Friday, 03 May 2024 11:06
'Judgment Day' a Top-drawer Production That Will Leave You Laughing, and Maybe Changed for the Better
Written by Bill Esler
Crowds will flock to see “Judgment Day,” having its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. While many will be drawn by its star, Emmy and Tony-winning actor Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld” fame (George Costanza), and he is definitely a draw—but just one of many—in this remarkably funny,…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 28 April 2024 12:22
Red Theater's 'Hamlet' at The Edge Off Broadway - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are… hilarious!
Sarz Maxwell
I think my favorite thing – well, one of my favorite things – about Wyatt Kent’s take on HAMLET is imagining just how much fun everyone must have been having with it! everyone except Hamlet, of course, but the entire play is about Prince Hamlet (Ashley Fox) having a Very.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 25 April 2024 15:10
Review: Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Goodman Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
Director Chuck Smith returns to Goodman with another major August Wilson revival–“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”. This is the second play in Wilson’s 10-play “American Century Cycle”. Goodman produced the first play in the series, “Gem of the Ocean” in 2022 as well as “Two Trains Running” in 2015. Both…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 26 April 2024 08:53
Eerie, Human Mystery In Captivating ‘Jump’ by Shattered Globe Theatre
Written by Bill Esler
As the audience takes its seats we are greeted by an atmosphere of foreboding, a trestle bridge girder to the left, and in the evening air, foggy wisps drift about the stage. Already something is up, but we don’t know what. Just something in Charly Evon Simpson’s captivating and mysterious…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 23 April 2024 14:58
Comedy & magic collide in RIDICULOUS! with David Williamson, May 16-June 30 at Rhapsody Theater
Written by Buzz Center Stage
David Williamson, regarded as one of the top magicians in the world today, makes his Rhapsody Theater debut with Ridiculous! Known for his tours with Circus 1903 and The Illusionists on Broadway, Williamson’s Ridiculous! is a brand new solo full-length magic production created for The Rhapsody Theater. Mixing mind-bending illusions, side-splitting comedy, and a dash of anarchy, the show…
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Theatre in Review
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Monday, 22 April 2024 19:42
Oh Baby, Baby: BABY the Musical at Citadel Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
It’s often said that in the workplace you should refrain from talking about politics and religion; too personal, too easy to offend someone. Throughout my working years the only topic of conversation that has caused controversy is that around children; Do you have any? Are you trying for one? You’re…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 21 April 2024 14:12
Northlight Theatre’s BROOKLYN LAUNDRY Highlights Solid Acting and Thought-Provoking Script
Written by Lauren Katz
When life’s chaos is full of impossible choices, how are we possibly meant to move forward? Brooklyn Laundry is about a lot of things. There’s love. There’s heartbreak. There’s family, and there’s grief. However, at its center, you might find that the play boils down to the central question above.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 20 April 2024 10:29
Babes with Blades triumph over time and space in THE S PARADOX!
Sarz Maxwell
I would absolutely bomb out of jury selection cos I have a very definite bias: I’ve been a fan(atic) of Babes with Blades Theatre Company (BWBTC) forever – since their very first show in 1997. Favoritism notwithstanding, I try to always be scrupulously fair in my reviews, and it’s certainly…
Published in
Theatre in Review
You got trouble, my friends, if you’re going to put on Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. If you’re going to stage a show that’s been staged ten thousand times since its 1957 Broadway debut—from Hugh Jackman on the stage to Matthew Broderick on the screen to every doggone high school…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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If you appreciate classical music and captivating stories about brilliant artists from the past, Hershey Felder’s one-man show, Monsieur Chopin: A Play with Music, is an absolute delight. Felder, an accomplished pianist and composer, has previously wowed audiences with his portrayals of the magnificent music and talents of Irving Berlin…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 15 April 2024 15:47
Emile Zola Adaptation 'Nana' Is a Triumph at Magical Trap Door Theater
Written by Bill Esler
For the final show of its 30th anniversary season, Trap Door Theatre—the little company that could—has selected a sure-fire hit with a production of “Nana,” a play based on the 19th century melodrama about an actress and bordello courtesan, Nana, by French author Emile Zola. Adapted for the stage by…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 15 April 2024 10:45
Chicago Writers' Bloc Announces 2024 New Play Festival May 5 - 19 at Theater Wit
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Chicago Writers' Bloc has announced the lineup of plays and musicals for its biennial festival of new plays, to be held this year from May 5 to 19 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The 2024 festival will feature five new plays and five new musicals from 14…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 09 April 2024 18:00
Court Theatre’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Features Fabulous Ensemble with Striking Design
Written by Lauren Katz
The Player (Lorenze Rush Jr) has just run into Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with his troupe of players. As he explains how the players operate, he announces: “Every exit is an entrance someplace else.” As soon as he recites the line, his troupe jumps into action. They move with quickness as…
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… -
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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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