Set beneath the stars on the beautiful grounds that encompass the ever-impressive Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook, Illinois, First Folio Theatre Company continues its rich tradition in bringing engaging, well-acted and provocative stage performances to life that can be enjoyed by most every type of theatre goer. This year’s summer…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 15 July 2015 00:00
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hauntingly Delivers Songs from Tim Burton Films
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
Few creative partnerships in cinema have been as long-lasting or fruitful as the 20+ year collaboration between filmmaker auteur Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman. Haunting, eerie, at times chaotic and bizarre, ominous, melancholy, yet often soothing and serene: These words can be used to describe both the stark visual…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Bard Fiction retells the cult classic Pulp Fiction, transplanting the story in time and space to London 1614. Cool cars become carriages, motorcycles become stallions, guns become swords, a quarter pounder becomes cottage pie and drugs…. well they stay drugs! Written in Shakespearean prose by Ben Tallen, Aaron Greer, Brian…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 10 July 2015 00:00
Time to get your heels on! Kinky Boots is in Chicago!
Written by Michelle Reidy
Kinky Boots, based on the 2005 British dramedy film, was written for the stage by Harvey Fierstein with music by Cyndi Lauper. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Charlie Price, who inherits his fathers failing shoe company, and Lola, a drag queen from London who inspires Charlie…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It's not often you see the words erotic and Dachau in the same sentence. Bent by Martin Sherman is one of the few literary works to address homosexuality and the Nazis. Under the direction of Keira Fromm, The Other Theatre Company presents this Pulitzer Prize nominated play as part of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 07 July 2015 00:00
Dirty Girl: An Entertaining Trailer Park Fairy Tale
Written by Michelle Reidy
The Chicago Musical Theater Festival is produced by the Underscore Theater Company as a forum for musical theater creators and artists to bring new musicals to the stage in a more low risk environment. In its second year, the fest features thirteen new works all sharing the stage in over…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 04 July 2015 00:00
Review: Ruckus' "Matawan" at The Athenaeum Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
With Jaws having just swam back into theaters for its fortieth anniversary and recent shark attacks in North Carolina, The Ruckus' world premiere of 'Matawan' comes at a perfect time. Playwright Dan Caffrey set out to write a play that captures the time period of the early 1900s, an era…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Underscore Theatre Company is in the midst of their second annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival at The Den Theatre where it is host to thirteen brand new musicals submitted by a slew of local theatre companies. Though some musicals presented come from theatre companies more polished than others, the event…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Underscore Theatre Company proudly presents the second annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, featuring 13 world-premiere musicals by local artists. These musicals showcase Chicago’s emerging musical theatre artists. Chicago is home to musical theatre creators, giving the artists a safety net to fall back into when they make risky decisions and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 01 July 2015 00:00
CMTF Kicks off in High Gear with "How to Run for Mayor"
Written by Sara Hassan
Not too long ago, Rahm Emanuel and Jesús "Chuy" Garcia were running head to head in the 2015 Chicago Mayoral election. Many thought this was the opportunity to get someone new into the office that actually related to the quintessential Chicagoan who cared about our public schools, opposed red light…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 21 June 2015 00:00
Marriott Theatre's City of Angels is Seductively Funny
Written by Kimberly Katz
“City of Angels”, which won several Tony awards back in 1990 is really two stories in one. One is the black and white sexy film noir plot that author Stine (played sympathetically by actor Rob Thomas) is writing about private dick Stone for a sleazy Hollywood producer and the other…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 24 June 2015 00:00
Moby Dick at Lookingglass - High Seas Revenge Uniquely Brought to Life
Written by Ken Payne
Lasting imagery, profound acting and exciting characters set the stage for Lookingglass Theatre Company’s latest production, Moby Dick, the classic tale of the monomaniacal plight of Caption Ahab who is hell bent on destroying a fierce sperm whale who cost him his leg, even at the expense of his own…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Aptly named, “On Your Feet!” is on its way to Broadway and officially launched their World Premier right here in Chicago at the Oriental Theater. The show tells the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan through music and dance, laughter and tears. There were so many things that I enjoyed…
Published in
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… -
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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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