Spotlight: Marriott Theatre opens new season with 'World Goes 'Round'
Kander & Ebb salute
Marriott Theatre opens its 2021 season with a COVID-abridged, intermissionless version of "The World Goes 'Round," the John Kander and Fred Ebb revue featuring songs from such hit shows as "Cabaret," "Chicago," "Funny Lady" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman." Marcia Milgrom Dodge directs and choreographs a five-member cast that includes Allison E. Blackwell, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Kevin Early, Meghan Murphy and Amanda Rose.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 15-16; 8 p.m. Sept. 17; 4 and 8 p.m. Sept. 18; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sept. 19 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22. $50-$60, dinner-theater packages available. Masking and proof of vaccination or appropriate negative COVID-19 test are required. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com.
'Brighton Beach Memoirs'
Citadel Theatre opens its season with a revival of "Brighton Beach Memoirs," the first in Neil Simon's Eugene trilogy, which also includes "Biloxi Blues" and "Broadway Bound." Artistic director Scott Phelps directs Simon's autobiographical comedy about teenage Eugene Jerome's life with his parents and extended family in a Brooklyn walk-up in 1937.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Sept. 16-17, at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. The show opens at 8 p.m. Sept. 18. $20-$45. Limited capacity and physical distancing in place. Patrons must wear masks in the lobby and restrooms regardless of vaccination status. Vaccinated patrons may take off masks once seated. (847) 735-8554, ext. 1, or citadeltheatre.org.
Golden Girls return
Hell in a Handbag Productions opens its 20th anniversary season with another installment in its popular parody series "The Golden Girls: Lost Episodes Vol. 5 - Sex!" In this adults-only production, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia explore their naughty side during a trip to a Miami hot spot called The Pleasure Dome. In the second episode, Blanche takes a vow of celibacy.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 16-18, at Leather Archives and Museum, 6418 N. Greenview Ave., Chicago. The show opens at 7 p.m. Sept. 19. $27, $35-$45 for VIP/reserved seating. Masking and proof of vaccination required. See handbagproductions.org.
In other news
• Performances begin Saturday, Sept. 11, for Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre's production of "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," Anna Deavere Smith's chronicle of the violent aftermath following the acquittal of police officers charged with beating Rodney King. Jazzma Pryor plays nearly four dozen people connected with the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Performances run through Sept. 26 at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. (847) 866-5914 or fjtheatre.com.
• As part of its digital offerings, Libertyville's Improv Playhouse presents "A Journey to Atlantis: An Improvised D & D Experience" available to adults 18 and older from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fridays, beginning Sept. 10. $10 per session or $49 for all six sessions. See improvplayhouse.com.
• The House Theatre of Chicago announced its 20th anniversary season titled "The House Re-imagined" will consist of in-person performances at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago, and online performances. It begins Nov. 12 with the premiere of "The Snow Queen," adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's fable by artistic director Lanies Antoine Shelley. That's followed by "The Tragedy of King Christophe" (April 21-May 29), adapted from West Indian poet Aimé Césaire about a 19th-century Haitian revolutionary who was elected president but chose to be named king. The theater's digital series, dubbed The Rumpus Room, includes: a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of "The Snow Queen" online Sept. 27; "Dracula: A Serial Audio Play" beginning Oct. 1 and "The Snow Queen: Animated Prologues" beginning Nov. 1. Audience members attending in-person performances must wear a mask and provide proof of vaccination or negative test certification upon entry. (773) 769-3832 or thehousetheatre.com.