Spotlight I
The Threepenny Opera, the ground-breaking musical theater work by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, receives a rare Chicago production May 21-27 by the American Opera Group, which will perform it cabaret-style with a 15-piece orchestra. This is the show that gave us Mack the Knife and Pirate Jenny among other tunes, and made a star of Lotte Lenya. American Opera Group will be using the translation by former Chicagoan Michael Feingold, which was produced on Broadway with Sting as Mackie. Performances are at the Mullady Theater, Loyola University, 1125 W. Loyola Avenue; (800) 595-4849; $25-$50.
Spotlight II
Harry Chapin’s Cotton Patch Gospel was a big hit last year for the brand-new Provision Theatre Company, so they’ve brought it back for a second rollicking run, featuring Provision founder Timothy Gregory (best know for his many Shakespearean roles) and the Cotton Pickers Band. The title of the show pretty much tell you what it’s all about, and what kind of music to expect (though, of course, Harry Chapin wasn’t a real country or bluegrass guy, just a Northerner faking it). Performances through June 5 at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 West Chicago Avenue; (773) 506-4429; $22.