Monday, 14 July 2014 19:00
You don't say - The Beverly Hillbillies - The Musical at Theatre at the Center
Victoria Lvova
Another TV classic has found itself in a musical, this time being The Beverly Hillbillies. Credited as one of the most popular shows of all time, The Beverly Hillbillies aired from 1962 through 1971 and told the story of a backwoods family that found wealth in oil and then migrated…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 27 June 2014 19:00
Embrace Your Inner Nerd - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Drury Lane Theatre
Written by Ken Payne
Having never seen this show, five minutes in I felt that I was really going to enjoy myself. Twenty minutes later, I knew that fifteen minutes ago I was correct in feeling so. As the minutes into the show increased, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee only got better…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 19 June 2014 19:00
Michael Cera and Kieran Culkin Captivate in This Is Our Youth
Written by Ken Payne
Steppenwolf Theater will be the testing ground for Kenneth Lonergan’s “This Is Our Youth” before the play goes to Broadway for its launch in September. Powered with young, talented actors Micheal Cera, Kieran Culkin and 18-year-old fashion blogger turned actress, Tavi Gevinson, we are taken to a lived-in Manhattan apartment…
Published in
Theatre in Review
I was eager to see the show but felt really bad as I settled into my seat for the opening night of GODSPELL at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Pain was shooting through my legs, and my mind was overwhelmed after yet another day of wrangling with difficult business decisions.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Hell in a Handbag Productions has done it again, bringing yet another hilarious musical to the Chicago theatre scene, this time to Theater Wit. Caged Dames is one bad ass campy ride behind bars at a women’s correctional facility where “shocking” is just another day in the life. Writer and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The New Colony has staked a claim in the Chicago and U.S. theatre scene. Creating original, devised, ensemble-based productions, the nomadic storefront theatre has made a splash on the local and national scene. In just sixth short years, their productions have appeared across the country - in Steppenwolf's Garage, the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 22 May 2014 19:00
Black Ensemble Theater strikes solid gold with One Hit Wonders
Written by Ken Payne
In what could be the sleeper theatre smash of the summer, One Hit Wonders has just about all the ingredients a show would need to have the staying power for an extended run. And Chicago theatre fans should hope that to be the case, as this is a production that…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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If you have any fondness for tales of the golden era of Hollywood, and in particular the work of the beloved movie star comedian, Jack Lemmon, you will thoroughly enjoy this moving and entertaining one man show starring Jack’s son, Chris Lemmon. Writer and director, Hershey Felder had a similar solid…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It is always a pleasure to see a play by Neil Simon and Lost in Yonkers is always near the top of the list. Now playing at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, artistic director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans bring this classic to the stage under the direction…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 07 May 2014 19:00
Billy Zane leads high caliber cast in The Sound of Music at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by Ken Payne
With so many ways to enjoy springtime in Chicago, The Sound of Music, currently being performed at Lyric Opera of Chicago, should certainly make your list of to dos. With acting heavyweight, Billy Zane, and Broadway star, Jenn Gambatese, leading the way, audience members are treated to a most memorable…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 05 May 2014 19:00
Get Your Hippie On with HAIR at American Theater Company
Written by Ken Payne
It may not be the age of Aquarius anymore, but American Theater Company is currently bringing back the days when hippies believed love was the answer for everything, the war in Viet Nam was being protested with demonstration after demonstration, racial barriers were being broken and psychedelic drugs were in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Blind optimism is put to the test in The Way West, a quirky but poignant story that reminds us of the downside of the American Dream and the methods we use to cope with the American reality. Reminiscing on manifest destiny and the Great Western Migration, writer Mona Mansour extrapolates…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It is with high recommendation that I urge theatre goers and entertainment seekers alike to take in Drury Lanes’ production of the beloved classic, Les Miserables, in celebration of their 30th Anniversary. Multi-Jeff Award winning director of the production, Rachel Rockwell, stuck adamantly to the original storyline and stayed true…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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