Salute to musicals

Steel Beam Theatre inaugurates its 17th season with an original salute to musicals titled “100 Years of Broadway.” The revue chronicles the evolution of the art form from glamorous, Flo Ziegfeld-inspired shows through the present-day blockbusters. Douglas Orlyk conceived and directed the show, which unfolds cabaret-style and features hits, misses and a few little-known gems.

Opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. $22-$28. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.org.

Watch what happens

The fourth annual Elgin Fringe Festival begins this weekend with a family mini-fest followed by the blimp raising party on Wednesday, Sept. 13, which signifies the start of the four-day fest. Choose from more than 100 performances at the Blue Box Cafe, Elgin Art Showcase, Imago, Elgin Public House, Martini Room, First United Methodist Church and Side Street Studio. Participating performers include: hop-hop artist and Elgin native Moore; Big Bad Wolf Dance Theatre; Independent Players; violinist and spoken-word performer Tricia Park; The Minnesota SkyVault Theatre Company, a group of Shakespearean minstrels; mentalist Ben Benjamins of Naperville; comedian Elaine Phillips; storytellers Julia Brownfield and R.C. Riley; magician Luis Carreon; Robert Frosty Theatre Company and others.

Family Fringe runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, in Carleton Rogers Park, 55 N. Spring St., Elgin. The fest runs Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 13-17. Performances are free, $5 or $10, plus a onetime purchase of a $3 festival button. A full fest pass costs $65. Information and tickets available at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin. See elginfringefestival.com.

Rock ’n’ roll show

Paramount Theatre opens its season with “Million Dollar Quartet,” the fictionalized account of a real-life meeting between Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley that occurred in 1956 at Memphis’ Sun Records. Artistic director Jim Corti stages the revival of this popular jukebox musical, whose initial Chicago run lasted more than seven years.

Previews begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. The show opens Sept. 16. $36-$64. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com.

— Barbara Vitello