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• Your Early Summer Guide to Chicago Theater

As "Jersey Boys" and "Wicked" continue to create maximum ticket demand in Chicago (and on Broadway), it is worth looking at other options around the Chicago theater scene. The Broadway in Chicago series will add a another show on May 21, "Avenue Q" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre until June.

The south side's Court Theater on the campus of the University of Chicago, will bring back on a truly underrated treasure of the 1960's, "The First of Summer", from May 15 to June 15. Leslie Lee's Obie Award gem is one of the truly fine plays about African-American family life.

This year's Pulitzer Prize winner of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Tracy Letts, has a new play, "Superior Donuts" opening at the Steppenwolf on June 19 Tina Landau will direct and the show will run until August 17 at this famous north side venue on Halsted.

ISU graduate and Broadway star, Judith Ivey, returns to Skokie's Northlight Theatre in a one woman show, "The Lady with All the Answers." The woman, of course, is legendary Chicago Sun-Times advice columnist, Ann Landers. Ms. Ivey's magic with characters is legendary and this one will run from May 27 to June 29.

University of Illinois journal glass at the old water tower will present, "Nelson Algren: For Keeps and a Single Day" from June 4 to June 29. This multi media portrait shapes up to be one of the most ambitious tributes to a great Illinois writer.

In north suburban, Glencoe, The Writers' Theatre will produce James Goldman's "The Lion in Winter." Recent U. of I. theater graduate, Laura Coover, is part of this story of England's King Henry II and his turbulent family life. It will run from May 27--August 3.

Chicago's Goodman Theatre will produce a new work, Brett Neveu's. "Gas for Less" from May 24 to June 22. While this sounds like an issue from the current political campaign, it is about the effect of north side gentrification in Chicago.

Remember, Danny Kaye? To help you, there is now, "The Kid from Brooklyn", the Danny Kaye musical. It will have a Chicago run at the Mercury Theater on north Southport from May 28 and list no closing date yet.