Classic, revival or just a play everybody knows and loves? Rather than quibble over definitions, just check out these spring favorites, okay?
—The Matchmaker, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. There are all kinds of ways to choose a mate, and Thornton Wilder's comedy offered some lessons in how to do it before the musical version eclipsed its gentle wisdom. Runs to April 10; www.goodmantheatre.org .
—American Buffalo, Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company at Angel Island, 731 W. Sheridan Rd. It's the last chance to see one of Chicago's longest-lived troupes show the kind of quality sustaining their 30-year career. Extended to April 17; www.maryarrchie.com .
—West Side Story, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. See the Jets take on the Sharks in this beloved 1957 updating of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by the creative team of playwright Arthur Laurents, composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim and original director/choreographer Jerome Robbins. March 16-April 24; www.paramountaurora.com .
—Richard III, Gift Theatre at the Steppenwolf Garage, 1650 N. Halsted St. Micheal Patrick Thornton and an arsenal of state-of-the-art disability aids from the Rehab Institute of Chicago make Shakespeare's biggest badass a Richard like you've never seen before and are unlikely to ever see again. Runs through May 1; www.thegifttheatre.org .
—Blood Wedding, Lookingglass Theatre at the Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. Runaway brides fleeing their intended at the very altar are not unique in western drama, but their flight was never so passionate as in Federico Garcia Lorca's steamy Andalusian fable. Runs through April 24; www.lookingglasstheatre.org .
—Arcadia, Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe. Tom Stoppard's seminal time-travel blend of science and romance inaugurates the snazzy new house that Michael Halberstam built. Runs though May 1; www.writerstheatre.org .
—The Adding Machine: A Musical, The Hypocrites at The Den, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. Elmer Rice's expressionistic tale of Mister Zero, the tragic hero lost in an automated society, has remained fresh for nearly a century, and this musical adaptation is as relevant as ever. Runs March 29-May 15; www.the-hypocrites.com .
—The Life of Galileo, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company at the Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Long before the controversy over climate change, Bertolt Brecht wrote of the clash between science and social authority. Runs March 28-May 1; www.remybumppo.org .
—Dreamgirls, Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. An African-American girl group from Chicago ( modeled loosely on The Supremes ) experiences the ups and downs of show business in Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen's classic 1981 Broadway musical. April 8-May 15; www.porchlightmusictheatre.org .
—Evita, Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Argentina's most iconic and controversial First Lady comes back to life in the round via Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's 1970s pop opera. April 13-June 5; www.marriotttheatre.com .
—The Producers, Mercury Theater Chicago, N. Southport Ave. A scheming Broadway producer and his awkward accountant try to make a fortune on a likely Broadway flop called Springtime for Hitler in this 2001 Broadway musical adaptation of Mel Brooks' classic film comedy. April 14-June 26; www.mercurytheaterchicago.com .
—The House of Blue Leaves, Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. When it's the 1960s and a poor New York zookeeper just can't get a break, is it funny or tragic? Runs from April 26-June 18; www.raventheatre.com .
—The King and I, Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive. The classic 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical involving a Thai monarch and a headstrong schoolteacher gets the grand opera treatment in a production borrowed from the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. April 29-May 22; www.lyricopera.org .
—Chicago: The Musical, Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St. May 10-15; Seinfeld star John O'Hurley returns as the slick lawyer Billy Flynn in the national tour of Broadway's longest-running American musical. www.broadwayinchicago.com .
