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…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 12 March 2023 20:22
Can You Tell Me How to Get To; Avenue Q at Northlight Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
On a rather ordinary winter day, I settled in to binge-watch Big Little Lies on HBO. In the show, the community of upper-class suburbia signs a petition to ban a musical from performing in the local theater. The play was against the community values, they argued, handling issues of racism,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 14 March 2023 11:13
Seriously Entertaining: Rajiv Joseph's 'Describe the Night' in Chicago Premiere at Steppenwolf
Written by Bill Esler
“Describe the Night” at Steppenwolf is serious theater that is seriously entertaining. Intellectually challenging yet side-splittingly funny, it has sat with me for days after as I’ve puzzled over what it is telling us. Written by celebrated playwright Rajiv Joseph, whose sly wit enthralled audiences in Steppenwolf’s “Guards at the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 09 March 2023 13:20
It's the Hard Knock Life for "Annie" at Cadillac Palace
Written by CJ Burroughs
The first movie I remember seeing in a movie theater was John Huston’s 80s film version of Annie — the one with Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks and Carole Burnett as Miss Hanigan. Burnett’s drunken spinster entertained little me nearly as much as the film’s climax high atop the steel…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
It’s hard to imagine a musical about the inception of the Declaration of Independence being interesting. It’s even harder to imagine that it can still be interesting in the shadow of arguably the most beloved American history musical, ‘Hamilton’, but the new production of ‘1776’ is more than just interesting,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 02 March 2023 22:07
Good Not Great; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Marriot Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
There is a lot of bad content out there, particularly regarding family programming. Any parent forced to endure an hour of Cocomelon will tell you, not every show is a banger or cult classic in the making. When modern programming fails, it is nice to know we can reach into…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 25 February 2023 15:05
Review: Remy Bumppo's 'Anna in the Tropics' at Theater Wit
Written by John Accrocco
What does a cigar factory in 1920s Florida have to do with Tolstoy’s epic novel ‘Anna Karenina’? More than you might think it turns out. In Nilo Cruz’s 2003 Pulitzer Prize winning play ‘Anna in the Tropics’, cigar rollers working in a factory are inspired when a new lector reads…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Friday, 24 February 2023 16:50
Signed, Sealed, Really Delivers Musical Essence of Stevie Wonder
Written by Bill Esler
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Stevie Wonder Experience with John-Mark McGaha” was a warm refuge from the frigid Chicago weather for its opening night February 23. The Mercury Theater at Southport in Wrigleyville is the perfect venue for a show like this, intimate but big enough for the inevitable crowds of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 21 February 2023 17:44
The Mountaintop – He’s a man, He’s just a man.
Written by Wesley David
“Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy and his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about.” Opening to the “I’ve Been to The Mountaintop” sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Katori Hall’s deceptively simple play…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Wednesday, 22 February 2023 01:52
At Court Theatre, a Perfect Production of Caryl Churchill’s Intriguing ‘Fen’
Written by Bill Esler
Caryl Churchill’s ‘Fen’ is a tragic love story laid out against a complicated backdrop. Set in the 1980s, we meet Val (Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel), a mother of two, who wants to leave her husband because she has fallen for another man, Frank (Alex Goodrich). She planned for them to take her…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 17 February 2023 13:05
Review: 'Anna Karenina' at Lyric Opera House
Written by John Accrocco
Happy ballets are alike; every unhappy ballet is unhappy in its own way. Joffrey Ballet brings their haunting production of ‘Anna Karenina’ to the Lyric Opera House for a brief revival. It’s easy to see why this new ballet was such a hit when it held its world premiere in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Monday, 13 February 2023 16:27
Paramount's 'Into the Woods' is a Spectacular Musical for "Happily Ever After"
Written by Kimberly Katz
Just on the heels of a very successful run of The Sound of Music, the three-hour production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award winning Into the Woods at the lushly appointed art deco Paramount Theatre is here to delight another round of theatregoers. Simply stunning and jam-packed with talent and energy, Paramount gives…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 14 February 2023 16:23
Review: Memorable Show About Online World Asks: Do We Have a Right to Be Forgotten?
Written by Bill Esler
‘Right to Be Forgotten ' is a play for our times, in contemporary language and a production at Raven Theatre that is laser-focused on an issue of our day—the inability of the average person to remove online content about themselves that is damaging or even life-threatening. Directed by Sarah Gitenstein…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
Throbbin’ Wood, complete with Merry Men? Count me in!
Written by Sarz MaxwellWhat the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I searched in vain for a definition: pan·to·mime [ˈpan(t)əˌmīm] a play or entertainment in which performers express themselves mutely by gestures.… -
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns January 15-26, 2025
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of the amazing puppet artistry of one of next January’s most hotly anticipated festival performers, presented in highly intimate, exclusive living… -
Steep Theatre Back Early 2025 with A Slow Air
Written by Buzz Center StageSteep Theatre will kick off the new year with the Chicago Premiere of David Harrower's A Slow Air, directed by Steep Ensemble Member Robin Witt. Witt was at the helm for Steep's recent critically-acclaimed production of Samuel D. Hunter's A Case for…
-
Oil Lamp Theater Announces the Cast for its 2025 Season Opener: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), Jan. 24 - Feb. 16, 2025
Written by Buzz Center StageOil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2025 season, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield with new revisions by Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, January 24 -…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.