Friday, 23 August 2024 11:25
'Network' at Invictus Theatre Co. is one fun, funny, exciting show
Written by Bill Esler
“Network” at Invictus Theatre Co. is one fun, funny, exciting show. In this full-throttle Chicago debut at the WIndy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road, we get a powerhouse rendering of Lee Hall’s script. Adapted to the stage in 2017 for a London production from the Oscar-winning 1976 screenplay by…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 15 August 2024 17:02
Bringing 1988 Back: Back to the Future: The Musical at Cadillac Palace Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
Like the waves lapping along the shores of Lake Michigan, there is another wave that is hitting Chicago; a nostalgia wave. From high waisted jeans, bold neon colors, even scrunchies and side ponytails, the 1980s are riding high in Chicagoland. But it isn’t just Chicago. In the 2020s, the currents…
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Theatre Reviews
Sunday, 11 August 2024 14:26
Paramount Theatre’s PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is Filled with Magic and Wonder
Written by Lauren Katz
It’s dark on the Neverland ship, and Molly, Prentis, Ted, and Boy are hiding in a corner – waiting for the coast to clear. As they huddle and watch, the four begin talking about dreams. All have experienced their fair share of hardships, but for the briefest moment, they look…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 13 August 2024 10:50
REVIEW: SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE BY 4 CHAIRS THEATRE
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
We are all lucky that we’ve gotten to live at the same time and in the same timeline as Stephen Sondheim, possibly the most influential and important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. From his most popular musicals — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Into the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 31 July 2024 10:17
Steep Theatre’s A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD Is Full of Heartfelt Layer Upon Layer
Written by Lauren Katz
Keith (Debo Balogun) and Ryan (Nate Faust) sit in their rolling chairs in the middle of Keith’s office. The lighting is highly florescent, and the two are discussing Ryan’s current status and ability to convince a bank to give him a loan. Tension is high, and with Ryan’s desperation only…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 28 July 2024 14:30
Spend an evening in Middle Earth - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: A MUSICAL TALE at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Sarz Maxwell
I first read JRR Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, when I was eleven; since then I have reread the entire story almost every year. My birthday is September 22, same as Bilbo and Frodo. The quote [NOT that of the One Ring!] tattooed on my arm is in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- The Lord of the Rings
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Middle Earth
- Paul Hart
- The Yard
- Navy Pier
- Edward Hall
- Kimberly Motes
- Will James Jr
- Tom Amandes
- Eileen Doan
- Ben Mathew
- Michael Kurowski
- Rick Hall
- Spencer Davis Milford
- Tony Bozzuto
- Justin Albinder
- Ian Maryfield
- Matthew C Yee
- Jeff Parker
- Alina Taber
- Lauren Zakrin
- Suzanne Hannau
- Frodo
- Bilbo
- Gandolph
- Gollum
- Musical
Monday, 22 July 2024 21:48
In a World of Don’ts, Do: See ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!’
Written by Kendall Royzen
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…
Published in
Theatre
Monday, 22 July 2024 21:29
Well Worth It: Wells And Welles Premieres in Chicago
Written by Kendall Royzen
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…
Published in
Theatre
Sunday, 21 July 2024 17:51
A Young Man Reckons With Middle Passage, and his Family, in ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’
Written by Bill Esler
Pegasus Theatre’s “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” is a family drama with plenty of comedic overtones. Director ILesa Duncan relies on very strong performances by Maya Abram as Mom, the whirling core of the family, along with David Goodloe as a deadpan Dad, to center the show in the Jones…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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When one first thinks of improvised comedy (and perhaps this is an unfair assumption), the mind immediately jumps to the image of a group of extremely energetic and theatrical actors, running onto the stage and asking the audience for a suggestion. From the start, TJ and Dave’s take on long-form…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Saturday, 13 July 2024 11:16
Stop and Savor the Moment; Savor After Hours Sizzles at Broadway Playhouse
Written by Kendall Royzen
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…
Published in
Theatre
Thursday, 11 July 2024 15:10
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Rocks Anew at The Den
Written by Betsy Schmitt
You might think that a rock musical featuring a genderqueer, hard-rockin’ and brokenhearted performer born on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall and the recipient of a sex-change operation gone horribly wrong might not be the show for you. But you would be making a big mistake. Hedwig and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 10 July 2024 12:39
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" Enchants at The Goodman Theatre
Written by Wesley David
“Truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder” Jim Williams The Goodman Theatre has conjured a spellbinding spectacle with the world premiere musical adaptation of John Berendt's captivating "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Tony Award winning Director Rob Ashford masterfully weaves together a tapestry of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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A Night to Remember Aboard Marriott Theatre’s Titanic
Written by CJ BurroughsAs a lifelong aficionado of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic, I’ve always gravitated toward any experience that would leave me feeling immersed in that famous moment of an era that nobody any of us knows anymore is alive to… -
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Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces cast for its revival of Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery
Written by Buzz Center StagePegasus Theatre Chicago and Director ILesa Duncan proudly announce the casting for the revival of playwright Shay Youngblood's Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, which follows "Daughter", who returns home to eulogize the last of the women who raised her in 1960s Georgia. Shakin' the Mess Outta…
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Steppenwolf Theatre Announces LookOut's Summer 2025 Season
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf's LookOut Series is pleased to announce its action-packed summer lineup of comedy, magic, storytelling, drag and more! The Summer 2025 Season includes captivating solo works from some of Chicago's most accomplished storytellers; showcases of comedy, theatre and puppetry artists; and a…
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