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THREE TO SEE: This Week's Theater Recommendations

By Melody Udell in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 12, 2013 4:10PM

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Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire puts on the musical theater classic South Pacific. Dancing, shirtless sailors — enough said. Photo courtesy Marriott Theatre.

A Rodgers and Hammerstein classic produced the same week a grungy rock musical comes to town? Consider us impressed with this week’s diverse stage lineup.

South Pacific

Lincolnshire-based Marriott Theatre is reviving this classic musical about an American nurse who falls for a French plantation owner during World War II. The show’s message about the consequences of racism will linger longer than it takes to get some of those well-known Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes out of your head. The show runs through Sunday, June 2.

Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire, 847-634-0200 or online.

Danny and the Deep Blue Sea

The opening show in Kokandy Productions’ 2013 season, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea follows two emotionally conflicted strangers who meet in a bar and discover their shared inner demons. Settle in for a raw, compelling look at chance encounters and budding relationships. The show runs through Sunday, April 28.

Kokandy Productions, Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., 773-935-6875 or online.

American Idiot

Trust us, you don’t really have to be a Green Day super-fan to like American Idiot. Sure, it’s more of a concert than a musical, but with an intriguing, loosely crafted storyline and impressive staging, you’re in for — at the very least — an entertaining evening. The show runs through Sunday, April 21.

Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., 800-775-2000 or online.