Monday, 21 April 2025 12:36
A WONDROUS SOUND - Orchestra and Chorus of the Chicago Lyric Opera is a wondrous compilation of the best of the best!
Sarz Maxwell
The repertoire for this fabulous program - A WONDROUS SOUND, showcasing the full force of Lyric’s amazing orchestra and chorus, was developed in collaboration between Lyric Conductor Enrique Mazzola and Chorus Director Michael Black. The orchestra started it off with the thrilling overture from Carmen, followed by some of that…
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Theatre in Review
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Monday, 21 April 2025 15:03
Stellar Performances in “Prayer for the French Republic”
Written by Bill Esler
Early in the first act I whispered to my companion and said “I love this!” Extremely well written by Joshua Hartman with stellar performances directed by Jeremy Wechsler, “Prayer for the French Republic” (a Northlight Theatre Theatre Wit co-production) attempts to reveal the soul-searching and angst among a Jewish family…
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Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 20 April 2025 12:06
Citadel's 'A Jukebox for the Algonquin" - The Reality of Life in a Senior Center sets the Stage for Tunes, Friendship and Rebellion!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Citadel’s latest production, A Jukebox for the Algonquin, truly captured my heart. It’s a refreshing reminder that as we age, life doesn’t lose its spark—it merely shifts to a new rhythm, one filled with laughter, camaraderie, and unexpected joys. This delightful offering beautifully showcased the vibrant lives that still await…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 17 April 2025 14:48
A Night to Remember Aboard Marriott Theatre’s Titanic
Written by CJ Burroughs
As a lifelong aficionado of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic, I’ve always gravitated toward any experience that would leave me feeling immersed in that famous moment of an era that nobody any of us knows anymore is alive to remember. I’ve watched every grainy, dated video interview with actual…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 15 April 2025 11:54
Writers Theater Excels in Brian Friel's Funny, Complicated 'Translations'
Written by Bill Esler
Brian Friel’s “Translations,” now playing at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL, shows off the renowned Irish playwright’s signature skill in creating a stage full of memorable characters, 10 in this case, each with depth sufficient to fuel their dramatic paths. “Translations” as Friel tells us, “has to do with language…
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Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 06 April 2025 13:00
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents Lively Production of Sunny Afternoon
Written by Lauren Katz
“It’s not us… all this mucking about with our sound.” Sunny Afternoon is about many things. This is in so many ways a rock concert – with a score that makes it impossible not to dance and clap along in your seat. It’s vibrant – with a talented design…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 08 April 2025 09:51
Layers Unfold in “The Book of Grace” at Steppenwolf
Written by Wesley David
In a masterful stroke of programming, Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of "The Book of Grace," Suzan-Lori Parks' incendiary companion piece to her Pulitzer Prize-winning "Topdog/Underdog." Director Steve H. Broadnax III has crafted a searing production that peels back the layers of American family dysfunction with surgical precision.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 05 April 2025 09:39
‘Trial of Themistocles’ Shows Off Best of the Culture of Greece, and Chicago Jurisprudence
Written by Bill Esler
Walking into the Harris Theater for the “Trial of Themistocles,” I was expecting something translated from ancient Greek, togas, masks, maybe a chorus, and a scholarly script that would take some work to wade through. Instead I found the latest installment of a delightful Trials Series produced since 2013 by…
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Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 02 April 2025 22:23
A Hull Lot of Laughs: Titanique Makes Waves On Stage
Written by Ken Payne
All hands on deck Titanic fans! Get ready for a lavishly produced musical that boldly reimagines the Titanic story, navigating it into fresh and unforeseen waters. The story of the "unsinkable" Titanic is one most of us know well—the ship’s ill-fated maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, ending in tragedy…
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Theatre in Review
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THE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV series’, and now an opera, premiering in New York and now brought to Chicago by the renowned composer/librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek. This opera, at Civic Opera House, was…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 26 March 2025 13:11
Review: 'it's been ten years since everybody died' at Open Space Arts
Sarz Maxwell
I’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar with OSA’s attributes: unique productions that battle antisemitism and homophobia with art; premiere plays by previously-unknown writers; small, intimate venue; and, most of all, incredible talent both on- and off-stage. …
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 24 March 2025 14:06
Definition Theatre Defines the Crisis: 'Splash Hatch on the E Going Down'
Written by Wesley David
In Definition Theatre's production of "Splash Hatch on the E Going Down," Kia Corthron's 1997 work feels unnervingly relevant in 2025. Under Cheryl Lynn Bruce's incisive direction, this story of environmental racism and maternal health transforms from a Clinton-era critique into a mirror reflecting our ongoing, unresolved struggles with environmental…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 21 March 2025 12:08
The Search for Truth Turns to War in Oil Lamp’s Outstanding ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’
Written by Mitchell Oldham
Don’t be deceived by the title. The phrase “lifespan of a fact” sounds about as dry as the Mojave Desert and just a mite confusing. But, as Glenview’s Oil Lamp Theater’s current stage production proves, those knee jerk perceptions turn out to be completely absurd. Instead, its The Lifespan of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Latest Articles
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A WONDROUS SOUND - Orchestra and Chorus of the Chicago Lyric Opera is a wondrous compilation of the best of the best!
Written by Sarz MaxwellThe repertoire for this fabulous program - A WONDROUS SOUND, showcasing the full force of Lyric’s amazing orchestra and chorus, was developed in collaboration between Lyric Conductor Enrique Mazzola and Chorus Director Michael Black. The orchestra started it off with… -
Stellar Performances in “Prayer for the French Republic”
Written by Bill EslerEarly in the first act I whispered to my companion and said “I love this!” Extremely well written by Joshua Hartman with stellar performances directed by Jeremy Wechsler, “Prayer for the French Republic” (a Northlight Theatre Theatre Wit co-production) attempts… -
Citadel's 'A Jukebox for the Algonquin" - The Reality of Life in a Senior Center sets the Stage for Tunes, Friendship and Rebellion!
Written by Kimberly KatzCitadel’s latest production, A Jukebox for the Algonquin, truly captured my heart. It’s a refreshing reminder that as we age, life doesn’t lose its spark—it merely shifts to a new rhythm, one filled with laughter, camaraderie, and unexpected joys. This… -
A Night to Remember Aboard Marriott Theatre’s Titanic
Written by CJ BurroughsAs a lifelong aficionado of the ill-fated ocean liner RMS Titanic, I’ve always gravitated toward any experience that would leave me feeling immersed in that famous moment of an era that nobody any of us knows anymore is alive to…
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