Displaying items by tag: chicago theatre

There was only one star of the Cubs-Diamondback series this past weekend in Chicago and it wasn’t a player. It was a pigeon who spent a sleepy seven innings strutting along the third base line to the delight of cameramen and Cubs fans. Who can blame the cameraman panning in on the funny looking bird when our beloved Cubbies couldn’t manage to get a player on base let alone to third? At one point fans were telling the team to put let the Pigeon play. But my son cautioned us all: Don’t let the pigeon play baseball. This sentiment was agreed upon by all the children in our section of the stands. The reason was that pigeons think they are old enough, mature enough, talented enough, when in reality they can’t play baseball any more than they could drive a bus and the children had the Mo Willems receipts to prove it. But in a world of Don’ts, particularly involving our fine feathered friends, there is one thing we all should do, and that is seeing the soon to be crowd favorite of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!

Hop on board for an unforgettable ride with the Pigeon in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! In this feather-filled extravaganza based on Mo Willems’ bestselling books, the Pigeon is back and he’s ready to take the stage. When the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers late, the wily bird sees his chance to take the wheel. With an innovative mix of actors, puppets, and feathers, this production brings the beloved characters to life like never before. Featuring a hilarious script co-written by Willems and Mr. Warburton and catchy songs by Deborah Wicks La Puma, this show is perfect for the whole family. Suitable for children ages 4 and up, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is an interactive and joyous experience.

Similar to Willem’s musical adaptation Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!” that premiered at Marriott Theatre in Chicago, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! brings the beloved children’s story about the Pigeon to life, focusing nearly entirely on Drive the Bus, but references Willem’s other Pigeon books such as Stay up Late, Duckling gets a Cookie, Pigeon Wants a Puppy and Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog. Unlike its predecessor, Drive the Bus relied too heavily on the one book for source material. The Pigeon was almost a secondary character behind the bus driver, and duckling hardly made an appearance the whole show. The play lacked a well crafted storyline that could have tied all the beloved books together, relying on overexaggerated bits and gags that had kids rolling in the aisles and some clever quips that adults ostrich chuckled at. What the musical story might lack, Marriott Theatre makes up for in its local talent. Actors and actresses belted out catchy tunes and demonstrated their breathtakingly impressive ranges. The actors make the musical accessible and easy to follow for children of all ages, using the full 360-degree stage to ensure every section of the theatre feels included in the show and can see the Pigeon. While the story might not be as strong or entertaining as the Piggie and Elephant musical, the magic and charm of Mo Willems still shines through and it is well worth the trip to Lincolnshire to delight your kids of all ages.

The Cubs might lose some, but there is plenty of season left. The same cannot be said for this limited run of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!, now playing only through August 11^th at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Maybe the Pigeon shouldn’t drive the bus, but maybe, just maybe, the Cubs shouldn’t discount the Pigeon to be a reserve player for the latter half of the season. Tickets for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! are available at www.marriotttheatre.com.

Every once in a while I think about how lucky I am to live in the Chicagoland. A short drive or train ride away from the third largest US city that boasts more theatres than New York City. On any given night, during any season, one can find multiple theatre options to explore: immersive theatre, comedy, dramas, neighborhood gems, experimental plays, Broadway testers, classics and fan favorites, and never before seen world premiere plays. There is no shortage of good theatre in Chicago. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to see a world premiere of a play that captures the intelligence, wit, humor, and heart of a famous meeting of the minds. Wells And Welles envisions a conversation between two of the most celebrated and notable men in history, Orson Welles and H.G. Wells.

In 1940, the 25-year-old Orson Welles, previously known as a stage and radio actor, had achieved widespread fame for his 1938 radio play adaptation of the novel The War of The Worlds. The show was produced without the participation or even the permission of the novel’s author H.G. Wells, a slight which much angered the novelist. When Wells and Welles happened to be staying in the same San Antonio hotel while on separate lecture tours in October 1940, Welles had an opportunity to meet with Welles and make peace with him.

The world premiere play Wells and Welles by Chicago playwright Amy Crider images what might have been said in a private meeting between the 75-year-novelist, historian, and futurist. The dialogue is sharp and witty, capturing the heart and soul of 1940s US slang and transatlantic accents and gentlemanly British mannerisms and turns-of-phrases. The minimal set offers no distraction for the audience’s eye, relying solely on the delivery and pacing of the actors. Performed by two incredible Chicago actors who look like they embody the famous authors and creators, Pete Blatchford as H.G. Wells and Gerrit Wilford as Orson Welles effortlessly assume their roles, engaging in smart, witty, and sharp theoretical and practical conversations on ownership, creation of legacies and art, science and magic, and what is truly at the heart of every man. Crider does a superb job weaving fact with fiction to envision what these two astounding figures in the humanities would have discussed on the rainy evening in San Antonio. Blatchford and Wilford are so convincing as the famous Wells and Welles that in a moment where real audio is used from the 1940 interview, it takes a moment to register that it is the real broadcast and not reenacted for the play. It's that touch of magic that raises goosebumps on your arm and truly add to the wonderment of the production. 4

It's not every play where two actors can captivate an audience for 90 minutes and make it feel like it wasn’t long enough. It’s also not every day you can see a world premiere of a play that will no doubt be picked up by theatre companies across the country. It is well worth your time to see Wells And Welles and experience this world premiere production. In a time where the real war of the worlds could be happening any day now and radio is now what we stream, don’t miss your chance to see this incredible play.

Wells And Welles runs through August 11^th at Lucid Theater Company at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue on the second floor of the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.

100 days of summer. The unofficial Chicago holiday season between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a local challenge to get out and experience all the city has to offer from 1:20 games at Wrigley to concerts on Northerly Island, festivals, fairs, and everything in between. I can think of no better way to savor these fleeting days than spending an evening with Savor After Hours.

Savor After Hours is a decadent and artistic showcase of dance pairing beautifully choreographed numbers akin to a delicious glass of wine.Created, written, and directed by Mark Swanhart, Savor After Hours features a cast of exceptionally talented dancers, led by former dancing with the stars dancers, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, his wife, Jenna Johnson-Chmerkovski, and his brother, Maksim Chmerkovski. Artem Chigvintsev, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov, Allie Meizner, Jack Moore, Jalen Forward, Kayli Johnston, Kenidee Allen and Olivia Cava round out the intimate ensemble dance crew, and invite you to sit and savor the art of dance in the intimate Broadway playhouse. Like a good glass of wine they help you forget about the noise and bustling of Michigan Avenue only steps away.

The show is like a well-choreographed wine tasting, there is something for everyone. Those seeking bold flavors, there are spicy Latin tango sequences filled with passion and romance. For those with a sweet tooth, there are delicate contemporary dances with achingly long lines that pull taut on your heartstrings. From intimate tangos, quick hitting jives, sensual merengues, and cute and playful two steps, your eyes will feast and your blood will be pumping as you move from pairing to pairing, savoring each delectable dance and coupling. With beautifully choreographed routines coupled with exceptional lighting and incredible music, Savor After Hours goes down as smooth as summer wine.

100 days of summer are fast moving, so take a break from the heat to savor this delicetable show. Savor After Hours runs through Aug. 18 at the Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut St. Tickets are available at www.broadwayinchicago.com.

There is something timeless and lasting about 1920s and 1930s jazz. The lively tunes and sultry tempos defined an era and resonates throughout every aspect of our culture from movies and cinema, music and radio, and to literature and theatre. I jumped at the opportunity to revisit the art-deco, jazz-fueled era to see The Fats Waller Musical Show, Ain’t Misbehavin.’

The incomparable Drury Lane in Oakbrook transports us back to the 1930s to celebrate the music of Grammy Hall of Fame American jazz pianist Thomas “Fats” Waller and the vibrant spirit of the Harlem Renaissance. Set in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood in 1939 Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fates Waller Musical Show is a non-stop party, featuring over 30 numbers with including “Honeysuckle Rose,” “The Joint is Jumping,” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” and of course “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” With a live pianist, a four-piece brass band, and an incredible cast of talented singers and dancers, you’ll lose yourself in the irresistible rhythms and soulful melodies that defined an era of musical brilliance. From sultry ballads to upbeat swing numbers, come to Ain’t Misbehavin’ for an evening of unparalleled entertainment where you’ll find yourself swaying and humming along to the enduring melodies from the legendary Fats Waller.

Coming into the play I was expecting one of two things. The first that this was going to be about the life of Fats Waller in the same way Tina Turner: The Musical or Beautiful: The Carol King Musical is. As the show started with the cast engaging the audience in the same style speakeasies and clubs allowed in the 1920s and 30s, I started to think the show was more like Choir of Man, more of a journey or a snapshot in time. But Ain’t Misbehavin’ takes a different approach entirely, one that this author hopes to see more theatre like it. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is an auditory and visual time capsule come to life. What it lacks in a narrative, it makes up for in pure enjoyment of the soulful music that defined an era and paved the way for modern jazz.  Director E. Faye Butler, a native Chicagoan and Southside resident surrounded by the beauty of the architecture and music of the Bronzeville neighborhood, says it best, “I wanted to bring a bit of history through the music of Fats Waller to the Drury Lane audience. Although Fats’ music was primarily written and performed in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance period, that same spirit and music was happening right here in Bronzeville at clubs where Fats performed, such as Club DeLisa, The Cabin Inn, The Regal Theatre, or The Palm Tavern. This was Chicago at its finest in 1939.”

With the exceptional talents of Sharriese Y. Hamilton, James T. Lane, Alanna Lovely, Alexis J. Roston, and Lorenzo Rush Jr., coupled with the music prowess of the Drury Lane Orchestra led by the incomparable William Foster McDaniel, this ensemble will have you jumping out of your seat and dancing in the aisles (or at least feel the urge to).

We’re brought into a world many people might not have experienced or heard about in every day experiences. To truly appreciate this piece you must not approach this show like others you have seen. It’s not a narrative. There is no great story arch. The actors and actresses need your engagement and enthusiasm (respectfully) and want you to interact with them when they signal you to. This is a club after all. Aren’t we all here to have a good time and listen to some incredible music? This is a show celebrating Fats Waller as much as it is celebrating incredible music that will stay with you long after the air raid sirens have gone off and we must once again be on our best behavior as we venture back to our lives. But for a short while, a brief moment in time, we can escape to 1939 Bronzeville where misbehaving is highly encouraged (respectfully).

The Tony-Award Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fates Waller Musical Show revue is directed by E. Faye Butler and runs through Aug 18^th, 2024, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Tickets are available at www.drurylanetheatre.com.

It’s often quoted in reviews that we are unworthy of such beauty or splendor the arts and humanities afford us. The turn of phrase elicits images of Wayne and Garth of Wayne’s World bowing at the feet of Alice Cooper, or a dashing Bridgerton man dropping to a knee at the feet of a lithe debutante to profess his unworthiness of her affections. But in a world that increasingly takes more and more from us, we mere mortals, I challenge that we are worthy. We are worthy of beauty, of art, of the humanities. We are worthy to see the amalgamation of when talented artists bring a work of fiction to a stage, to hear clever prose intermingled with catchy musical numbers, and be visually wowed and transported out of our reality, if only for a few short hours. We are worthy of magic. And magic is precisely what Cadillac Palace Theatre is granting us in Death Becomes Her, the musical, now playing through June 2nd.

(l to r): Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton), Jennifer Simard (Helen Sharp)

Death Becomes Her, hailed as musical comedy revitalized, is a new musical adaptation based on the 1992 Universal Pictures movie of the same name. When a novelist loses her man to a movie star and former friend, she winds up in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, she returns home to confront the now-married couple, looking radiant. Her ex-husband's new wife wants to know her secret and discovers that she has been taking a mysterious, magical potion which grants eternal life to the person who drinks it. The actress follows suit but discovers that immortality has a price in this supernatural, dark comedy. Producer and writer Marco Pennette transformed the play for the theater, which is directed and choreographed by Tony-nominated Christopher Gattelli. Tony Award nominees Jennifer Simard and Megan Hilty take the lead roles as Helen Sharp and Madeline Ashton, the former friends competing for the same man’s affection and finding a solution that is simply to die for. Renowned stage actor Christopher Sieber and millennial’s goddess Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child round out the cast as Dr. Ernest Menville and Viola Van Horn (que thunder and lightning). It’s a dark comedy essential to add to any playbill collection.

Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville)

Few Broadway shows, let alone any play, have had such an illustrious reception in Chicago. The gays, the theys, girlies young and old, allies and kings all donned their best summer theatre attire to attend last night’s performance, all dutifully in their seats the moment the play started with a literal CRASH of magenta-hued thunder. Lightning struck and we were all worthy to be transported to the magical world of New York City to follow the story of best frenemies Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp. For the entire run time of 2 hours and 30 minutes (with a 15-minute intermission), Chicagoans were treated to an artistic cornucopia for the senses. The live orchestra playing catchy tunes, lavish scene and stage designs, alluring and dramatic costume designs, the illusion and fight sequencing, the lighting, the makeup, the sound, the dancing and musical arrangements, the orchestration, every single solitary artistic element left the audience spellbound and awestruck. Brought to life with the incredible talents of the four main cast members, supported by an inclusive, talented, and drop-dead gorgeous ensemble cast, Death Becomes Her is sure to be a powerhouse on the Broadway circuit for decades to come.

The cast of Death Becomes Her

In addition to the production quality and value delivered, what makes this adaptation so flawless is the story itself. The elegant-gothic motifs in Death Becomes Her are timeless and hold up in 2024 just as well as it did in 1992; beautiful women feeling the pressure of unrealistic societal beauty standards and attempting to defy the natural order of aging, friends as fierce rivals and competitors, love triangles, and the desire to remain as we are, to stop time. While Death Becomes Her might not be able to defy gravity, it does stop time for a blissfully fun three hours. And that is pretty damn magical.

Balanced with witty banter, clever one-liners, raunchy humor, and exceptionally timed comedic delivery, Death Becomes Her is exactly the realistic escapism we need in our chaotic world and one we are all supremely worthy to behold. The musical comedy is now playing at The Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph St, Chicago) through June 2nd. Get your tickets today before they magically disappear.

Growing up our radio dial was tuned to one channel, K-Earth 101. In Southern California that station was the oldies, the classics, belting out hits from the 1950s and 60s; Sam Cooke, Buddy Hall, Mel Carter, Peggy Lee, The Ronettes, and so many more artists’ melodies and lyrics that are permanently tattooed on my brain. That music knowledge didn’t particularly help during middle school dances where 13 years olds grinded to The Bad Touch by The Bloodhound Gang but it did provide a solid foundation for an eclectic music playlist I continue to grow and curate today. Thanks to modern music apps we can now not only know the song but who sang it, and more astonishingly who wrote the music and lyrics. It is fascinating to find your favorite artists often wrote and composed songs for other artists, or your favorite songs are written by the same composer or produced by the same producer. It’s another level to musical appreciation that gets to the very heart and soul of the music. Music afficiandos loving to discover the artists behind the music will simply love Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, now playing at The Paramount Theatre. 

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of Carole King, played by Tiffany Topol, and her musical journey and career. Starting out in Brookly we meet a 16-year-old aspiring songwriter in Carolee and journey through her early career composing music at 1650 Broadway for music publisher Donnie Kirshner, played by Ian Paul Custer. When she meets her future husband and lyricist Gerry Goffin, played by C.J. Blaine Eldred, we follow their early marriage and burgeoning careers as they team up to write some of the most iconic and lasting melodies and lyrics from huge 1960s artists like The Drifters and The Shirelles. Carole King’s career was filled with playful rivalries, endearing classics and emotional heartbreak but through it all she managed to see the beauty around her and become an era defining musician and artist and go on to become one of the most successful singer, songwriter and musicians in popular music history. 

First premiering in 2013, this modern musical is unlike any that you have ever seen. Synopsis and summaries about the play and captured in reviews are, in my humble opinion, purposely vague. The beauty of this musical is that it doesn’t have any original numbers nor does it sing-tell the story. Instead the writer Douglas McGrath uses King’s life story along with the music she wrote to show us her life, not tell us. He cleverly teases the music out, not immediately revealing the song, but having King or Goffin's characters slowly unveil the song to us. More satisfying than an unboxing video, the moment the first lyrics are sung or the melody tinkled on the piano keys, there is a collective and satisfying flutter of your heart, a spark in your brain at the recollection of the familiar song. It is made only more incredible as mini concerts within the play are performed by an incredible ensemble cast; The Righteous Brothers, performed by Luke Nowakowski, Matt Thinnes, The Shirelles performed by Marta Bady, Lydia Burke, Ariana Burks, Shelbi Voss, The Drifters, performed by Averis I. Anderson, Corey Barrow, Jared David Michael Grant, Calvin Scott Roberts, the incredibly talented ensemble cast embody the musical legends and perform just as they would have in the 1960s, fully immersing you into the heart and soul of King’s craft and talent. There is also a deep appreciation and respect for Carole King and how much influence she truly had on an entire generation of music, not counting her residual influence throughout her career with other artists. The satisfying, gratifying, and inspiring aspects of King’s life and influence is slowly unveiled to you as the audience and at times you’ll hardly be able to stay seated you’ll want to sing and dance along with the cast. The story telling is superb. It’s a love letter not only to King’s contribution to music but her rivals as well, Cythnia Weil and Barry Mann, played by Rebecca Hurd and Christopher Kale Jones respectively, and the music they all wrote that defined an era. You’ve never seen anything quite like Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. 

Going into this show I did not research Carole King's life story nor her songbook collection. I wanted to go in blind, knowing of the singer-songwriter but not being able to name many of her songs from memory. I had many people tell me what the musical was about and provide a brief summary of what it was about. All of their words failed to truly capture the magic and beauty of this show. I’m afraid my review will also fail to articulate and capture the true essence of the story. This Musical is like a song I must share with you but like a good song you cannot appreciate it until you hear it for yourself, experience it for yourself. If you see one show this summer, take a drive and enjoy the charming city of Aurora. Paramount Theatre is a gorgeous hidden gem nestled within the walkable and charming downtown community. It’s a perfect date night opportunity complete with theatre and live concerts mixed in. Theatre lovers will love the storytelling of the musical and music lovers will rejoice at the familiar melodies, only needing to resist singing along with the timeless classics. One fine day you’re gonna want to check off this musical from your list, don’t miss your chance to do so in 2024.

 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is now playing at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois and runs through June 16^th. Tickets are available at www.paramountaurora.com.

Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. Sometimes you want to be surrounded by people to experience the intimacy of being in public. Lately the types of places where someone could venture to for either experience are dwindling in numbers. It's the loss of third places, a place that is neither your home nor your workplace, but a location to go and experience community. Covid has changed many things but one endearing and lasting desire is for a third place to go for a friendly chat, a drink, or simply to be with people and listen to an incredible soundtrack with original and unique renditions of your favorite songs. There is no better show in Chicago that captures the beauty of the humanities and the need to preserve third spaces more than The Choir of Man, now playing at the Apollo Theatre.

Welcome to The Jungle, we've got fun and heart! The Choir of Man is an uplifting celebration of community and friendship where everyone is welcome. Set in the best pub in the world, a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine hair raising harmonies, foot stomping singalongs, world class tap dance, and poetic meditations on the power of community. Featuring pop, classic rock, folk melodies, and pub anthems from artists such as Adele, Paul Simon, Katy Perry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Luther Vandross and more, The Choir of Man is 90 minutes of feel good entertainment that has something for everyone and is unlike anything else in Chicago.

If Pitch Perfect, Coyote Ugly, and School of Rock had a baby, it still wouldn’t be as fun,genuine, or entertaining as The Choir of Man; it’s a party, it’s a concert, it’s an immersive experience, it’s your neighborhood bar filled with exceptionally talented sings, musicians, and performers. From the moment you walk into the Apollo Theatre you feel welcomed as an old friend, invited to sit and stay for a yarn, to sing, to dance, to party. Like any good evening at the bar, there isn’t a particular storyline or climactic plot. Instead, the ensemble cast share their stories with you and reflect on community and commradery in a post-Covid world where third places are becoming more and more scarce. The performances have an improvisational element to it that plays off and responds to the vibes of the audience, including pulling willing participants onto stage to be serenaded to. The song arrangements include beautiful renditions of favorite songs that challenge the way you view and hear the songs; like “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover,” performed by Shane McDaid accompanied by George Knappe whose tap dancing sequence adds a poetic rhythm and heartbeat to the number; “Some Nights” performed by Benji Lord and the ensemble cast that would rival The Bellas Cups song; or a sad, bittersweet arrangement of Chandelier that gave me goosebumps. Though unlike a good night out at the pub, the cast encourage photos and short videos, asking only that the audience share the good ones. The level of familiarity and inclusiveness The Choir of Man sets is a love letter to community, to friends, to family, and to those third spaces that allow us to come together to sing, dance, tell stories, or simply just be together. 

The Choir of Man was made for a city like Chicago, capturing the bittersweetness of a bygone era. With beautiful and original song arrangements, a welcoming and immersive atmosphere, and a captivating and engaging ensemble cast, this show will sure to be top your 2024 favorites list. Like the fleetingness of a Chicago Spring, The Choir of Man is only here in town for a short engagement. So grab a pint, sit for a spell, and at closing time remember you don't have to go home but you can't stay there. 

The Choir of Man is now playing through May 26th, 2024 at the Apollo Theater at 2550 N Lincoln Ave, grab a pint and your tickets before closing time.

*Extended to July 14th!

He’s everyone’s favorite optimistic sponge—and he has his own musical. Kokandy Productions' SpongeBob the Musical at the Chopin Theatre is the perfect family summer night out, or the perfect night out for any fan of Nickelodeon’s lovable Bikini Bottom characters.

With bright, colorful costumes and staging, this show is busy and fun to look at. All the blue fringe hanging from the ceiling makes you feel like you’re under the sea, and the costumes invoke the well loved cartoon characters while keeping the looks original and interesting.

(left to right) Frankie Leo Bennett, Sarah Patin, andIsabel Cecilia Garcíai nKokandy Productions’ The SpongeBob Musical. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Living in a pineapple under the sea has never been more stressful. SpongeBob and his friends, the dim-witted Patrick Starr and the bright-witted Sandy Cheeks, take on a volcano that’s about to erupt and threaten Bikini Bottom’s very existence. They get help (and hindrance) from their friends and frenemies, like SpongeBob’s boss Mr. Krabbs and his daughter Pearl, his eternally cranky neighbor Squidward, the Krusty Krabb’s nemesis Plankton and his personified computer wife Karen, plus ever-changing ensembles of other fan favorite background characters from the cartoon.

Normally known for their darker productions, like last year's Sweeney Todd, Kokandy Productions instead brings a bright, colorful, child-friendly story to the stage this summer. But like many of their other productions, there is a high level of inventiveness and physicality in the props and costumes. Directed by JD Caudill, Kokandy's SpongeBob the Musical is an energetic and animated production.

And a lot of that energy comes from the cast, with Frankie Leo Bennett as a lovable and quirky SpongeBob, Sarah Patin as a self-assured Sandy, and Isabel Cecilia Garcia as a dopey but well-intentioned Patrick.

(front, center) Quinn Rigg with (back, left to right) David Lipschultz, QuinnSimmons, Shane Roberie, Maddison Denault, Nicky Mendelsohn, Kelcy Taylorand, TommyBullington inKokandy Productions’ The SpongeBob Musical. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Though the entire cast from the stars to the ensemble are great, my personal favorite is Quinn Rigg as Squidward. Maybe it’s just that as I’ve gotten older I have more of an affinity for the character's cynicism, but Rigg impeccably pulls off the cartoon squid in human form—and even channels John Mulaney. Or maybe Squidward has always sounded like John Mulaney and this show just made me realize it. 

We all know and love SpongeBob, but what about the music? Instead of one composer or a composer + lyricist duo, the score of this show was written by a slew of famous artists, but not reusing their songs in a jukebox musical way. The songs are original, and each one is written by a different artist. There are songs by Panic! at the Disco, Sara Bareilles, T.I., Plain White T’s, David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, Yolanda Adams, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, and more. So, whether you like the music will depend on what genre(s) of music you like. It takes you from pop to rap to folk to electronic.

It’s a wild ride.

SpongeBob the Musical is playing through September 3, 2023 at The Chopin Theatre. Tickets available at Eventbrite.

Grease has always been, first and foremost, a stage show. And while the 1978 movie with John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John is what lives on in pop culture (as it should), Grease arguably works better on the stage, and this version should get more credit.

Drury Lane Theatre’s production directed by Paul Stancato captures the high school of it all—and the 1950s of it all—in a way the film doesn’t. While the film primarily focuses on the love story between Danny and Sandy, the stage show gives near equal time to all the guys and girls in the group, giving the audience a snapshot of an entire high school class with a range of personalities, quirks, and levels of delinquency.

The story is one we're familiar with: boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy fights to win her back. But in Grease, it's wrapped up in a 1950s bow, complete with greasers, bobby socks, and early rock 'n' roll melodies. And with the structure of the story and songs in the stage version, more of the ‘50s songs are featured as solos throughout, like Marty’s “Freddy My Love” she sings with the girls as backup at their sleepover, and “Those Magic Changes” sung by Doody and the other teens on the bleachers. In the movie, these songs are crammed into the dance scene with Sha-Na-Na singing them in the background. Onstage, they get to be full-fledged moments.

Cast of Grease at Drury Lane Theatre. Photo by Brett Beiner Photography.

Led by Jake DiMaggio Lopez as Danny and Emily Schultheis as Sandy, the Drury Lane cast brings energy and spectacular voices to the musical we know and love. Standouts of the cast for me, besides the two leads, were Alina Taber as a snarky but surprisingly vulnerable Rizzo, who finally breaks her cool girl veneer in her act two song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”, and Billy Rude as Kenickie, who can be described in much the same way, playing the tough guy most of the time but the production giving him moments of more raw emotion.

The sets and costumes also shine, with 1950s high school hangouts like the diner, the bleachers, and teenage girls' bedrooms portrayed vibrantly through backdrops and set pieces. And the costumes felt realistic for the time period with, like the sets, a dash of bright cartoon-y-ness to match the energy of the score.

Billy Rude and Alina Taber in Grease. Photo by Brett Beiner Photography.

Stancato says in his director's note in the program that he wanted to bring together the grit and realness of the original Grease with the polish and flash of the movie. I think this production does just that. It acknowledges the audience's love for the movie while respecting the edginess of the original 1971 stage version (which, interestingly enough, premeried in Chicago—where Drury Lane's production is set).

If you like Grease the movie, this show is a must-see.

Grease is playing at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace through June 4, 2023. Tickets available by phone at (630) 530-0111 or at drurylanetheatre.com.

You’d think that a 1956 musical about a man who doesn’t like women all that much and the woman who lets him refine and control her wouldn’t hold up in 2022 (especially in light of the recent Roe v. Wade reversal which gives women far less control over their bodies and lives), but surprisingly for that very reason, it does.

Lerner and Lowe’s classic stage musical My Fair Lady — based on the 1913 George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion — tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young flower seller with a thick Cockney accent that all but requires subtitles, and Henry Higgins, an exacting phonetics scholar obsessed with the English language and its various dialects. When he proposes that he could make coarse, street urchin Eliza passable as a duchess within six months, Eliza is intrigued. She shows up at his home asking for speech lessons so she can learn to speak “more genteel” and get hired at a proper flower shop. Thus begins the fraught relationship between Eliza and Henry, their days filled with vowel exercises and an inordinate amount of yelling.

Laird Mackintoshas Professor Henry Higgins andShereen Ahmedas Eliza Doolittle in The LincolnCenter Theater Production of Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady

This 2022 tour of the 2018 Broadway revival features a well-rounded cast, a fantastic orchestra, and gorgeous, lush sets and costumes. Shereen Ahmed in the title role is beautiful, endearing, and sympathetic as Eliza; she’s easy to root for. And she’s done an impressive job mastering Eliza’s uncouth Cockney as well as her polished English accent that first breaks through in the song “The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plain”. Her counterpart Henry Higgins, played by Laird Mackintosh, is often infuriating with his condescension but reveals enough vulnerability to show he’s capable of being changed by Eliza as much as she is by him.

If you’ve never seen My Fair Lady onstage or the 1964 film starring Audrey Hepburn, you’re still likely to recognize one or two of its songs. “On the Street Where You Live” has been ubiquitously covered, and “I Could Have Danced All Night” is easily the musical’s most recognizable song. Other notable numbers include “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”. There really isn’t a bad song in the show. 

Throughout the production, there’s some subtle birdcage imagery: First, we see that one of Eliza’s few prized possessions is an empty birdcage, and second, the elaborate set for a ballroom scene where Eliza first makes her debut as a high-society lady showcases outlines of peacocks outside of empty birdcages. As Henry suggests at the start of the story, Eliza’s lower-class dialect has held her back in life, trapped her where she is. She’s a woman of wit, charm, beauty, and street smarts, but 1913 London society can’t look past her unpolished appearance or hear past her unrefined, loose-voweled accent. Learning to speak “properly” sets her free, opening her up to worlds she never would have been allowed into before.

Kevin Pariseauas Colonel Pickering,Laird Mackintoshas Professor Henry Higgins andShereenAhmedas Eliza Doolittle in The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady

Though Henry’s lessons enrich Eliza’s life, his treatment of her, especially in the first half of the show, is undeniably harsh. In fact, he seems to have a problem with women as a whole. In one of his songs, “I’m an Ordinary Man”, he rants about women’s fickleness and sentimentality, repeating the line, “I will never let a woman in my life”.  I wasn’t sure how audiences would react to this song or the character of Henry Higgins in 2022. 

But as I said, My Fair Lady surprisingly holds up. Because we view the story through a different lens now. In the 50s, they likely laughed with the man and his exasperation with an insufferable woman, and in 2022, we laugh at the man’s outdated ideals — not to mention the woman’s exasperation with the insufferable man.

My Fair Lady is playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre at 151 W Randolph St. through July 10, 2022. Tickets are available at BroadwayInChicago.com or by entering the daily ticket lottery.