Spotlight: Artists from around the world converge for Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
12 days of puppetry
Artists from Brazil, Canada, Czechia, Finland, France, Norway, Japan, South Africa, Spain and the United States - including Chicago, New York and Boston - will participate in the 5th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest festival of its kind. Puppet artist Blair Thomas founded and serves as artistic director for the festival, which includes an adaptation of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" by the French/Norwegian company Plexus Polaire; "Frankenstein" by Chicago's Manual Cinema; "Invisible Lands" by Finland's Livsmedlet Theater; South African artist Janni Younge's adaptation of "Hamlet"; and "Macunaíma Gourmet" by Brazil's Pigmalião Escultura que Mexe among other productions.
Performances take place at various times Wednesday, Jan. 18, through Jan. 29, at venues including the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago; Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago; Chicago Children's Theatre, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago; the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago; Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago, and others. $20-$75. Masks recommended. chicagopuppetfest.org.
Comedy of menace
City Lit Theater revives Harold Pinter's dark comedy "The Birthday Party," about a man named Stanley who's hiding out at a boardinghouse where the owner is throwing him a party on what may or may not be his birthday. The plans are upended by the arrival of two new boarders who unnerve Stanley. Artistic director Terry McCabe directs.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 and 20; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 and 21; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. The show opens Jan. 22. $25, $30. Masks recommended on Friday and Saturday; masks required on Sunday. (773) 293-3682 or citylit.org.
'City of Angels' concert
BrightSide Theatre presents a concert version of "City of Angels," a film noir inspired musical by Cy Coleman and Larry Gelbart about Stone, a detective story writer trying to adapt for the screen his novel about Stine, a hard-boiled, Hollywood private eye struggling to retain his integrity in a city filled with criminals and opportunists. Artistic director Jeffrey Cass directs the production in which Stone and Stine's stories unfold simultaneously, side-by-side.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15; 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20; and 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Madden Theatre, North Central College, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. $33, $28. Masks recommended. (630) 447-8497 or brightsidetheatre.com.
Porchlight's 'Cabaret'
Porchlight Music Theatre revives the John Kander and Fred Ebb classic "Cabaret" about an aspiring writer who falls in love with a British chanteuse who headlines Berlin's Kit Kat Klub in the days preceding the Nazi's rise to power. Erica Stephan plays Sally Bowles and Gilbert Domally plays Clifford Bradshaw in artistic director Michael Weber's production.
Previews at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14; 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18; and 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The show opens at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. Tickets start at $25. Masks required. (773) 777-9884 or porchlightmusictheatre.org.
In other news
Check with venues about COVID-19 precautions.
• Previews begin Friday, Jan. 13, for Goodman Theatre's production of "the ripple, the wave that carried me home," Christina Anderson's play about a woman reckoning with the political legacy passed on by her parents who fought for racial justice during the 1960s. The show opens Jan. 23 at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Masks recommended. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.
• "The Golden Gals Live," a new parody of "The Golden Girls" TV show starring and directed by drag performer Ginger Minj of "RuPaul's Drag Race," begins performances Friday, Jan 13, at the Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The cast includes drag performers Gidget Galore, Mr. Ms. Adrien and Divine Grace. Masks encouraged. See goldengirlslive.com or mercurytheaterchicago.com.
• Theatre Evolve returns from the pandemic hiatus to present "Krugozor!" a play by Katie Coleman about two young people growing up in the Soviet Union's waning days who are enthralled by Western music. Performances begin Friday, Jan. 13, at the Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., Chicago. See theatreevolve.com.
• Oil Lamp Theater kicks off the new year with the comedy "Almost, Maine" by John Cariani, about a small northern Maine burg whose residents never got around to organizing their town. Previews begin Thursday, Jan. 19, at 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview. The show opens Jan. 21. (847) 834-0738 or oillamptheater.org.
• Redtwist theatre is participating in the rolling premiere of "The Great Khan," Michael Gene Sullivan's examination of the effects of systemic racism. It centers around Jayden, a teen who loves video games and fantasy; Ant, a young woman coming to terms with a tragedy; and a YouTuber named Gao Ming whose lives are upended by the arrival of Genghis Khan. Previews begin Thursday, Jan. 19, at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. The show opens Jan. 22. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks required. (773) 728- 7529 or redtwisttheatre.org.
• Drag queen/comedian Pandora Boxx, a veteran of "RuPaul's Drag Race," performs her comedy cabaret show "The Boxx That Rocks" at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Tickets are $50. Masks optional. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company hosts two performances of "Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret," a play by retired Lt. Colonel Scott Mann about the cost of war that recounts U.S. soldiers' experiences during the war in Afghanistan. Performances, featuring a cast of combat veterans and military-family members, take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 20 and 21 at 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. Masks recommended. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org/last-out.
• Otherworld Theatre Company has extended its production of "Tales of the Wandering Wyvern Inn: A One-Shot Immersive LARP," a combination live-action role play, escape room and immersive theater. Performances run through Feb. 19 at 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago. See otherworldtheatre.org.