1. The MCA has released their full line-up for 2011-12, the 15th anniversary of the Museum of Contemporary Art Stage. One highlight: musician Andrew Bird joins Ian Schneller/Specimen Products for Sonic Arboretum from Decemeber 6th to 31st. The project consists of an installation open to the museum-going public, but there will be two other performances by Bird and Schneller. Sonic Arboretum was also performed last summer at the Guggenheim. No word on whether Bird will bust out his impressive and famous whistling.

2. Director Julieanne Ehre told 2amt: “I’m drawn most to work that is unrealistic. As Blanche put it in Streetcar Named Desire: “I don’t want realism, I want magic!” I go to the theater to be transported into another reality — I love fiction, I love being immersed into imaginary worlds.”

3. The Chicago Theater Addict has a list of some of his top theater moments ever, and a few of the selections are more than surprising: Cats and Phantom of the Opera. His reasoning is solid, but I still can’t get past Cats…

4. Vonnegut Shorts is wrapping up its run at Gorilla Tango tonight at 11pm and Sunday at 2pm; for this play, Vonnegut’s short stories have been adapted for the stage by Times Three Theatre. It’s the premier production from this new group made up of mostly young recent college graduates.

5. Some say don’t mess with a good thing, but the guys over at The Original Grease disagree; they’re “tightening” up the hit production. What does this mean? Artistic director PJ Paparelli says ten to twelve minutes of the show have been cut, by reducing the scenes of the older, adult Taft High students. This means five cast members have been cut, though Paparelli claims that “They were very understanding. They understood that it has changed.”

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.