Spotlight: Citadel revives 'She Loves Me,' 'Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas' debuts
Tuneful romance
A pair of squabbling co-workers, unaware that they are anonymous pen pals, fall in love in Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's 1963 musical "She Loves Me," partly inspired by Miklós László's 1937 play "Parfumerie." Matthew Silar directs Citadel Theatre's revival, which stars Hannah Louise Fernandes and Travis Ascione as the aforementioned pan pals.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 15-16, at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. The show opens Nov. 17. $20-$45. (847) 735-8554, ext. 1, or citadeltheatre.org.
Dante times 2
Dante: so nice theaters staged his work twice. Two theater companies offer interpretations of Dante Alghieri's "The Divine Comedy." The Conspirators' "Commedia Divina: It's Worse Than That" is a highly stylized version of the "immorality play," combining commedia dell'arte, Kabuki and kathakali (a form of Indian theater) and other styles.
8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Nov. 10-12, and through Nov. 19, at Otherworld Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St., Chicago. $25. conspirewithus.org or otherworldtheatre.org.
The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture presents "Dante 360," an immersive performance that incorporates music, performance and the visual arts to tell the story of Dante's journey through hell, purgatory and heaven accompanied by the Roman poet Virgil and by Dante's beloved Beatrice.
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11 and 17-18, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 and 19, at 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. $20-$77. athenaeumcenter.org.
Holiday cheer
The family-friendly "Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas" makes its Chicago debut at the Fine Arts Building's Studebaker Theater. A television special created by the famous puppeteer inspired the stage musical, with a score by Paul Williams ("The Muppet Movie") and a book by Timothy Allen McDonald ("Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach"). Based on a children's story written and illustrated by Russell and Lillian Hoban and inspired by "The Gift of the Magi," the musical is about Emmet, who dreams of buying his mom a piano for Christmas while she dreams of buying her son a guitar.
7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 15-17; 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 18; and 3 p.m. Nov. 19 and at various times through Dec. 31 at 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. $35-$45. emmetotterlive.com.
Adults-only panto
PrideArts presents the U.S. premiere of "Sleeping With Beauty," Tom Whalley's bawdy tale that pairs an adults-only version of the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale with a British panto, a pantomime typically performed during the holiday season. Audience members must be 18 or older.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 16-18, and 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago. The show opens Nov. 20. $25, $35. (773) 857-0222 or pridearts.org.
Tea with Beatrix Potter
Chicago Children's Theatre's annual holiday event "The Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party," featuring select Potter tales, returns for its eighth season. Storytellers Lily Emerson, Charlie Malave and Felix Mayes share "The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse," "The Tale of Two Bad Mice," "The Tailor of Gloucester" and "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." A tea party follows the performances, which are recommended for ages 8 and older.
9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 24 at 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago. Tickets start at $45.25. (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org.