Friday, 15 March 2024 09:08
Margaret Atwood's 'The Penelopiad' Is a Zesty Romp, Even If a Bit Cerebral
Written by Bill Esler
“The Penelopiad” is a zesty romp and very entertaining. With a script by a writer I adore, Margaret Atwood of “The Handmaid's Tale” fame, and based on her novella by the same name, it tells the story of Odysseus’ wife Penelope (played stunningly by Jennifer Morrison)—and how she occupied herself during…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 16:04
Steppenwolf Theatre Announces 2024/25 Season
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, under the leadership of Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis and Executive Director Brooke Flanagan, today announced its 2024/25 Season, featuring a dynamic line-up of modern masterpieces, Chicago and world premieres. The 49th Season includes five Steppenwolf Membership Series productions that invite audiences to experience the next chapter of Steppenwolf's bold, visceral and muscular…
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Upcoming Theatre
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There’s a reason Elton John’s Broadway musical adaptation of ‘Aida’ was one the most popular musicals of the early aughts. Verdi’s classic has all the romance and tragedy that opera fans crave, but with a relatively easy to follow plot. For that reason, ‘Aida’ is a more accessible work for…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 11 March 2024 11:14
'Bill W. and Dr. Bob' Tells About AA Founders, and What It Was Really Like to be their Wives
Written by Bill Esler
“Bill W. and Dr. Bob,” in its Chicago premiere at the Biograph Theater, tells the exciting story of the 1935 origins of Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA. Ubiquitous (though by its own traditions it doesn’t advertise), AA has spawned some 200 similar addictive behavior treatment programs (for drugs, compulsive sex and…
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Theatre in Review
It was a dark and stormy night (yes, it really was!) – the perfect ambiance for taking in one of theatre’s classic comedic thrillers, Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, staged by BrightSide Theatre at North Central College’s Meiley-Swallow Hall, in Naperville. For knowledgeable theatre buffs, Deathtrap holds the record for the longest-running…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 05 March 2024 15:07
Black Ensemble Theatre's 'The Time Machine: A Tribute To The 80’s' celebrates a transformative era of music
Written by Wesley David
Black music in the 1980’s was transformative. It was the decade where Black music exploded in diversity and influence. It broke down racial barriers in popular music, with Black artists topping the charts and influencing artists across genres. Black music embraced new music technology; pioneering techniques used in popular music…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 01 March 2024 12:01
Mrs. Doubtfire leaves no doubt, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
Written by Wesley David
The Groundhog Day musical debacle left me wary of movie-to-stage adaptations. I saw them as cash grabs, mere shadows of the beloved originals. So, I approached Mrs. Doubtfire with trepidation, fearing another corny, uninspired musical. Thankfully, Mrs. Doubtfire surprised me. It wasn't just enjoyable, but the refreshingly unapologetic old-fashioned style…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 28 February 2024 14:26
'Shakespeare’s R & J' adapted from 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare at Pride Arts Center
Sarz Maxwell
Shakespeare’s R & J is another demonstration of just how brilliant William Shakespeare truly was, is, and ever will be. Romeo & Juliet has captivated audiences since the 16th century. The story of the star-crossed lovers is universal, appealing to audiences from all walks of life, and stanzas from the…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 27 February 2024 12:03
Court Theatre Announces 70th Anniversary Season
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Court Theatre, under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, is proud to announce its 70th season. The 2024/25 season will feature Eugene Lee's searing and rhythmic East Texas Hot Links, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson; the groundbreaking musical Falsettos, with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by William Finn…
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Upcoming Theatre
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Monday, 26 February 2024 13:09
'James and the Giant Peach' comes to life in a big way at Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences
Written by Betsy Schmitt
For anyone familiar with children’s literature, Roald Dahl is a household name. Since the 1960s, Dahl has entertained and enchanted his young readers with fantastical tales of witches, giants, talking animals, magical chocolate factories, and yes, even a giant peach. So, it is more than appropriate that the Marriott Theatre…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 23 February 2024 12:16
Gripping ‘Richard III’ Mines Shakespeare’s Script for All its Power, Horror, and Humor
Written by Bill Esler
As the audience takes its seats around the Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard thrust stage, wraiths in black gowns and white masks silently infiltrate the aisles, imparting an air of menace and suspense about what will unfold as we near the opening of “Richard III.” Soon enough, they take to the stage,…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 20 February 2024 10:33
Review: 'The Magic Flute' at Goodman Theatre
Written by Betsy Schmitt
Mozart’s masterpiece, and one of the world’s most frequently performed operas, The Magic Flute, is given a modern-day makeover in award-winning director and writer Mary Zimmerman’s production of The Matchbox Magic Flute, now playing at The Goodman Theatre on its Owen stage. In this world-premiere production, Zimmerman has adapted the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 11:31
Incredibly Powerful 'Topdog/underdog' Shines in Invictus' New Home at Windy City Playhouse
Written by Bill Esler
Invictus Theatre’s smashingly good Chicago production of Susan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog” brings us a dark comedy that is both gripping and layered. This Tony winner for its current Broadway revival incorporates all the qualities of a well-written play, steadily unfolding details of the brothers who share a derelict apartment—the plaster is…
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Theatre in Review
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'Blue' Holds Mirror to Race in America
Written by Betsy SchmittWhen Francesca Zambello, director of The Glimmerglass Festival, commissioned an opera about race in America, the country was reeling from a spate of police shootings of young African-American men in Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. By the time the… -
Review: 'Falsettos' at Court Theatre
Written by John AccroccoEven 40 years later, the AIDS crisis continues to shape American life. Long before Hollywood brought AIDS stories to the cultural mainstream, the theatre was a safe place for actors and writers to explore their fears and sense of injustice… -
Delightful Send-up of 1930s Musicals, 'Dames at Sea' Nearly Sunk by Bad Sound
Written by Bill EslerOverall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy satirizing the over-the-top 1930s movies and Broadway revues that were light on plot and heavy on costumes, dance routine, and… -
Disney's The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane: An Inspiring and Delightful Production Celebrating Girls' Unique Voices
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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