January brings some classic shows to local stages, led by a complex female protagonist in “Hedda Gabler” and the Weimar naughtiness of “Cabaret.”
And if those stories are too serious for your tastes, head to Drury Lane for a monster moaning “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
Hedda Gabler
January 7 to March 16
Two consistently great Chicago theatrical artists, actress Kate Fry and director Kimberly Senior, teamed up in “The Letters” last season at Writers’ Theatre. This time, they’re taking on one of the most famous female stage roles ever written. Is the title character of “Hedda Gabler” a feminist heroine or a manipulative villain? Critics and audiences have been arguing over that question ever since Henrik Ibsen wrote the drama in 1890. Fry and Senior promise to deliver an intimate look at this fascinating fictional woman. Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, 847-242-6000 (pictured)
Cabaret
January 15 to March 16
The rising Nazi party looms in the background and decadence hangs in the air, but the dancing and romance continue inside Berlin’s seedy Kit Kat Klub in the 1930s. “Life is a cabaret, ole chum, so come to the cabaret,” the tune goes. This show, featuring memorable songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb, is one of the most enduring musicals written in the 1960s—and when David Bell directs it in the round at the Marriott, the odds are good that the whole theater will feel a bit like a cabaret. Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, 847-634-0200
Young Frankenstein
January 16 to March 16
This musical based on the hilarious 1974 movie by Mel Brooks got mixed reviews when it opened on Broadway in 2007, paling in comparison with Brooks’ earlier smash hit “The Producers.” But given how fun the original material is, it seems like a good bet that Drury Lane’s talented team will jolt the show to life. Drury Lane, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, 630-530-0111
Luna Gale
January 18 to February 23
The Goodman’s artistic director, Robert Falls, pairs up again with one of Chicago’s best-known playwrights, Northwestern professor Rebecca Gilman. Their previous collaborations, “Dollhouse” and “A True History of the Johnstown Flood,” sparked some debate among critics and audience members. In this world premiere, a social worker deals with two teenage drug addicts who are accused of neglecting their baby—but her actions may end up making things worse. Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, 312-443-3800
Luck of the Irish
January 16 to February 23
Kirsten Greenidge’s drama echoes the themes of two noteworthy Chicago plays: Bruce Norris’ Pulitzer Prize-winning “Clybourne Park” and Lorraine Hansberry’s classic “A Raisin in the Sun.” Like Hansberry and Norris, Greenidge explores racial boundaries and barriers in a neighborhood—but her story in set in Boston rather than Chicago. Damon Kiely is directing the Midwest premiere.Next Theatre, 927 Noyes St., Evanston, 847-475-1875
Theater Guide
CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE
The Phantom of the Opera
January 9 to March 2
800-775-2000
COURT THEATRE
Seven Guitars
January 9 to February 9
773-753-4472
HOUSE THEATRE (AT THE CHOPIN)
Rose and the Rime
January 17 to March 9
773-769-3832
THE HYPOCRITES
One Acts by Tennessee Williams
January 15 to March 2
773-525-5991
MPAACT (AT GREENHOUSE)
Quark
January 17 to March 2
773-609-4714
ORIENTAL THEATRE
Ghost the Musical
January 7 to 19
800-775-2000
PROFILES THEATRE
Gidion’s Knot
January 17 to March 9
773-549-1815
A RED ORCHID THEATRE
Solstice
January 9 to February 23
312-943-8722
RED TAPE THEATRE
hamlet is dead. no gravity.
January 29 to February 22
SIDESHOW THEATRE (AT VICTORY GARDENS)
The Golden Dragon
January 18 to February 23
773-809-4782
STEEP THEATRE
Strangers, Babies
January 23 to March 1
866-811-4111
THEATER WIT (KOKANDY PRODUCTIONS)
Sweet Smell of Success
January 10 to February 2
773-975-8150
THEATER WIT (STAGE LEFT)
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
January 11 to February 16
773-975-8150
TIMELINE THEATRE
The How and the Why
January 28 to April 6
773-281-8463
