Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Fall Series: 4 Languages, No Words is available for half-price on Goldstar.  Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s “dancers of spectacular versatility” (Los Angeles Times) present four different visions of contemporary dance. Each speaks eloquently about the human condition — without one word ever being uttered. Robyn Mineko Williams, 2012 winner of the Pretty Creatives International Choreographic Competition, premieres a dramatic new work on the heels of her recent Recall, which “used a body’s store of moves — a Michael Jackson thrust, a Flashdance swoon — to inject the present with the texture of memory,” as described by Financial Times. Her new work is both firmly rooted in the moment and resonant with cultural echoes from the past. Passomezzo, an athletic, romantically tough duet by Israeli dance artist Ohad Naharin, is set to familiar folk songs plus selections from The Beggar’s Opera (1728). The piece showcases Naharin’s influence in dance’s frank body language, sublime musicality, bold showmanship and aching humanity. Swedish master choreographer Mats Ek presents Casi-Casa, a 40-minute composite of two of his earlier works plus original choreography. And rounding out the diverse program is a world premiere chamber-sized work by resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo.

Some performances of To Master the Art are almost half-off with this Goldstar deal.  Experience the adventure and romance of Julia and Paul Child’s journey of discovery to Paris during the 1950s. From the bistro where she fell in love with food to the kitchen table where she recreated everything learned during cooking class and the room where her husband was interrogated by U.S. agents about alleged Communist contact, To Master the Art tells the rich story of larger-than-life culinary icon. The Chicago Tribune hailed the show as “an excellent, intimate, foodie-friendly staging, resonant with atmosphere.”

Goldstar tickets start at $18 for September dates for The Color Purple.  Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the film by Steven Spielberg, The Color Purple is a celebratory story of hope and a testament to the healing power of love. This vibrant and touching family saga tells the story of Celie, who overcomes tremendous obstacles — including poverty, racism and sexism — to find her unique voice in the world. Set to a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, the show earned a whopping 11 Tony Award nominations during its Broadway run. Chicago’s Mercury Theater presents this regional premiere of the soul-stirring musical.

Tickets start at $35 for September performance of Evita at the Oriental Theatre.  With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, the compelling true story of Eva Perón comes to vivid life through stunning show-stoppers like “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina,” “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” and “High Flying, Adored.” Evita follows the path of the small-town peasant girl as she uses her considerable smarts and charm to secure a place at Juan Peron’s side as Argentina’s First Lady, becoming one of South America’s most powerful women. Though she was much beloved by her people as the voice of the poor, her inevitable downfall came through her unabated ambition and a devastating illness, making her one of history’s most tragic and dramatic figures. This all-new production, directed by Tony-nominee Michael Grandage and choreographed by Tony-winner Rob Ashford, stars a cast of Broadway veterans, including Caroline Bowman (Kinky Boots, Wicked), Sean MacLaughlin (Phantom of the Opera) and Josh Young, who was nominated for a 2012 Tony for his role as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Okay, I’d never even heard of this place before!  The secret history of Terezin, Hitler’s model “City for the Jews,” is one of the most sorrowful — and surreal — chapters of World War II. Filled with prominent Jewish writers, artists, entertainers and thinkers, the grim citadel was portrayed as a cultural paradise when in fact it was a brutal concentration camp. Signs of Life: a New Musical follows one Lorelei Schumann as this talented art student is deported from her native Prague to Terezin. Once there, her very survival depends upon her participation in the Nazi propaganda effort. Risking her life to tell the truth, she discovers who she is as a woman, a Jew and an artist. Megan Long, one of the Chicago Tribune‘s “Hot New Faces in Chicago Theatre,” stars as Lorelei in this production at the Victory Gardens Theater.  Get tickets for up to 70% off on Goldstar.

Get discounted tickets (FREE to $8.50) to the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center’s production of one of the greatest American plays written to date:  A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams’ landmark drama of the culture clash between the Old South and the rising urban working class. The intense passion behind brutish Stanley Kowalski’s iconic howl of “Stelllaaa!!” and the tragic emotion behind fragile Blanche DuBois’ illusion of Old Southern gentility is brought to powerful life on stage. Set during a steamy 1940s summer in New Orleans’ French Quarter, raw pathos leads ultimately to tragedy.  Note that the FREE tickets do not include a $5.50 service charge.

Through Goldstar, get half-price tickets for August performances of the Chicago regional premiere of The Color Purple.  Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the film by Steven Spielberg,The Color Purple is a celebratory story of hope and a testament to the healing power of love. This vibrant and touching family saga tells the story of Celie, who overcomes tremendous obstacles — including poverty, racism and sexism — to find her unique voice in the world. Set to a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, the show earned a whopping 11 Tony Award nominations during its Broadway run. Chicago’s Mercury Theater presents this regional premiere of the soul-stirring musical.

Tickets for Oak Brook Drury Lane’s production of Next to Normal start at $12 and are available for select performances in August and September.  I’ve seen snippets of this musical and yes, it is funny in parts; the songs aren’t depressing.

At first glance, a rock musical about the devastating toll of mental illness on a contemporary suburban family might seem odd, but Next to Normal turned out to be one of Broadway’s biggest hits. This riveting rock musical won three Tony Awards in 2009 and the Pulitzer Prize for its heartbreaking, humorous and unflinchingly authentic look at a modern family struggling with the effects of bipolar disorder. Each character’s journey is punctuated by powerful music scored by Tom Kitt (American Idiot). Featuring 30 original songs, including “Just Another Day,” “You Don’t Know” and “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” Next to Normal is, in the words of The New York Times, “much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical.” Directed by Drury Lane Theatre Artistic Director William Osetek, the show stars Jeff Award nominee Susie McMonagle as “Diana” (“Fantine” in Les Miserables on Broadway and the first National Tours of Billy Elliot and Mamma Mia) and Jeff Award winner Rod Thomas as “Dan” (Big at Drury Lane Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors at Theatre at the Center).