Friday, 11 March 2016 11:17
42nd Street: Come and Enjoy Those Dancing Feet
Written by Michelle Reidy
The curtain rises about two and a half feet, revealing the iconic image of fifty or so legs clad in tap shoes of every color of the rainbow. And with that, the tap dancing spectacle of 42nd Street begins with an exciting, energy-packed dance number as Broadway hopefuls dance their…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 11 March 2016 10:14
The New Sincerity at Theater Wit Is Clever, Honest and Very Funny
Written by Kimberly Katz
Filled with clever and rapid-fire dialogue exchanges, The New Sincerity is a fast-moving comedy written by Alena Smith, one of the nation’s top young, up and coming women writers. The play’s title is explained well in its press release - "Erudites among us know "New Sincerity" is an actual term…
Published in
Theatre in Review
You know it's been a strong performance when you find yourself cringing in your seat from the action onstage. Just such an evening I had watching Irish Theater of Chicago's In a Little World of Our Own. This play by Gary Mitchell set during the Irish "Troubles" premiered in 1998,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
In Strawdog Theatre’s final performance at the popular northside theatre bar, Hugen Hall, we are presented with Elizabeth Lovelady’s world premiere adaptation of Rudolph Mate’s film noir thriller D.O.A. Intrigue is the name of the game in this whodunit and audience members are kept guessing to the end. When Frank…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 06 March 2016 15:41
Trip the Light Fantastic: A Modern Dance Super Hero Saga
Written by Michelle Reidy
Have you ever wondered what would happen if a group of washed up superheroes decided to put their powers to use in a new way – a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the world in a slightly less fantastic way? And, what if they were modern dancers? Well so did…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 06 March 2016 21:24
Minority Report Meets 12 Angry Men in The Compass at Steppenwolf
Written by Bill Esler
The Compass, a powerful Steppenwolf for Young Adult premiere, concerns an Entrepreneur (Tim Hopper) who has launched the Compass app, a seemingly harmless and fanciful social media tool aimed at saving users the nuisance of worrying over minor decisions, like which shirt to wear today. Trouble ensues, however, when Marjan,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 06 March 2016 10:19
Those Sensational Soulful 60's A Fitting Tribute That Truly Inspires
Written by Ken Payne
Black Ensemble Theater does it again, and by that I mean provides a thoroughly engaging and inspirational experience, this time with their latest production Those Sensational Soulful 60’s. Beautifully written and directed by the talented Jackie Taylor, Soulful 60’s takes a peek at the heyday of Motown music featuring music…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 25 February 2016 11:47
Romeo and Juliet, So Romantic it Will Make You Want to Fall in Love Again
Written by Kimberly Katz
On the 400th year anniversary of William Shakespeare's death Lyric Opera of Chicago appropriately chose to commemorate the famed playwright’s life by putting on an outstanding production of Romeo and Juliet. Helping to make this such a special piece of operatic theatre, Joseph Calleja and Susanna Phillips as the tragically…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 26 February 2016 14:18
If/Then: Will Leave You Asking "What If...?"
Written by Michelle Reidy
If/Then is a contemporary musical that deals with the challenging question of “What if…?”. Through powerful singing and dynamic staging, it tells us two parallel stories of Elizabeth, a divorcee moving back to New York City after many years away. One day, in Madison Square Park, she has to make…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 27 February 2016 19:43
Neo-Futurists' Pop Waits: Electrifying As It Is Stimulating
Written by Ken Payne
Pop Waits, currently being performed at the Neo-Futurarium, is a smart and innovative production that takes audience members on a journey into the psyche of rock stars Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. Co-created by Molly Brennan and Malic White, the two are also featured in this well-written play/musical, each giving…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 23 February 2016 19:17
Hilariously Stupefying - Marc Salem's Mind Over Chicago
Written by Ken Payne
Kinesics. As defined in the programs that are handed out at Marc Salem’s Mind Over Chicago, kinesics is a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (such as blushes, shrugs, or eye movement) and communication. In other words, Marc Salem knows when you are lying despite what might…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 15 February 2016 17:38
Far from Heaven: When Does Marriage Meet A Dead End?
Written by Kimberly Katz
This excellent stage production of the 2013 musical Far from Heaven was based on Todd Haynes‘ 2002 motion picture of the same name. Far from Heaven is set in 1957 Hartford, Connecticut, well before the advent of the sexual revolution. Cathy Whitaker played by Summer Naomi Smart discovers that her…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It's hard to make popcorn look unappetizing, but "The Flick" succeeds. Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize winning play, begs the question, are you actually friends with the people you work with? Under the direction of Dexter Bullard, The Steppenwolf Theatre confronts this challenging new play. The play begins in the dark…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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