PREVIEWS
Court Martial at Fort Devens
A new historical drama by Victory Gardens ensemble playwright Jeffrey Sweet tackles race and gender relations in the U.S. military during WWII. Previews Friday through Feb. 11. Opens Feb. 12. Through March 11. $26-$45. Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-871-3000.
Oklahoma!
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical brings to life the clash between ranchers and farmers who are chasing the American dream and the romance that develops between a headstrong cowboy and a farmer’s daughter. Previews Wednesday through Sunday. Opens Tuesday. Through March 4. $20-$35. American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St. 773-929-1031.
Once Upon a Time (or The Secret Language of Birds)
Redmoon Theater’s newest spectacle is billed as an “urban fairytale.” The story follows a lonely girl and her withdrawn neighbor as the two address the disappearance of birds in their bleak city, and imagine the calamitous effects of a world without music. Created by Frank Maugeri (“The Cabinet”) and written by Joe Meno (“The Boy Detective Fails.”). Previews Saturday through Feb. 7. Opens Feb. 8. Through April 8. $15-$30. Redmoon Central, 1463 W. Hubbard St. 312-850-8440.
The Piano Tuner
In this adaptation of Daniel Mason’s classic novel, a Victorian-era man is sent by the British War Office to meet a stranger who believes that music can bring peace to war-torn Burma. Previews Friday through Feb. 11. Opens Feb. 12. Through March 25. $14-$26. Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. 773-761-4477.
OPENING
Amajuba: Like Doves We Rise
Five South African performers fuse language, movement and music to relate their experiences in apartheid ghettos. Opens Wednesday. Through Feb. 10. $42-$56. Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. 312-595-5600.
Toy Soldiers
A new musical explores the consequences of one man’s decision to fight in a war. Opens Thursday. Through March 4. $15. Towards A Poor Theatre Company at the Viaduct, 3111 N. Western Ave. 866-811-4111.
DANCE
Barefoot Flamenco
Choreographers Luis Montero and Paula Frasz stage an adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s “The House of Bernarda Alba.” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $15-$20. DanceLoop Chicago at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. 630-391-1620.
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