“No woman ever died for love” says Despina in Mozart’s charming little opera ‘Cosi fan tutte’. There may not be any deaths from love but, maybe a few tickled funny bones in this revival going on now at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Originally conceived by John Cox about ten…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 17 February 2018 17:31
The Phantom returns in well-worth-the-wait "Love Never Dies"
Written by Cindy Payne
If you are a passionate fan of the original "Phantom of the Opera" musical, its sequel "Love Never Dies" will surely peak your curiosity and is a 'must see'. The continuation to one of the greatest love stories of our time takes place in 1907, ten years later after the…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 18 February 2018 18:55
Excellent Production of The Burn Captures the 'Crucible' That Is High School
Written by Bill Esler
The Burn, a lively tale of a high school drama class putting on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, is spectacularly good. The script by Philip Dawkins was commissioned for the Steppenwolf’s Theatre’s Young Adult Theater Program. But this in no way diminishes it as a creative work – it is far,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Marriott Theatre’s Ragtime might just be one of the best adaptations to make its way through the Greater Chicago Area - ever. E.L. Dotorow wrote the novel in 1975, which has stormed theatre stages since 1996, snagging thirteen Tony Awards in 1996. With lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen…
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Theatre in Review
Friday, 09 February 2018 16:24
Deliciously Good Performances Score in Steppenwolf’s You Got Older
Written by Bill Esler
Millennial angst is in the air, and never better captured than in Clare Barron’s autobiographical “You Got Older.” You will laugh at its depictions of a young woman less-than-dexterously navigating her way through the trials of reaching a grown-up state in this first-rate production at Steppenwolf Theatre. Mae, a 27-year-old…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 05 February 2018 12:09
Review: I Puritani at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by John Accrocco
There are fewer things in theatre more exciting the curtain going up on the first act of an opera. Often there’s no ceremony or pre-recorded note from management. The lights dim and the overture begins. How enchanting to take your first look at the sumptuous sets and costumes Lyric Opera…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 06 February 2018 13:59
Rich Dialog Brings to Life the Denizens of Detroit Stamping Factory as Shutdown Approaches
Written by Bill Esler
In Skeleton Crew, playwright Dominique Morisseau hits close to home, presenting an event that still profoundly impacts America: the 2008 economic meltdown. It is captured here in the form of an imminent Detroit car plant closure. Our memories are still fresh from that time, and wounds to our social fabric…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 05 February 2018 23:42
Review: "Time Stands Still" at McIninch Art Center
Written by Ron Reis
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presented a two act play at the McIninch Art Center in Glen Ellyn titled Time Stands Still this past weekend and I was fortunate enough to see the opening night performance. The entire play is set in a Brooklyn loft apartment that really serves well in creating…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Having been wanting to check it out for quite a while, I was excited to go see Nice Girl at the Raven Theatre, the theatre’s latest offering, this one by Melissa Ross and directed by Lauren Shouse. Upon entering the Edgewater located venue, I walked into the warmth and was…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 30 January 2018 21:29
Hatfield and McCoy is not for the faint of hearts
Written by Vika Lvova
Loosely based on a true story of the two infamous feuding families- Hatfield and McCoy – and inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the namesake musical takes place circa 1865 in West Virginia. McCoy family loves to stage home plays and write poetry, while Hatfields spend most of their time…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Who’d have thought a Cuban-born playwright could endear an auditorium of liberals to Ronald Reagan. Rogelio Martinez’s new play ‘Blind Date’ is a fictionalized account of the very real first meeting between Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev (William Dick) and President Ronald Reagan (James D. Farruggio). Robert Falls returns to…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 31 January 2018 17:14
Make Musicals Great Again! We the People: The Anti-Trump Musical
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
Unlike the preamble to the constitution, you – the people – won't find any established justice or domestic tranquility in Trump's America. Enter the Anti-Trump Musical. Last Saturday, Flying Elephant Productions premiered We the People, a new musical featuring a cast of six singing original songs with music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 30 January 2018 06:18
First Folio's "Women in Jeopardy" a delightfully rich comedy
Written by Ken Payne
Simply said, First Folio’s latest production hits on all cylinders. Women in Jeopardy, currently performed at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook, is a sharp comedy that successfully lands a very high percentage of its humor with the audience thanks in part to its funny script with plenty of the credit…
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
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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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