There’s nothing new about Antigone. Sophocles wrote it in 440BC, and we all read it (under duress) in high school, my most vivid memory of which is Mrs. Thatcher printing ‘ANTIGONE’ on the chalkboard, and Patrick Tyrrell sneaking up to print ‘P’ at the beginning. Recent adaptations have used Antigone…
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Theatre in Review
Not every story about gay youth is a “coming out” story. Some youth have nothing to come out of. Their lives are not spent hiding who they are. For the most part, young people today are confident and proud of who they are. They are who they are, and the…
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Theatre in Review
You’d think that a 1956 musical about a man who doesn’t like women all that much and the woman who lets him refine and control her wouldn’t hold up in 2022 (especially in light of the recent Roe v. Wade reversal which gives women far less control over their bodies…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 20 June 2022 12:16
Review: Brandon Bennett in "Elvis My Way' at Marriott Theatre'
Written by Kimberly Katz
I've seen a lot of Elvis Tribute Artist shows over the years and have enjoyed them all. They’re nostalgic and fun and, while some are better than others, they are always a good time. And I really love the fact that there always seems something unique in each artist that makes…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 07 June 2022 22:17
Onward To Adventure: Joffrey Ballet brings classic Don Quixote to the Lyric Opera
Written by Kendall Royzen
For the past two-plus years, I’d dreamed of doing all the things in Chicago that were shut down due to the pandemic. When restrictions were lifted and entertainment started to come back to the city, I was determined to say yes to every unique city experience. By far the most…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Initially, I had the jitters about reviewing Grandma’s Jukebox. Obviously the show was very much about music, and I’ve just never been really into music; I’d rather be reading. I didn’t even own a stereo in college! But I love theater so I arrived at the opening with an open…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 09:30
The Magnolia Ballet: Funny, Powerful, and Poetry in Motion
Written by Bill Esler
'The Magnolia Ballet' is an exceptional show—perfect in performances, direction (Mikael Burke), staging. And then there’s the script, by Terry Guest, who also plays the lead as Ezekiel “Z” Mitchell VI. While this show merits a Jeff Award (Chicago's Tony) without doubt, I believe it’s Pulitzer material, at least in…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 23 May 2022 18:14
Two Trains of Thought in Court Theatre’s ‘Two Trains Running’
Written by Wesley David
August Wilson is best known for a series of 10 plays known as the “Pittsburgh cycle” which chronicle the African American experience in America. For me, Wilson’s greater achievement is giving voice to African American men. Grown African American men over a certain age. Wilson allows his male characters to…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 18 May 2022 17:01
'The Chinese Lady' is Powerful, Poignant, and Not to Be Missed
Written by Bill Esler
TimeLine Theatre’s ‘The Chinese Lady’ is a powerful show - poignant, learned, sophisticated - and illuminating. Ninety minutes of engaging drama (no intermission) that left me somewhere between laughing, crying, and standing on my feet to cheer. Directed by Helen Young from the script by Lloyd Suh (an award-winning playwright…
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Theatre in Review
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“A man came by chance, saw it, and destroyed it” repeats Chekhov in his psychological melodrama “The Seagull”. Such a simple phrase says so much about the ways humans can treat one another. Steppenwolf Theatre revives the classic play under the title “Seagull” in a new adaptation by company member…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 13 May 2022 22:24
That I am…; 'The Luckiest' plays at Raven Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
Life comes at you fast. We go about our lives, navigating the ups and the downs, never really thinking of more than the day to day, the little irritations of work, or being consumed by a new love. Then, as it always seems to go, something upends our life, like…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 30 April 2022 13:36
'Emma’s Child' at City Lit Powerfully Explores What It Means to Be a Parent
Kerstin Broockmann
Hopes and reality rarely align. Fairytale marriages only exist in fairy tales, and parenting is not nearly as easy as television shows that wrap up family crises in a half hour including commercials would indicate. Yet people keep getting married and having children, and discovering that, while spouses and children…
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Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 30 April 2022 13:20
Review: Porchlight's 'Spring Awakening' at Ruth Page Center for the Arts
Written by John Accrocco
Fifteen years ago, boy band flavored ‘Spring Awakening’ took Broadway by storm. Promises of on-stage teen sex had lines wrapped around the block. Broadway blockbusters can be hard to predict, but typically breakout hits are shows that transcend the boundaries of traditional musical theatre. With a pop rock soundtrack by…
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… -
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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