Saturday, 20 April 2019 16:34
The Music and the Mirror: Porchlight's ‘A Chorus Line’
Written by CJ Burroughs
The first time I saw ‘A Chorus Line’ was when I worked backstage for a touring production while I was in college. Perhaps it was my youth, or perhaps it was the fact that I was in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the fit and fabulous cast,…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 14 April 2019 12:09
'Cambodian Rock Band' at Victory Gardens Theatre an entertaining tribute to human resilience
Kerstin Broockmann
Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band begins and ends with music, not what Americans think of when they think of Cambodia, as the glib narrator points out, shifting from slides of musicians whose songs are nearly lost to history to more familiar images of the genocide that resulted in their loss.…
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Theatre in Review
If you follow the Chicago theater scene, you’ve likely heard about local playwright Ike Holter. His Rightlynd series has been appearing in near rapid succession at various theatre companies around town. The Rightlynd saga concludes its seven-play series at the Goodman in a new play called 'Lottery Day'. Accomplished local…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 April 2019 17:05
Djembe! The Show a unique and highly satisfying experience
Written by Ron Reis
Rhythm is an essential part of life. We wouldn’t exist without it. It all starts with your heart beat. That is the origin of rhythm really. And Djembe! The Show at Apollo Theater is all about the rhythm – and it’s informative. I really enjoyed learning how the djembe was…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 13:09
PINOCCHIO gets a makeover in House Theatre’s new production
Written by Vika Lvova
In the newly re-imagined Pinocchio, the House Theatre has done what it does best: bring out a childhood favorite and give it a fabulous makeover. Directed by Company Member Chris Mathews, Carlo Collodi’s classic tale is taken on a wild ride (adapted for the stage by Joseph Steakley and Ben…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 03 April 2019 23:05
'Jersey Boys' tour stops at Auditorium Theatre - A Passionate and Romantic Night of Great Music
Written by Kimberly Katz
This was my first time seeing any production of ‘Jersey Boys’ and I was so taken by the music and drama of the show I went to see it again closing night - and I'm so glad I did! I learned so much about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 06 April 2019 01:06
Small World is Loaded With Laughs, Despite a Few Rough Edges
Written by Bill Esler
If you remember the terrible Disneyland song, “Small World,”with its annoying refrain “ It’s a small world after all,” don’t let that stop you from seeing Small World at The Den Theater. Based on what many would call Disneyland’s most inspid attraction, this play embraces the audience as ticketholders embarking…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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As America watches a college admissions scandal unfold in the headlines, Theatre Wit opens a revival of Joshua Harmon's early 2018 play, "Admissions". First produced at the Lincoln Center last winter, Harmon's play was definitely on to something broiling in suburban American life. This remount was announced long before the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 31 March 2019 11:12
Find That Emotion You’ve Been Missing in the Delightful Melancholy Play
Written by Bill Esler
After one sees Sarah Ruhl’s comedy, Melancholy Play: A Contemporary Farce, one will doubtless ask: Why has melancholy gone out of vogue, just when we need it so? Melancholy is an emotional condition, like the vapors and neurasthenia, that has simply fallen out of fashion. When one is both inconsolably sad…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 28 March 2019 12:53
Review: 'Afterglow' at Pride Arts Center, The Buena
Written by John Accrocco
Is monogamy dead? S. Asher Gelman's "Afterglow" makes an interesting case for and against it. David Zak directs the Chicago premiere at Pride Films and Plays. "Afterglow" ran off-Broadway for over a year in 2017 to rave reviews. Josh (Rich Holton) and Alex (Jacob Barnes) are a married gay couple…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 29 March 2019 02:19
Darkly Thrilling and Laced With Mystery, A Number Keeps You on the Edge
Written by Bill Esler
A Number is an elegant, fully enthralling thought piece by one of Britain’s greatest playwrights, Caryl Churchill. Just over an hour long, it is relentlessly intriguing, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you follow the unfolding story - first in bits and pieces, then building to a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 25 March 2019 15:32
Catch the Wave! Handbag's 'Poseidon!' wins in every way
Written by Ken Payne
Nothing beats celebrating New Year’s Eve like being a on ship that capsizes just after the countdown. The 1972 film that features Gene Hackman, Shelly Winters, Red Buttons, and Ernest Borgnine is just that. When a cruise ship capsizes, surviving passengers are forced to travel upwards from floor to floor…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 25 March 2019 13:02
Review: 'For Colored Girls/Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf' at Court Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
Some theatre is so unique that it defies genre, or even creates its own. 'For Colored Girls/Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf' by Notzake Shange is considered a choreopoem, a first and only of its kind to appear on Broadway. This pivotal work debuted on Broadway in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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