Theatre with a side of life
Broadway in Chicago presents the four time Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival HELLO, DOLLY!. Hello, Betty! Broadway legend Betty Buckley (Dolly) takes on the iconic roll first debuted by Carol Channing in 1964 and she owns it. From the moment she steps onstage to her final bow, Buckley has the audience mesmerized by her presence. She ...
Pegasus Theatre Chicago presents ECLIPSED. Playwright Danai Gurira drops us into a rebel camp during the second Liberian Civil War in 2003. Aja Singletary (#3/Bessie) is begging Maya V. Prentiss (#1/Helena) to comb out her hair. An exasperated Prentiss is trying to help Singletary while welcoming newcomer Sola Thompson. Except for addressing each other by numbers, ...
(re)discover Theatre presents the World Premiere of LES INNOCENTS/THE INNOCENTS. LES INNOCENTS takes place at the Preston Bradley Center. Upon arrival on the fourth floor, a greeter encourages you to pick between a ‘love’ or ‘loneliness’ button. On the staircase, a fortune teller is reading palms -above and a duo is singing songs - below. Audience ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents GYPSY a musical fable. OH, MAMA! E. Faye Butler (Mama Rose) owns this stage from the moment she steps on it. Her pipes, whether screaming for her way or lifting the rafters in song, are undeniably extraordinary. Butler is a tour de force in her non-stop, dynamic performance! Her commanding presence is palpable. ...
The Comrades present the Midwest Premiere of WARRIOR CLASS. In between the Kavanaugh hearings and the midterm election, Chicago has the opportunity to experience the ugly realities behind politics. Playwright Kenneth Lin tells the tale of an aspiring councilman wanting to run for congress. The obstacle to his success is his ex-college girlfriend. Lin unravels the ...
Writers Theatre presents the World Premiere of WITCH. Playwright Jen Silverman weaves an intriguing tale of one witch, one devil, and four poor souls. The play immediately engages in the very first three scenes. Silverman has a frustrated Elizabeth (played by a solid Audrey Francis) lamenting about the villagers’ treatment of her. They believe she’s a ...
Lyric Opera of Chicago, along with Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Teatro Real Madrid, presents LA BOHEME. LA BOHEME is one of my favorite operas. Puccini composed the perfect opera for falling in love and out of love… and in love again. His music captures everything from innocent flirtation to soulmate commitment to steamy seduction ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the North American premiere of Olivier Award-winning comedy NELL GWYNN. Playwright Jessica Swale imagines the details in the real-life rise of Nell Gwynn from nobody to leading lady on the London stage and in the King’s bed. Swale fills-in-the-gaps on the legend of Nell Gwynn. She writes a witty tribute to the ...
Broadway in Chicago presents Roald Dahl’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. This show is a trip down memory lane! I’m a huge fan of the 1971 film that introduced oompa loompas into my life. The staged musical version of Roald Dahl’s beloved story is both more beautiful and ugly than the movie. David Greig (book) makes ...
Firebrand Theatre, in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company, launches its 2018-19 season with a revival of the Tony Award-nominated Best Musical CAROLINE, OR CHANGE. This musical is a powerful tribute to the 1960s civil rights movement. We see race relations up close and personal. Caroline (played by the superb Rashada Dawan) is a black maid for a Jewish ...