After a relatively sleepy December and January, Off-Broadway roars its way out of hibernation in February, with an astounding 15 shows opening (not to mention several others beginning previews). Between world premieres of starry comedies, fascinating new looks at classic dramas, two new musicals centered around World War II, a few award-winning dramas making their American debuts, a comedy/juggling spectacular, and much more, Off-Broadway truly has something for everyone this month!

4PLAY
This exuberant and hilarious off-Broadway event is full of charming, fast-paced virtuosity and fun as the four brothers, master practitioners of cheap theatrics, juggle 'til they drop. Their method combines skills of considerable breadth and depth in a work that is kaleidoscopic and passionate. The objects, the musical instruments (traditional and invented) and their own bodies are combined in a fresh and compelling performance. Minetta Lane Theatre. Begins performances February 8, closes March 7.

BLACK ANGELS OVER TUSKEGEE
Black Angels Over Tuskegee is the story of the Tuskegee Airmen told in narrative of six men embarking upon a journey to become pilots in the United States Army Air Forces. The play explores their collective struggle with Jim Crow, their intelligence, patriotism, dreams of an inclusive fair society, and brotherhood. The play goes beyond the headlines of the popular stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and exposes the men who exhibited the courage to excel, in spite of all the overwhelming odds against them. St. Luke's Theatre. Now in previews, opens February 15, closes March 28.

CLYBOURNE PARK
In 1959, a white family moves out. In 2009, a white family moves in. In the intervening years, change overtakes a neighborhood, along with attitudes, inhabitants and property values. Loosely inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, this pitch-black comedy from Bruce Norris takes on the specter of gentrification in one of America’s most recognizable communities – leaving no stone unturned in the process. Playwrights Horizons. Now in previews, opens February 21, closes March 7.

THE DUCHESS OF MALFI
A great romance turns to horror as the Duchess of Malfi seeks true love in a world of forbidden passions. A play for our time as much as its own, John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi examines sexual repression, honor, class, and the true value of the human spirit, in this explosive drama of Italian intrigue. Red Bull Theater’s production is the first Off Broadway revival of this Jacobean masterpiece in over 50 years. Don’t miss it! Red Bull Theater at The Theatre at St. Clement's. Previews begin February 23, opens February 27, closes March 14.

EXTINCTION
Over the years, college buddies Max and Finn have spent their vacations religiously drinking, drugging and chasing women...but this time something is different. In a hotel room in Atlantic City, thwarted expectations precipitate a dangerous showdown between the two friends. This dark comedy explores the nature of our evolving friendships and the lengths we go to save them before they go extinct. Cherry Lane Theatre. Previews begin February 13, opens February 17, closes March 14.

HAPPY NOW?
A chance encounter at a hotel plays upon Kitty’s mind as she struggles to balance personal freedom with family life, fidelity and a demanding job. Her husband is more interested in misplaced apostrophes than in their marriage, her parents are looking down the barrel of oblivion, and although she toys with the idea of joining a gym, Kitty’s running out of time for big changes. Happy Now? dares to ask just that, in this painfully truthful, darkly comic take on contemporary life and how to survive it. Primary Stages at 59E59. Now in previews, opens February 9, closes March 6.

HARD TIMES
From childhood, Louisa and Tom Gradgrind were trained to shun emotion, imagination, passion – to put their trust in Cold Hard Facts. Now faced with a loveless marriage and a life devoid of dreams, Louisa has begun to wonder – has something inside her been maimed? In Stephen Jeffreys’ whirlwind adaptation of Dickens’ saga – crowded with eccentric circus performers, shrewd businessmen, cunning widows, and downtrodden workers – we find that even in the darkest industrial landscape, honesty, loyalty, joy, and love abound…and the human heart will not be silenced forever. The Pearl at New York City Center: Stage II. Previews begin February 5, opens February 14, closes March 28.

A LIE OF THE MIND
Blinded by jealousy and rage, Jake believes he may have murdered his wife. While seeking refuge in the home of his abusively unstable mother, his brother Frankie goes to investigate and finds himself caught in the confusing currents of revenge and longing. Directed by Ethan Hawke. The New Group at the Acorn Theatre. Previews begin January 29, opens February 18, closes March 20.

MAZELTOV COCKTAIL
Serving up laughs with the absurdities we tell ourselves to get through the hard times, Mazeltov Cocktail follows a Jewish woman as she juggles her job as a personal assistant, her cocaine addicted (and recently jailed) brother and the neurotic parents who spawned them. A veteran of the Comedy Central Stage and Second City, Jamie M. Fox stars in this solo dark comedy. McGinn/Cazale Theatre. Now in previews, opens February 3, closes February 20.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE
William Shakespeare's dark comedy Measure for Measure presents a society out of balance. Government leaders are helpless or hypocritical, and passions are relegated to the whorehouses and the prisons. Corrupt power confronts ruthless justice, the letter of the law obscures the quality of mercy, and the noblest of spirits must reflect on the basest of appetites in this sly, bawdy, provocative and extraordinarily modern play. Theatre for a New Audience at The Duke on 42nd Street. Previews begin February 6, opens February 14, closes March 14.

MR. & MRS. FITCH
Meet gossip columnists Mr. and Mrs. Fitch (Tony Award-winners John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle). When the social circuit no longer provides juicy morsels, they find that great celebrity can appear out of thin air. Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane's (The Little Dog Laughed, Xanadu) wicked new comedy is a scathing look at who is in, who is out and who may not even exist at all. Second Stage Theatre. Now in previews, opens February 22, closes April 4.

THE PRIDE
Oliver, Philip, and Sylvia are caught in a kind of erotic time warp. Their complex love triangle, replete with conflicting loyalties and passions, jumps from 1958 to the present and back in a maelstrom of fantasy, repression and rebellion in this innovative new drama. After taking London by storm last season in an Olivier Award-winning production, The Pride now makes its American premiere, directed by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello, and starring four of Britain's most acclaimed young actors, Hugh Dancy, Adam James, Andrea Riseborough and Ben Whishaw. MCC Theater at The Lucille Lortel Theatre. Now in previews, opens February 16, closes March 20.

SIGNS OF LIFE
In Prague, on the eve of World War II, art student Lorelei Schumann has the world at her feet. But her whole life changes in an instant when she is sent with her friends and family to Theresienstadt, Hitler's "City for the Jews," where her survival depends upon her participation in the Nazi propaganda effort. She risks her life to tell the truth and discovers who she is as a woman, a Jew, and an artist. This new musical is the true story of love, defiance, and the power of art. AMAS Musical Theatre at Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the Westside YMCA. Previews begin February 16, opens February 25, closes March 21.

THE TEMPERAMENTALS
Critics hail The Temperamentals as intelligent, political, witty, moving, wise, and most importantly, entertaining. It tells the story of a group of courageous men who joined together to build the Mattachine Society, the first gay rights organization in the United States. The play features the intimate and complex relationship between Harry Hay (Thomas Jay Ryan) and young fashion designer Rudy Gernreich (Michael Urie), set against the backdrop of 1950’s Hollywood and the McCarthy era. New World Stages. Previews begin February 18, opens February 28, closes May 19.

YANK!
A new musical set during World War II, Yank! chronicles the romantic relationship between two servicemen long before don't-ask-don't-tell was part of the national discussion. With a lively score inspired by the pop sounds of the 1940s, Yank! captures the spirit and exuberance of the era even as it explores questions of prejudice, courage and survival. It tells the story of Stu—a photographer for Yank magazine—and Mitch, an Army Private, who fall in love and struggle to survive in a time and place where the odds are stacked against them. The York Theatre Company at The Theatre at St. Peter's Church. Previews begin February 16, opens February 24, closes March 21.