Displaying items by tag: america blues theater
Little Shop of Horrors Makes You Feel Good
Once in awhile a musical comes around so weird that you have to see it to understand it. Based on a 1960 b-movie of the same name, "Little Shop or Horrors" tells the story of a man-eating plant raised by a nerdy guy working in a flower shop. Legendary composers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman collaborated on a musical version of it as a tribute to 60s rock 'n roll and drive-in movies. It started as an Off-Off Broadway show in 1982 and then transitioned to the Off-Broadway Orpheum Theatre, where it ran for five years. The film version followed in 1986 and is considered one of the best movie musicals ever made.
It's no surprise American Blues Theater had to extend their production by popular demand. Jonathan Berry directs an excellent "Little Shop of Horrors" for American Blues Theater with musical direction by Austin Cook. From the get-go, audiences will find themselves caught in the tentacles of this plant tale. Real-life married couple Michael Mahler and Dara Cameron play Seymour and Audrey. Both have incredible voices and make these characters their own. The result is very charming. The stoop urchins: Chiffon, Ronette and Crystal (aptly named after the girl groups they sing in the style of) are so good they may even outshine the plant. Camille Robinson, Jasondra Johnson and Eunice Woods crush their roles as the doo-wop Greek chorus. It seems like these three fantastic voices are having a blast working together. That said, the voice of the man-eating plant, Audrey II, provided by Lorenzo Rush Jr is really powerful, with a contagious evil laugh.
Despite the strong talent on the stage and in the pit, this "Little Shop of Horrors" further succeeds in its well designed set by Grant Sabin. This show requires a good puppet master. Sarah E Ross' Audrey II puppets are awesome. The puppet creates some of the best laughs of the evening, especially in the finale.
Like "Rocky Horror", and "Grease" - the music of "Little Shop of Horrors" makes you feel good. The team behind this musical was also responsible for Disney's string of critically acclaimed animated musicals like "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast." "Little Shop of Horrors" at America Blues Theater is a show you'd have to be a mean, green, mother not to enjoy. (John Accrocco)
Through June 26th at The Greenhouse Theatre. 2257 N Lincoln Ave. 773-404-7336
Rocky in Concert Delivers a Knockout Night Despite Technical Stumbles
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C'est Drôle: Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan brings classic humor to Wrigleyville theatre
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A New Home, A Necessary Warning: Timeline’s Enemy Lands Hard
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces 40th Anniversary Season
15 May 2026 in Theatre BuzzChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes announce today the company's 40th Anniversary Season. America's leading Shakespeare Theater curates…
Chicago Dance Crash presents expo/sd — a genre-bending, world-premiere repertory performance!
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Steppenwolf Presents LAURA BENANTI: NOBODY CARES - August 6 – 9, 2026
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BrightSide Theatre announces 2026-27 season - THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE SECRET GARDEN: IN CONCERT, KEN LUDWIG'S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, and AVENUE Q
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Chicago City Opera presents Strauss Masterpiece Der Rosenkavalier
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The Magic Parlour Extends Through December 31! Plus Special Guest Eric Jones Joins This Summer
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OAK PARK FESTIVAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES 51ST SEASON "HAMLET" AND "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST"
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METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ANNOUNCES ITS UPCOMING 2026-27 SEASON INCLUDING RIDE THE CYCLONE, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER, DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, THE MATCH GAME AND RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S OKLAHOMA!
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Everybody Got a Secret: York Walker’s Covenant Haunts The Goodman
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The Real Crime Would Be To Miss This: Crime and Punishment at TUTA Theatre
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American Blues Theater announces its 2026-2027 Season
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Satire With a Sword: City Lit’s Spirited New Musical 'Scaramouche'
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Fallin’ to Pieces over “Always…Patsy Cline” at American Blues Theater
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Paramount's Lush and Spectacular South Pacific Brings Island Love to Life!
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A Night of Honesty and Humor: Isabel Klee Talks Dogs, Boys, and Growing Up
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Chicago Danztheatre's Architecture of Memory Turns Personal Reflection Into Collective Catharsis
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32C This Weekend: Three Wildly Different Shows, All Worth the Trip
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Citadel Theatre announces a mix of classics and 21st Century works for its 2026–27 mainstage season
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Promethean Theatre Ensemble to stage modern dress adaptation of Anouilh's ANTIGONE at The Den, May 31 – June 28
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CHICAGO TAP THEATRE PRESENTS SATURN RETURNS, JUNE 11 - 14 AT THE EDGE THEATER
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Chicago's Favorite Kids Show Returns This Summer The Second City's No Grown-Ups Allowed Starts June 6
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Asgard Amplified: Loki’s Rock Revolution at Lifeline
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Rom‑Com Spark and ’80s Verve Light Up Metropolis’ Wedding Singer
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E. Faye Butler directs stellar Chicago cast in comedy Nunsense this summer at Drury Lane
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces North American Premiere production of Brokeback Mountain
01 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for Brokeback Mountain, the North American premiere production of Ashley Robinson's adaptation of the…
Latest Articles
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Rocky in Concert Delivers a Knockout Night Despite Technical Stumbles
Written by Ken PayneMarking Rocky’s 50th anniversary, Rocky in Concert arrived at the Auditorium Theatre in a highly anticipated Auditorium Philms presentation featuring the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra performing Bill Conti’s score live. The setup is simple but effective: the film plays above the… -
A New Home, A Necessary Warning: Timeline’s Enemy Lands Hard
Written by John AccroccoTimeline Theatre unveils their chic, new Uptown home with its inaugural production–Henrik Ibsen’s ever-relevant “An Enemy of the People”. A streamlined text by acclaimed playwright Amy Herzog cuts right to the bone in this fast-paced version straight from Broadway. It… -
C'est Drôle: Tartuffe, or, The Charlatan brings classic humor to Wrigleyville theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenWhile many of my classmates were signing up for Spanish classes, I thought it would be terribly useful to sign up for French. French? In Southern California? What good would that possibly do? A degree and several trips to French-speaking… -
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces 40th Anniversary Season
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes announce today the company's 40th Anniversary Season. America's leading Shakespeare Theater curates a season rooted in Shakespeare and Chicago with a complement of world-class contemporary work—emblematic of the Theater's global, yet unmistakably…
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