Broadway in Chicago presents BUYER & CELLAR. Michael Urie kicks off his one man show confessing that he doesn’t do impressions. I disagree. Not only did he do Barbra Streisand, he also did her assistant Sharon, his boyfriend Barry and James Brolin. His Babs, despite sounding slightly like Christopher Watkin, swept into the room like the ...
The Fourth Walsh
Theatre with a side of life
Category The Fourth Walsh
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Review “The White Snake” (Goodman Theatre): Disappointing… both times
Goodman Theatre presents an all-new stage adaption of THE WHITE SNAKE. I didn’t care for this either time I saw it. I saw it first on Tuesday night. My reaction was so strong and negative that I wondered if my martini at dinner had impaired my judgement. After all, this was Mary Zimmerman’s work. Her “Metamorphoses” ...
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Review “Charles Ives Take Me Home” (Strawdog Theatre): Original Father-Daughter Dance
Strawdog Theatre presents CHARLES IVES TAKE ME HOME. In this tight and original piece, Playwright Jessica Dickey orchestrates a father-daughter dance. It’s not to a wedding song. It’s to a life concerto. Dickey explores generational, gender and life passion differences between a father and daughter. Dave Belden (dad) is a violinist. Stephanie Chavara (daughter) is a basketball ...
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Review “Henry V” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater): This King Rules!
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents HENRY V. William Shakespeare tells the story of a young king’s rise to respect. Harry Judge plays the newly crowned twenty-five year old Henry. In Act 1, Judge assumes the role with dispassionate intellectualism. He turns his back on his drinking buddies. He sentences his closest advisors to death. His rule begins ...
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Review “The Doll’s House: Ibsen is Dead” (Interrobang Theatre): A Tight 80s Makeover
Interrobang Theatre Project presents the World Premiere of THE DOLL’S HOUSE PROJECT: IBSEN IS DEAD. Playwright Henrik Ibsen premiered “A Doll’s House” in 1879. The play was about the original desperate housewife. Ibsen illustrated a 19th century woman discontent in a man’s world. His tackling the mores of the day was highly controversial. Although his plot ...
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Review “The Passions of Emma Goldman” (ShPIel): More glam than gutsy
ShPIel-Performing Identity presents the World Premiere of THE PASSIONS OF EMMA GOLDMAN. The opening night of Roslyn Alexander’s (Emma) one woman show started 25 minutes late. The curtain was held for a handful of people who had the wrong curtain time. That decision stretched a 90 minute show to two hours. The prolonged captivity definitely influenced ...
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Review “Motown the Musical” (Broadway in Chicago): A BLAST from the Past
Broadway in Chicago, in conjunction with Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, present MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. Once upon a time, a man had a dream. He wanted to make music. He wasn’t content with being a songwriter. He wanted to have a bigger impact. He wasn’t just about launching his music career. He was about ...
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EXTENDED THRU June 29 “In the Garden” (Lookingglass Theatre): Evolving Love
Lookingglass Theatre presents the World Premiere IN THE GARDEN: A DARWINIAN LOVE STORY. Believing in evolution is key to the enjoyment of this play about Charles and Emma Darwin’s marriage. He is a scientist. She is a unitarian. Playwright Sara Gmitter uses heavy-duty narratives to establish their viewpoints. Andrew White (Darwin) talks like a science textbook. Rebecca ...