Tuesday, 12 November 2019 17:29
The Family Crest, Jacaranda Collective and Den Theatre combine for an unforgettable, one-of-a-king retelling of 'Romeo and Juliet'
Written by Ken Payne
So…a theatre, a rock band and a production company got together and decided to put a show together. Only this wasn’t just a theatre, it was Den Theatre, one of the most experimental and influential theatres in Chicago today. Nor was this just any production company. Jacaranda Collective is a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 10 November 2019 18:00
Consider Yourself Seeing Marriott Theatre’s 'Oliver!'
Written by CJ Burroughs
The first time I ever saw Oliver!, it was the 1960s movie version. I saw it at one of those old-timey theaters where an “old” guy (this was the 1980s and I was a wee lad, so the organist very well could’ve been a pimply teen keyboard prodigy and I’d…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 09 November 2019 17:34
Review: About Face's 'Packing' at Theater Wit
Written by John Accrocco
Scott Bradley is an institution within the Chicago theater community. His quirky, campy musical versions of old horror movies have been sell-out hits around town for years. Which is what makes “Packing” all the more interesting. He instead turns the spotlight on himself. About Face borrows Victory Gardens artistic director…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 07 November 2019 10:06
Lookingglass Theatre’s 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier' A Hans Christian Andersen Holiday Tale for Children of All Ages
Written by CJ Burroughs
Let’s begin with a children’s story. A children’s story about children’s stories, really. Long, long ago, there lived a boy who could not decide what he would be when he grew up. He might have grown up to sing songs or tally bills, to right wrongs or treat ills, but…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 07 November 2019 01:01
A New Play Called ‘N’ Grazes a Third Rail in Social Conventions
Written by Bill Esler
We all know that certain words are verboten in polite society - some because they are coarse, like expletives; others because they are demeaning or belittling, or off-limits. One of these – the N-word – is the hook that triggers the action in a new play, called, simply, ‘N,’ at…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 04 November 2019 13:53
Review: 'Dead Man Walking' at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by John Accrocco
What separates a musical from an opera? Technically an opera is a story in which all the dialogue is exchanged through song. Hence the term rock opera, which describes modern musicals that have little to no spoken dialogue. Such semantics may seem trivial, but as the world moves forward traditional…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 01 November 2019 15:49
Theatre in the Dark's 'Three Stories Up' delivers a truly unique theatre adventure
Written by Ken Payne
What better props and scenery than that in one’s own imagination? And what better way to give each audience member their own unique experience than to let each follow their own journey guided only by storytelling without any visuals to distract, detract or force its own interpretation of what we…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:08
The Joker’s Disciple? An Amazing Actor in Accidental Death of a Black Motorist
Written by Bill Esler
Sometimes tragedy is so extreme, our only response is to be driven to distraction – like that character in a graphic novel pushed off the edge, laughing in the abyss. Or think of the performance of Joaquin Phoenix in The Joker. A work springing from this sentiment is playing live…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 08 January 2020 15:33
Riveting, heartfelt and sure to shake things up: 'I'm Not A Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce'
Written by Ken Payne
*Now extended through February 16th due to popular demand “Lenny Bruce was the defender of all people. Notorious from his belief that people give words power. It’s not the words itself, but the intention,” says playwright and performer Ronnie Marmo in the show’s playbill - A Note from the Playwright…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 27 October 2019 00:49
Fresh Insights in a Merchant of Venice Set in Mussolini's Fascist Italy
Written by Bill Esler
Triggered by Shylock’s role, Invictus Theatre gives us a strong production of The Merchant of Venice. One of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays, The Merchant is seasoned with timeless lines: “Love is blind”, “Let me play the fool,” “The quality of mercy is not strained,” “the devil can cite Scripture for…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 22 October 2019 15:59
Is it love or a side-effect? 'The Effect' at Strawdog Theatre
Written by Michael Chandler
What brings people together? Similar interest, physical attraction, and availability? Or could it be just a side effect of the medication the doctor prescribed? Strawdog Theatre Company kicks their 32nd season off with the Chicago Premier of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect. Tristan, a cheerful young man hungry to see the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 20 October 2019 13:55
Revenge Is Served Cold W/ A Side Of Human Flesh in Bill Daniel's 'Hell Followed With Her'
Written by Michael Chandler
How many times have you heard someone say they went to see a western/zombie play? Most people would dismiss the idea of a western/zombie story especially one being played out on a stage. The two genres don’t seem to mesh well together when you put them in the same sentence.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 19 October 2019 22:27
Love Dares to Speak (and Sing and Dance) in 'A Man of No Importance'
Written by Bill Esler
There is something immensely endearing in the passion that community theater groups bring to the stage. A Man of No Importance captures exactly these qualities, as its cast plays a troupe preparing for a production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome. Set in 1964 Dublin, Ireland, A Man of No Importance was a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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