Items filtered by date: November 2007

If you’ve ever watched Norm Jewison’s 1973 screen adaptation of Tim Rice Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar you were no doubt taken by Ted Neeley’s unique, but masterful, portrayal of Jesus Christ. Neely, who received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Newcomer for his role, shined as Christ rocked his way through the final days leading up to his crucifixion.

Gomez, a 6-piece band, hails form England. 3 lead singers – Ben Ottewell, Ian Ball and Tom Gray -- supply the band’s original material. Gomez is a seasoned band – they’ve played together for just over 10 years and it shows. Masters of nuance and dynamics, their songs varied in both attack and texture. Often described as...

Accompanied by three female backup singers, a blond bombshell playing saxophone, and a full band, he kept the play list bubbly by swinging to tracks off his new album like Seger's "Still the Same", and a touching rendition of Cat Steven's, "Father and Son". Stewart was also still able to capture the crowd like days of old by waving...

In the spirit of excellent novels coupled with Lifeline Theatre’s equally inventive stage adaptations, The Piano Tuner, by Daniel Mason, is as brilliantly crafted for the stage as originally written. Tailored for a visual audience by James E. Grote, this exotic adventure concerning a British War Office and an ordinary piano tuner comes alive through the masterful direction of Jonathan Berry.

When I’m bored on a Thursday night, I fret not. Why? Because I always seem to find myself headed to the Ashbury Coffee House in Willow Springs. But not for the coffee, I go to see Sunni Williams host the weekly improv. Along with the event’s co-founder, Chad Feipal, Sunni leads the audience and their teams of faithful regulars through a series of games that test the skills of all the improvisers.

It’s good that Billy Sheehan performed last, because the guy could not be stopped by anyone. I didn’t think that anyone could play the bass with such ferocity, but I was wrong. Billy’s playing was so impressive, in fact, that I don’t even remember their being anyone else on the stage during his set (not to insult the backup...

The House is arguably the best thing to happen to Chicago’s theatre scene. Totally innovative and wildly entertaining, this theatre is practically a lifestyle. The brainchild of a fascinating group of friends, the majority of company members are graduates from Southern Methodist University. Nearly thirty young adults make up this groundbreaking ensemble. They consist of actors, writers, directors, musicians, dancers, producers, graphic designers, and more.

I had a chance to chat with Anna about her band and influences. She explains that music has always been big part of her life—she began taking piano lessons when she was just four-years-old and picked up the violin when she was in the 2nd grade. Anna remembers, “Sitting on our kitchen counter, in the early 70's...

The Chicago Children’s Theatre brings in the New Year with the Chicago premiere of the international sensation 4- ISH. The Amsterdam based performance troupe combines Acrobatic stunts, street and break dancing, dancing on inline skates, video art, a live DJ and more. I was really impressed by their ability to utilize such an amazing array of diverse and unique talents and marry them in a way that eloquently showed off each person’s total uniqueness.

As its name suggests, Dark Star Orchestra is a Grateful Dead tribute band. Organized by engineer/producer Bob Matthews, a longtime associate of the Dead, they recreate a specific show from the over 2,500 concerts that the Dead performed during their 30-year tenure as masters of improvisational rock. They play the same...