Saturday, 12 May 2018 03:09
Review: The Wizard of Oz at the Chicago Theatre
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
The Wizard of Oz is fun for all ages — this is as true today as it was in 1939. While there is a special kind of magic exclusive to the film due to the phenomenal cast as well as the strong nostalgia surrounding it, there is another kind of…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 06 May 2018 20:39
Words of Love: The Buddy Holly Story at American Blues Theater
Written by CJ Burroughs
I came into the American Blues Theater for its Chicago revival of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story a bit apprehensive. See, I’m a Buddy Holly superfan. Seriously. I’ve got a couple tattoos inspired by the rock legend, I once even wrote an entire novel about him (which nobody can or…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presented John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” at The MAC this past weekend. BTE has put together some very nice plays at College of DuPage and their latest falls into that same category once again. A relatively light-hearted romantic comedy, the play is set in rural Ireland…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 01 May 2018 18:14
"The Madres" says "Never Again" to a Genocidal Dictatorship with Strong Performances from Ivonne Coll (Jane, The Virgin) and Lorena Diaz
Written by Kimberly Katz
The play is set in the late 1970s during Argentina’s notorious Guerra Sucia, otherwise known as the “Dirty War.” Three story follows three generations of women - a grandmother, a mother and a daughter – as they stand together against a corrupt government that has been known make its opposers…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 02 May 2018 08:11
Lyric Opera of Chicago's flawless production of "Jesus Christ Superstar"
Written by Ken Payne
It’s been three days since seeing Jesus Christ Superstar at Lyric Opera’s Civic Center and I still find myself going from character to character in the kitchen, in the car, while I’m working, while doing chores around the house and, moments ago, in the elevator. I may not be able…
Published in
Theatre in Review
“I don’t speak for people, I speak to people.” playwright Dael Orlandersmith says in conversation about her new play ‘Until the Flood.’ Orlandersmith’s one-woman show is a docudrama about the ordinary citizens in and around Furguson, Missouri at the time of Michael Brown’s death. ‘Until the Flood’ was shortlisted for…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 30 April 2018 16:24
In Grand Hotel, a lively Broadway musical, scales elegantly to Theatre Wit stage
Written by Bill Esler
Grand Hotel at Theater Wit is a revelation! It shows how much punch you can pack in a storefront stage production with the right mix of great singing talent and artful production. Kokandy Productions has brought to life the 1989 Broadway musical extravaganza, which traces its roots back through the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 21 April 2018 22:11
"Oklahoma!" as romantic as a Ride to the Dance in a Yellow Surrey with the Fringe on Top!
Written by Kimberly Katz
I am constantly amazed as the way directors use the intimate, theater in the round, at The Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre and this exuberant production of “Oklahoma!” celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the classic Rogers and Hammerstein musical is no exception. As soon as the dancing begins, this production shows that…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 20 April 2018 12:18
Rainn Wilson one of the many reasons to see Steppenwolf's "The Doppelganger"
Written by Ken Payne
Steppenwolf Theatre’s latest production is going to generate much buzz – quickly - and with good reason. In fact, it’s already been extended through June 2nd. Playwright Matthew-Lee Erlbach’s The Doppelganger (an international farce) is a riotous comedy that doesn’t skip a beat, boasting a cast that is as good…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 21 April 2018 00:20
Lettie Pairs Great Cast With Strong Writing for a Story of our Time
Written by Bill Esler
Lettie, by Boo Killebrew and directed by Chay Yew, is a very finely crafted work, an artfully produced show with sensitive performances that gradually unveil the complicated personalities on stage. When we meet Lettie, she is in the visitors lounge area of a halfway house somewhere in Chicago, transitioning from…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Friday, 20 April 2018 10:07
Two is better than one: il Pigmalione + Rita at The Studebaker Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
In so many aspects of life, two is better than one. The Studebaker Theater knows all about this principle and brought together two operas in the space of one evening: il Pigmalione + Rita. A double bill of Italian composter Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti’s first work and one of his…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 17 April 2018 17:20
"Our Great Tchaikovsky" is an intimate, haunting study of the beloved Russian composer
Written by Vika Lvova
The immensely talented Hershey Felder’s new solo act, Our Great Tchaikovsky, is the latest in a series of plays about world’s greatest composers and musicians, including Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein, et al. that span nearly two decades. Directed by Trevor Hay and written by Hershey Felder, the play is being…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 15 April 2018 23:49
É strano, Art comes to life in Chicago Opera Theater’s sunny Amalfi Coast vacation. “Il Pigmalione” and “Rita”
Written by William and Margaret Swain
If you’re weary of Chicago’s delayed Spring, do yourself a favor and take a warming break with the sunny pairing of two rarely heard one act operas by Gaetano Donizetti as presented this chilly Saturday evening at the Studebaker Theater by Chicago Opera Theater. “Il Pigmalione” was Donizetti’s first opera,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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