Theater spotlight: 'Dreamgirls' kicks off Paramount's 11th season

The price of success

Paramount Theatre kicks off its 11th Broadway season with "Dreamgirls." Inspired by The Supremes and other 1960s girl groups, the musical is about three longtime friends who aspire to pop superstardom then discover success demands a price. Taylor Marie Daniel, Mariah Lyttle and Breyannah Tillman play The Dreams - Deena, Lorrell and Effie - in Christopher D. Betts' revival.

Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 31-Sept. 1; 8 p.m. Sept. 2; 3 and 8 p.m. Sept. 3; 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4 and through Sept. 8 at 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. The show opens Sept. 9. $28-$79. Masking is optional. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

Whodunit?

Twenty-nine years after he last appeared on Drury Lane Theatre's stage, Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Larry Yando returns to Oakbrook Terrace to play famed detective Hercule Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express." Jessica Fisch directs the Agatha Christie whodunit about Poirot's attempt to identify the killer of an American tycoon found inside his locked compartment aboard a snowbound train.

Previews at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31; 1 and 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1; 8 p.m. Sept. 2; 3 and 8 p.m. Sept. 3; 2 and 6 p.m. Sept. 4 and through Sept. 7 at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The show opens Sept. 8. $69-$84. Masking is optional. (630) 530-0111 or drurylanetheatre.com.

Welcome back, Miss Holmes

Lifeline Theatre presents "Miss Holmes Returns," a whodunit inspired by characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Katie McLean Hainsworth plays Sherlock Holmes, Chris Hainsworth plays her brother Mycroft and Mandy Walsh plays Dr. Dorothy Watson in Christopher M. Walsh's sequel to 2016's "Miss Holmes." Elise Kauzlaric directs "Miss Holmes Returns," in which authorities suspect an immigrant of murder, but Holmes and Watson aren't so sure.

Previews at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Aug. 26 and Sept. 2; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 27 and Sept. 3; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 4. $25-$45. Proof of vaccination and masking required. (773) 761-4477 or lifelinetheatre.com.

'Southern Gothic' remount

Windy City Playhouse, in association with Goodman Theatre and Petterino's, remounts its 2018 hit "Southern Gothic." Written by Leslie Liautaud and directed by David Bell, it's an immersive show that unfolds in 1961 during a cocktail/birthday party where college friends and their spouses uncover some long-held secrets, while audience members observe up close and personal the domestic dramas unfolding around them.

Previews at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31; 3 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1; 7 p.m. Sept. 2; 3 and 7 p.m. Sept. 3; 1 and 5 p.m. Sept. 4 and through Sept. 14 at Petterino's, 150 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 15. $48.75-$105. Masks recommended. (773) 891-8985 or windycityplayhouse.com.

In other news

Check with venues regarding COVID-19 precautions.

• Previews begin Friday, Aug. 26, for City Lit Theater's revival of "Hay Fever," Noel Coward's 1924 comedy of manners about the members of an upper-crust British family who each invite a guest to spend the weekend at the family estate. The production, helmed by artistic director Terry McCabe, opens Sept. 4 at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination required, masking encouraged. (773) 293-3682 or citylit.org.

• The Factory Theater presents "Woo Girls," a comedy about patriarchy, dating, misogyny and female friendship that unfolds when four friends reunite after a long absence. Performances run Friday through Sunday, Aug. 26-28, at 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masking required. See thefactorytheater.com.

• Grippo Stage Company premieres "Chagall in School," James Sherman's comedy inspired by famed artist Marc Chagall, whose efforts to establish an art school in Russia is complicated by artistic clashes. Previews begin Friday, Aug. 26, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The show opens Sept. 6. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masking required. (773) 975-8150 or theaterwit.org or grippostagecompany.com.

• The Wilmette-based newcomer Paradox Theatre makes its suburban Chicago debut with a revival of "The Fantasticks," the Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones chamber musical about a boy and girl who fall in love, grow apart and come back together. Performances run Friday, Aug. 26, through Sept. 6 at 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka. Masking is optional, but mandatory for the final matinee. (773) 414-5009 or paradoxtheatre.com.

• Haven Chicago hosts Festival au Cinema, consisting of 20 short films, from Friday through Sunday, Aug. 26-28, at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The mini-fest includes talkbacks with filmmakers, an opening-night mixer and closing awards ceremony and gala from 6-10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. See havenchi.org/festival-au-cinema for a schedule and tickets.

• Comedian Brendan Schaub, who co-hosts podcasts "The Fighter and the Kid," "The King and the Sting" and "Below the Belt," headlines The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Showtime is 7:15 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required, masking is recommended. (773) 697-3830 or thedentheatre.com.

• Talk about timing, Broken Nose Theatre hosts its annual Bechdel Fest, inspired by the Bechdel-Wallace Test established by cartoonist Alison Bechdel to identify a work of entertainment where two non-male or non-male identifying characters talk about a subject other than men. The festival showcases works by and about female, female-identifying, trans and nonbinary characters who talk about subjects other than men. FYI, the musical "Fun Home," based on Bechdel's graphic memoir, runs through Sept. 18 at Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Bechdel Fest 9: Next Level features eight stories about people growing up and making big decisions. It runs Sunday through Wednesday, Aug. 28-31, at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, but suggested admission is $25. (773) 697-3830 or brokennosetheatre.com.

• Hey Nonny co-owners Chip Brooks and Chris Dungan debut a new series of multimedia shows examining the history and evolution of Arlington Heights. The series begins with "How Did I Get Here: The Coincidental Birth of Arlington Heights and the American Popular Song" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights. "We're going to take a page from the great Talking Heads song 'Once In A Lifetime' and ask 'How did I get here?'" said Brooks in a prepared statement. "In one fun night, we'll tell how both Arlington Heights and the American popular song were invented almost simultaneously. Those two things ultimately led to Hey Nonny." See heynonny.com.

• Primo improvisers TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi headline The Annoyance Theatre's Legends Series Tuesday through Thursday, Aug. 30-Sept. 1. The all-improvised, long-form show begins at 9:30 p.m. at 851 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. (773) 697-9693 or theannoyance.com.

• Story Jam showcases storytellers and jazz artists at its next monthly show "Story Jam Solo" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, at Artifact Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago. The Typhanie Monique Trio accompanies three storytellers who perform true, humorous stories. See storyjamshow.com.

• Congo Square Theatre Company streams season two of its radio melodrama "The Clinic" beginning Thursday, Sept. 1. The audio series follows Dr. Latisha Bradley, whose medical discovery will change the world, so long as her nemesis and her own heart don't get in the way. The series streams at congosquaretheatre.org.

• Otherworld Theatre Company extended its production of "Kitties in Space: The Saga," a sci-fi comedy where hyper-intelligent pets have replaced humans, including a pair of cat pals who battle terrorist birds, time cops and their addiction to catnip. Performances run through Sept. 11 at 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago. See otherworldtheatre.org.

• AstonRep Theatre company announced its 15th and final season will commence Oct. 21 with a revival of Sam Shepard's dysfunctional family drama "Buried Child," about the secrets unearthed when an estranged family reunites. That's followed on Feb. 4, 2023, by the theater's 15th Annual Writers Series featuring virtual workshop productions of new works by Chicago and national playwrights. The season concludes April 28, 2023, with "The Language Archive," Julia Cho's romantic dramedy about a linguist trying to preserve the language of a far-flung culture while neglecting his own. In-person performances take place at The Edge off-Broadway Theater, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago. AstonRep founder Robert Tobin expressed gratitude for the artistic ensemble, guest artists, creative and management teams for their talent and dedication. "We cannot express enough gratitude for our phenomenal supporters and loyal audiences whom we have been so honored to move, entertain and inspire. Our work would obviously be nothing without them. We are grateful to celebrate and reflect on a truly great run," said Tobin in a prepared statement. See astonrep.com.

• City Lit Theater's 2022-2023 lineup includes two premieres and a Harold Pinter revival. It begins Oct. 21 with "The Mark of Kane," Mark Pracht's drama about the creation of the Batman character, which resulted in fame and fortune for one of the creators and obscurity for the other. That's followed by a revival of Pinter's first full-length play "The Birthday Party" (Jan. 13-Feb. 26, 2023) about coercion and oppression centered on a failed pianist who has inexplicably holed up in a remote British town. City Lit's season concludes with "Aztec Human Sacrifice" (May 5-June 18, 2023), a musical by Kingsley Day and Philip LaZebnik about what happens when the man scheduled to be sacrificed on the new millennium runs off with the emperor's daughter the day before he's to be killed. Performances take place at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. Subscriptions range from $75 to $150. (773) 293-3682 or citylit.org.