Friday, 21 April 2017 23:26
Disney's "Aladdin" Brings Classic Romance, Fun and Freedom for All to a 'Whole New World' of Theater Goers
Written by Kimberly Katz
I have to admit Aladdin is one of my all-time favorite Disney films so I was very optimistic upon entering Cadillac Palace to see the stage version. Turned into a live musical in 2011, Disney’s Aladdin has landed in Chicago for a five-month run with over three million people having…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 23 April 2017 22:03
Review: Into the Beautiful North at 16th Street Theater
Written by Jacob Davis
It’s been quite a year in Chicagoland for Karen Zacarías, and it’s not over yet. One year after her The Book Club Play graced the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn, a month after Destiny of Desire opened at the Goodman, and a month before Native Gardens plays at Victory Gardens,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 19 April 2017 22:55
Scapegoat, a Wild Story, Is Overloaded With Action and Characters
Written by Bill Esler
Scapegoat; Or (Why the Devil Always Loved Us) a satirical political drama now playing at the Den Theatre, takes the audience on a wild ride through a rather unusual family affair. But the play rapidly bogs down with its own complexity. The curtain rises mid-action, and we gradually piece together…
Published in
Theatre in Review
How nice that even songs Stephen Sondheim cut from his own musicals can still find a home. “Marry Me a Little” is a 1981 songbook musical assembled by Sondheim. It’s a review of songs he wrote for various musicals in the 60's and 70's but were cut or unfinished. “Marry…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Following the lives of Charlotte and Jonny, The Mystery of Love and Sex cleverly explores a variety of subjects including sexual identity, race, political correctness and family undercurrents. Charlotte and Jonny have grown up together and have become the very best of friends. Charlotte is a white girl who had…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 13 April 2017 12:15
Review: "King of the Yees" at Goodman Theatre
Written by Michaelle Bradford
King of the Yees, now playing at the Goodman Theatre through April 30, is full of laughs and wisdom. Both touching and endearing, the play - with themes of family, community and tradition - takes a look at one Chinese-American family’s attempt to bridge the generation gap. Written by Lauren…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Leah Urzendowski and Anthony Courser have created a show that is part comedy, part play therapy that is truly a joy to behold. Don't skip the opening steps. When you enter the lobby, you will be asked to write down one of your fears and place it in an envelope.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 15 April 2017 13:53
Strangest Things! The Musical A Good Idea, But...
Written by Ken Payne
If you’ve followed Netflix’s big 2016 hit Stranger Things, this play will make all kinds of sense. You’ll get the jokes, the 80’s references and will easily follow the story line. If you haven’t seen the series, it would be recommended that you do before checking out Random Acts and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 13 April 2017 17:47
Bold, Humorous and Honest - Steppenwolf's Linda Vista
Written by Ken Payne
Maybe we can chalk it up to a mid-life crisis…or, maybe, Wheeler is just a self-loathing man who’d just assume sabotage his own happiness rather opting to wallow in self-pity. In Steppenwolf’s Linda Vista, a new play debut by Tracy Letts and directed by Dexter Bullard, we get a very…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 13 April 2017 11:28
Review: Shattered Globe's "For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday"
Written by John Accrocco
Shattered Globe Theatre welcomes back one of Chicago’s own, Sarah Ruhl. “For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday” is a new play making its Midwestern debut at Theater Wit. Ms. Ruhl is one of the country’s foremost playwrights right now. She has another new play, “How to Transcend a Happy…
Published in
Theatre in Review
One might be unsure of what to expect from a show featuring 65 horses and 48 artists, but the mystical grandeur of Odysseo by Cavalia leaves one feeling awe and in disbelief of the athletic feats and performance they have just witnessed. Set to live musical performances of a band…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 05 April 2017 17:45
Immersed in the Grim Working World of Those Beyond Caring
Written by Bill Esler
Pass through the swinging vinyl flap doors and you find yourself not inside Lookingglass Theatre, but immersed instead in the ongoing performance of Alexander Zeldin’s social activism play, Beyond Caring. The audience gathers under the noxious glare of fluorescent tubes, facing towering grimy walls in a windowless, industrial building workroom.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 04 April 2017 12:01
"Silent Sky" A Fitting Tribute to the Long Forgotten Mother of Modern Astronomy
Written by Kimberly Katz
Some of us are born with a passion, a passion for music or art or math. In the case of First Folio’s Silent Sky, one woman gives up almost everything in her personal life because she senses furiously, in her heart, that HER passion is going to lead to a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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