Friday, 23 August 2024 11:25
'Network' at Invictus Theatre Co. is one fun, funny, exciting show
Written by Bill Esler
“Network” at Invictus Theatre Co. is one fun, funny, exciting show. In this full-throttle Chicago debut at the WIndy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road, we get a powerhouse rendering of Lee Hall’s script. Adapted to the stage in 2017 for a London production from the Oscar-winning 1976 screenplay by…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 11 August 2024 14:26
Paramount Theatre’s PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is Filled with Magic and Wonder
Written by Lauren Katz
It’s dark on the Neverland ship, and Molly, Prentis, Ted, and Boy are hiding in a corner – waiting for the coast to clear. As they huddle and watch, the four begin talking about dreams. All have experienced their fair share of hardships, but for the briefest moment, they look…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 13 August 2024 10:50
REVIEW: SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE BY 4 CHAIRS THEATRE
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
We are all lucky that we’ve gotten to live at the same time and in the same timeline as Stephen Sondheim, possibly the most influential and important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. From his most popular musicals — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Into the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 31 July 2024 10:17
Steep Theatre’s A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD Is Full of Heartfelt Layer Upon Layer
Written by Lauren Katz
Keith (Debo Balogun) and Ryan (Nate Faust) sit in their rolling chairs in the middle of Keith’s office. The lighting is highly florescent, and the two are discussing Ryan’s current status and ability to convince a bank to give him a loan. Tension is high, and with Ryan’s desperation only…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 28 July 2024 14:30
Spend an evening in Middle Earth - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: A MUSICAL TALE at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Sarz Maxwell
I first read JRR Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, when I was eleven; since then I have reread the entire story almost every year. My birthday is September 22, same as Bilbo and Frodo. The quote [NOT that of the One Ring!] tattooed on my arm is in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- The Lord of the Rings
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Middle Earth
- Paul Hart
- The Yard
- Navy Pier
- Edward Hall
- Kimberly Motes
- Will James Jr
- Tom Amandes
- Eileen Doan
- Ben Mathew
- Michael Kurowski
- Rick Hall
- Spencer Davis Milford
- Tony Bozzuto
- Justin Albinder
- Ian Maryfield
- Matthew C Yee
- Jeff Parker
- Alina Taber
- Lauren Zakrin
- Suzanne Hannau
- Frodo
- Bilbo
- Gandolph
- Gollum
- Musical
Sunday, 21 July 2024 17:51
A Young Man Reckons With Middle Passage, and his Family, in ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’
Written by Bill Esler
Pegasus Theatre’s “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” is a family drama with plenty of comedic overtones. Director ILesa Duncan relies on very strong performances by Maya Abram as Mom, the whirling core of the family, along with David Goodloe as a deadpan Dad, to center the show in the Jones…
Published in
Theatre in Review
When one first thinks of improvised comedy (and perhaps this is an unfair assumption), the mind immediately jumps to the image of a group of extremely energetic and theatrical actors, running onto the stage and asking the audience for a suggestion. From the start, TJ and Dave’s take on long-form…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Thursday, 11 July 2024 15:10
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Rocks Anew at The Den
Written by Betsy Schmitt
You might think that a rock musical featuring a genderqueer, hard-rockin’ and brokenhearted performer born on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall and the recipient of a sex-change operation gone horribly wrong might not be the show for you. But you would be making a big mistake. Hedwig and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 10 July 2024 12:39
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" Enchants at The Goodman Theatre
Written by Wesley David
“Truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder” Jim Williams The Goodman Theatre has conjured a spellbinding spectacle with the world premiere musical adaptation of John Berendt's captivating "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Tony Award winning Director Rob Ashford masterfully weaves together a tapestry of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 30 June 2024 12:51
Writers Theatre’s “The Hot Wing King” with extra sauce
Written by Wesley David
Katori Hall is an acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter, and director, known for her vivid portrayal of African American experiences and social issues. Her notable works include "The Mountaintop," which won an Olivier Award, "Hurt Village," and "Pussy Valley," which she adapted into the successful TV series "P-Valley." Hall's "The Hot…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 27 June 2024 10:49
Laurie Metcalf Shines on Expressive Barcaloungers in 'Little Bear Ridge Road’ at Steppenwolf
Written by Bill Esler
Steppenwolf’s Laurie Metcalf gives us a tour de force performance in playwright Samuel D. Hunter’s masterful “Little Bear Ridge Road.” But you might find this is a little different than the roles from Ibsen and Albee for which she won Tony’s on Broadway. As Sarah, the 60ish cranky nurse living…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 18 June 2024 13:52
Review - 1619: THE JOURNEY OF A PEOPLE by Ted Williams III At Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Sarz Maxwell
My first impression was, naturally, of the set: a stunning mural by Sholo Beverly in shades of blues and grays, the only color the red white & blue of an American flag. A series of posters were hung from the ceiling, from an announcement of a slave auction through Emancipation,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
First on the stage was Tabla artist Salar Nader, considered Afghanistan’s premier virtuoso on the tabla. His unceasing accompaniment was at times almost subliminal, then bursting out with intentional significance, but ever present, keeping us firmly rooted in Afghani culture … though I hadn’t been aware that in August 2021…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Review: HONEYPOT: BLACK SOUTHERN WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston
Written by Sarz MaxwellHONEYPOT originated as a creative nonfiction book by E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Johnson has a passion for oral history; for HONEYPOT he interviewed a number of Black Southern women, documented in his… -
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Marriott Theatre Continues 50th Anniversary Season with Vibrant New Jukebox Musical, Always Something There…
Written by Buzz Center StageFor a dose of summer fun, theatergoers are invited to grab their Walkman, cue up their favorite 80s mix tape, and head to Marriott Theatre—Chicagoland's longest running musical theatre—as it continues its unforgettable 50th anniversary season with the world premiere of Always…
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