Monday, 13 February 2017 13:48
Theater at the Center’s “My Way” A Delicious Homage to the Great Frank Sinatra
Written by Ken Payne
Tribute shows are generally as good as the performers that star. I probably just stated the most obvious fact on the planet. Yet it’s so very true. No matter how good the song selection, the costumes, the set, it is the vocal performance that we bring home with us. In…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 12 February 2017 15:54
Porchlight's "The Scottsboro Boys" Serves As A Powerful Reminder
Written by Ken Payne
In 1931 nine African American teenagers were wrongly accused of raping two white women while aboard a freight train in Alabama. Worried they might get imprisoned for prostitution while traveling aboard the same train, Victoria Price and Ruby Bates quickly cried rape, diverting the attention rather to the handful of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 11 February 2017 11:00
New Changes Make Blue Man Group Even More Enticing
Written by Mariah Sulaiman
There’s something new going on at Briar Street Theater! The Blue Man Group has made some new and exciting additions to their already beloved and ever-changing show. The fixture of Blue Man Group in Chicago entertainment has built a twenty-plus-year tradition that has grown to include generations of families, international…
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Theatre in Review
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Question: Is Shakespeare really that sexual? Answer: Yes, as it turns out. Fifty Shades of Shakespeare not only proves that the plays of William Shakespeare carry some very heavy sexual undertones, which is fantastic, but also provides an insight towards gender fluidity and sexuality. This is all done by using…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 07 February 2017 11:18
Review: Death of A Salesman at Redtwist Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
"Attention must be paid," Arthur Miller pleads in his Pulitzer Prize winning play "Death of a Salesman." What is now required reading, "Death of a Salesman" asks its audience to consider the worth of one pathetic old man. The play debuted in 1949, at a time when America was coming…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 07 February 2017 23:29
Full Throttle Chills Lurk in Wolf at End of the Block
Written by Bill Esler
The lights come up as a dark-haired young, Latino - bloodied, bruised, battered - launches into an adrenaline-fueled monolog. Facing the audience, Abe (Gabe Ruiz) is talking a mile a minute to an unseen clerk in the wee hours at a convenience store. From the torrent we piece together clues…
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Theatre in Review
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Friday, 03 February 2017 11:53
"The Bodyguard" An Exciting, Sexy Tribute to Whitney Houston's Amazing Voice
Written by Kimberly Katz
The Bodyguard, The Musical begins with a bang! Literally, the unexpected sound of gunshots combined with great strobe lighting effects made me (along with most of the audience) scream with delight and jump out of our seats! I enjoyed this show from beginning to end with a strong starring lead…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Bootycandy is about Sutter, an African American gay man’s experience from adolescence to adulthood. The play touches on many different aspects and felt like several puzzle pieces coming together throughout its duration, each falling perfectly into place to create a path whereas the production is able to end on a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 04 February 2017 12:11
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's "Good People" Delivers Good Message
Written by Ron Reis
The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble brings a very thought provoking play to the stage. David Lindsay-Abaire penned this two-act performance and the small theatre was perfect for the story. Finely directed by Connie Canaday Howard, Good People highlights a strong ensemble that exhibits a magical chemistry onstage. The story line was…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 24 January 2017 20:25
In 1930 Black Harlem Renaissance, Every Character Has a Powerful Story
Written by Bill Esler
Trying to explain what Black Harlem's Renaissance was like is hard. The period was so rich in creative verve, you really have to show it while you tell it. It took me awhile to grasp what playwright Pearl Cleage has achieved - and director Ron OJ Parson has brought carefully…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 30 January 2017 14:58
High Seas Fun, Adventure and Love in First Folio's Action-Packed "Captain Blood"
Written by Ken Payne
In the action-packed world premiere of Captain Blood, First Folio Executive Producer David Rice along with his wife, Artistic Director Alison C. Vesely, have collaborated on a swashbuckling adventure that is sure to be long remembered for its choreographed swordfights, enthralling story and witty comicality. Sadly, Alison recently lost a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 28 January 2017 12:59
Disco is Back! Boogie, Glitz and Style Abound In Drury Lane's Saturday Night Fever
Written by Ken Payne
Guys, it’s time to dig into your closet and shake the dust from your polyester, large-collared, chest-exposing dance shirt. Divas, grab your sequin-studded blouse and bell-bottomed slacks or favorite jumpsuit – it’s time to disco! Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook hosts an electric 1970’s dance party to remember with their…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 29 January 2017 20:45
Druids Rule in Norma, a Surpassingly Beautiful Bel Canto Opera
Written by Bill Esler
Watching an inner circle of Druids contemplate the eventual fall of Rome, my thoughts turned to Game of Thrones, to Mad Maxx’s Thunderdome, even alighting ever so briefly on our own political landscape. Lyric Opera’s production Bellini’s beautiful 1831 opera carefully builds such a world, with Iron Age sets in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Spaceman: Into the Quiet Terror of the Void
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