Review “Disney’s The Lion King” (Broadway in Chicago): Transfixing Puppet Pageantry!

Saturday, November 19, 2022 Permalink 0

Broadway in Chicago presents Disney’s THE LION KING.  Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Gugwana Dlamini (Rafiki) chants the infamous words that kick off the show and cast a spell on the audience. Her birth announcement summons the animals to a celebration of life. The resulting wildlife promenade is nothing less than transfixing puppet pageantry. Giraffes appear as performers ...

Review “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” (Lookingglass Theatre): Pure Imagination!

Friday, November 18, 2022 Permalink 0

Lookingglass Theatre presents THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER. Magic is back! And just in time for the holiday season. Creator and director Mary Zimmerman masterfully spins Hans Christian Andersen’s story of a broken toy into a tale of resilience. The discarded soldier (played by Adeoye) goes on a journey of discovery. He falls for a ballerina (played by ...

Review “Measure for Measure” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater): Innovative Storytelling -Cuban Style

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents MEASURE FOR MEASURE.  Upon arrival, the audience becomes barflies at a Cuban nightclub. Maracas are shaking. Showgirls are dancing. Drinks are pouring.The Havana vibe is sexy and fun. Before the play even begins, the debauchery is on full display. Cash is exchanged. Clothes are removed. Hook-ups are arranged.   Director Henry Godinez places ...

Review “The Twenty-Sided Tavern” (Broadway in Chicago): Let’s Play!

Saturday, November 5, 2022 Permalink 0

Broadway in Chicago and Session Zero presents THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN. Ale and well met, fellow adventurers! In the spirit of Dungeons and Dragons, THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN is an interactive role-playing adventure. Created by David Andrew Greener Laws aka DAGL and Sarah Davis Reynolds with David Carpenter, the game is larger than life with oversized dice, a backdrop ...

EXTENDED Thru Dec 11 “RENT” (Porchlight Music Theatre): Don’t forget to pay for RENT this month!!

Porchlight Music Theatre presents RENT. The late Jonathan Larson (music, lyrics, book) penned an award-winning rock opera. RENT is a modern-day spin on Puccini’s “La Boheme.” Puccini imagined the real  struggles of starving artists in 19th Century Paris. Larson sets his story in late 20th Century NYC. His bohemians are filmmakers, drummers, guitarists, erotic dancers, poets ...

Review “Camelot” (Music Theater Works): ‘A Congenial Spot for Happily-ever-aftering’

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 Permalink 0

Music Theater Works presents Lerner and Lowe’s musical CAMELOT. CAMELOT is the 1960s award-winning Broadway musical and film. The love triangle story of King Arthur-Guenevere-Lancelot boasts a searing score by Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics and book) and Frederick Loewe (music). The fantasy musical imagines King Arthur’s very human struggle to lead by civility or jealousy.   From ...

Review “CLUE” (Mercury Theater): Homicide Hi-Jinx is Family-Friendly Fun!

Monday, October 24, 2022 Permalink 0

Mercury Theater presents CLUE. Parker Brothers made murder a popular game. They introduced color-coded characters, an array of weaponry and a mansion of rooms to die in. Figuring out the right killer combo was the objective to win. In 1985, the board game became an iconic comedy boasting a star-studded cast led by Tim Curry and ...

Review “Swing State” (Goodman Theatre): Delivering Human Imperfection Perfectly!

Saturday, October 22, 2022 Permalink 0

Goodman Theatre presents SWING STATE. Playwright Rebecca Gillman pens an intriguing tale of pandemic wreckage. Gillman sets her story in rural Wisconsin in 2021. The show opens in palpable silence as Mary Beth Fisher (Peg) cracks eggs into a bowl. She methodically beats in the flour. The ordinariness of her actions are momentarily interrupted by the ...

Review “The Notebook” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater): Get Ready to Fall in Love!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the World Premiere of the musical, THE NOTEBOOK. An old woman has Alzheimers. Her husband faithfully reads to her daily from a notebook. It describes the love story of their life. His hope is the words and memories will bring her back to him.  Nicholas Sparks wrote the best selling novel in ...

Review “Wicked” (Broadway in Chicago): The Witches are Back… Thank Goodness!

Friday, September 30, 2022 Permalink 0

Broadway in Chicago, in conjunction with Marc Platt * Universal Stage Productions * The Araca Group * Jon B. Platt * David Stone, present the Tony Award-winning WICKED.   ‘Good news! Good news! Look there is Glinda’… and Elphaba! The witches of Oz are back in Chicago! And ‘Thank Goodness’!  These witches were first introduced by L. ...