Chicago News Desk - Page 3

Profiles Theatre continues its 20th Anniversary Season with the acclaimed new comedy-drama Great Falls by Lee Blessing, directed by Profiles Artistic Director Joe Jahraus. The production runs January 15 - March 1, 2009, at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway.

Chicago Dramatists continues its 30th anniversary season with resident playwright Will Dunne's new comedy, 'How I Became an Interesting Person.'

It's official! Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. will be extending the Jeff Recommended US Premiere of Our Bad Magnet at Angel Island, 735 W. Sheridan.

Actor and writer Anthony Nikolchev presents the Chicago premiere of his solo show, ?Look, What I Don?t Understand,? as part of Thirteen Pocket?s first season devoted to original works. This one-man drama accesses the historical narratives experienced by Nikolchev?s family during their 1960s escape from the totalitarian hostility of communist Bulgaria to detainment in America

Broadway In Chicago is proud to present GREASE, the classic musical that has made generations of audiences root for Sandy and Danny?s lighting romance. Tickets are now available for Chicago audiences to bop and jive with the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University during a limited engagement January 6 - 18, 2009.

Chicago Folks Operetta's production of Peter and Paul in the Land of Nod features 5 singers who have sung roles at Lyric Opera of Chicago; 23 children from the Children's Operetta Workshop; 4 leading professional ballet dancers as well as up and coming local dancers from the Chicago area being choreographed August Tye, the ballet mistress at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a professional thirteen piece orchestra. This is a holiday show not to be missed!

Experience the New Residents' Showcase, January 10, 2009 at Chicago Dramatists. The new Residents in this 30th anniversary season are Mary Ruth Clarke, Cheryl Coons, Christopher De Paola, Sarah Gubbins, David Scott Hay, and Jon Steinhagen.

The touching Broadway musical and international sensation Miss Saigon, previews December 31, opens January 8 and runs through March 8, 2009 at Drury Lane Oakbrook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Set in 1975 in the days before Saigon's fall to Communist forces at the end of the Vietnam War, Miss Saigon is the epic love-story of an American GI, Chris, played by Kevin Vortmann, and a young Vietnamese woman, Kim, played Melinda Chua Smith (who starred in the Broadway, German and both national touring companies of Miss Saigon) and Katie Boren during matinee performances.

Village Players Performing Arts Center Month-At-A-Glance: December

Chicago Shakespeare opens three shows in the month of January reflecting the Theater's diverse programming. Artistic Director Barbara Gaines stages Macbeth in the Courtyard Theater, January 2-March 8, 2009; CST's World's Stage international program initiative, presents a company from Rwanda performing The Investigation in the Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, January 21-31, 2009; and CST welcomes families to the theater with an abridged production of one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night's Dream, January 24-March 7, 2009, on Saturdays in the Courtyard Theater.

Chicago Cabaret Professionals (CCP) and Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut Street, announce two new Musical Mondays concerts due to the smash hit success of the monthly cabaret concert series launched earlier this year. All shows in the Musical Mondays at Drury Lane series begin at 7:30 p.m. at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place.

500 Clown Theater,, founded in 2000 and made a non-profit in 2007, presents its holiday hit ?500 Clown Christmas? for a limited holiday 2008 engagement during the first season of programming at North Central College?s Meiley-Swallow Hall.

The popular and crowd-pleasing Storytelling series in the Village Players Blackbox Theatre continues with a four night festival of holiday storytelling, featuring different performances every night!

Just in time for the holiday season, Village Players Theatre in Oak Park brings audiences A White Christmas! This dazzling musical revue is perfect for a date night, a family event, or an outing for the entire neighborhood!

Victory Gardens Theater is offering two chances to go behind-the-scenes of The Snow Queen, the company?s smash hit holiday musical, sledding back into town for her third go-around as Chicago's #1 alternative to traditional holiday fare.

Strawdog Theatre Company?s annual holiday benefit, ?Strawdog Yuletacular 2008,? will feature a retro-style variety show with comedic sketches, a holiday cooking demonstration, a raffle and silent auction, and live, big-band style music provided by Strawdog?s guest band, The Jenn Rhoads Project.

Bailiwick Repertory artists and friends will gather at the Bailiwick Arts Center , 1229 West Belmont, on December 29th to bid FAREWELL TO 1229: Fifteen Years of Great Musicals from POPE JOAN to HUNCHBACK. The special benefit performance features musical selections POPE JOAN, PARADE, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, DR. SEX, Q, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, JERRY SPRINGER ? THE OPERA, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

THE BOWERY BOYS, a new musical, will make its highly anticipated world premiere at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive; previewing December 10th, opening December 17th, and running through February 15th. Inspired by the works of Horatio Alger Jr. and George M. Cohan, THE BOWERY BOYS? book and lyrics are by David H. Bell, with music by Jeremy Cohen.

Brett Batterson, executive director of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU), is pleased to announce the return of Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah to Chicago's National Historic Landmark Auditorium Theatre. For two performances only, Friday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m., the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress Parkway, will be filled with the sounds of this soulful reinvention of Handel's Messiah. This joyful musical experience is quickly becoming one of Chicago's favorite annual events. Tickets are now on sale.

FOILED AGAIN, a cabaret act featuring Allison Bazarko, Rob Lindley, Anne Sheridan Smith and Jeff award-winning Doug Peck as musical director, will perform for the WILMETTE THEATRE EDUCATION PROJECT's holiday benefit: December 15, 2008, at 7:30 PM