Tuesday, 12 December 2017 23:30
Gorgeous Musical Journey by Greyhound Richly Revives the Broadway Gem, Violet
Written by Bill Esler
I was blown away by how great the score, acting and singing were in Griffin Theatre’s new show, Violet. I didn’t have time to learn about it before opening night, so maybe I came away with a completely unbiased assessment: “Boffo!” as the trade rags say for this over the…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 05 December 2017 00:42
"Rudolph the Red Hosed Reindeer" is Funnier and more Glamorous Than Ever in 2017!
Written by Kimberly Katz
This is Hell in a Handbag’s 15th Season and yet every year I look forward more than ever to seeing a Christmas show that's as irreverent and funny as "Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer". This year Handbag's Artistic Director and writer of the original, and yearly refreshed, Christmas production, David Cerda,…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 08 December 2017 17:44
Review: 'Turandot' at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by John Accrocco
Finding love is hard. What someone else wants can sometimes be a riddle, but in the case of Puccini’s ‘Turandot’ it’s quite literal. The Lyric Opera of Chicago welcomes back the classic Eastern-flavored piece that is new to Chicago but has previously been seen in a few other American cities.…
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Theatre in Review
While I’d yet to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical since it premiered to much acclaim (and a U.S. tour) a couple years ago, I entered the Cadillac Palace Theatre for its latest Chicago debut a lifelong Carole King fanboy. I knew her songs. I knew her story. But for…
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Theatre in Review
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Friday, 08 December 2017 22:54
Gobsmacked Brings A Cappella to Chi-aca-cago!
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
It’s fitting that the opening tune of Gobsmacked! declares, “Turn up the radio, blast your stereo right,” because the show is essentially a live jukebox. The seven performers sing and beat-box their way through songs that span the decades, from The Beatles to David Bowie to Duffy to The Black-Eyed…
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Theatre in Review
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Friday, 17 November 2017 18:45
Cirque De Soleil's "Crystal" is a Delight for Young and Old Alike
Written by Kimberly Katz
As a theater critic who used to travel to Las Vegas twice a year to review some of the most unusual shows, I have seen a lot of amazing Cirque De Soleil productions. Crystal, now being performed at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, is the first Cirque show I…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 30 November 2017 00:51
Goodman's "A Christmas Carol" still tops list for Holiday fun in Chicago
Written by Ken Payne
Chicago has no shortage of Christmas traditions. In other words, if you’re looking for holiday fun it’s not very hard to find something to do with your friends, significant other or family. Rich traditions such as Zoolights at Lincoln Park Zoo, Joffrey’s Nutcracker, Christkindlmart, Christmas film classics at Music Box,…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 04 December 2017 06:38
A Bromance for the Ages: Bizet's The Pearl Fishers at the Lyric
Written by Bill Esler
The Pearl Fishers has been called Bizet’s most beautiful opera. Lyric’s electric production is certainly one of the most beautiful visually as well. The continuously melodious score also represents a departure from more familiar opera, with just one principal female role, Leila (soprano Marina Rebeka) and with the strongest duets…
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Theatre in Review
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The classic film It’s A Wonderful Life, based on the story The Greatest Gift, is brought to life by Theatre At The Center just in time for the holidays with their latest presentation A Wonderful Life: The Musical. In TATC’s adaptation, the story is intertwined with many big song and…
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Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 22 November 2017 17:30
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas: I’d Rather See the Movie
Written by CJ Burroughs
As I entered the Cadillac Palace Theatre – originally the Orpheum Circuit’s lavish vaudeville flagship before keeping up with the times to become a golden age movie palace – the simple, classy screen that hung over the stage gave me hope for the evening’s entertainment. There was the show’s title…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 23 November 2017 01:53
Kid Friendly, Parent Approved: Sleeping Beauty shines at Marriott Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
This past week I found myself in a movie theater with reclining seats, an overpriced large popcorn, and a two liter cup of soda all to myself. The movie was awful, but the audience more than made up for the bad comedy. With contagious laughter and witty one-liners, the audience…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 18 November 2017 19:21
Reviewing the new hit musical "Escape to Margaritaville" from the seat next to Jimmy Buffett!
Written by Kimberly Katz
In reviewing Jimmy Buffett’s new musical Escape to Margaritaville I was seated in the last row of the Oriental Theatre but since the row was reserved and nearly empty, I settled in for a nice relaxing show with no one coughing on me or knocking my elbow off the armrest. …
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 18 November 2017 23:38
Firebrand's "Lizzie" a spellbinding theatrical experience that rocks
Written by Ken Payne
It only takes a few moments into Lizzie’s opening number that audience members realize they are in for quite the unusual theatre experience. Haunting, yet beautiful, the creepiness quickly sets in as Lizzie’s four Victorian-clad characters solemnly sing the tale of the infamous Lizzie Borden who was accused of butchering…
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Theatre in Review
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