As The thunderstorm rolls through to Lord Rancour’s mansion, all the guests disappear unexpectedly one by one. But did the butler do it? “Something’s Afoot,” a campy, delightful musical comedy, running at Citadel Theatre Company in Lake Forest, tells the story of 10 dinner guests, who disappear one by one.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
You can tell this was put together by the best in the business. Executive Producer Don Foster knew what he was doing when he came back home from California to present reality as only Chicagoland can provide. Rantoul & Die was a major hit, and it was beyond expectations when…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Since it’s opening in 1994, the Porchlight Music Theatre has been entertaining thousands of excited theatregoers. They’ve staged forty-nine productions, including five world premieres. And in a now modern day, where most people rarely see or have maybe never seen a musical/play, I was thrilled to see this musical. Based…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 15 May 2011 18:50
Performing Romance in Sarah Ruhl's Premiere of "Stage Kiss"
Written by Zach Zimmerman
A play-within-a-play requires double duty for a reviewer. “One Last Kiss,” the play-within-the-play in this theatrical Russian nesting doll, is a painful 1930s melodrama with cartoonish characters and outdated dialogue. (As one character quips, you know a play will be bad when three people wrote it.) “Stage Kiss," however, is a smart…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 12 May 2011 18:14
"Spring Awakening"; High Expectations, Medium Results
Written by Kevin Pollack
Filled with anger, love, confusion, despair, and what makes you happy, Spring Awakening goes through all that. With music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, this rock musical is an adaptation of the controversial 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind. The play deals with teenagers in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 06 May 2011 19:13
"Next to Normal": A New Prescription for the American Musical
Written by Zach Zimmerman
Xanax, Prozac, depression chatrooms, and electroshock therapy aren’t topics traditionally associated with musical theater; but “Next to Normal,” a new musical from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, addresses these ignored psychiatric struggles that hide behind upper-middle class’ suburban addresses. Diana, a middle-aged mother of two, gets ready for “Just Another…
Published in
Theatre in Review
If there's one thing that I can say about J M Barrie's Peter Pan at the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center North, is WOW! Having grown up with this all too familiar story, I was quite pleased to see that the threesixty theater company was able to bring this timeless classic out…
Published in
Theatre in Review
In 1971 the original production of "Grease" was performed right here in Chicago at what was the Kingston Mines Theatre, located in an old trolley barn in a Lincoln Park neighborhood. We all know what happened from there. Broadway made it a sensation and Hollywood made it one of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 05 May 2011 17:54
Circle Theatre Scores with "A Little Night Music"
Written by Kevin Pollack
If it’s one thing to appreciate in this world, it would be Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim has written some of the best scores in musical theatre. From his countless melodies to the beautiful lyrics, A Little Night Music has grown to be one of my favorites of his that he’s written.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 03 May 2011 23:25
Youth is God in Bailiwick Chicago’s “Passing Strange”
Written by Zach Zimmerman
Hairstyles are a quick way to get a read for the age of an audience. “The Zoo Story” at Victory Gardens late last year boasted mostly grayed combovers; “God of Carnage” at the Goodman had shoulder-length cuts and shaved necklines; even “Sex with Strangers” was mostly a salt-and-pepper type of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Dangerous stunts and rubber-like contortionists are only part of the fun when it comes to the most recent version of Cirque Eloize, but as the phrase goes, "there’s so much more". And there is. Directed by Jeannot Painchaud, Cirque Eloize iD grabs artists from all over the world to bring…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 27 April 2011 13:29
Point Break Live! A Most Atypical Experience
Written by Michael Connor
Fans of Point Break(the movie) and oddball irreverence are being given a rare treat at New Rock Theater. I use the term 'fans' loosely, in the way that arts and entertainment can be enjoyed and respected in ways not always intended. Among other things, Point Break Live is just what…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 20 April 2011 15:37
Groovy and Swinging – “The Hot L Baltimore” at Steppenwolf
Written by Ken Payne
The first thing that strikes one as they enter the theatre is the massive set. With a spacious hotel lobby taking up the entire main stage, check-in counter and switchboard on one end, a stairway takes us to the second floor where several rooms stand side by side, each framed…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Written by Kimberly KatzI thoroughly enjoyed Drury Lane's enchanting stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid from start to finish. While few are overly familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s original, darker tale of ill-fated romance, the Disney animated film and this stage adaptation,…
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