A Jacques Brel Revue: Songs of Love and War, Theo Ubique at No Exit Cafe through Aug. 12. If the Toulouse-Lautrec show isn't enough vie de boheme for you, let these five powerhouse singers invigorate and illuminate romantic balladeer Brel's ironic humor. MSB
The Pain and the Itch, Steppenwolf, through Aug. 28. In the hands of a less skillful author, this beautifully acted and directed dark comedy would be ludicrous. Instead, author Bruce Norris brilliantly sees a dissolving American family as a microcosm of U.S. geo-politics. JA
Red Georgia Clay, Hypatia Theatre at Prop Thtr, through Aug. 14. Playwright Caitlin Parrish and an empathetic cast show a Florida far from the resorts and retirement homes, where freethinking teenagers must protect each other from prejudice and hypocrisy. MSB
Scarrie, The Musical, Hell in a Handbag at the Theatre Building, through Aug. 7. David Cerda's on-target, side-splitting parody of the 1970s film, Carrie, boasts great music and inspired performances. A real hoot. RR
— By Jonathan Abarbanel, Mary Shen Barnidge and Rick Reed