Broadway In Chicago presents the winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Play, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. Playwright Simon Stephens adapts Mark Haddon's best-selling novel into a virtual reality experience. The story is about a brilliant fifteen year old challenged with an autistic-like disability. (Christopher's special needs are never labeled with ...
The Fourth Walsh
Theatre with a side of life
Category The Fourth Walsh
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Review “The Complete Deaths” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater): Killing It!
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the Spymonkey’s THE COMPLETE DEATHS. Did you know there are 75 onstage deaths in Shakespeare’s plays? The killings include 74 human plus the fly in “Titus Andronicus.” Spymonkey, UK’s clown troupe, perform this clever tribute to the Shakespearean deceased. Director and Adaptor Tim Crouch has created a showcase showdown of these ...
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Review “Twelfth Night” (Midsommer Flight): Fun (and Free) Holiday Date Night
Midsommer Flight remounts TWELFTH NIGHT at Lincoln Park Conservatory. Midsommer Flight gives Chicago a merry alternative to traditional Xmas shows. Director Beth Wolf and her frolicking ensemble return with a Shakespeare comedy classic. They sing. They dance. They improv. The talented, bare-footed crew race around Illyria playing instruments and falling in love. A solid Meredith ...
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GIVE IT ALL BACK (Sideshow Theatre Company): It Ain’t Him, Babe
Reviewed by Tom Lawler Set the scene: Sideshow Theatre Company, now in its 10th season, continues its multi-year residency at Victory Gardens housed in Lincoln Park’s historic Biographic Theatre. What’s it all about: A famous American singer-songwriter (Andrew Goetten) is holed up in a hotel in mid-1960s Paris while on tour and battling a constant series of ...
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Review “The Fundamentals” (Steppenwolf Theatre): Enjoyable Yet Basic
Steppenwolf Theatre presents THE FUNDAMENTALS. The show starts out with a slick video montage. This commercial by Projection Designer Stephan Mazurek promotes a luxury hotel. We are instantly sold on this elegant retreat from real life. Then, the branding spot finishes. The wall screen lifts and the reality is revealed. Ta-Da, the beauty and the ...
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Review “Chagrin Falls” (The Agency Theater Collective): Where Everybody Knows Your Shame
Reviewed by Tom Lawler Set the scene: The Agency Theater Collective was founded in 2010 with a mission to create “relevant, authentic work with a focus on new or rarely produced plays.” Chagrin Falls, written by Chicagoan Mia McCullough, has garnered a slew of productions and honors across the country since making its debut in 2001 ...
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Review “The Magic Play” (Goodman Theatre): Illusion and Realism
The Goodman Theatre presents the World Premiere of THE MAGIC PLAY. The press release describes this show as ‘part magic show, part play.’ And that combination gives it an authentic feel. It certainly starts out like a magic show. The charismatic Brett Schneider (magician) takes the stage and immediately amazes the audience with card tricks. Schneider ...
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Review “The Nutcracker” (House Theatre of Chicago): Uplifting Whimsy in Dark Times
The House Theatre of Chicago presents THE NUTCRACKER. It's official THE NUTCRACKER is now one of my favorite holiday traditions. Friday was my fifth opportunity to see this innovative spin on the E.T.A. Hoffman classic. (My reviews in 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010 and Tom's 2015 review ). After what-can-only-be-described as a horrific time for our nation, this show ...
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Review “Annie” (Broadway in Chicago): Relevant and Uplifting
Broadway in Chicago presents the limited engagement of ANNIE. Chicago is spinning in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. People are sad. The city is somber. Parents are asking ‘how do I explain this to my kids?’ I, myself, was feeling helpless, useless and hopeless on Wednesday evening when I stumbled into ANNIE. ...