LAKEVIEW — After a highly successful Chicago Theater Week, Lakeview theater venues are gearing up for new shows opening this month. Check out the list of upcoming performances:
Now: "Picture Imperfect," The Athenaeum Theatre
After a Saturday debut in the Belmont Theater District, "Picture Imperfect" tells the story of a mother battling an unforgivable system. To protect her autistic son, Cole, the mother, played by Sarah Bright, desperately attempts to recreate her "perfect" family while fighting against misperceptions.
Co-writers Joel Z. Cornfield and Richard James Zieman ("The Last Hand") return to The Athenaeum alongside director Michael Stults. The ensemble cast includes Lakeview resident Jeffrey Brown, Sarah Bright, Izadorius Tortuga, Jamie McKinney, Katherine Bellantone, Alyssa Thordarson and Tanous El-Kareh.
"Picture Imperfect" will play in Studio Three at The Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave. Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 4. Tickets are $30, with $20 tickets for seniors and students.
Thursday: "Dead Broads Yapping," The Public House Theatre
An homage to "The View," the comedy talk show "Dead Broads Yapping" is returning to The Public House Theatre for a second season, starting March 5. Last year, the ghosts of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Joan of Arc and Amelia Earhart interviewed deceased guests, including Teddy Roosevelt, who is now a series regular.
Second City Training Center alumnae Courtney Crary, Marie Maloney and Caroline Nash, along with Keenan Camp, star in "Dead Broads Yapping," which runs at 8 p.m. Thursdays through 26 at The Public House Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St. Tickets are $10.
Friday: "Improvised Mythology," Under The Gun Theater
A cast of eight will invent new myths based on audience suggestions each night. Perhaps the mythological world will be ruled by the goddess Taylor Swift or worship a talking banana — it will be up to the audience members.
The show opens March 6 at Under The Gun Theater, 956 W. Newport Ave. and will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday and March 13 and 20. The show will run at 8 p.m. on April 2, 9 and 16. Tickets are $12.
Friday: "Bye Bye Liver: The Chicago Drinking Play," The Public House Theatre
For the first time since 2006, one of Chicago's longest-running shows is premiering a new cast and material for its eighth year. The sketches will feature common party-going situations with a Chicago theme: Wrigleyville ladies struggling to choose between a night of Netflix or a Tinder encounter, Bucktown hipsters engaging in an epic uke battle. The "intoxicating" mix of locally brewed comedy and interactive social games will pit audience members against the actors themselves to "Name that Tune" or decide "Would You Rather."
The new "Bye Bye Liver" opens at 8 p.m. Friday and runs at 8 and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at The Public House Theatre. Tickets are $18-$24.
Tuesday: "The Full Monty," Kokandy Productions
Based on the hit 1997 movie, "The Full Monty" tells the story of four unemployed steel mill workers who launch a Chippendales-esque striptease act to provide for their families. The 2000 Broadway musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards. The Kokandy production will be the first Chicago show with a non-Equity cast and will play in Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.
Scott Danielson, Garrett Lutz, George Toles, Randy Johnson and Eric Lindahl lead the cast of enthusiastic strippers, while Marsha Harman, Laura McClain, Colette Todd and Caron Buinis play the women in their lives.
The show, directed by John Glover, will preview at 8 p.m. Tuesday and March 11, with the regular run opening March 13. The show plays at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 10. Tickets are $25 for preview performances and $38 for the regular run.
March 24: "Our Bad Magnet," Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.
Returning to Angel Island Theatre is the 2008 Scottish dark comedy "Our Bad Magnet." The play focuses on three men investigating the disappearance of a childhood acquaintance with the ability to tell magical fairy tales. The restaging features original cast members Dan Behrendt, Layne Manzer and John Ross Wilson and will introduce Lane Flores.
The haunting fables and magic story were applauded during the show's original run, which was nominated for a Jeff Award in 2008.
Directed by Carlo Lorenzo Garcia and written by Douglas Maxwell, "Our Bad Magnet" opens with two preview performances March 24 and 25 before starting its regular run March 27 to April 26. Preview tickets are $10 and regular shows are $25, with a $5 discount for students and seniors.
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