Friday, 20 July 2018 05:23
Janet Ulrich Brooks brilliantly brings America's favorite advice columnist to life in "Lady with all the Answers"
Written by Ken Payne
For many, Ann Landers, the famous advice columnists behind the ever popular “Ask Ann Landers”, was thought to have the perfect life. After all, how could one dishing out advice to so many on so many subjects have any problems of her own? Well, after years of writing marital advice…
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Theatre in Review
Plays like Flying Elephant Productions’ ‘Defacing Michael Jackson’ are exactly what the Chicago theatre scene is for. This innovative new play by Aurin Squire won the Lincoln Center Theatre one act contest in 2014 and makes its area debut at Stage 773. Before putting on your sequined glove, keep in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
When I first saw The Color Purple more than a decade ago, it was the touring company that, at the time, featured American Idol singer Fantasia Barrino. Ten years ago seems like such a simpler time – a time in which the show’s star power and striking sets were the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
The theater was clad in every hue of pink your eyes have ever seen: baby pink, fuschia, blush, rose, peach, flamingo, ballet slipper, I didn't know that was an official color until an audience member corrected me (I googled it, she's right). My husband and I did not get the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 18 July 2018 19:35
Elvis fans get ready: "Heartbreak Hotel" an exciting journey through the birth of rock and roll
Written by Ken Payne
When Million Dollar Quartet hit Chicago, it was only scheduled for a month-long trial run at the Apollo Theatre. MDQ was the fascinating story about that historic night when Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis met together at Sun Records Studio, the place where they all…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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- Heartbreak Hotel
- Broadway Playhouse
- Eddie Clendening
- Floyd Mutrux
- Matt McKenzie
- Jerry Kernion
- Matt Codina
- Zach Lentino
- Geno Henderson
- Katherine Lee Bourne
- Erin Burniston
- Andrea Collier
- Elvis Presley
- Million Dollar Quartet
- Colonel Tom Parker
- Sam Phillips
- Sun Records
- Rock and Roll
- Chicago
- Musical
- theatre
- Ken Payne
- Buzz Center Stage
Sunday, 22 July 2018 14:08
Alone on Stage an Acclaimed Writer Confronts His Demons in Riveting Hemingway
Written by Bill Esler
Stacy Keach storms the stage for one of the best performances ever, as he takes on the role of author Earnest Hemingway in Pamplona at Goodman Theatre. This world premier at Goodman was originally planned for Spring 2017, but Keach fell ill opening night and the full run was suspended…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Penelope Skinner’s latest play, Linda, now receiving its United States Premiere at Steep Theatre, begins with the title character’s plea that attention must be paid…to women of a certain age. The seemingly inconsequential references to King Lear, Death of a Salesman and other tragic male protagonists become progressively more resonant…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Everybody dies. In fact, Somebody will die very soon. That is not only reality, but also the premise of Everybody, a contemporary take on the Medieval morality play, Everyman. Each night, Somebody will be chosen randomly from the cast to go on the final journey. According to the press materials,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 16 July 2018 20:59
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof " a feminist view of women's financial inequity in family life
Written by Kimberly Katz
"Like a cat on a hot tin roof” in English. UK old-fashioned “like a cat on hot bricks”. The phrase is used to describe someone who is in a state of EXTREME nervous worry. Think about the above definition of the saying "cat on a hot tin roof". It really…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 16 July 2018 04:12
Michael Shannon Returns to Front Powerful Cast in "Victims of Duty"
Written by Ken Payne
“Victims of Duty” starts with Madeleine (Karen Aldridge) sitting aside a clawfoot tub where she knits silently as her husband, Choubert (Guy Van Swearingen), reads the newspaper from his chair. Breaking the silence, she finally asks if there is anything knew in the news. There is not. Same old, same…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 06 July 2018 21:49
Waitress is a Perfectly Refreshing Summer Confection
Written by Bill Esler
Two kinds of people are loving the Broadway musical roadshow Waitress: fans of Sara Bareilles, the multi-platinum singer-songwriter who created the songs and lyrics; and fans of the 2007 Sundance sleeper hit film, Waitress. That right there is a big built-in audience, and Broadway in Chicago is drawing them in…
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Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 12 July 2018 18:00
"Murder for Two" at Marriott Theatre a perfect blend of suspense and comedy
Written by Ken Payne
When we think of traditional whodunits, we think of a carefully plotted murder, a list of suspects, and an inquisitive detective who gradually pieces new clues together until the crime is solved. Marriott Theatre’s “Murder for Two” is just that, albeit a musical-comedy that stars just two actors taking on…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 10 July 2018 19:30
Reclaimed Gem Gives Unforgettable Voice - “The Csardas Princess” at Stage 773
Written by William and Margaret Swain
Margaret and I have had to wait nearly thirty years to enjoy another production of Emerich Kalman’s “Die Csardasfurstin”, often translated as “The Csardas Princess” or “The Gypsy Princess”, and Folks Operetta’s production running at Stage 773 through July 22 was well worth the wait. The Csardas, or Czardas, 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… -
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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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