Monday, 05 May 2014 19:00
Get Your Hippie On with HAIR at American Theater Company
Written by Ken Payne
It may not be the age of Aquarius anymore, but American Theater Company is currently bringing back the days when hippies believed love was the answer for everything, the war in Viet Nam was being protested with demonstration after demonstration, racial barriers were being broken and psychedelic drugs were in…
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Theatre in Review
Blind optimism is put to the test in The Way West, a quirky but poignant story that reminds us of the downside of the American Dream and the methods we use to cope with the American reality. Reminiscing on manifest destiny and the Great Western Migration, writer Mona Mansour extrapolates…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It is with high recommendation that I urge theatre goers and entertainment seekers alike to take in Drury Lanes’ production of the beloved classic, Les Miserables, in celebration of their 30th Anniversary. Multi-Jeff Award winning director of the production, Rachel Rockwell, stuck adamantly to the original storyline and stayed true…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Friday, 04 April 2014 19:00
CATS - Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire Breathes New Life into a Classic!
Written by Kimberly Katz
If you've never seen Cats before, or if like me you have seen Cats many times over the years, this is the production of Cats you should make the effort to take your whole family to enjoy. This production was skillfully and joyfully directed and choreographed by Marc Robin. Robin…
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Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 26 March 2014 09:54
Magic Carpet Ride: Houston Ballet's "Aladdin" brings magic to the stage at Auditorium Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
The Houston Ballet might not have shown us the world (shining, shimmering, splendid), but they did present the city of Chicago with an incredible production of “Aladdin” filled with the same sorcery, riches, splendor, magic, love, and romance as we’ve come to expect from the heartwarming tale of an impoverished…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 16 March 2014 19:00
John Mahoney and Penny Slusher Create Stage Magic in Chapatti
Written by Ken Payne
In Christian O’Reilly’s Chapatti, what you get are two superb performances by two very gifted actors in John Mahoney and Penny Slusher. Directed by Artistic Director BJ Jones, Chapatti is the dark and often humorous story about the importance of companionship. Taking place in Dublin, Ireland, we meet Dan and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 13 March 2014 21:22
Nothing But A Good Time - Rock of Ages at Bank of America Theatre
Written by Ken Payne
What’s better than a love story? Answer - A love story that takes place on the Los Angeles strip in the mid to late 1980’s during the height of hair band pandemonium. But what makes it even better is that Rock of Ages is a hilarious ode to such an…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 13 March 2014 10:57
More Fun Than a Milton Bradley Game: Barrel of Monkeys performs "That's Weird, Grandma: Behind the [Monkey] Music"
Written by Kendall Royzen
What's more fun than a Barrel of Monkeys? Milton Bradley has asked this question for decades and now a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble, aptly named “Barrel of Monkeys,” begs the same question of their audiences. After seeing their newest performance of “That’s Weird Grandma: Behind the [Monkey] Music,” I…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 09 March 2014 19:00
Russian Transport - Defining Success, and Our Capacity for the Terrible
Brad Wiley
Russian Transport, currently running at Steppenwolf through May 11th, is, in playwright Erika Sheffer’s words, a story of “good people in bad circumstances doing terrible things.” Inspired by her own family of first and second-generation Soviet immigrants, and directed by fellow Eastern-European immigrant Yasen Peyankov, Sheffer’s story is an extremely…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 04 March 2014 18:00
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Delights and Inspires Chicago Audiences Time and Time Again
Written by Kimberly Katz
What an honor and delight to see Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater return to the historic Auditorium Theater during its 125 Anniversary year with our First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama serving as Honorary Chair for the 2014-2015 season! Chicago is not only the groundbreaking company’s home; the Auditorium Theater is…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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For Johnny Cash fans, Ring of Fire – The Music of Johnny Cash is a must. But even if you are not the biggest Johnny cash fan in the world, Ring of Fire is still a rockin’ good time. Currently playing at Theatre at the Center in Muster Indiana (a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 24 January 2014 18:00
Young Frankenstein the Musical At Drury Lane A Fitting Ode to Mel Brooks
Written by Ken Payne
Deemed by the American Film Institute as “one of the funniest movies of all time”, Young Frankenstein was bound to hit the live stage at some point. Finally, in 2007, creator Mel Brooks adapted his 1974 film for stage where, after a premier run in Seattle, the show hit Broadway…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 18 December 2016 18:00
Davis and Travis Shine Brightly In The Phantom of the Opera
Written by Ken Payne
Throughout the last century, The Phantom of the Opera has taken on many forms. Originally written by Gaston Leroux and published in early 20th century France the Phantom soon found its’ way onto the silver screen right here in the U S of A with Rupert Julian’s silent film depiction.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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