The Brothers Karamozov ***
There’s something deeply satisfying about encountering Dostoevsky on the Magnificent Mile. After all, this is a town where you can witness an entirely new, happily uncompromising, fully realized and wholly sincere dramatic adaptation of “The Brothers Karamazov” — in all its throbbing, three-act, 195-minute, 19th Century glory — just across the street from a Ralph Lauren store. You’ll have seen clearer shows at the Lookingglass. But you’ll definitely be stirred by Heidi Stillman’s shrewd, moving and warmly performed version of this literary classic, revealing a new maturity in the ensemble cast. Through Dec. 7 at Lookingglass Theatre in Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave.; $30-$50 at 312-337-0665.
If All the World were Paper *** 1/2
Really young kids get bored at most children’s theater — all those bright colors and frantic actors aren’t really for them. But Chicago Children’s Theatre’s newest show is the rare exception. The work of popular British company Oily Cart, it interacts with the youngest kids in a lot of different ways — including a lot of touch. And rather than just building to a climactic end, “Paper” ebbs and flows, letting kids talk and squirm as it reaches them where they’re at. Through Nov. 30 at the Museum of Science and Industry; $18-$28 at 877-477-7849.
Dublin Carol ***
With “CSI” star William Petersen in the lead, this is a simple but moving play about an undertaker and lifelong drinker surveying the wreckage of his life. The Irish playwright Conor McPherson understands the thick trajectory of booze through Anglo-Irish culture. And while I think Petersen could let loose more, now that there are no cameras in the building, this committed stage actor knows his way around truth and shows us plenty in Amy Morton’s wise and aptly melancholy Steppenwolf Theatre Company production. Through Dec. 28 at the Steppenwolf Theatre, 1635 N. Halsted St.; $50-$70 at 312-335-1650.
Jersey Boys ****
As the music of the Four Seasons and their rise from Newark to the top of the pop-music charts, this Chicago production delivers a smash-hit adult night out for a city that understands Jersey better than most. Open run at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.; $30-$150 at 312-902-1400.
Jon ***
George Saunders’ short story “Jon,” which appeared in the New Yorker in 2003, is partly a savvy spoof of corporate culture in the fashion of “Mad Men” or “The Office,” and partly a dire warning about the damage marketers are doing to our teenagers. Unlike most of its peers, Collaboraction is sufficiently techno-savvy to create a credibly intense sci-fi universe in an intimate, live and intensely provocative setting. Through Dec. 14 at The Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter St.; $25 at 312-226-9633.
Kafka On the Shore ***
“In dreams begin responsibilities,” observes the hero of Haruki Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore,” in an endlessly complicated dramatic adaptation by Frank Galati at the Steppenwolf. If you think hard about it — and this strange show requires you to think hard about everything — that’s a potent political observation. “Kafka” includes wild, supernatural characters like Colonel Sanders and Johnnie Walker and is just as comfortable comparing the whole universe to a Fed Ex box. Intrigued? This is your show. Through Nov. 26 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.; $20-$70 at 312-335-1650.
The Mark of Zorro ***
Lifeline Theatre has cornered the market on swashbuckling literary adaptations. In an original adaptation by Katie McLean remounted at Theatre Building Chicago, “The Mark of Zorro” is an uncommonly good time for anybody older than 10. The secret weapon in Dorothy Milne’s production is the young actor James Elly, who manages to convince as both fop and superhero and delivers a killer sword-fighting performance. Through Nov. 23 at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.; $30 at 773-327-5252.
Million Dollar Quartet *** 1/2
Great balls of fire! Here’s a hit. This new commercial musical has the kind of jaw-dropping performances that lift your feet from the floor. It’s based on an actual night in 1956 when Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash showed up at Sam Phillips’ Sun Studios for a jam session — and contains two dozen iconic musical numbers. Through Jan. 4 at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-935-6100.
Picnic ****
William Inge’s characters know they’re pretty for 30 seconds. They know mistakes in love and sex aren’t easily eradicated. And they know the chance for lifelong happiness comes and goes in a flash. David Cromer, an exceptionally talented stage director, knows this too. His devastating, brilliantly cast “Picnic” goes directly for the jugular. Through Nov. 23 at Writers’ Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe; $50-$65 at 847-242-6000.
Radio Macbeth ***
“Radio Macbeth” is not an accidental title. The SITI Company’s latest theatrical conceit at Court Theatre is a production that treats the notorious Shakespearean tragedy as a symphony of sound. Its emphasis is on the cackle of a witch, the crack of a knock, the silence of the lonely and guilty. I doubt you’ll have thought about “Macbeth” this way before. Most productions get lost in a fog, but Anne Bogart and her intensely disciplined actors cut the mist away and leave you with the deconstructive sounds of clipped-down tragedy. It’s a simple but provocative theatrical experience. Through Dec. 7 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.; $32-$56 at 773-753-4472.
Ruined *** 1/2
Mama Nadi courageously runs a whorehouse in today’s raging, restless, rapacious Democratic Republic of the Congo. And in Lynn Nottage’s gripping, gut-wrenching new play “Ruined,” she has a cardinal house rule: You don’t take sides in an African civil war. Not if you want to survive. Nottage and her closely aligned director, Kate Whoriskey, use their central character as a metaphor for the most common Western excuse not to get involved in the DRC, or Rwanda, or wherever human violence and suffering suddenly ignites. Through Dec. 7 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.; $10-$39 at 312-443-3800.
The Screwtape Letters ***
Jeffrey Fiske and Max McLean’s touring dramatic adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” doesn’t traffic in minimalist symbolism or arty deconstruction. The show is set in hell. And hell — or at least a corner thereof — is what gets stick up on the stage, white smoke, blood-red lights and all. Hades ain’t dull. Through Jan. 4 at the Mercury Theatre, 3745 N. Southport Ave.; $29-$48.50 at 773-325-1700.
Wicked *** 1/2
Blond girl. Green girl. Tragically beautiful sister. Love interests. Goat. Wizard. All are in fine Midwestern fettle. This self-aware, grrrl-friendly pop musical is Chicago’s most prominent and profitable theatrical attraction, though it won’t be around forever. Through Jan. 25, 2009 at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St.; $32-$90 at 312-902-1400.
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THIS WEEK
Episode of real world
Tomorrow Morning *** 1/2
Nobody warned the hugely talented Laurence Mark Wythe against writing a sentimental romantic musical centered on one couple marrying and one getting divorced. Thank heavens. After all, the intensity of yearning to do right by a child isn’t diminished by the fact that all parents feel that way. The dreams and fears of a bride and groom don’t go away just because the couple down the block worries about the same stuff. The trick to creating an accessible, contemporary musical is to reflect those commonly felt tropes with truth, heart and enough universality that we can all find our way into the characters. Well staged by Tom Mullen and superbly sung by an all-Equity cast of four, “Tomorrow Morning” achieves that quite beautifully. If you go to this ideal date-night show with someone you care about, I guarantee you’ll leave feeling closer to that person. What could be better value for money?
Through Dec. 7 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.; $28.50-$34.50 at 773-404-7336.
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**** Excellent; *** Good; ** Fair; * Poor
