ADDING MACHINE: A MUSICAL
Through 5/15 Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith’s adaptation of Elmer Rice’s 1923 play follows an Everyman who snaps after years in a thankless job. Geoff Button directs a show for anyone who’s ever felt invisible, unappreciated, or trapped in an infinite rut. $15–$36. Hypocrites at Den Theatre, 1329 N. Milwaukee. the-hypocrites.com
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY
4/19–5/1 Catch Woody Allen’s riff on a desperate playwright who gets mobbed up trying to fund his show. $16–$122. Broadway in Chicago at PrivateBank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe. broadwayinchicago.com
DON’T MAKE ME OVER: IN TRIBUTE TO DIONNE WARWICK
4/9–5/15 Black Ensemble Theater founder Jackie Taylor toasts Dionne Warwick, the hit maker who spent decades atop the charts with songs such as “Walk on By,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “Alfie.” $45–$65. Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark. blackensembletheater.org
DREAMGIRLS
4/8–5/15 Brenda Didier directs the epic story of a Supremes-esque girl group and its rise to stardom. Henry Krieger’s score is unstoppable, and Stage 773’s 148-seat theater lends an intimacy foreign to Broadway. $30–$48. Porchlight Theatre at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. porchlightmusictheatre.com
EVITA
4/13–6/5 Eva Perón returns to her balcony in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ode to South America’s most famous fascist. Che Guevara narrates Eva’s rise and demise, from gutter theatricals to the Casa Rosada. $50–$55. Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott, Lincolnshire. marriotttheatre.com
HEATHERS
Through 4/24 The 1988 cult classic set to music tells the story of a homicidal high schooler plotting to take out her school’s mean girls. $25–$38. Kokandy Productions at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. kokandyproductions.com
I’VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING: HAROLD ARLEN’S SONGS OF LOVE AND LOSS
Through 4/10 Six vocalists, one piano, and standards such as “Over the Rainbow” and “Stormy Weather” fuel this revue from Sheldon Patinkin and Terry McCabe. $10–$29. City Lit Theater at Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr. citylit.org
THE KING AND I
4/29–5/22 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical about a British teacher pushing Christianity on the Siamese hasn’t aged well. Still, the music—“Something Wonderful,” “Shall We Dance,” “Hello, Young Lovers”—is an embarrassment of riches. $22–$199. Lyric Opera, 20 N. Wacker. lyricopera.org
MATILDA
Through 4/10 Roald Dahl’s precocious protagonist wards off hostile teachers, disaffected parents, and sundry other adults. $30–$187. Broadway in Chicago at Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph. broadwayinchicago.com
THE PRODUCERS
4/13–6/26 Dancing Nazis storm the stage in a show that skewers World War II, gay culture, seniors, and show biz in general. $25–$65. Mercury Theatre, 3745 N. Southport. mercurytheatrechicago.com
RENT
Through 5/1 Get up close and personal with Mimi, Angel, and Maureen in Jonathan Larson’s La Bohème–inspired rocker, presented by Jeremy Ramey on a stage not much larger than a walk-in closet. $34–$44. Theo Ubique at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood. theo-u.com
WEST SIDE STORY
Through 4/24 Romeo and Juliet are transported to 1960s New York in Leonard Bernstein’s groundbreaking musical with a to-die-for score. Jim Corti directs. $41–$56. Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena, Aurora. paramountaurora.com