Our 2009 Fall Theater Guide:
Laugh it up, Chicago
• The Addams Family: Nothing gets the juices flowing like a pre-Broadway production with a top-drawer cast. Nov. 13 to Jan. 10 at Oriental Theatre; $28-$105 at 800-775-2000 and broadwayinchicago.com
• Banana Shpeel: Cirque du Soleil embraces vaudeville for its first proscenium show, premiering in Chicago. Nov. 19 to Jan. 3 at Chicago Theatre; $23-$98 at 800-745-3000 and ticketmaster.com
• Yeast Nation: If you thought “Urinetown” was an unlikely name for a musical, try “Yeast Nation.” Sept. 10 to Oct. 18 by American Theater Co.; $35-$40 at 773-409-4125 and atcweb.org
• Animal Crackers: The Goodman discovers its inner Groucho; we’ll see if it has the A-list laughing. Sept. 18 to Oct. 25 at Goodman Theatre; $25–$76 at 312-443-3800 and goodmantheatre.org
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: Shakespeare’s most famous non-entities are masters of the thrust, parry and witty riposte. Sept. 29 to Dec. 6 at Writers’ Theatre; $40-$65 at 847-242-6000 and writerstheatre.org
• American Buffalo: Letts. Morton. Mamet. And one of the great Chicago plays of all time. Dec.3 to Feb. 7 by Steppenwolf Theatre Co.; $20-$77 at 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org
• Kill the Old, Torture Their Young: An urban tragicomedy from one of Britain’s best playwrights. Oct. 1 to Nov. 7 by Steep Theatre Co.; 312-458-0722 and steeptheatre.com
• The Second City 50th Reunion: Powerhouses of American comedy return to their alma mater. Dec. 11-13 at Second City; 312-337-3992 and secondcity.com
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: The only August Wilson play set in Chicago, re-conceived in, and for, Hyde Park. Sept. 17 to Oct. 18 at Court Theatre; $32-$56 at 773-753-4472 and courttheatre.org
• Fedra: J. Nicole Brooks, the creator of “Black Diamond,” stirs up passions in a fictive, feverish Haiti. Sept. 30 to Nov. 15 by Lookingglass Theatre; $18-$62 at 312-337-0665 and lookingglasstheatre.org
The Chicago theater has, so far, remained remarkably resilient in the teeth of the recession. No high-profile theater has bit the dust. The summer produced far more than its usual share of sold-out hits. And the fall docket of shows looks busier than ever. But when you look over biggest openings of a typically exciting Chicago autumn, one change smacks you on the noggin. All over town, it’s tragedy tomorrow and comedy tonight.
Chicago theater is known throughout the globe for its seriousness of purpose and intensity of execution. This fall? Not quite so much. The yuks are back.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” said Stefan Haves, a physical comedy specialist and one of the creative forces behind the new Cirque du Soleil comedy, unambiguously titled “Banana Shpeel, ” premiering in November at the Chicago Theatre and then heading to New York in early 2010. “Finally, stupid, superficial theater makes a comeback.”
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Laugh it up, Chicago" »