Saturday, 07 December 2024 11:51
Finally, A Fresh and Fitting Take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
Written by Mitchell Oldham
Like a lot of people, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been mostly a cultural curiosity for much of my life. I know it’s perennially referenced when talking about women and their struggle to achieve personal agency and autonomy. Since it was published in 1868, shortly after the Civil War,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 05 December 2024 11:26
Broadway in Chicago’s Production of & Juliet is a Jaw-Dropping Blast from Start to Finish
Written by Lauren Katz
Lights come down at the top of the show. We are clearly in a rehearsal hall as the ensemble lets us know that it’s opening night of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – and they cannot be more excited to perform the material. Video and Projection Designer Andrezej Goulding helps…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 02 December 2024 13:30
Thornton Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner Radiant Throughout at Bramble Arts Loft
Written by Mitchell Oldham
Immediately following the gastronomical excesses of Thanksgiving are the monetary investments and personal sacrifices we make for Christmas. At the heart of both is family and the importance we place in coming together to sustain and strengthen seminal bonds. In 1931, a 34-year-old college professor at the University of Chicago…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 02 December 2024 12:02
Review: It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! at American Blues Theater
Written by John Accrocco
“No man is a failure who has friends,” is to film what “God bless us everyone” is to literature. Frank Capra’s 1946 film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is as close to an American retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ as anyone has ever gotten. Though the film has been a Christmas…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 25 November 2024 13:03
Goodman Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” Warms Hearts as It Rings in a Joyful Holiday Season
Written by CJ Burroughs
I arrived at the Goodman Theatre for the opening of its 47th annual production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Jessica Thebus, like many of us—not really feeling the upcoming holidays. I’m usually a real Pollyanna, trying to put on the happy face. I’m usually Bob Cratchit, the good soldier.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 25 November 2024 12:56
Don’t Miss this Rollicking Rendition of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”
Written by Betsy Schmitt
If you’re looking for a way to entertain the children (or grandchildren) this holiday season that doesn’t involve long lines, icy cold temps or going to the mall, look no further than the Greenhouse Theatre Center’s production of Mo Williams’ smash hit musical, “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.”…
Published in
Theatre in Review
What the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I searched in vain for a definition: pan·to·mime [ˈpan(t)əˌmīm] a play or entertainment in which performers express themselves mutely by gestures. PrideArts mounting a silent production? Um …. I find that…
Published in
Theatre in Review
When Francesca Zambello, director of The Glimmerglass Festival, commissioned an opera about race in America, the country was reeling from a spate of police shootings of young African-American men in Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. By the time the commissioned work Blue premiered at The Glimmerglass Festival in 2019,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Even 40 years later, the AIDS crisis continues to shape American life. Long before Hollywood brought AIDS stories to the cultural mainstream, the theatre was a safe place for actors and writers to explore their fears and sense of injustice for a mass audience. ‘Falsettos’ playwright William Finn began working…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 18 November 2024 13:24
Delightful Send-up of 1930s Musicals, 'Dames at Sea' Nearly Sunk by Bad Sound
Written by Bill Esler
Overall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy satirizing the over-the-top 1930s movies and Broadway revues that were light on plot and heavy on costumes, dance routine, and ostrich-feathered pageantry. That’s exactly what ‘Dames at Sea’ pokes fun…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 16 November 2024 12:05
Disney's The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane: An Inspiring and Delightful Production Celebrating Girls' Unique Voices
Written by Kimberly Katz
I thoroughly enjoyed Drury Lane's enchanting stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid from start to finish. While few are overly familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s original, darker tale of ill-fated romance, the Disney animated film and this stage adaptation, with a book by Doug Wright and music by Alan…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 14 November 2024 09:46
Moving, Engaging 'Every Brilliant Thing' Shines at Writers Theatre
Written by Bill Esler
“Every Brilliant Thing,” places unusual demands on its lead character, Narrator. Jessie Fisher delivers a carefully calibrated performance from a comedic script that is deceivingly simple, but deeply emotional and upon reading it afterward, I saw that it is beautifully structured, as well. Fisher is the center of our attention…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 08 November 2024 23:14
Irving Berlin's Magnificent White Christmas at Marriott Theatre: A Joyous and Heartfelt Celebration for Everyone
Written by Kimberly Katz
I've always had a deep fondness for the two timeless films Holiday Inn and White Christmas. These movies feature outstanding soundtracks composed by the legendary Jewish American immigrant Irving Berlin. With a repertoire of 1,500 remarkable songs, including the iconic 'God Bless America', Berlin also sparked a Christmas revolution with…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Written by Sarz MaxwellI’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar with OSA’s attributes: unique productions that battle antisemitism and homophobia with art; premiere plays by previously-unknown writers; small, intimate venue;… -
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Writers Theatre announces 2025/26 season
Written by Buzz Center StageArtistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce Writers Theatre's 2025/26 season. The five-play season is marked by four productions never seen before in Chicago and two add-on special engagements. Following Hershey Felder's sold-out, acclaimed appearance at Writers Theatre in the 2023-24 season, Felder returns…
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