Monday, 21 March 2011 20:32
Justice For Sale; The Merchant of Venice worth its salt at Bank of America Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
The Merchant of Venice is not one of Shakespeare's most well known plays, in fact few of the people sitting around me in the theater had even read it let alone seen it. But the play is a gem, portraying cultural and religious stereotypes that are still prominent in today's…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It was Hamlet who said “the play’s the thing”, and Yasmina Reza’s play has won so many awards, it feels almost impossible to say anything critical about it. It’s a light, frothy modern-day farce, which lifts the audience up, before pushing them out into the spring Chicago air. When Alan…
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Theatre in Review
What can I say about “Johnny Boy's Graduation” other than it's INCREDIBLE! This show had to have been the BEST time I've ever had! The show, an interactive comedy by Mark Nassar, co-creator of “Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding,” and by Kevin Alexander, Denise Fennell and Justine Rossi, takes place at…
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Theatre in Review
If any musical is a precursor to the rock opera, it's 1967's very own Hair. I saw elements of Rent, Godspell, and Jesus Christ Superstar, among others, embedded within the music, choreography, and even the costumes. This show is great fun but with serious things to say. Written and set in the late sixties, Hair…
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Theatre in Review
Meet one of the stars of the Video Game Reunion here. The show is going on at this link, right now! http://vgr.atom.com/#!s1/episodes/episode_1 Tonya Kay is an entertainer. Tonya Kay is a good steward of animals and earth. Tonya Kay is the voice of Green Girl, a lead comedic actor in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 05 March 2011 12:20
They work hard for the money; Working earns their paycheck at the Broadway Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
If you’ve ever worked a day in your life, ever waited a table or slaved the day away in a cubicle, then you’ll love the Broadway musical Working. This upbeat, funny, hauntingly true-to-life musical capturing the stories of everyday working people has something for everyone. Working is a musical based…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 17:38
Baby Wants Candy - Musicals You'll Never See Again
Written by Ken Payne
If you are on the prowl for some very funny improv, follow the path that leads to Chicago’s Apollo Theatre at 2540 N. Lincoln Ave. It is there that every Friday at 10:30 pm the hilarious comedy troupe "Baby Wants Candy" takes the stage to perform a comedy musical that,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
“Laika Dog in Space” the combined effort of Chicago and New York’s Neo Futurist Theatre Company, is a witty presentation that is as inventive as it is funny. With clever props ranging from a host of simulated television sets, lighted space helmets and a raggedy stuffed pooch, the show takes…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Neither the sweeping, bitter winds that tore through the streets nor the mountains of snow that overtook our fair city could keep me from joining the crusade at the Cadillac Palace Theatre for the New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables. Although my fifth time seeing the world-famous operetta, the…
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Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 30 January 2011 19:08
Tangled Web - Sex with Strangers returns to Steppenwolf Theatre
Written by Bruce Colón
Sex still sells. Playwright Laura Eason realized this firsthand when, in an admittedly calculated move to get a play produced, she concocted a simple two-character piece with an eye-catching, but slightly deceptive title. First staged in the summer of 2009 as part of Steppenwolf Theatre’s First Look Repertory of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 13 January 2011 17:13
“Escape from the Haltsburg Boys Choir” – The Perfect Escape
Written by Ken Payne
In this coming of age story that focuses on four choirboys (each wonderfully played by women), the audience is treated to a collection of original numbers that are both whimsical and very well sung - humorous songs and some that are a bit more thought provoking. "Escape from the Haltsburg…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 10 January 2011 11:48
Young Lust - Hot & Heavy Burlesque rebuilds The Wall
Written by Bruce Colón
While I cannot prove this, I am pretty certain the last thing on Roger Waters’ troubled mind when writing The Wall over 30 years ago was a cast of nubile and acrobatic performers artfully stripping to the strains of “Comfortably Numb.” If so, the whole piece might’ve taken a decidedly…
Published in
Theatre in Review
“A Jew never laughs without looking at his wife for approval.” – Jackie Mason Funny is a good way to be classified if you are involved in comedy. For a comedian, it is much better to be classified as a “side splitter;” making the audience hurt from the joke because…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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