Broadway in Chicago presents RIVERDANCE. I had the opportunity to see the farewell tour of Riverdance in 2012. And last night, I watched the resurrected Irish crew back in our city for their 20th Anniversary World Tour. If you haven’t see RIVERDANCE before, Chicago has been given another chance to experience first-rate Irish dancing. The show starts ...
The Fourth Walsh
Theatre with a side of life
Category The Fourth Walsh
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Review “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (Court Theatre): Exceptional
Court Theatre presents LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. Playwright Eugene O’Neill was awarded a Pulitzer Prize posthumously for this autobiographical play. O’Neill exposes his own family’s dysfunction rooted in addiction. Unlike a contemporary drama focused on the affects of an addict’s behavior on a family, O’Neill’s story is about an entire family of alcoholics and a ...
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Review “Time Steps” (Chicago Tap Theatre): Play First, Dance Second
Chicago Tap Theatre presents TIME STEPS. After a long week, I was jazzed for Chicago Tap Theatre’s new show. I was ready for energetic toe tapping fun last night. Instead of peppy stepping, TIME STEPS is listlessly dramatic. It’s the opposite of a traditional tap dancing showcase. It’s not uplifting, it’s a bit of a downer. ...
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Review “Richard III” (The Gift Theatre): Innovative Storytelling
The Gift Theatre, in conjunction with Steppenwolf Theatre, presents RICHARD III. Michael Patrick Thornton (Richard) stars in this Machiavellian rise to power. Shakespeare describes his lead as a deformed man with a hunchback. Under the innovative direction of Jessica Thebus, Thornton, an actor with a disability, performs the role from his wheelchair. Thornton ruthlessly manipulates his ...
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Review “Matilda the Musical” (Broadway in Chicago): Extraordinary!
Broadway in Chicago presents Roald Dahl’s MATILDA THE MUSICAL. Disney princesses and Marvel superheroes step aside. MATILDA has landed in Chicago! And she is one smart cookie… genius, actually! Even lacking a loving, supportive family, Matilda becomes a confident intellectual at age five. She reads. Her power source is her brain. She uses her knowledge to ...
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RIDE (Under the Rug Theatre Company): A Bumpy RIDE in Uptown
Reviewed by Tom Lawler Set the scene: Under the Rug Theatre Company, a new company making its debut with RIDE, aims to “examine societal elements that might otherwise be swept under the rug.” Under the Rug’s maiden voyage is being staged in Wicker Park’s The Den Theater, a buzzing five-theater space with two vintage bars and ...
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Review “The Bachelors” (Cole Theatre): Disappointing! :(
Cole Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of THE BACHELORS. I’m a long-time fan of both Shane Kenyon (Laurie) and Nicholas Bailey’s (Kevlar) stage work. I was also impressed by the caliber of Cole Theatre’s inaugural production. I was looking forward to seeing all that talent culminate into Cole's second production. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. THE BACHELORS ...
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Review “The Matchmaker” (Goodman Theatre): For the Light-Hearted Romantic Fools
Goodman Theatre presents THE MATCHMAKER. Full disclosure: “Hello Dolly” starring Barbara Streisand is one of my favorite movies. I’ve easily seen it over two dozen times. I know the banter, the punchlines and all the songs. My love affair with the musical movie made me giddy for this origin play. My expectations were high before ...
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Review “Blood Wedding” (Lookingglass Theatre): Not Bloody Dramatic
Lookingglass Theatre presents BLOOD WEDDING. Weddings are emotional. Two people pledging their loving devotion. Two families merging ancestral lines. In the best of circumstances, the pending permanency of the union makes for tense moments. Playwright Federico Garcia Lorca (translated by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata) pens a tale of marital amiss. The telenovela opens with an unhappy ...