Future Follies
West suburban theatre is changing with the seasons. From Oak Park to the Fox Valley, theaters around town have readied new schedules—and they're looking for an audience.

When it comes to live theatre in the western suburbs, your options are seemingly endless. More than two dozen professional and community theaters have spent years — some have spent 60 and then some — establishing themselves as premier entertainment venues in our neck of the woods. From musical theatre to gripping dramas to slapstick comedies and children’s shows, west suburban theaters offer something for everyone in the family, and one very special aspect all of those theaters in the city can’t offer—proximity. These theatrical wells are right in your backyard. All you have to do is pick one and enjoy the show.

Of course, west suburban theater-owners know how wide the selection and easy the decision is for theater-goers. That’s where the shows come in. Seasonal line-ups are the lifeblood of area theaters, letting audiences know who’s staging the latest Broadway smash and who’s reviving a Shakespearean tragedy. And fall is arguably the busiest time of year, when theaters unveil their newest schedules and look forward to the coming season of big audiences and record ticket sales. In an effort to steer you towards your next ticket purchase, the Insider offers its guide to Future Theatre, breaking down which west suburban theaters are showing the shows you want to see.

Check out the following listings for spotlights on more than 25 area venues and their corresponding line-ups.

WEST SUBURBAN THEATERS

BIG NOISE THEATRE COMPANY
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
I Hate Hamlet, Jan 15 to Feb 7, 2010
All Shook Up, Apr 23 to May 16

CIRCLE THEATRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
The Pajama Game, Nov 11 to Jan 24, 2010

DRURY LANE THEATRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Through Dec 20
Funny Girl, Dec 31 to Mar 7, 2010

FIRST FOLIO THEATRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
The Castle of Otranto, Through Nov 1
Jeeves In Bloom, Jan 27 to Feb 28, 2010
Will Rogers: An American Original, March 31 to May 2
Twelfth Night, July 7 to Aug 8

GROVE PLAYERS
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Man of La Mancha, Nov 6 to 22
More Fun Than Bowling, Feb 12 to 21, 2010
Sabrina Fair, April 23 to May 2

MARRIOTT THEATRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Hairspray, Through Dec 6
My Fair Lady, Dec 9, 2009 to Feb 14, 2010

NEW WORLD REPERTORY THEATER
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Phedra, Nov 7 to Dec 5

NOBLE FOOL THEATRICALS
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Married Alive, Through Oct 31
Tony n' Tina's Wedding, Nov 28 

OVERSHADOWED PRODUCTIONS
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
A Christmas Carol, Nov 27 to Dec 19
John, His Story, Feb 19 to March 13, 2010
My Fair Lady, July 16 to Aug 7
Shadowlands, Sept 17 to Oct 9

PLAYHOUSE 111
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Oliver!, Nov 20 to Dec 13
Noises Off, Jan 29 to Feb 21, 2010
To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday, March 26 to April 18
Chicago, May 28 to June 20

RIVERFRONT PLAYHOUSE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Night of the Living Dead: The Musical, Through Oct 31

STEEL BEAM THEATRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Charlotte's Web, Oct 30 to Nov 15
A Christmas Carol, Nov 20 to Dec 20
Sing Along with Santa, Nov 21 to Dec 20
Rabbit Hole, Jan 8 to Feb 7, 2010
Hansel and Gretel, Jan 9 to Feb 6, 2010
It Could Be Any One Of Us, Feb 26 to Mar 28
Emperor's New Clothes, Feb 27 to Mar 27
Blithe Spirit, April 9 to May 9
Jack and the Giant, April 17 to May 15
Dixie Swim Club, May 21 to June 27

THEATRE OF WESTERN SPRINGS
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Sense and Sensibility, Through Nov 1
Bunnicula, Nov 6 to 15
Peter Pan and Wendy, Dec 4 to 13
Lady Windemere's Fan, Jan 21 to 31
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds, Feb 11 to 21
The Stinky Cheese Man, Mar 5 to 14
Cadillac, April 15 to 25
Gossamer, May 6 to 8
The Odd Couple, May 27 to June 6

VILLAGE PLAYERS THEATRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Lost In Yonkers, Jan 15 to Feb 21, 2010
Savage in Limbo, Jan 21 to Feb 21
A Chorus Line, March 12 to April 18
Mud, Mar 25 to April 25
The Marriage of Bette and Boo, May 14 to June 27

VILLAGE THEATRE GUILD
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Company, Through Nov 7
Rabbit Hole, Jan 15 to Feb 6, 2010
Later Life, Mar 19 to April 10
Over the River and Through the Woods, May 22 to June 12


PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS

PARAMOUNT ARTS CENTRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Rent, Nov 6
The Wizard of Oz, Nov 27 & 28
The Nutcracker, Dec 5
A Christmas Carol, Dec 6 & 7
Charlotte's Web, Feb 3
The Drowsy Chaperone, Feb 6
Freedom Train, Feb 22
Most Valuable Player, Feb 25
If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Mar 3
The Wedding Singer, March 20
Smokey Joe's Café, April 17

RIALTO SQUARE THEATRE 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Von Heidecke's Chicago Festival Ballet The Nutcracker, Nov 29
Cirque Dreams Illumination, Dec 16
Cabaret, Jan 23, 2010
Hairspray, March 16

CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Dave Rudolf Halloween Spectacular, Oct 31
Click, Clack, Moo, Nov 20
Snow White, Nov 21
A Christmas Carol, Dec 8
The Nutcracker, Dec 12
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Dec 16 & 19
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Feb 4, 2010
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites, Feb 16
If You Give a Pig a Pancake and Other Short Stores, Mar 6
The Comedy of Errors, Mar 18
Through the Eyes of a Friend, April 14
Patchwork – The Little House Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, May 1

HEMMENS CULTURAL CENTER
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Click, Clack, Moo, Nov 23 to 24
A Christmas Carol, Dec 9

METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Pump Boys and Dinettes, Through Nov 14
A Christmas Carol, Nov 27 to Dec 24
Out of Order, Jan 14 to Feb 20, 2010
Frindle, Feb 4 to 13
Sideman, Mar 11 to April 18
Peter Pan, April 1 to 12
The Diary of Anne Frank, April 13 to 20
Treasure Island May 1 & 2
Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical, May 13 to June 19
Seussical Jr, July 19 to 24