Theatre with a side of life
The American Repertory Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, National Artists Management Company and NETworks Presentations present the Chicago Premiere of the Broadway Revival of "1776 THE MUSICAL." I’ve seen various productions of "1776" and even the 1972 movie version. I’m a fan of this musical USA origin story. And I was a little more than giddy to ...
Factory Theater presents the World Premiere of THE KELLY GIRLS. For centuries, Belfast has been a hotbed of warring factions. Catholics verses Protestants. Irish verses British rule. The Provisional Government of Ireland verses the Irish Republican Army (IRA). And later in the 1960s, the Official IRA verses the Provisional IRA. The Irish started fighting in their ...
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company presents ANNA IN THE TROPICS. A factory hires a lector to read to its workers. As the employees hand-roll cigars, they get lost in the romance and intrigue of “Anna Karenina.” Playwright Milo Cruz uses the Leo Tolstoy classic as the basis for transformation in a working class community. Tolstoy’s words enchant ...
Timeline Theatre presents the World Premiere of BOULEVARD OF BOLD DREAMS. It’s 1940. For the first time in Hollywood history, the Academy Awards have nominated a black woman for an Oscar. Hattie McDaniels is to be honored for her portrayal of Mamie in “Gone With The Wind.” The evening should be a glamorous celebration of Miss ...
Mercury Theater presents LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL. Step into Venus Cabaret Theatre and take a step back in time! It’s Philadelphia 1959. The lights are dim. The seating is intimate. And Emerson’s Bar and Grill is serving up classic cocktails. Tonight’s entertainment is the extraordinary Billie Holiday (played by her doppelgänger, Alexis J. ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s World Series Stage presents Wise Children’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. The UK show is a co-production of National Theatre, Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal in association with Berkley Repertory Theatre. Emily Brontë’s classic masterpiece gets an innovative spin by Adapter and Director Emma Rice. Brontë penned a saga of love/hate, lust/revenge ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning musical CABARET. Berlin,1929: The Kit Kat Klub is lit! The girls are beautiful. The boys are beautiful. And everyone is Willkommen! Cliff, an American novelist, stumbles into the ongoing party at the cabaret. The nightclub is free-loving, high-spirited intoxication! There are no rules, no consequences and no boundaries. Cliff ...
Steppenwolf Theatre presents the World Premiere of the BALD SISTERS. Two sisters clash over the funeral arrangements for their mother. It’s a likely scenario that has happened or will happen in many families. Playwright Vichet Chum uses a mother’s death to pile on the friction. The grieving sisters must confront their sibling rivalry, religious differences, and ...
Reviewed by Tom Lawler Set the scene: DEAR EVAN HANSEN, a musical about a depressed high school student battling social anxiety, was a sensation with audiences and critics alike when it made its Broadway debut in 2016. It nabbed six Tonys — including for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score and most notably, a Best Actor ...
In search of a unique gift? Writers has the ticket! Writers Theatre presents the World Premiere live production of MANUAL CINEMA’S CHRISTMAS CAROL. Manual Cinema reimagines Charles Dickens’ holiday classic as a story within the story. Aunt Trudy (played by a dynamic LaKecia Harris) is grieving the loss of her husband Joe. In the past, Joe has ...