Saturday, 18 January 2020 11:27
Remarkable Music Drawn from Intriguing Undertale Video Game
Bill Esler & Kyran Esler
Not often drawn to live orchestral music, Undertale LIVE was an exception. Fifth House Ensemble and AWR Music produced the world premier of this remarkable presentation January 11 at the ornate 700-seat Studebaker Theater. Similar to a movie shown with live orchestra accompanying, Undertale LIVE is a 90-minute performance by…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
With their usual care and commitment, Black Button Eyes Productions is introducing ‘Whisper House’, a musical ghost story about loss, love and not giving up, to Chicago. The premise is promising. A young boy loses his Airman father in the Pacific during WWII, a loss that his mother cannot handle.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 29 December 2019 20:47
Dance Nation Reminds Us of the Unlimited Promise of Youth
Written by Bill Esler
Dance Nation is the story of a school dance team of thirteen-year-olds. The concept may seem to have dubious appeal, but Dance Nation quickly sinks its teeth into our attention with its opening scene. Director and choreographer Lee Sunday Evans has put the students in sailor suits, and they rigidly…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 26 December 2019 13:28
'Champions of Magic' dazzle and stun at the Harris Theater
Written by Vika Lvova
Touring illusion show of five ‘Champions of Magic’ is playing at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, and it is a spectacle to behold. A well-rounded performance, it includes a duo act of British grand illusionists Richard Young and Sam Strange, British mentalist Alex McAleer, American close…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 22 December 2019 12:39
A Lot of Little People: 'Working' at Theo Ubique
Written by CJ Burroughs
While I’m familiar with Studs Terkel’s oral of history of workers, titled of course ‘Working’, I came into opening night of Theo Ubique’s production of Stephen Schwartz’s musical adaptation completely ignorant of its content, its music, any of it. I didn’t know Schwartz had originally written and staged it in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 22 December 2019 16:02
Mr. Bluebeard: a Blazingingly Good Holiday Extravaganza
Written by Bill Esler
Epic tragedy shapes a society. For Chicagoans, there were the Great Fire of 1871 (300 dead, 100,000 homeless), and the 1915 SS Eastland sinking (844 died). Less remembered is the Iroquois Theater, which burned to the ground in 1903. The conflagration killed 602 people, and changed fire safety practices in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 16 December 2019 17:03
Review: ‘Light in the Piazza’ at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by John Accrocco
Usually it’s the other way around that a show is developed by Lyric and sent on the road. Scenario Two Ltd. instead brings their critically acclaimed production of ‘Light in the Piazza’ from London to Chicago starring our own Renee Fleming. Those looking to warm their hearts without the glittery…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 11 December 2019 15:39
'Bette: Xmas at the Continental Baths' celebrate the holidays with a legend, "The Divine Miss M"
Written by Kimberly Katz
Caitlin Jackson as Bette Midler recreating one wonderful cabaret night at the Continental Bathhouse in New York city is a heartfelt, moving and entertaining way to remember and celebrate Bette's humble and "hungry" beginnings as a performer with the legendary “Tommy” (Tommy Robb) her pianist. I really can't say enough…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 13 December 2019 00:27
An Unforgettable Evening With Nat King Cole's Music
Written by Bill Esler
Who doesn’t like Nat King Cole? A band pianist who achieved mega-stardom in the late 1940s and 1950s, Cole’s pitch-true tenor was inflected by a nasal reverb, and that slight rasp that individualized him, making his voice on recordings still fresh, and endlessly interesting. Because of his immense talent, Cole…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
More...
Sunday, 08 December 2019 14:00
'Twelfth Night' at the Lincoln Park Conservatory is the perfect winter escape
Written by Vika Lvova
For the fifth year in the row, the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory has become temporary home to Midsommer Flight’s annual production of Shakespeare comedy ‘Twelfth Night’. Admittedly, this was the main draw for me, as I love visiting the tantalizingly lush greenhouse space during Chicago’s colder months/ most of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 07 December 2019 13:35
‘The Tall Boy’ underscores the harsh realities of refugee children
Written by Michaelle Bradford
Veteran actress Tandy Cronyn, the daughter of legendary actors Hugh Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, helms ‘The Tall Boy’, in a solo performance. The award-winning play centered around the matron of an orphanage and three young boys, all convincingly played by Cronyn, is a meticulous look at what happens to child…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 11 December 2019 13:53
Stupendous! Ring in the holidays with 'White Christmas' at Cadillac Palace
Written by Ken Payne
You know it’s that time of the season when Chicago gets blitzed by one holiday production after another. And, while many of them are well done and thoroughly entertaining, there are just a few that really stand out each year. This year, one of them is ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 07 December 2019 14:26
Get ready for some unique holiday fun! 'The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque' at Den Theatre
Written by Mariah Sulaiman
The usual holiday tales that bring us together around the winter season fill us with joy but there has also been a not-so-usual tradition in Chicago that brings a titillating thrill to the holiday season! Who needs the Nutcracker Ballet, when you can have the Buttcracker Burlesque (#buttstuff)! The fantastical…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
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 -…
-
Half-Price Holidays return to Hot Tix as Chicago theatres get festive for the 2024 holiday season
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this holiday season. In support, the League of Chicago Theatres has again created a comprehensive Holiday Theatre Guide, available at https://chicagoplays.com/chicago-theatre-guide/. A list of shows with additional details about…
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.