag Productions' seasonal version of its long-running TV sitcom sendup "The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes - The Holiday Edition, Vol. 2." Ed Jones, David Cerda, Grant Drager and Ryan Oates star as Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia respectively. The show opens Nov. 30 at Mary's Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. (800) 838-3006 or handbagproductions.org.

• Vocalist Liv Warfield and aerialist Alseny Sylla have joined the cast of Teatro ZinZanni's "Love, Chaos and Dinner," a combination cabaret and cirque running Tuesdays through Sundays at Spiegeltent ZaZou in the Cambria Hotel, 32 W. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 977-1710 or zinzanni.com/chicago.

• The Gift Theatre has extended its Chicago premiere of "Kentucky," a dark, domestic comedy by Leah Nanako Winkler about a woman reuniting with her estranged, born-again sister during her sister's wedding. Performances run through Saturday, Nov. 23, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 975-8150, theaterwit.org or thegifttheatre.org.

• "I'm Not a Comedian ... I'm Lenny Bruce," Ronnie Marmo's solo show chronicling the life and death of the groundbreaking comedian, has been extended. Performances run through Jan. 5 at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (312) 988-9000 or lennybruceonstage.com.

• Magician Dennis Watkins, a co-founder of The House Theatre of Chicago, has added holiday performances for his show "The Magic Parlour" at the Palmer House Hotel, 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago. The holiday additions are on Nov. 29, Dec. 22, 23 and 26. (773) 769-3832 or themagicparlourchicago.com.

• The League of Chicago Theatres and Choose Chicago announced Chicago Theatre Week will run from Feb. 13 to 23, 2020. Tickets for more than 100 featured productions - including Drury Lane Theatre's "An American in Paris," Writers Theatre's "Stick Fly," Northlight Theatre's "How a Boy Falls" and others - go on sale at 10 a.m. Jan. 14. They range from free to $30. See chicagotheatreweek.com.

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