Holidaze really is like nothing you’ve seen before, especially during the traditional Holiday season offerings like The Nutcracker. The international cast members from many countries including Italy, Mongolia, Asia, Ukraine, and Ethiopia were extremely gifted in each of their unique disciplines. The magnificent Chicago Theater was a perfect venue for…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 16 December 2014 18:00
The Ruffians' Burning Bluebeard A Hauntingly Rich Theatre Experience
Written by Ken Payne
Almost as funny as it is tragic (that sounds so wrong), The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard, currently running at Theatre Wit, is a very unique live performance that everyone should experience. Bluebeard is an ensemble piece that recreates the stage performance that took place during the famous 1903 Iroquois Theater fire…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 10 December 2014 18:00
I Love Lucy Live On Stage - Period Perfect Hilarity with Real Star Turns from Thea Brooks and Euriamis Losada as Lucy and Ricky!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Oriental Theatre - From the opening of the show when Chicago actor Ed Kross comes out and explains in a perfect 50’s TV announcer voice that we are all at a live taping of the Lucy Show back in 1952, I was captivated. Two real episodes of the show were…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 14 December 2014 00:00
"Newsies" Seizes the Day at Oriental Theater
Written by Rachel M Payne
Originally a real event with Kid Blink and his band of newspaper selling boys in 1899, “Newsies” brings to life the power struggle of big business versus everyday workers in a family fun musical done Broadway style! Homeless at the turn of the century, New York City newsboy Jack…
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Theatre in Review
Steppenwolf Theatre’s Airline Highway focuses on those who are mostly forgotten, unseen or unfortunately, even looked down upon by many. In this case the story revolves around a group of outcasts who inhabit The Hummingbird Motel in New Orleans that have come to call themselves “family”. Each comes with their…
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Theatre in Review
I have a tough time reviewing magicians because I don’t want to describe the tricks in detail and ruin the suspense for future audiences. I will just say that my partner and I were seated in the front row right in the center next to the stage and still could…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 27 October 2014 19:00
Zarkana Brings Back the Traditional Circus with A Big Twist
Written by Ken Payne
Cirque du Soleil has innovated the circus as we once knew it and has transformed it into something that has become so more visual, musical and exciting than ever could have been imagined. While some Cirque shows are set to a particular theme such as the music of the Beatles…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 23 November 2014 18:00
We're All Mad Here – Alice at Lookingglass
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
"But how does one know if they've gone mad?" asks Alice of the elusive Cheshire Cat as he swings on a rail, hanging twenty feet off the ground. "You see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased," he answers. "Now, I growl when I'm…
Published in
Theatre in Review
“Camelot” being presented at the lovely Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook had an interesting twist to it. If you've viewed other Camelot versions such as the enchanting animated “Sword and the Stone”, or the impacting dramas “First Knight” or “Excalibur”, then be ready for a unique mix of both. The…
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Theatre in Review
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Instead of spending the night in watching “Dancing with the Stars”, “So You Think You Can Dance”, or even “American Idol”, there is a stage where you can experience the costumes, the beauty, and the grace of live ballroom dancing and competition with the control of the vote in your…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 05 November 2014 18:00
The King and I - Singing and Dancing the Night Away!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Every time I think the talented cast of players and directors performing at Marriott Theatre’s intimate theatre in the round have done the very best they can, they top themselves again. This production of the deliciously classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about a spunky, intelligent teacher who is recruited from…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Griffin Theatre Company has taken on the feat of recreating the Tony Award-winning musical Titanic. Launching this production in a much more intimate space at Theater Wit, the audience gets a real close up feel to the action and is able to capture the bevy of emotions delivered first hand.…
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Theatre in Review
One could only picture what would have happened should four of the greatest rock and roll pioneers ever stepped foot in the same studio at the same time. And just imagine if the above referenced were Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Well, one winter afternoon…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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A Hull Lot of Laughs: Titanique Makes Waves On Stage
Written by Ken PayneAll hands on deck Titanic fans! Get ready for a lavishly produced musical that boldly reimagines the Titanic story, navigating it into fresh and unforeseen waters. The story of the "unsinkable" Titanic is one most of us know well—the ship’s… -
Review: The Listeners at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by Sarz MaxwellTHE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV series’, and now an opera, premiering in New York and now brought to Chicago by the renowned composer/librettist team Missy Mazzoli… -
Disney's THE LION KING Returns to Chicago
Written by Buzz Center StageBy popular demand, Disney’s The Lion King will return to Chicago for the first time since 2023, where the production played a sold-out run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. This three-week return engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre begins Friday, October 3, 2025… -
IDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS: Spring Concert 2025 - 'Instinct' at Ann Barzel Theater (April 26-27)
Written by Buzz Center StageIDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS Presents Spring Concert 2025 “Instinct” A captivating performance of four distinct works on April 26 & 27 Ann Barzel Theater Visceral Dance Center, 3121 N Rockwell St, Chicago IL 60619 Tickets $30 Saturday, April…
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