Displaying items by tag: things to do in chicago

There is something magical about Chicago at Christmastime. Even if there is no snow on the ground, there is an energy in the atmosphere, peaceful and whimsical. Whether you take in the colorful zoo lights at The Lincoln Park Zoo, or stroll the Christkindl markets downtown, or ice skate in the shadow of Wrigley Field, there is magical nestled in every corner of the city. December winds bring a chill to The Windy City and signals the arrival of the holiday season with lights, cozy fires, warm drinks, and the most cherished of holiday traditions, The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker, now playing at the Lyric Opera.

For those who are unfamiliar with The Nutcracker, the fairy-tail-like ballet follows the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve from a magical guest at the party. Clara's reality and dreams merge as she and her nutcracker embark on a magical adventure. The nutcracker transforms into a prince, and Clara and the prince travel to the Land of Sweets, where they meet the Sugarplum Fairy.

Joffrey’s Nutcracker follows a similar storyline with a magical Chicago twist. On a magical Christmas Eve, mere months before the opening of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, Marie and her mother, a sculptress creating the fair’s iconic Statue of the Republic, partake in a festive celebration with a surprise visit from the mysterious Great Impresario. That evening, after awakening to an epic battle between Toy Soldiers and The Rat King, Marie is swept away by a Nutcracker Prince on a whirlwind journey to the dreamlike fairgrounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition with sprawling attractions represented by countries from around the globe. Set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, The Nutcracker features a celebrated creative team, including two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Tony Award®-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author Brian Selznick, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist, Tony Award®-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award®-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy. 

I have been seeing The Nutcracker every holiday season, moving from dancing in the ballet and watching in the wings, to the balcony seats to enjoy the performance. There is nothing quite like The Joffrey’s rendition of the classic ballet. The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 storyline works incredibly well with the production, from the humble beginnings of fair workers and their families, a kind and wealthy benefactor bequeathing the nutcracker doll, and a dreamlike world with Clara exploring the World’s Fair and all it had to offer. The 1893 World’s Fair inspired Frank E. Baum, utilizing the famed White City of the fair to inspire the Emerald City of Oz in The Wizard of Oz. The fair introduced the world to the Ferris Wheel, brownies, cracker jack popcorn, and the zipper. There were countries and states represented that visitors could only dream to have visited, right in their own backyard. Historical documents and first-hand accounts mention how magical and awe-inspiring the fair was, it’s easy to see how The Joffrey could look at the fair as a backdrop to The Nutcracker and see magic.

But even with the artistic direction The Joffrey took, it still begs the question of why do we see the same performance year after year after year? Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, MBE pondered the same thing. “I have asked myself, ‘How can we make this a special experience for people who have seen the Nutcracker before and for those attending for the first time?’,” says Wheater. “Part of the beauty of this Nutcracker: it is a Chicago story! We set the scene during an important time in the history of our city: the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1892. We identify with the working spirit of the people. We understand that joy can be found in simple things. We appreciate that magic is all around us, if only we look. The real “magic” of this Nutcracker, though, is that it changes every time we watch it. Each of us in the audience is different. We have loved, lost, struggled, succeeded, grown. We bring our own story to the theater. The beauty of live theater is that no two performances will be the same.”

The year’s opening night of The Nutcracker was nothing short of magical. Joffrey’s current company has to be one of their best in years with outstanding principles including Amanda Assucena, the mother and sculptress for the Fair (the Sugar Plum Fairy) and Alberto Velazquez, the Great Impresario of the Fair, and the darling Anabelle de la Nuez as Marie (Clara) and Maxwell Dawe as The Nutcracker. Each scene is a feast for the eyes with the entire company dancing exquisitely amount wreaths, glittering snow, and before giant Ferris wheels. Whether this is your first time seeing The Nutcracker, or your hundredth, there is nothing in the world like Joffrey’s Nutcracker. It is truly one of a kind and the perfect addition to any holiday plans. But much like The World’s Fair of 1893, the magic won’t be here forever, so don’t delay and get your tickets today.

The Nutcracker is now playing at The Lyric Opera House, (20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago) through December 28^th. The Performance run time is 2 hours, includes one 20-minute intermission. Tickets are available at www.joffrey.org.

In 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made. With talent like Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Paolo Montalban, the rendition of the classic fairytale lives rent free in the minds of most millennials and their parents who endured countless rewatches of the film on The Disney Channel. With the resurgence and fascination of all things 90s, the musical will no doubt be a successful streaming event. The 1997 film managed to do something previous adaptations of the fairytale could not. It captured pure magic. The charm, the wonder, the beauty and enchantment, it was all perfect. Twenty-seven years later, that same charm and enchantment can be found at Marriott Theatre as they perform Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella celebrates the timeless enchantment of the magical fairy tale. It tells the story of a young woman named Cinderella, mistreated by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, who dreams of a better life and is granted a magical night at a royal ball by her Fairy Godmother, where she falls in love with the Prince, ultimately escaping her harsh reality and finding happiness through a glass slipper left behind at the ball. The classic story of Cinderella at Marriott Theatre follows her quest to attend the Prince’s Ball with a twist of originality, charm and elegance. With a magical, minimalist 360-degree stage, the musical transports a new generation to a miraculous kingdom of dreams-come-true. With great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, this enthralling fairy tale still warms the hearts of children and adults alike.

Though Cinderella’s story has been told thousands of times over in every conceivable style, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella has something special. The musical was originally written for television with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It aired in 1957 with the incomparable Julie Andrews playing the title role. The broadcast was viewed by more than 100 million people, the 1997 adaptation boasted an impressive 60 million. While Marriott Theatre cannot accommodate those numbers, the show continues to entertain sold out crowds. Princes and princesses of all ages gather at the Lincolnshire homestead to hear familiar numbers such as Impossible/It’s Possible, Ten Minutes Ago, and A Lovely Night. Jaeda Lavonne absolutely dazzles as Cinderella, accompanied by a remarkably talented cast to include Marriott darlings Lillian Castillo as the Fairy Godmother and Lorezno Rush Jr. as the King.

Marriott Theatre rounds out their season with this enchanting production, reviving the magic and charm of the musical just in time for the holiday season. Be sure to take your princes and princesses to see it before the stroke of midnight and the end of 2024. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is now playing at The Marriott Theatre (10 Marriott Dr, Lincolnshire) through December 29, 2024, a finer night you know you’ll never see. Tickets are available at www.marriotttheatre.com. 

Sometimes history has a way of repeating itself and it’s not always for the better. Try as we might to learn from history, some of us are simply doomed to repeat it. But not everything that is repeated is necessarily bad. Historical music, art, and opera transcend history, where repetition is not only encouraged, but exalted. There is something magical about watching a live performance of an artform that was performed for audiences over two hundred years ago and think about the audience’s reaction then and now; did they laugh the same way? Did they like it as much then as we do today? Did they really use the word ‘b*$%h?’ There is truly a magical and historical connection happening at The Lyric Opera as they put on one of the most beloved operas of all time, The Marriage of Figaro.

The Marriage of Figaro continues the plot of The Barber of Seville several years later, and recounts a single "day of madness" (la folle journée) in the palace of Count Almaviva near Seville, Spain. Rosina is now the Countess. Dr. Bartolo is seeking revenge against Figaro for thwarting his plans to marry Rosina himself, and Count Almaviva has degenerated from the romantic youth of Barber, (a tenor in Paisiello's 1782 opera), into a scheming, bullying, skirt-chasing baritone. Having gratefully given Figaro a job as head of his servant-staff, he is now persistently trying to exercise his droit du seigneur – his right to bed a servant girl on her wedding night – with Figaro's bride-to-be, Susanna, who is the Countess's maid. He keeps finding excuses to delay the civil part of the wedding of his two servants, which is arranged for this very day. Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess conspire to embarrass the Count and expose his scheming. He retaliates by trying to compel Figaro legally to marry a woman old enough to be his mother, but it turns out at the last minute that she really is his mother. Through the clever manipulations of Susanna and the Countess, Figaro and Susanna are finally able to marry.

The company of The Marriage of Figaro at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

For those who have never seen an opera before, I could not recommend The Marriage of Figaro enough. The storyline is easy to follow despite the number of colorful characters. The opera is a musical comedy in four acts that first premiered in Vienna in 1786 and follows a comedy of errors as the players scheme and plot to catch each other in lies, all centered around a lascivious man who wants to have his way with a brushing bride, and the many men and women who don’t want that to happen. Mix in some humorous cross-plots and you’ve got yourself a comedy of errors that could have been written today. Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, audiences old and young will instantly recognize the harmonies and familiar songs that have been featured in everything from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Mrs. Doubtfire, to countless Looney Tunes cartoons, and even viral TikToks. Considered one of the greatest operas ever written, The Marriage of Figaro is consistently ranked as one of the top ten most frequently performed operas. While the opera is sung in Italian, don’t worry, there are English translations displayed above the stage for the audience to understand what is being sung. With a minimalist but grand stage, vibrantly colored costumes, and voices of actors that are remarkably otherworldly, The Lyric Opera pays homage to history of this opera with their production. Helmed by incredible talent from Peter Kellner as Figaro, Ying Fang as Susanna, Federica Lombardi as Countess Almaviva, and Gortdon Bintner as Count Almaviva, this opera is an incredible introduction to the artform for both seasoned and novice operagoers.

When we look back in history, we sometimes wonder if those from the past thought about how they’d be perceived by future generations. Did Mozart know his masterpiece would still be played hundreds of years later? Do the opera singers feel history captured in the libretto they are singing? Not everything in history that repeats itself is bad. The things that bring life, laughter, love, and light into our lives should be repeated, and frequently. When history does inevitably repeat itself, be sure it is pulling you into the light and not into a pit of despair. After all, we could all use a little bit of light and laughter in our lives right about now. So make a night of it in Chicago and see The Marriage of Figaro at The Lyric Opera (20 N Wacker Dr, Chicago) during its limited run through Nov 30^th. Tickets are available at www.lyricopera.org.

Throughout our busy lives we often seek out the new. It is easy to see the allure. Beginnings offer a bit of magic, a clean slate, a chance to start anew. The opportunity brings with it a sense of hope and optimism that maybe this time we’ll be lucky, maybe this time things will change. But there is also just as much magic in endings as there are beginnings, sometimes moreso. The end of a bad relationship, the final day at a toxic job, the final chapter of a good book, the end of a chaotic and disappointing year, endings provide us a rare opportunity beginnings cannot, the opportunity to let it go. And what more fitting way to let it all go and end 2024 than with a bit of magic and a bit of nostalgia with Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical, now playing at Paramount Theatre.

Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical, this sparkling Disney fairytale has been reimagined for the stage. The theatrical production of Frozen brings Disney’s beloved animated film to life and fills the stage with winter magic. Set in the magical kingdom of Arendelle, the story follows two royal sisters, Elsa and Anna, as they navigate love, loyalty, and magic. In her struggle to understand her identity, Elsa questions her talents, confusing them for character flaws but ultimately finds strength in her identity and gifts, looking both inward and to those she loves to let it go and be who she was born to be.

Emily Kristen Morris plays Elsa in Paramount Theatre’s Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical.

The stage adaptation of the beloved movie brings Disney magic to the stage. The musical has breathtaking scenic designs that transport us to the kingdom of Arendelle, lighting and sound and stage designs that bring magic to life, and an incredible cast of performers to include, but not limited to, Young Anna played by Avelyn Choi, Hans played by Jake DiMaggio Lopez, and Anna played by Beth Stafford Laird. Audiences young and old will feel a sense of nostalgia as the musical is filled with popular songs like “Love Is an Open Door” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and older audiences will appreciate songs that showcase internal monologues to move the musical forward like “Hans of the Southern Isles” and “I Can’t Lose You,” and all audiences will love the fun musical numbers like “Hygge” and revel at the iconic earworms like “Let It Go.”

It was fitting that the first act of the 2 hour musical ends with “Let It Go.” The audience needed the breather to the climactic beauty of the number helmed by the breathtaking Elsa played by Emily Kristen Morris. The staying power of “Let It Go” lasted long after the curtain calls and final bows. The magic lingered, the message more profound, communicating wordlessly what Director Trent Stork wanted the audience to take away from the performance. “I hope our show gives you the courage to be as bold as Elsa,” says Stork. “I hope you find a renewed sense of bravery from Anna…I hope you remember that love means putting others above yourself.”

Beth Stafford Laird (left) plays Anna and Emily Kristen Morris is Elsa in Paramount Theatre’s Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical.

As the year comes to an end, be bold, be courageous, and above all be kind to others and to yourself and let it all go. Good or bad, things inevitably come to an end, a close, a final curtain close. It is not weakness to let something go that no longer serves us or things that are beyond our power to control, it is kindness, and at the heart of it is love. Love yourself and love your neighbors to simply let it go. And if you need a little help to let it go, let Elsa and some incredible theatre magic help you do just that. Frozen: The Broadway Musical is now playing at Paramount Theatre (23 E. Galena Blvd. Aurora, IL) and runs through Jan 19, 2025, tickets are available at https://paramountaurora.com/.

After completing my hundredth fan fiction about the same two characters defying all obstacles and falling in love, I took a moment to reflect as to why I come back to these stories. There is a comfort in a formulaic story line, the protagonists eliciting nostalgia, escapism, but when you boil it down, it’s the same story. Over and over again. Only…it’s not. While the characters are the same, common traits and backstories peppered throughout, every story is uniquely its own, different catalysts, differing motivations, different settings and situations. What connects all the stories in the uniquely human factors to them all, messy and beautiful and complex. It’s this same appeal that keeps us coming back to the theater. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you see a play that completely takes your breath away, something familiar and altogether uncommon; Evil Perfect is just that play and more.

In an otherworldly city obsessed with achieving absolute equity at all costs, Lily, a dissident at the end of her rope, meets Puck, the son of the city’s charismatic matriarch. As their unlikely relationship grows and the city’s enforcers close in, Lily and Puck hatch a terrifying plan to revolt. Set in a tarnished society with twisted ideals, Evil Perfect is a messy and seductive play that attempts to reveal how good people with honorable intentions become evil.

“Evil Perfect activates something deep in the core of us, something wild and untamed and yet leaves us questioning and curious as to why…and if it’s even a good thing," said Evil Perfect Director Jonathan Shabo. Playwright Spencer Huffman described the production as “a gruesome and sexy satire – it’ll make you laugh and squirm in equal parts. I think audiences will relish in the play’s savagery.”

Chicago has one of the most incredible theater scenes in the country, affording new playwrights, actors of all ages, and like-minded lovers of the arts to come together to create something wonderful. Evil Perfect at Bramble Theatre Company has everything that makes this city and the theater community great, with a charming and accessible theater loft in the bustling Andersonville neighborhood, a well crafted script that is anything but tired or cliched, and a cast of characters that display a remarkable range. Danny Breslin, who portrayed Puck, and Ashley Neal as Lily, were equal parts off-putting and alluring, the characters directly confronting the society’s human repercussions. Breslin was an absolute standout and the arc his character takes will leave speechless. Neal as his seasoned counterpart had you unable to look at anything else when she was on the stage, commanding the audience through her mesmerizing range. With Brandom Bums as Brian, and Ebby Offord as Jo reminding us all through their characters that humans are going to human, no matter what societies attempt to repress and limit, Evil Perfect has a perfect balance of wickedly good and deliciously evil elements, examining the age-old question of impact vs. intention.

On paper, Evil Perfect might seem like other dystopian or draconian plays you’ve seen and there is a comfort to that. But it’s the smart, subtle and subversive way in which the story unfolds that will remind us why we return to stories like this. No two are alike. The world premiere play Evil Perfect runs through November 10th at the recently opened Bramble Arts Loft in Andersonville (5545 N. Clark, Chicago). Be a good coworker and get your tickets today at BrambleTheatre.org.

The Y2K era was a wild time to be a girl. Bubblegum pop juxtaposed against futuristic silver-scaled sets, female artists viciously pitted against one another in the media, women and young girls being viewed as simultaneously pure and virginal and corrupt and sexual deviants. All of these themes are perfectly captured in the millennial time capsule of a play The Love Object now playing at Raven Theatre.

On the eve of Ramona's sold-out stadium tour, her best friend and trusted assistant Paula announces she is leaving to pursue her own artistry. Fearing the loss of her closest confidante, Ramona reveals that a sex tape she made is about to be released, tainting her image (and ticket sales) forever. Will Paula stay and clean up Ramona's mess one more time or finally escape the oppressive celebrity machine for good? The Love Object is a contemporary adaptation of Euripides' Hippolytus, examining the hyper-sexualization of women celebrities, the power struggles of interracial friendship, and the tragedies of late-stage capitalism, all through the bubblegum veneer of an early 2000s pop superstar.

Much like its Greek predecessor, The Love Object, the characters within the play all have a bit of blindness that prevents them from understanding the other's perspective; Ramona, played by Emily Holland, failing to understand why Paula would want to leave, Paula, played by Kaylah Marie Crosby,  failing to understand the loneliness of stardom, and Simon, played by William Anthony Sebastian Rose II, failing to understand the complexities of female choices and consequences of his own actions. The undercurrent of purity and sexuality throughout the play is represented not only in the main protagonists but also in the supporting back up dancers, Tish, played by Cat Christmas, Randy, played by Spencer Diaz Tootle, and Kylie, played by Mollyanne Nunn, all of whom have their own squabbles with one another while also viewing Ramona through both lenses of a virgin and a sinner.

Looking back at the bubblegum pop era through the social context of today we have sure come a long way. We as a society were awful to young women, judgemental, critical, and downright vicious. Time allows us to look back on that period with a kinder viewpoint, one that is not so polarized. Being able to view The Love Object through the same lens affords us the ability to equally despise the vain pop star and be sympathetic to her loneliness of lacking in any real or substantive friendships, or to resent the assistant and her actions and also embrace the karmic justice of our f-around and find out world. With a minimalist futuristic set, early 2000s pop culture references, superb acting, and a storyline every millennial woman can relate to, The Love Object is a perfect time capsule for this fall theatre scene and one sure to entertain.

The Love Object, presented by The Story Theatre at Raven Theatre (6157 N Clark St, Chicago), runs through November 3rd. Ramona’s tour is selling out fast so be sure to grab your tickets with backstage access at www.raventheatre.com/season42/. 

Have you ever jumped on a crowded L train and wondered just why there were so many people on it? Where did they all come from? Where were they all going? Who were they going to meet? What were they going to do when they got to their destination? When I ride the L I get sonder, the feeling of realizing that everyone has a life as full and complex as your own. It's the idea that everyone is the central character in their own story, but also a supporting cast member or extra in other people's stories. We never quite know what people are going through and we cannot rely on that glimpsed impression to truly understand. It is this theme that is at the heart of Milo Imagines the World, a new musical now playing at Chicago Children’s Theatre. 

Milo Imagines the World follows a young boy who uses art to process the realities of growing up with an incarcerated parent. Audiences join Milo and his big sister, Adrienne, on an urban subway ride. Adrienne is at odds with her little brother and does her best to tune him out, while Milo passes the time by drawing colorful pictures of the other passengers, imagining the wonderful lives they must lead. Once the train reaches its destination, Milo understands that you can’t know anyone’s story just by looking at them.

Adapted by Terry Guest and directed by Mikael Burke, Milo Imagines the World is a world premiere musical based on the book of the same name by Newbery-winning children’s author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson about a young boy who uses art to process the realities of growing up with an incarcerated parent. “By telling Milo’s story, we have the opportunity to expand what children in Chicago see on stage,” says Guest, who is himself the child of an incarcerated parent. “We are reflecting their stories back at them and making them feel less alone. Milo is so many of us, and it’s an honor to bring him to life on the stage.” “This play is a ride, a musical odyssey of imagination, a journey from house to home,” adds Burke. “Through vibrant songs, expressive dance, and a whole lot of imagination, this magical, musical journey takes audiences through the mind of a child, as he learns to see the world as it really is.” 

Just like riding public transit, the play took you to some expected and unexpected places. The ensemble cast embraces the humorous, creative, and imaginative world that Milo, played by Ian Thigpen, imagines as he is riding the train. You don’t quite know where he and his sister, played by Livia Robin are going, but the tension slowly builds just as it does on a commuter train; that hurry-up-we’re-going-to-miss-our-train-and-throw-off-our-whole-day feeling while simultaneously providing an escape and reprieve from the outside world. Thigpen and the Chicago Children’s Theatre ensemble cast expertly build this tension culminating in the bittersweet reality that so many children in the US experience. The story and the musical find a way to address the impact of incarceration on families while fostering a sense of wonder, joy, hope, and resilience. It is an absolute gem of a piece and is sure to move audiences for decades to come.

Public performances continue through November 10, Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., with a large number of weekday morning matinees for school groups. Milo Imagines the World is recommended for ages six and up and a run time is approximately 60 minutes. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org, call (312) 374-8835, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for tickets, you don’t want to miss this incredible journey.