‘Jersey Boys’ is back in Chicago, bringing with it a little East Coast to the Third Coast. The hit Broadway musical about the lives of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons played for over two years in the mid-00s at the CIBC Theater and helped establish Broadway in Chicago as…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 28 March 2024 15:11
Take Flight and Feel the Magic with ‘Peter Pan: The Hit Broadway Musical'
Written by Bree Samani
After many years without seeing the movie or reading the story of Peter Pan, the moment I learned that Peter Pan: The Hit Broadway Musical was coming to Chicago, my inner child couldn’t contain its excitement. I arrived at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, quickly found my seat, and noticed joyful children…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 26 March 2024 13:16
“Navigating Family, Truth, and Legacy: A Must-See Journey in ‘Purpose’”
Written by Wesley David
The expansive, opulent home exudes an air of solid middle-class comfort, boasting a formal dining area, an upright piano, and multiple doors leading to various sections of the house. A bay window graces an alcove, while a grand staircase ascends to the sleeping quarters on the second floor. Adorning the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 26 March 2024 13:32
Review: Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's "Love Song' at Theater Wit
Written by Susan Lieberman
When a play’s opening moment is mystifying and its closing moment is satisfying, the stuff in between must be doing its job. John Kolvenbach’s Love Song presents us with a young man in a spartan room, silently observing a lamp that seems to have a mind of its own. Love?…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 26 March 2024 13:12
Eddie Izzard performs Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" in limited engagement, April 19–May 4
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces today a thrilling addition to the season: Tony Award-nominated actor Eddie Izzard brings her celebrated solo theatrical performance of Hamlet to Chicago, direct from a triple-extended New York run at the Orpheum and Greenwich House Theaters and prior to launching a highly anticipated London transfer at Riverside Studios. Izzard portrays 23…
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Theatre in Review
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Friday, 22 March 2024 13:06
Review: A Streetcar Named Desire at Copley Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
If there's one play every American should see in their lifetimes, without a doubt it's Tennessee Williams' perennial classic A Streetcar Named Desire. It's the type of play that transcends theatre and stands alone as one of the best contributions to contemporary literature. Its complexities and social commentary make it…
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Theatre in Review
I love all things Shakespeare, particularly modern iterations and adaptations of his works, and I’ve had good experiences with Idle Muse Theatre Company. So naturally when I learned that Idle Muse was mounting a new version of "What the Weird Sisters Saw," I was pretty excited. Fifteen years ago, when…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 17 March 2024 02:42
Music Theater Works’ ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ a sparkling and witty production
Written by Kimberly Katz
Who will the best speller be? Who will be able to withstand the pressures of competition? Who wants it the most? I’m sure these are among the questions you must be asking yourselves once the play begins. Well, without giving the ending of the story away, I’ll just say that…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 15 March 2024 09:08
Margaret Atwood's 'The Penelopiad' Is a Zesty Romp, Even If a Bit Cerebral
Written by Bill Esler
“The Penelopiad” is a zesty romp and very entertaining. With a script by a writer I adore, Margaret Atwood of “The Handmaid's Tale” fame, and based on her novella by the same name, it tells the story of Odysseus’ wife Penelope (played stunningly by Jennifer Morrison)—and how she occupied herself during…
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Theatre in Review
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There’s a reason Elton John’s Broadway musical adaptation of ‘Aida’ was one the most popular musicals of the early aughts. Verdi’s classic has all the romance and tragedy that opera fans crave, but with a relatively easy to follow plot. For that reason, ‘Aida’ is a more accessible work for…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 11 March 2024 11:14
'Bill W. and Dr. Bob' Tells About AA Founders, and What It Was Really Like to be their Wives
Written by Bill Esler
“Bill W. and Dr. Bob,” in its Chicago premiere at the Biograph Theater, tells the exciting story of the 1935 origins of Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA. Ubiquitous (though by its own traditions it doesn’t advertise), AA has spawned some 200 similar addictive behavior treatment programs (for drugs, compulsive sex and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
It was a dark and stormy night (yes, it really was!) – the perfect ambiance for taking in one of theatre’s classic comedic thrillers, Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, staged by BrightSide Theatre at North Central College’s Meiley-Swallow Hall, in Naperville. For knowledgeable theatre buffs, Deathtrap holds the record for the longest-running…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 05 March 2024 15:07
Black Ensemble Theatre's 'The Time Machine: A Tribute To The 80’s' celebrates a transformative era of music
Written by Wesley David
Black music in the 1980’s was transformative. It was the decade where Black music exploded in diversity and influence. It broke down racial barriers in popular music, with Black artists topping the charts and influencing artists across genres. Black music embraced new music technology; pioneering techniques used in popular music…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Latest Articles
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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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