Thanksgiving is over, which means It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit full-throttle. And nothing says “Christmas” like the 1946 Frank Capra classic It’s a Wonderful Life. But this Chicago production isn’t like any play you’ve seen before, because it’s not a play — it’s a radio broadcast. This…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 20 November 2018 22:28
In Arcadia, Stoppard Pushes the Bounds of the Stage and We Exit Laughing
Written by Bill Esler
An unusually busy run for me - four plays in four days - ended last night with the opening of Arcadia, Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s production of what is said to be one of British author Tom Stoppard’s finest plays. Running at the Greenhouse Theatre, it is certainly the best I…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 19 November 2018 01:13
The Movie in My Mind: Miss Saigon at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
Written by CJ Burroughs
When Schönberg and Boublil’s Miss Saigon made its original run in the early 90s, I missed it — too far away to catch a traveling performance, and too young to have seen or even afforded to see it. And back then, I was way too young to have really understood…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 17 November 2018 20:17
Marriott Theatre's 'Holiday Inn' a fitting ode to the Crosby, Astaire classic
Written by Ken Payne
Marriott Theatre brings yet another high-energy, song and dance production to its audience, this time mounting the regional premiere of ‘Holiday Inn’, a sentimental musical based on the 1942 film of the same name featuring the music of Irving Berlin and starring such great as Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 18 November 2018 17:26
Plainclothes Goes Behind the Scenes To Show How Shoplifters Get Nabbed
Written by Bill Esler
Plainclothes has all the hallmarks of a dynamic show – a parade of interesting and believable characters, fast-paced and witty dialog, even a socially meaningful storyline, and great performances by the cast. Premiering at The Den Theatre and written by Spenser Davis, who also co-directs (with Kanomé Jones) Plainclothes tells…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Monday, 12 November 2018 21:08
‘Iolanta’ at Chicago Opera Theater - You See What You Look For Or The Dance of the Sugar Plum Set Pieces
Written by William and Margaret Swain
Chicago Opera Theater opened their 2018-2019 season with the Chicago Premier of Peter Tchaikovsky’s ‘Iolanta’. Since this performance was also the Chicago debut of Lidiya Yankovskaya, COT’s new Stanley Music Director, it was an auspicious occasion for the company embarking on their 45th season. It also marked the first full…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 11 November 2018 19:47
Review: Manuel Cinema's 'Frankenstein' at Court Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
It’s a rare treat to get to experience anything as unique as Manual Cinema’s production of ‘Frankenstein’ at Court Theatre. With several productions of ‘Frankenstein’ going on this year, one might wonder how they’re each distinguishing themselves. Manual Cinema’s original adaptation is just that, a manual cinema. Told with intricate…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 13 November 2018 00:00
Testing the Limits of Dramatic Invention in An Oak Tree
Written by Bill Esler
It’s an intriguing proposition for a play: two actors meet for the first time on stage. One, the First Actor, has rehearsed the play, while the Second Actor has never even read it. In An Oak Tree, this dynamic repeats for each day’s performance – 22 in all by the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Saturday, 10 November 2018 21:39
Blue Man Group's Never Ending Invention Brings Us Light-Horns,Spinulum and Twinkies
Written by Bill Esler
Blue Man Group premiered the newest version of its show Thursday night at Briar Street Theater, where it has been ensconced since 1997 – making it the longest running act in Chicago. Wearing shiny blue face paint, skull masks covering hair and ears, and blue rubber gloves, the Blue Men…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
More...
Friday, 09 November 2018 04:07
The Better Half: A rich, buttery, and zesty new production at Steppenwolf
Written by Kendall Royzen
As the house lights dimmed and the actors took to the stage, an odd play began to unfold at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater. Lights appeared to direct the actors where to go, the actors didn’t act as though they were acting, and perched on my corner aisle seat actresses raced by…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The setting is a drought-stricken Midwest cattle town. Sheriff File (played by Denzel Tsopnang) and the town folk set the mood as they lament that “the earth is burning, crops is bad, and land is dry” in opening number “Another Hot Day” of BoHo Theatre’s presentation of 110 in The…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 07 November 2018 10:25
The Last Session: a Very Musical and Very Personal Take on the AIDS Epidemic
Written by Bill Esler
Refuge Theatre Project likes to pick up what it calls under-appreciated musicals and put them on in non-traditional settings. They hit that mark with The Last Session, an off-off-Broadway musical from 1997 that ran for about 20 weeks off-Broadway. Set in a 1990s Los Angeles recording studio, this production takes…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 05 November 2018 18:19
A Storybook Siegfried Or James Earl Jones Takes Charlie Brown and Corporal Klinger on an Excellent Adventure to Where the Wild Things Are to slay a Dragon and Find the St. Pauli Girl
Written by William and Margaret Swain
Siegfried, the third installment of Richard Wagner’s monumental cycle, The Ring of the Niebelungen, opened in a comic-book fairy tale, if not quite mythical version this past Saturday evening to an enthusiastic full house at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In the preceding two seasons, the prologue, Das Rheingold and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
A Night to Remember Aboard Marriott Theatre’s Titanic
Written by CJ BurroughsAs a lifelong aficionado of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic, I’ve always gravitated toward any experience that would leave me feeling immersed in that famous moment of an era that nobody any of us knows anymore is alive to… -
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces casting for the NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE of a new musical from the producers of SIX - 42 Balloons
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces today the cast of the North American premiere of the new musical 42 Balloons. From the multi-award-winning producers Kevin McCollum (Oh, Mary!, Rent), Andy Barnes and Wendy Barnes (SIX), and Sonia Friedman Productions (Merrily We Roll Along), 42 Balloons is an '80s-inspired musical based on the unbelievable true story… -
Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces cast for its revival of Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery
Written by Buzz Center StagePegasus Theatre Chicago and Director ILesa Duncan proudly announce the casting for the revival of playwright Shay Youngblood's Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, which follows "Daughter", who returns home to eulogize the last of the women who raised her in 1960s Georgia. Shakin' the Mess Outta…
-
Steppenwolf Theatre Announces LookOut's Summer 2025 Season
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf's LookOut Series is pleased to announce its action-packed summer lineup of comedy, magic, storytelling, drag and more! The Summer 2025 Season includes captivating solo works from some of Chicago's most accomplished storytellers; showcases of comedy, theatre and puppetry artists; and a…
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.