Thursday, 24 August 2017 10:33
Review: "Trevor the Musical" at Writers Theatre
Written by Kimberly Katz
"Trevor the Musical" tells the tale of a beautiful young boy in the 1970's who is just discovering his love of choreography and dance. He is also lovesick for an older boy in his school during a time when same sex relationships were not as socially acceptable or acknowledged as…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 26 August 2017 00:47
Chad Deity, a Manly Send-up of Pro Wrestling, Asks How We Choose Our Villains
Written by Bill Esler
Kristoffer Diaz’s “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” is getting a knock-out revival by Red Theater. Named for the colorfully staged, and bombastic entrances of professional wrestlers - with costumes, smoke, lights, confetti, and plenty of trash-talking put-downs of their rivals to rile up the audience - pro wrestling is…
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Theatre in Review
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Machinal refers to an automated or mechanical system. Sophie Treadwell's 1929 play "Machinal" takes its styling from this theme. Directed by Jacob Harvey, Greenhouse Theater Center brings this work back to Chicago for the first time in many years. Maybe not as well known as Lillian Hellman, but Sophie Treadwell…
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Theatre in Review
As a cook and a big fan of Ina Garten, I was excited to see “The Food Show” on opening night by The Neo-Futurists theatre. The main plot of the story is about family, which is brilliantly defined through cooking. Rather than hold the show at the Neo-Futurium, there was…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 28 July 2017 16:53
"They're Playing Our Song" Watching Two Neurotic Musical Prodigies Try to Stay In Love
Written by Kimberly Katz
I was very happy to see Brown Paper Box Company put together this once hugely successful romantic comedy by Neil Simon, which played on Broadway for four years with music and book by Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager. Produced, directed and choreographed by Daniel Spagnuolo, this semi-autographical piece about…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 27 July 2017 18:12
Review: An American in Paris at Oriental Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
‘S wonderful. “An American in Paris” was the surprise hit of 2015 on Broadway. It is of course the stage adaptation of Vincent Minnelli’s 1951 Best Picture winner of the same name. With familiar songs by George and Ira Gershwin, it would be hard not to be charmed. To appreciate…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 23 July 2017 18:06
Cirque du Soleil's "LUZIA" is playful, colorful and romantic
Written by Vika Lvova
In the Chicago premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s 38th original production, LUZIA (a combination of two Spanish words, luz (light) and lluvia (rain)) transcends the audiences into a lucid dream, an imaginary world of Mexico. Based on traditional Mexican culture, this Big Top show reflects back on the beautiful country…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 20 July 2017 21:37
The Tin Woman, A Moving Play About the Value of Having a Heart
Written by Kimberly Katz
Playwright Sean Grennan’s latest work is based on a true story about a successful heart transplant that occurs between two very different people who meet briefly and then go on to complete each other's lives without meeting in this world again. Joy, played realistically and with dry humor by the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 18 July 2017 06:40
First Folio's "As You Like It" is outdoor theatre at its best
Written by Ken Payne
Gentle breezes, crickets chirping (or whatever that sound is they make), and comfortably warm summer nights. We're here. And knowing it won't last forever, Chicagoans certainly relish the summer months, making the most of each balmy evening. And, you know it’s July when Shakespeare comes alive under the stars at…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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With “HIR” by Taylor Mac, Steppenwolf Theatre continues its legacy of pushing relevant and sometimes uncomfortable topics onto its audiences. Directed by Hallie Gordon, this is the Chicago premiere of Mac’s acclaimed 2015 Off-Broadway hit. This vivid production is sure to unsettle some subscribers, but that’s the point. Mac’s script…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 09 July 2017 09:51
'The Bridges of Madison County" A Romantic Musical that Warms the Heart and Soul
Written by Kimberly Katz
If you haven't seen the film version of “The Bridges of Madison County” starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, do not fear - the musical adaptation for the stage is full of beautiful songs and choreography that make this production a whole different animal than the 1995 movie and 1992…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 11 July 2017 21:29
In Masterful Production of O’Neill’s Ah Wilderness, Niall Cunningham Is the Wunderkind
Written by Bill Esler
In Ah Wilderness, Eugene O’Neill tackles the emotional struggles of an upper middle class family, with sibling rivalries and marital and romantic dynamics that ring true today. Goodman Theatre’s current production struck gold, however, with Niall Cunningham - he's a TV star of Life in Pieces - in the lead…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 02 July 2017 17:38
"The Gin Game" Delivers Powerful Message for Seniors with Top Notch Acting by Two Chicago Greats
Written by Kimberly Katz
If you saw "The Gin Game", a timely play about the coming together of two lonely but feisty seniors at a run-down nursing home, when you were younger - you should see it again now at Drury Lane. John Reeger and Paula Scrofano, a long-time married couple who met at…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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