In Native Gardens, an ambitious young couple moves into a fixer-upper in an affluent DC neighborhood. Husband Pablo (Gabriel Ruiz) is a lawyer, his pregnant wife Tania (Paloma Nozicka) is working on her doctorate dissertation. Their nice and lively, albeit politically incorrect, neighbors are a defense contractor Virginia (Janet Ulrich…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 13 June 2017 04:28
Delightfully entertaining, Pass Over is a work of genius, and a work of art
Written by Bill Esler
The producers at Steppenwolf describe Pass Over as a “riff on Waiting for Godot” – and that’s true - except for this: Pass Over is not boring. In fact it is gripping and entertaining for every one of its 80 minutes of run time. Written by Antoinette Nwandu and premiering…
Published in
Theatre in Review
In 1996 Ragtime made its stage debut in Toronto and a year later it found itself making waves on Broadway. Based on the 1975 novel by E.L. Dotorow, the musical, with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, kept gaining momentum winning thirteen…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 03 June 2017 19:21
"King Liz" Shows It's Not Always Good to be King
Written by Kimberly Katz
From the minute I stepped into Windy City Playhouse’s colorful, elegant the stage area designed by Courtney O’Neill with fantastic lights and sounds by Thomas Dixon, I knew I was in for a treat. King Liz is named for the beautiful, sexy and high-powered sports agent Liz Rico played superbly…
Published in
Theatre in Review
A small theatre resides on the most unlikely of streets in Chicago. Just steps from the Howard Red Line stop sits the Factory theatre, with only fifty seats in its small storefront property, this little powerhouse has produced original work for nearly 25 years. Adding to its catalog of work…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 30 May 2017 13:37
Einstein’s Angry Relations Dominates the Action in Relativity
Written by Bill Esler
The storyline in Relativity is a supposed to be a mystery. The great physicist and mathematical theoretician Albert Einstein fathered a daughter, Liserl, out of wedlock in Switzerland with Mileva Marić– but all mentions of her disappear after the age of two. What happened to her? Several theories have been…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The 90s really must be back because this is the second show about Tonya Harding and Nancy Karigan to debut in Chicago in the past year. American Theater Company's telling is a new play called "T" by Dan Aibel. "T" is a ninety-minute retelling of the infamous 1994 incident from…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 22 May 2017 11:19
"The River Bride" is a thought provoking, stunningly raw and romantic production for all ages
Written by Kimberly Katz
With an all Latino/Latina cast, Marisela Treviño Orta's 2014 one-act is brought to life with magic and wonder. The River Bride, set in a South American village along the murky and mysterious Amazon River is a romantic and touching production, which, thanks to director Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary and ingenious props created …
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 21 May 2017 20:26
Things can get very quirky in The My Way Residential
Written by Vika Lvova
Willa is too old to live alone in her flat, and she has “accidents”. That’s why her well-meaning daughter brings her to a suburban London nursing home, “just to try it out”. Originally from Galway, Willa (convincingly played by Belinda Bremner) starts an unlikely friendship with a good-natured 24-year-old nursing…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Tuesday, 23 May 2017 01:16
Harvey is a theatrical confection with a warm and fuzzy heart
Written by Bill Esler
Court Theatre’s production of Harvey tells the fable of Elwood P. Dowd. Played wonderfully by Timothy Edward Kane, Dowd is an independently wealthy bachelor whose immense warmth and engaging demeanor earns him friendship readily with everyone. This includes the 6’ 3½” tall white rabbit, Harvey, who for most of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Saturday, 20 May 2017 12:45
How Josephine Baker Earned Superstardom to Become the Black Pearl
Written by Bill Esler
Josephine Baker leapt from the Harlem Renaissance via the Paris Folies Bergère to become a global phenomenon, the first black international superstar. Consider this: Baker’s fame was so great in her day among African-Americans, that Coretta King immediately appealed to her to guide the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Thursday, 11 May 2017 05:30
Refugee Struggles To Maintain His Identity in Powerful Objects in the Mirror
Written by Bill Esler
Objects in the Mirror, an outstanding play having its premier at Goodman Theatre, will soon have you wanting to know more about its author, Charles Smith, a Chicago playwright. Starring Daniel Kyri as Shedrick Yarkpai, this play springs from the true story of the real life Yarkpai, a refugee who…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 12 May 2017 15:52
This One Man Show Is really About Every Man and Woman
Written by Bill Esler
It was a third-grade history lesson on civil rights and Rosa Parks that spawned Brian Quijada’s one man show, “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” Blacks were in the back, whites up front. What about Mexican-Americans like him? “You weren’t around,” his teacher answered. With that hook Quijada draws…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is Now Playing
Written by Buzz Center StageWelcome back to the Moulin Rouge! Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce the Tony Award® winning production, MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is now playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.). MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL is playing for a limited three-week engagement through April… -
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…
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.