Displaying items by tag: Leah Davis
Firebrand's "Lizzie" a spellbinding theatrical experience that rocks
It only takes a few moments into Lizzie’s opening number that audience members realize they are in for quite the unusual theatre experience. Haunting, yet beautiful, the creepiness quickly sets in as Lizzie’s four Victorian-clad characters solemnly sing the tale of the infamous Lizzie Borden who was accused of butchering her father and stepmother in August of 1892.
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
Based on true accounts of the double murder that took place in Fall River, Massachusetts, the grim tale reimagined by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Tim Maner is told by Lizzie, her sister Emma, her neighbor Alice and the family’s maid, Bridget. Presented by Firebrand Theatre, whose claim is that of being the first feminist musical theatre company, Lizzie is a detailed account of the legendary crime that is one of the most talked about grisly murders in our Nation’s history.
Firebrand hits a homerun with their first ever production by delivering a deliciously enticing story that engrosses from beginning to end thanks to its strong acting performances and punchy soundtrack that is both powerful and, when called for, dreamlike.
The play offers great insight to Lizzie herself and speculates the heinous crime may have been prodded by the home’s maid while also suggesting she may have been lovers with her neighbor Alice. Liz Chidester is Lizzie Borden and dominates in the role. Chidester so well captures the essence of a girl who loses her grip on reality after years of being abused by her father and is subjected to a newly introduced stepmother who has manipulated her way into inheriting the family wealth.
Ingeniously directed by Victoria Bussert, Lizzie is stacked with commanding performances. Leah Davis fiercely takes the reigns as the mischievous housemaid Bridget, injecting well-timed humor and velvety smooth vocals that make her character a powerhouse. Camille Robinson as Emma and Jacquelyne Jones as Alice round out what makes for an excellent cast. Our four characters deliver amazing vocal performances, each as unique as the other while smartly straying from the standard Broadway-esque sounds we are used to hearing in so many big musicals. No. These women truly rock.
Instead we get a conceptual rock concert. Hypnotic, sexy and plot-rich, Lizzie is presented by a female-fronted rock group heading a talented band that sits rear stage. As engrossing as the music is the show’s often pithy dialogue exchanges, it’s costumes and creative effects (hint - ponchos are available for those who choose to sit in the first row).
Lizzie is a fun show that has it all – murder, treachery, sex and scorching music.
It is with high recommendation that I urge theatre lovers to see the story of Lizzie Borden that is presented in the most imaginative way. If such a brilliantly inventive production such as Lizzie is an example of what Firebrand has in store for theatre goers in the future, we can only look forward to what the young theatre company will bring us next time around.
Lizzie is being performed at The Den Theatre through December 17th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.firebrandtheatre.org.
*Now extended January 3rd-14th with Broadway's Ciara Renee joining the production.
The critically acclaimed hit production of Obliteration returns
10 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreObliteration, LLC & The Revival Theater announce a limited engagement of Obliteration, written by Andrew Hinderaker, directed by Jonathan Berry, featuring Michael Patrick Thornton and Cyd Blakewell. Obliteration runs April 10-May 4,…
Red Clay Dance Company’s 16 centers perseverance and legacy in Vershawn Sanders-Ward Revival and Bebe Miller Premiere
10 March 2025 in Upcoming DanceThe Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago announces 16 by Red Clay Dance Company for three performances only, April 17-19, 2025, featuring Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn…
Stand Up Together Comedy stars unite during Chicago fundraiser to support California wildfire victims Thursday, March 27 at Laugh Factory Chicago
10 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreStand Up Together, a comedy benefit in support of artists impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, hosted by Second City and SNL…
Luck Be a Lady Tonight: A Rollicking Review of Music Theatre Works’ 'Guys and Dolls'
09 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewFollowing a string of successful shows, Music Theater Works has once again hit the jackpot with their 2025 season opener,…
Auditorium Theatre’s Presentation of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company Soars and Astounds
08 March 2025 in Dance in ReviewTwo dancers stand center stage. The traditional, spiritual music begins to play as they start to move. Very much in…
"HENRY JOHNSON," DAVID MAMET'S NEWEST PLAY, TO MAKE ITS CHICAGO PREMIERE AT VICTORY GARDENS THEATER APRIL 8 – MAY 4
07 March 2025 in Upcoming TheatreVictory Gardens Theater, in association with Relentless Theatre Group, will present the Midwest premiere of a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winner,…
Citadel’s I and You Delivers a Dynamite Story that Closes with a Knockout
01 March 2025 in Theatre in ReviewProlific, and routinely recognized as being one of the most produced playwrights in the country, Lauren Gunderson’s range is as…
Review: Titus Andronicus at Redtwist Theatre
26 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewDo not bring the kids to TITUS ANDRONICUS; it has 14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members,…
See Chicago Dances Launches New Website March 10
26 February 2025 in Upcoming DanceSee Chicago Dance (SCD), celebrating 20 years as the most comprehensive resource for dance information in Chicago and one of the…
HELL'S KITCHEN is Coming to Chicago
26 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreGet ready, Chicago! AKW Productions and Broadway In Chicago are thrilled to announce that the 13-time Tony Award® nominated Broadway sensation, HELL’S KITCHEN, is set to…
Court Theatre announces casting for the world premiere of Berlin
25 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreUnder the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Senior Managing Producer Heidi…
Ryan Opera Center celebrates 50th anniversary in concert, Apr 25
24 February 2025 in Upcoming DanceThe Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago's renowned artist-development program, will present its annual…
The Joffrey Ballet Announces 2025-26 Season at Lyric Opera House
24 February 2025 in Upcoming DanceAshley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, today announces the Joffrey's 2025-2026 season at…
Review: ‘Hedda Gabler’ at The Artistic Home at The Den Theatre
22 February 2025 in Theatre in Review‘Hedda Gabler’ has mystified audiences for generations, as this was certainly Ibsen’s intention when creating this endlessly fascinating character. The…
Get It While It’s Hot: Waitress now serving at Paramount Theatre
22 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewSugar, butter, flour…beneath the flaky layers and buttery crusts of pies lay these three simple ingredients. They’re mixed and blended…
RIVERDANCE 30 - THE NEW GENERATION On Sale February 21st
20 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce individual tickets for RIVERDANCE 30 – THE NEW GENERATION will go on sale on Friday,…
'Clue' The Hilarious Whodunit Brings Mystery Mayhem to CIBC Theatre
20 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewI’m not a fan of board games. I’ve never finished a full game of Monopoly. Risk? No, thanks. But Clue?…
Rivendell Theatre launches 30th Season with world premiere of No Such Thing
19 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreRivendell Theatre Ensemble (RTE), Chicago's only women-centered Equity storefront theatre, ushers in its 30th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of No Such Thing by…
Full Casting Announced for Steppenwolf Theatre's THE BOOK OF GRACE - Chicago Premiere!
19 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to announce full casting for the Chicago premiere of The…
Celebrating 15th Anniversary of Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works at the MCA from March 14-23
18 February 2025 in Upcoming DanceThe Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 15th Anniversary of its choreographic competition, Winning Works, with five world premieres over…
Avalanche Theatre makes its Chicago debut with world premiere of Time is a Color and the Color is Blue by Melanie Coffey May 1–24, 2025
18 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreAvalanche Theatre announces its Chicago debut with the world premiere of Time is a Color and the Color is Blue by Chicago playwright…
Reaching New Heights: Radvanovsky is Radiant at the Lyric Opera
17 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewDo not believe the hype. AI will not replace the arts. By its very definition it is artificial, the antithesis…
A new "cult" classic: Missy Mazzoli's The Listeners comes to Lyric Opera, Mar 30
17 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewDo you hear it? The haunting hum of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's The Listeners will transfix audiences at Lyric Opera of…
Creepy-Crawly Circus Magic: OVO Dazzles at NOW Arena!
16 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewI’ve never seen Cirque and have always longed to. It was SO worth the wait! Here’s what I saw: Color.…
Northlight announces cast for Prayer for the French Republic in a co-pro with Theater Wit
16 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreNorthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2024–2025 season with Joshua Harmon's celebrated play Prayer for…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces the cast of its NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Production Sunny Afternoon
15 February 2025 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces today the cast and creative team of its highly anticipated North American Premiere musical event Sunny Afternoon. Based…
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - How a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn gave us the songs that defined a generation
15 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewBeautiful: The Carole King Musical is a captivating tribute to the extraordinary journey of Carole King, tracing her path from…
Delightful ‘Circus Quixote’ Marks Lookingglass Triumphant Return to Water Tower
12 February 2025 in Theatre in Review“Don Quixote of La Mancha” is considered the oldest European novel, but it gets a fresh and exciting new treatment…
Review: 'Fool for Love' at Steppenwolf Theatre
10 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewLove is often jokingly referred to as a socially acceptable form of insanity, but in Sam Shepard’s ‘Fool for Love’…
Court Theatre’s "A Raisin in the Sun": Bold Choices, Timeless Struggles
10 February 2025 in Theatre in ReviewLike the dream deferred in Langston Hughes' poem that inspired its title, Court Theatre's latest production of "A Raisin in…
Latest Articles
-
Red Clay Dance Company’s 16 centers perseverance and legacy in Vershawn Sanders-Ward Revival and Bebe Miller Premiere
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago announces 16 by Red Clay Dance Company for three performances only, April 17-19, 2025, featuring Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward (‘02)’s new staging of Written on the Flesh and a premiere by Bebe Miller—commissioned and set on Red Clay Dance Company dancers including… -
The critically acclaimed hit production of Obliteration returns
Written by Buzz Center StageObliteration, LLC & The Revival Theater announce a limited engagement of Obliteration, written by Andrew Hinderaker, directed by Jonathan Berry, featuring Michael Patrick Thornton and Cyd Blakewell. Obliteration runs April 10-May 4, 2025, at The Revival Theater, 906 S Wabash Ave in Chicago. Obliteration is a fusion of stand-up comedy and theater that tells…
-
Stand Up Together Comedy stars unite during Chicago fundraiser to support California wildfire victims Thursday, March 27 at Laugh Factory Chicago
Written by Buzz Center StageStand Up Together, a comedy benefit in support of artists impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, hosted by Second City and SNL Alum Katie Rich, is planned for Thursday, March 27 at 7:30pm at Laugh Factory Chicago, 3175 N Broadway. Comedians Pat McGann, Katie Rich, Megan…
-
Luck Be a Lady Tonight: A Rollicking Review of Music Theatre Works’ 'Guys and Dolls'
Written by Kimberly KatzFollowing a string of successful shows, Music Theater Works has once again hit the jackpot with their 2025 season opener, Guys and Dolls. This delightful production is currently wowing audiences at the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for…
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.