Theater Spotlight
There are plenty of LGBTQ artists featured in the 20th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival, which celebrates the breadth of Chicago's storytelling and live literature scene. GayCo, OUTspoken, You're Being Ridiculous and the Sweat Girls are just a few of the 15 storytelling collectives gathered together for this three-week theatrical event. The 20h Annual Fillet of Solo Festival plays from Friday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 29, at two locations: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., and the Heartland Studio Theatre, 7016 N. Glenwood Ave. Tickets are $10 per show, and $50 for a festival pass; call 773-761-4477 or visit LifelineTheatre.com .
The Sweat Girls are back with their show Sweat of the Union as a part of the 20th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival at Lifeline Theatre. Photo courtesy of Lifeline Theatre
Critics' Picks
La Gringa, UrbanTheatre in the Paseo Boricua, through Jan. 28. UrbanTheatre's smash hit comedy about a second-generation Puerto Rican girl looking to reconnect with her roots is taking a break before reopening on Jan. 12. MSB
Honky Tonk Angels, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre at No Exit Café, through Jan 29. Sweet Southern songbirds Colette Todd, Jacquelyne Jones and Leryn Turlington warble a medley of country favorites while smiling to warm the corners of this cozy Rogers Park room. MSB
The Magic Flute, Lyric Opera of Chicago, through Jan. 27. An ambitious suburban Chicago kid circa 1962 rounds up neighborhood kids and families to stage Mozart's fantastical singspiel in director Neil Armfield's nostaligia-packed new production that wears its homemade qualities proudly on it its sleeves. SCM
The Weir, Irish Theatre of Chicago at Den Theatre, extended through Jan. 29. Nobody chases away the ghosts haunting us on dark nights better than Conor McPherson, whose characters, beneath their malt-fueled blarney, harbor a mighty compassion for troubled souls everywhere. MSB
By Barnidge and Morgan