Tuesday, 12 July 2011 13:05
"Trogg! A Musical!" Campy! Fabulous! Funny and Delicious Laughs!
Written by Kimberly Katz
I remember watching old movies as a child in awe with great ladies like Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck and thinking one day I will be a great business woman slinging out dry witticisms just like them. I also loved watching the "Beach Blanket Bingo" movies…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 12 July 2011 12:31
Eye on India Festival Brings Welcome Culture to Chicago
Written by Tracy Walsh
Eye on India is a 10 day festival comprised of cinema, music, dance, theatre, literature and food, which was created "to promote the theme of universality in today's increasingly polarizing context” (Sanjoy Roy 2011.) I attended Day One of the festival, and the pre-show shindig, at the Harris Theater in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 11 July 2011 16:57
Translating Love, Sex, and Money in David Henry Hwang's Chinglish
Written by Zach Zimmerman
David Henry Hwang, a small Asian American who wears a wide smile and a baggy suit, is not physically intimidating; but his newest play, Chinglish, reveals him as a towering and accomplished playwright well-versed in the conventions of film and theater, with a sharp wit and compassionate heart. Best known…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The only proper response to a Will Eno play is suicide. The existentialist, Brooklyn-based playwright enjoys holding a mirror up to his audiences so they can watch themselves slowly die. He is also very funny. The 46-year old, whose Thomas Pain (based on nothing) was a finalist for the Pulitzer…
Published in
Theatre in Review
In celebration of Pride month, the About Face Theatre has launched the world premiere of The Homosexuals by local playwright Phillip Dawkins. Dawkins weaves a familiar tale of friendship, lost loves, and how that impact helps define our current selves. It's funny, heartbreaking, and oh so relatable… even for Breeders. The play…
Published in
Theatre in Review
As The thunderstorm rolls through to Lord Rancour’s mansion, all the guests disappear unexpectedly one by one. But did the butler do it? “Something’s Afoot,” a campy, delightful musical comedy, running at Citadel Theatre Company in Lake Forest, tells the story of 10 dinner guests, who disappear one by one.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
You can tell this was put together by the best in the business. Executive Producer Don Foster knew what he was doing when he came back home from California to present reality as only Chicagoland can provide. Rantoul & Die was a major hit, and it was beyond expectations when…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Since it’s opening in 1994, the Porchlight Music Theatre has been entertaining thousands of excited theatregoers. They’ve staged forty-nine productions, including five world premieres. And in a now modern day, where most people rarely see or have maybe never seen a musical/play, I was thrilled to see this musical. Based…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 15 May 2011 18:50
Performing Romance in Sarah Ruhl's Premiere of "Stage Kiss"
Written by Zach Zimmerman
A play-within-a-play requires double duty for a reviewer. “One Last Kiss,” the play-within-the-play in this theatrical Russian nesting doll, is a painful 1930s melodrama with cartoonish characters and outdated dialogue. (As one character quips, you know a play will be bad when three people wrote it.) “Stage Kiss," however, is a smart…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Thursday, 12 May 2011 18:14
"Spring Awakening"; High Expectations, Medium Results
Written by Kevin Pollack
Filled with anger, love, confusion, despair, and what makes you happy, Spring Awakening goes through all that. With music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, this rock musical is an adaptation of the controversial 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind. The play deals with teenagers in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 06 May 2011 19:13
"Next to Normal": A New Prescription for the American Musical
Written by Zach Zimmerman
Xanax, Prozac, depression chatrooms, and electroshock therapy aren’t topics traditionally associated with musical theater; but “Next to Normal,” a new musical from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, addresses these ignored psychiatric struggles that hide behind upper-middle class’ suburban addresses. Diana, a middle-aged mother of two, gets ready for “Just Another…
Published in
Theatre in Review
If there's one thing that I can say about J M Barrie's Peter Pan at the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center North, is WOW! Having grown up with this all too familiar story, I was quite pleased to see that the threesixty theater company was able to bring this timeless classic out…
Published in
Theatre in Review
In 1971 the original production of "Grease" was performed right here in Chicago at what was the Kingston Mines Theatre, located in an old trolley barn in a Lincoln Park neighborhood. We all know what happened from there. Broadway made it a sensation and Hollywood made it one of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
Midsommer Flight to present free production of Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET, June 28 – August 4 in six Chicago parks
Written by Buzz Center StageMidsommer Flight, a company that has brought free performances of Shakespeare's plays to Chicago Park District parks since 2012, will present a fully staged ROMEO AND JULIET - one of the Bard's most popular tragedies - as its 2024 free Shakespeare… -
LEAGUE OF CHICAGO THEATRES HIGHLIGHTS SUMMER 2024 PRODUCTIONS
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, festivals, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer…
-
Token Theatre to produce new play directed by Emmy winner Alan Muroaka
Written by Buzz Center StageToken Theatre, Chicago's Asian American theatre company, announces the company's first full production, ZAC EFRON, written by Artistic Director David Rhee, co-written by Managing Director Wai Yim and directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Alan Muraoka ("Sesame Street"). ZAC EFRON plays at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells St, June 20-July 21,…
-
Review: Murder in the Cathedral at City Lit Theater
Written by Sarz MaxwellI arrived at City Lit Theater’s MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL expecting a heavy, serious, doubtless thought-provoking but rather intimidating major work of literature. By the end of the performance, I wanted to rush out, buy the book and read it…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.