OPENING
Thursday
The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival — through Jan. 13 at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.; prices vary, 773-327-5252 and www.chicagosketchfest.com. The seventh annual Chicago festival of sketch comedy features a plethora of groups from across the nation, including Canadian Content (Vancouver), Davidson! (Los Angeles) and The 3rd Floor (Portland). Performances take place on multiple stages and go late into the night.
“The Goodbye Girl” — through March 2 at Drury Lane Oak Brook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace; $22-$41.50, 630-530-8300. The Broadway director Gary Griffin returns to his old stomping grounds at the Drury Lane for this rare revival of the 1993 musical, which features a score by Marvin Hamlisch. A romantic comedy about a single mom and an opinionated actor sharing the same sublet apartment.
“A View from the Bridge” — through Feb. 2 by GreyZelda Theatre Group at Stage Left Theatre, 3408 N. Sheffield Ave.; $20, 773-883-8830 and www.greyzelda.com. Yet another Chicago production of the ever-popular Arthur Miller drama — in a production that will feature film woven into the live action.
CLOSINGS, last chance
Saturday
“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 saw and liked “The Sparrow” — or the movie “Pan’s Labyrinth” — you’ll find this flawed but haunting show by Phillip C. Klapperich and Jake Minton to be very much in the same free-wheeling, tear-jerking style. In Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theatre, 1635 N. Halsted St.; $29 at 312-335-1650.
Sunday
“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 that has claimed hundreds of thousands of African people. 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. The choreography is stirring, the rhythm section is terrific. By Congo Square Theatre Company at the Goodman’s Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.; $20-40 at 312-443-3800.
Monday
“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 of 2007 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 in January and the Steppenwolf Garage last spring, “The Sparrow” is ending its third run at the Apollo Theater, expanded and improved without the loss of its original charm. At the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave.; $34.50-$49.50, 312-902-1400.
