What's better than a good revenge story? How about a revenge comedy? Better yet, how about a revenge comedy musical? First Wives Club is all of that and then some. Partially driven by a Motown soundtrack, this glitzy musical taken from the 1996 film starring Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Attempting to tackle a slew of tough issues, Picture Imperfect is an emotional drama with good intention that raises awareness to the difficulties of...well, single motherhood, autism, drug abuse, gambling, abandonment, the hardships in dealing with Child Protective Services, spousal manipulationand eventually mental illness. Thoughall important issues, co-writing duo Joel Z.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 08 March 2015 00:00
For the Record: Dear John Hughes Brings Back 1980's High School Melodrama
Written by Eden Diez
The “For the Record” series brings John Hughes’ films back to life with a combination of memorable soundtracks and classic scenes from TheBreakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, Some Kind of Wonderful, and 16 Candles. Dear John Hughes is a Broadway concert that showcases talented…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The Diary of Anne Frank - Writers Theatre According to legend, when Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich's Pulitzer Prize winning stage adaptation made its German premiere, audiences sat in a state of silent shock after the play ended. Nearly sixty years, countless productions, several films and hundreds of books about…
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Theatre in Review
The Royal Society of Antarctica is a very unique story that comes equipped with a powerful cast and a rich blend of humor, drama and intrigue that constantly move the play forward without the interest lulls you would think would be found in a three act show with a two…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 03 March 2015 00:00
Theatre at the Center's On Golden Pond Warms Up Chicago Winter
Written by Ken Payne
Kicking off their 25th anniversary season, Theatre at the Center makes a strong impression by presenting Ernest Thompson’s touching classic On Golden Pond. This 1979 Tony-Award winning play was later adapted for the big screen where it starred Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn and won an Oscar. On…
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Theatre in Review
Five years ago, anonymous graffiti artists caused quite the hubub at the Modern Wing of the Chicago Art Institute when they "bombed" a major wall of the wing. Their message was clear: THIS is modern art. While a clever, powerful statement, and seemingly jabbing at the art that resides within…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 27 February 2015 00:00
Endgame at Den Theatre: Misery Loves Company - and Laughs
Written by Ken Payne
As Samuel Beckett once stated, "Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you that. ... Yes, yes, it's the most comical thing in the world. And we laugh, we laugh, with a will, in the beginning. But it's always the same thing. Yes, it's like the funny story we have…
Published in
Theatre in Review
American Theatre Company and veteran TV writer Marco Ramirez collaborate to bring this boxing drama to life. Loosely inspired by the real life of Jack Johnson, 'The Royale' tells the story of a young African American heavyweight champ, Jay Jackson, and his rise to fame for usurping a title from…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 24 February 2015 00:00
Redletter Raises Smart Questions About News Coverage
Written by Ken Payne
Redletter is the latest creation by the Neo-Futurists, this piece written by ensemble member Lisa Buscani and directed by Jen Ellison. As Buscani puts it, “Everyone’s bemoaning about the ‘death of news’. But the news will never die, not as long as humans do newsworthy things.” That’s true…to a point…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 19 February 2015 00:00
Marie Antoinette Projects Compassion for the “Killer Queen”
Written by Kimberly Katz
Marie Antoinette by David Adjmi opens with a spectacular video presentation of the massive gardens and castle of Versailles along with a full on catwalk style fashion show by the queen, her girlfriends and the rest of the royal cast. I loved the staging of this show by a six…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 17 February 2015 00:00
Review - The Trial of Moses Fleetwood Walker at Black Ensemble Theater
Written by Ken Payne
Though Jackie Robinson is heralded as the first African-American baseball player to participate in the Major Leagues, more than a half of century earlier Moses Fleetwood Walker challenged the color barriers by integrating the game of professional baseball in the year 1884 when the Toledo Blue Stocking were admitted into…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 15 February 2015 00:00
FYI - First Date, The Musical Comedy, is both Funny and Informative!
Written by Kimberly Katz
I really enjoyed this funny little musical comedy about the ups and downs of mastering your first date with someone special. Aaron and Casey have been set up in a blind date by mutual friends. Aaron is a slightly nerdy Jewish boy in a steady finance job while Casey is…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Spaceman: Into the Quiet Terror of the Void
Written by Ken PayneSpaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile headspace of an astronaut drifting far from home and even farther from certainty. Under Eric Slater’s beautifully calibrated direction, playwright… -
Inside a Real ‘Fire House’ You Are Immersed in Phantasmic Lives of Firefighters
Written by Bill EslerSet in Chicago’s oldest fire station (now Firehouse Art Studio) the immersive play "Fire House” is only loosely tethered to a realistic portrayal of what fire fighters do. What it conveys is an impressionistic vision of the experience that fire… -
Spamalot Is Every Monty Python Fan’s Dream Come to Life
Written by Angelo CamposSpamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through May 31 at the CIBC Theatre. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 cult classic -… -
Raven Theatre announces the 2026-27 season
Written by Buzz Center StageRaven Theatre, under the director of Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Berry, announces its 44th season, to include Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop, directed by Mikael Burke in a co-production with About Face Theatre; Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, directed by Raven Executive Artistic Director Jonathan…
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