The best of what’s on stage now in the city and suburbs.
* New this week.
CITY
ALTAR BOYZ: A boy-band musical that’s irreverent and still affectionate enough to ensure no one cancels church. Through March 8 at Drury Lane Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.; $45-$55, 312-642-2000.
BLACK NATIVITY: Most Christmas shows rely on our love of seasonal repetition. Not so Congo Square, which has set its annual “Black Nativity” in the Darfur region of western Sudan. If you’re familiar with this Langston Hughes holiday classic, you’ll know the first half typically tells the nativity story from an African point of view, the second is a concert of Gospel music; it does not typically interact with a humanitarian crisis. To his great credit, new director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj makes that link work without undermining the upbeat, inspirational tone of the piece. It isn’t a perfect show but it comes with a rich emotional core and more powerful dramatic stakes. Through Dec. 30 by Congo Square Theatre Company at the Goodman’s Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.; $20-40 at 312-443-3800.
BLUE MAN GROUP: Open run at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St.; $49.50 to $59.50, 312-902-1500.
A CHARLIE CHAPLIN CHRISTMAS: The Silent Theatre Company’s “A Charlie Chaplin Christmas” is a live compilation based on films by the master of slapstick and wordless communication. The show looks like a three-dimensional version of the original films, performed by actors whose entire bodies are covered in varying shades of black and white. Under the detailed direction of Tonika Todorova, an ensemble cast of 10 re-creates the whole milieu of those famed Chaplin shorts. Silent Theatre works at a very high level — their funny, moving work manages to re-create not just the comedic chaos, but that desperate urge to tell a truthful human story that made Chaplin so famous. Through Jan. 6 at the DCA Studio Theatre, 77 E. Randolph St.; $20 at 312-742-8497.
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Spoofing Broadway musicals. Through Feb. 24 at the Royal George Cabaret, 1641 N. Halsted St.; $49.50, 312-988-9000.
HIZZONER: Mayor Richard J. Daley as a tragic figure? Neil Giuntoli’s gripping “Hizzoner” is a persuasive case. Open run at Prop Thtr, 3504 N. Elston Ave.; $40, 773-539-7838.
HUNCHBACK: An original re-telling of the Victor Hugo classic, staged by director Leslie Buxbaum Danzig and replete with puppets and masks. It’s nothing expensive or complex — merely a simple wooden frame within which a long ladder pivots. But when Quasimodo starts to climb the rungs and swing, you might not see Notre Dame in your mind’s eye, but you do see a striving little man, doing his job in the bell tower and loving a gypsy. First seen at the Steppenwolf seven years ago, “Hunchback” is one of Redmoon’s best shows. Through Jan. 20 at Redmoon Central, 1463 W. Hubbard St.; $15-$35, 312-850-8440.
JERSEY BOYS: The story of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi and their rise from Newark to the top of the pop charts. Extended run at LaSalle Bank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.; $30-$150, 312-902-1400.
THE NUTCRACKER: In the House Theatre of Chicago’s new, emotionally charged riff on “The Nutcracker” in the Upstairs Theatre at Steppenwolf, Clara is mourning the loss of her soldier brother Fritz, a casualty of war. In an effort to help his sad, little relative get through her pain, Herr Drosselmeyer presents her with a doll that looks like her brother and might just help her fight off her demons. Although too long, too scary and too dark for small children, House’s premiering production is a good bet for teenagers and anyone tired of the same old seasonal fare. If you liked “The Sparrow” or the movie “Pan’s Labyrinth,” you’ll find this show by Phillip C. Klapperich and Jake Minton to be in the same free-wheeling, tear-jerking style. Through Dec. 29 in the Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theatre, 1635 N. Halsted St.; $29 at 312-335-1650.
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY: As boulevard American dramas from 1939 go, “The Philadelphia Story” is a very good one. That’s hardly a radical statement, given the fame of the oft-spooled cinematic version. But I’d forgotten how well this richly phrased piece still plays in the theater until Shawn Douglass’ straightforward, enjoyable production for the Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. The dilemmas are clearly articulated; the characters are spunky souls; the dialogue is exceptionally lively. And like the best of Noel Coward’s work, “The Philadelphia Story” has a lot of fractured and restless social issues percolating beneath those fine gowns and penguin suits. Remy Bumppo now offers production values much upgraded from its formative days, and this elegantly staged and attired show is no exception. Through Jan. 6 by Remy Bumppo Theatre at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.; $35-$40, 773-871-3000.
THE SPARROW: A stirring, original tale of a small-town Illinois teenager with telekinetic powers and gaping emotional wounds. The House Theatre of Chicago’s breakout hit is a thrilling celebration of the power of imagination that adult and teenage audiences can enjoy and understand together. Following sold-out runs at the Viaduct and the Steppenwolf Garage, “The Sparrow” is now in new digs at the Apollo Theater; it’s been expanded and improved without the loss of its original charm. Through Dec. 31 at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave.; $34.50-$49.50, 312-902-1400.
WICKED: Blond girl. Green girl. Tragically beautiful sister. Love interests. Goat. Wizard. All are in fine Midwestern fettle. And with Glinda the Good Witch now played by the remarkable, 20-year-old Erin Mackey, Chicago audiences get the chance to see a future Broadway star early in her career. Open run at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St.; $32-$90 at 312-902-1400.
SUBURBS
ELLA: E. Faye Butler — whose crackling performance in Northlight Theatre’s bio-musical “Ella” brings the house down — was a fixture here for years. Now she’s back in town in her vocal prime and playing Ella Fitzgerald. Butler’s short break from Chicago hasn’t made the heart grow fonder — most Chicago hearts were already pretty fond — but it makes you better appreciate the smarts, chops and soul of someone we’ve complacently enjoyed. “Ella,” directed by Rob Ruggiero, is a revue of music recorded by Fitzgerald. Like similar biographical vehicles, Jeffrey Hatcher’s light book relies on contrivance to fire up the bio-monologue. But who cares? I wouldn’t claim Butler channels Fitzgerald, and it goes without saying that she can’t fully re-create the legendary singer’s distinctive scat. But in shows like this, one craves a big, creative, full-throated, seemingly spontaneous interpretation, underpinned with emotional truth. Backed by glamorously retro production values. Through Jan. 11 by Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd.; $35-$58, 847-673-6300.
THE TURN OF THE SCREW: Nothing gooses up a ghost story like the presence of a child. The Victorian novelist Henry James figured that out long before Hollywood. With its new production, Writers’ Theatre offers a decently acted and genuinely creepy new dramatic adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher. “Turn of the Screw” is not only an exceedingly scary yarn, it’s an academically worthy text that can be read for its Freudian themes, its psychological complexity and its lingering sense of gothic sexual guilt. Through March 30 by Writers’ Theatre at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe; $45-$58, 847-242-6000.
HOTTEST TICKET
* THE MISTRESS CYCLE: Kurt Johns’ bold and passionate production is a must-see for lovers and supporters of new musicals. Granted, this sensual, boudoir-style, 85-minute piece (music by Jenny Giering and lyrics by Beth Blatt) is more of a song cycle than a fully wrought musical. It’s a composite of the experiences of various famous historical mistresses. But it does provide exquisite — truly exquisite — musical snapshots of life from the point of view of “the other woman.” With her rich melodies, lush vocal arrangements, and formatively compelling song structures, Giering is an immensely promising American composer. But the main reason to see this show is to enjoy the emotional intensity of a group of richly connected actresses, and to appreciate the beauty of their harmonies under the superb musical direction of Diana Lawrence.
Through Jan. 5 at Apple Tree Theatre, 1850 Green Bay Rd., Highland Park; $43-$48, 847-432-4335.
