Kokandy Productions’ HAIR revival lets the sunshine in this summer at the Chopin Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Brennan Urbi, this remount is a fresh, funky and poignant riff on the classic 1960s tribal love-rock musical by Galt MacDermot. The large cast of new and returning Kokandy faces bring this…
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Theatre in Review
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- Kokandy Productions
- HAIR
- Chopin Theatre
- 1960s musical
- hippies
- Brennan Urbi
- Galt MacDermot
- The 5th Dimension
- Aquarius
- Let The Sunshine In
- Gerome Rangi
- James Rado
- Zac Richey
- Catherine Rodriguez OConnor
- Rachel Sypniewski
- G Max Maxin IV
- Musical theatre
- anti-war
- live theatre
- chicago theatre
- Chicago events
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- on stage
- Wicker Park
Saturday, 18 July 2026 15:51
Pure Vocal Magic: Goodman’s Octet Redefines Musical Innovation
Written by Mark Hermann
Dave Malloy’s Octet is a musical with daring aspirations, currently gracing the stage in a powerhouse co-production between the Raven Theatre and the Goodman Theatre. This staging, directed by Keira Fromm, first debuted at the intimate Raven Theatre, where it enjoyed a highly successful run before its move to the…
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Theatre in Review
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The timeless magic of Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s book series comes to life in the Marriott Theatre’s delightful production of A Year with Frog and Toad. With book and lyrics by Willie Reale and a score by Robert Reale, this whimsical musical adaptation perfectly captures the endearing spirit that resonates…
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Theatre in Review
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the greatest farces ever written. His wordplay caricatured high society, and clever pay-offs are hilarious when executed properly. The play was first performed on February 14, 1895 (Valentine's Day). The premiere took place at the historic St James's Theatre in…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 13 July 2026 13:18
PrideArts' World Premiere of WINDOWS, August 7 – 23
Written by Buzz Center Stage
PrideArts' 2026-27 season will open in August with the world premiere of Chicago-based playwright Matt Schutz's WINDOWS, a comedy of LGBT Gen Z-ers finding their ways through career and relationship challenges. WINDOWS was developed through PrideArts' Queery Playwrights Lab, in which 33 scripts with an LGBTQ focus were submitted for consideration…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 12 July 2026 12:09
A Legendary Transformation: John Mulaney’s Historic Night at Wrigley Field
Written by Ken Payne
John Mulaney didn’t just perform at Wrigley Field. He made history there. In a venue synonymous with baseball legends, rock icons, and century-old Chicago lore, Mulaney became the first comedian ever to headline a full stand-up show at Wrigley Field, and, depending on which version of the truth you prefer,…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 12 July 2026 16:10
A Thoughtful Evolution of Her Own Making: Overshadowed Theatrical Productions’ My Fair Lady
Written by Kimberly Katz
Overshadowed Theatre Productions brings fresh energy to one of musical theatre’s most enduring classics, offering a spirited and thoughtful take on My Fair Lady. This production leans into the story’s sharp contrasts - class and aspiration, control and independence - and invites audiences to see Eliza Doolittle’s transformation with new…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 11 July 2026 13:01
Powerhouse Performances on Display in Gwydion's Dry Powder
Written by Angelo Campos
In the sharp-tongued world of Sarah Burgess’s Dry Powder, presented by Gwydion Theatre Company at the Greenhouse Theater Center, the pursuit of money is a blood sport. The play centers on a high-stakes private equity firm caught in a massive public relations nightmare after laying off thousands of grocery store…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 09 July 2026 13:35
Production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Does Not Fully Recognize Its Importance at Oak Park Festival
Kerstin Broockmann
It is possible that Oak Park Festival Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 “trivial comedy for serious people,” The Importance of Being Earnest, was suffering from some opening night jitters and that the actors will settle in and trust the verbal comedy in the script, but on this beautiful evening…
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Theatre in Review
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- THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
- Oak Park Festival
- OAK PARK FESTIVAL THEATRE
- August Forman
- Chad Bay
- Kathryn Walsh
- Oscar Wilde
- Sonia Goldberg
- Aurora Pennepacker
- Jodi Gage
- Gabriel Armstrong
- Austin Gardens
- Oak Park
- Drew Bos
- summer theatre
- outdoor theatre
- live theatre
- Chicago events
- on stage
- comedy theatre
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Friday, 10 July 2026 00:09
The Beautiful Overthinking of Gary Gulman’s 7th Hour
Written by Ken Payne
Gary Gulman brings his new tour, 7th Hour: An All New Standup Show, to The Den Theatre, offering Chicago audiences a chance to see a comic who has spent decades refining the long-form, slow-burn style that has become unmistakably his. His five sold-out shows over the weekend are being recorded…
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Theatre in Review
Suffs is a musical about history, yes, but more importantly, it is a musical about momentum: who creates it, who resists it (and why), who gets left behind by it, and what it costs to keep pushing it forward. Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement in the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Suffs
- CIBC Theatre
- Broadway in Chicago
- Musical theatre
- Suffrage
- Suffragette
- National Womans Party
- Alice Paul Ida B Wells
- Leigh Silverman
- Carrie Chapman Catt
- Marya Grandy
- Maya Keleher
- Woodrow Wilson
- Merrill Peiffer
- Danyel Fulton
- Trisha Jeffrey
- Victoria Pekel
- live theatre
- on stage
- chicago theatre
- Chicago events
- Chicago plays
Wednesday, 01 July 2026 18:55
Absurdist Satire ‘Do You Feel Anger?’ Captures Toxicity in Workplace Today
Written by Bill Esler
Set in a debt collection call center, Do You Feel Anger? captures how a toxic workplace manifests itself in today’s theoretically more “enlightened” world. Much of that toxicity, at least in this 2019 script by Mara Nelson-Greenberg, is propelled by male bonding and power. But it’s not an oppressive tale.…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 30 June 2026 17:11
Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem
Written by Ken Payne
Goodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth making into one of the most delightfully strange premises to hit Chicago in years. It’s a satire, a love letter to showbiz, and a playful reimagining of how Eugene O’Neill…
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Theatre in Review
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Latest Articles
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Kokandy Productions Presents SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE - August 13 – November 1, 2026 at The Chopin Theatre
Written by Buzz Center StageFollowing its critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions once again celebrates the great Stephen Sondheim with a revival of his stunning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, playing August 13 – November 1, 2026 in the intimate Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St.… -
Steppenwolf Theatre Names Stage Manager Laura D. Glenn Newest Ensemble Member
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf Theatre Company Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are thrilled to welcome veteran Production Stage Manager Laura D. Glenn into the company's world-renowned ensemble. Glenn, whose journey with Steppenwolf began as a summer intern in 1988, has worked on more than 100 Steppenwolf productions over…
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The Lizard y El Sol Returns to Chicago Parks Through August 9th
Written by Buzz Center StageThe whole family can enjoy The Lizard y El Sol, returning by popular demand to 12 public spaces citywide this summer. Co-Directors Jamal Howard (Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake) and Raquel Torre (BOOK UP!) again take the reins of this beloved "Theater for…
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Chicago Tap Theatre Founder, Mark Yonally, Receives HOOFER AWARD from AMERICAN TAP DANCE FOUNDATION
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago Tap Theatre (CTT) is proud to announce its Founder and Artistic Director Mark Yonally has been selected by the Preservation Committee for the American Tap Dance Foundation to receive the 2026 Hoofer Award. Yonally will accept the honor at the Tap City Awards, Friday, Sept. 11 at…
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