Friday, 28 April 2023 14:32
Review: 'Into the Woods' at James M Nederlander Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
Stephen Sondheim warns to be careful what you wish for in one of his most beloved musicals, Into the Woods. The 2022 New York City Center Encores! Broadway revival became a revolving door for some of today’s biggest musical theatre stars. The run included Sara Bareilles, Cheyenne Jackson, and Brian…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 24 April 2023 15:58
'Panther Women – An Army for The Liberation' An Empowering Evening
Written by Wesley David
Stepping into the entrance of this 79th Street storefront immediately transports you to the 1960’s. You quickly realize you are in the headquarters of the Black Panther Party. Brothers and sisters, both Black and white, are in conversation with each other speaking about liberation and freedom. There is anticipation in…
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Theatre in Review
Grease has always been, first and foremost, a stage show. And while the 1978 movie with John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John is what lives on in pop culture (as it should), Grease arguably works better on the stage, and this version should get more credit. Drury Lane Theatre’s production…
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Theatre in Review
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Friday, 21 April 2023 09:59
The Devil Makes Em Do It in Excellent Revival of Musical Classic 'Damn Yankees'
Written by Bill Esler
“Damn Yankees,” the vintage 1955 musical comedy at the Marriott Theatre in suburban Lincolnshire, has it all: a witty book, delicious songs, great choreography, and an excellent chorus. From the days when musical comedies were still rooted in operetta, it is truly musical, packed with memorable songs arranged in beautiful…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 18 April 2023 13:06
Steppenwolf’s “Last Night and the Night Before” is just life
Written by Wesley David
In the dark of night, a man is digging a hole. Once the hole is deep enough he drops a bundle into it and covers it with dirt. Behind him a little girl looks on. After re-filling the hole, he walks off. Scene. It is early morning. We are in…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 14 April 2023 11:27
Don't Miss Alanis Morisette’s Striking "Jagged Little Pill” at Broadway in Chicago Thru April 23
Written by Bill Esler
“Jagged Little Pill,” Alanis Morisette’s 1995, 16X platinum album, with 33 million copies sold, is her declaration of the terms of her self-emancipation. Timelessly truthful and inspirational, it remains an emotional catalyst for generations of people. The album is at the core of Broadway in Chicago’s “Jagged Little Pill,” which…
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Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 12 April 2023 12:47
Review: 'The Cherry Orchard' at Goodman Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
Robert Falls is back! Well, for a short time at least to direct his adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” Falls retired as the Goodman Theatre artistic director in 2022, but his productions of Chekhov’s classics have become events to anticipate. “The Cherry Orchard” is the endcap to Falls’…
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Theatre in Review
By the time Charles Fuller’s “A Soldier’s Play” debuted on Broadway in January 2020 it was already a classic in American theatre. It premiered with the Negro Ensemble Company in 1981, winning the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1982. It was adapted to film and was nominated for Best Picture,…
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Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 02 April 2023 14:57
MadKap's 'Rumors' at Skokie Theatre is a Hilarious Celebration Of Great Jewish Playwriting
Written by Kimberly Katz
After its successful run of Book of Merman, MadKap Productions decided to take on a brilliant, little known farce comedy - Neil Simon’s Rumors. Quick, witty dialogue is the name of the game in this fast-paced story that revolves around an upscale dinner party where everything that can possibly go…
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Theatre in Review
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Artistic Home has given theater goers a rare jewel of a comedy, a 1928 send-up of Soviet society that was never seen by Russian audiences because Stalin banned it. Well, his censors must have read only half way through, and clearly had no sense of humor, because this is comedy…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 19 March 2023 14:05
Review: 'How Blood Go' at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre
Written by Wesley David
“It should be a crime to not acknowledge another person’s humanity.” Didi – “How Blood Go” I’m not a fan of hospitals, television dramas taking place in hospitals or anything involving healthcare. From a very young age I’ve had an uncomfortable relationship with the healthcare industry. My grandmother, God rest…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 21 March 2023 21:35
Laced with Gallows Humor, ‘The Shroud Maker’ Looks at Life in Gaza as It's Really Led
Written by Bill Esler
“The Shroud Maker” is a look into the world of Hajja Souad, an 84-year-old Palestinian seamstress, plying her artisanal trade amid the rise and fall of violence in Gaza City adjacent to Israel. Her specialty: shrouds used in Islamic funerals to wrap the deceased. Unfortunately for the world, Souad’s business…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 17 March 2023 19:56
Keep on Turnin', Keep on Burnin'; TINA- The Tina Turner Musical Rolling through Chicago at Nederlander Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
In 2023, “iconic” is a word often used hyperbolically. It is flippantly used to describe and categorize an incredible movie, a famous influencer clap back, a beautiful piece of fashion, or even used to describe a viral TikTok video. When we overuse or misuse a word enough it loses its…
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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… -
Review: 'Falsettos' at Court Theatre
Written by John AccroccoEven 40 years later, the AIDS crisis continues to shape American life. Long before Hollywood brought AIDS stories to the cultural mainstream, the theatre was a safe place for actors and writers to explore their fears and sense of injustice… -
Delightful Send-up of 1930s Musicals, 'Dames at Sea' Nearly Sunk by Bad Sound
Written by Bill EslerOverall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy satirizing the over-the-top 1930s movies and Broadway revues that were light on plot and heavy on costumes, dance routine, and… -
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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