Items filtered by date: June 2026

A fool and their money are soon parted as the old expression goes, but what do you do when that fool is your best friend? Yasmina Reza’s 1996 Tony Award winning play ‘Art’ explores the balance of opinion, influence and friendship. Under Marti Lyons’ direction, Remy Bumppo’s revival is a madcap drawing room comedy that might even make you question your own sense of taste.

Parisians Marc, Serge and Yvan are close friends until Serge (Chad Bay) purchases an absurdly expensive, but terrible piece of art. While Serge beams over his new acquisition, Marc (Justin Albinder) is shocked at how bad the piece is and struggles to comprehend how his friend could possibly like it. Meanwhile people-pleasing Yvan (Eduardo Curley), is stuck in the middle trying to play both sides.

Similar to Reza’s most acclaimed play ‘God of Carnage’, ‘Art’ is confined to one chic set, but finds theatricality in richly dense dialog and the over-the-top slapstick humor. Though, none of that would work without the strong chemistry on stage.

There’s a certain sitcom style humor to ‘Art’ that harkens back to the best episodes of ‘Seinfeld’. This 80 minute play is about a splintered friendship that’s been chipped away through petty, unspoken grievances. The three-way friendship dynamic is having a moment right now on the heels of this past season of ‘The White Lotus’. Though, perhaps unlike ‘White Lotus’ Yasmina Reza was wise to set her friendship triad in circumstances that don’t rely on gender stereotypes to explore the uncomfortable truths about triangular relationships.

‘Art’ is also a statement on the very idea of opinion: when to have one, when to express one and ultimately how to process someone else's. In the social media era, there’s a kind of pressure to have a strong opinion about everything, even topics on which you’re not informed. Reza suggests that those with the strongest opinions, may not always be the most confident about them. Hence, Marc’s intense desire to convert Yvan to his point of view.

In a three character play, it’s hard to say who the main character is but really either character could be seen as the character on which the play hinges. Eduardo Curley brings Yvan to life in neurotic perfection. Maybe the reason he doesn’t have a strong opinion about the work is that he’s mostly concerned with the anxiety of living. Yvan’s long, animated and silly monologues help cut the tension between Marc and Serge, but both friends are trying to prove themselves right based on whether Yvan agrees.

Yasmina Reza’s play remains timeless in its contemporary allegory. While it may be named ‘Art’ this play is about more than just a silly painting. Lyons’ production at Remy Bumppo is stylish and funny thanks to the intimate cast and Liz Gomez’s gorgeous set. The short play packs a gag-a-minute but leaves you wondering what is the best way to politely disagree with someone you respect?

Through June 1 at Remy Bumppo at Theatre Wit. 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

Stories that explore the emotional lives of men—especially Black men—are still far too rare on the American stage. Outside the monumental works of August Wilson, narratives that center male vulnerability, intimacy, and connection remain the exception. Lolita Chakrabarti’s Hymn, now playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, is a welcome and moving addition to that limited canon.

Originally written for a London audience, Hymn has been thoughtfully reworked by Chakrabarti for an American setting, shifting the story from Bristol, England to Chicago. The transition is seamless—perhaps even revelatory. Under the deft direction of Ron O.J. Parson, the play feels deeply rooted in the cultural and emotional rhythms of its new home.

At the heart of Hymn is the evolving relationship between two middle-aged Black men: Benny, played with warmth and quiet power by Chiké Johnson, and Gil, brought to life with nuance and restraint by James Vincent Meredith. The story begins with a funeral and slowly unfolds into something akin to a spiritual duet. Benny introduces the idea of “sympathetic resonance,” a musical concept describing how sound vibrations can cause another object to vibrate in harmony. It becomes a poetic metaphor for the emotional bond that grows between the two half-brothers as they become a whole.

Though the story is driven by dialogue, it's punctuated by music and movement—moments that feel less like breaks in the action and more like expressions of unspoken truths. As Benny and Gil dance, sing, and joke their way through scenes from their shared and separate pasts, their connection strengthens in ways that are more felt than seen. It’s only as the final notes settle that we fully understand what we’ve witnessed.

The production design roots the story firmly in the present while pulsing with the energy of the hip-hop era that shaped the characters. Rasean Davonte Johnson’s scenic and projection design is sleek, versatile, and evocative, transforming the minimalist set from a church to a boxing ring, a spare bedroom, and even a local eatery effortlessly. Yvonne Miranda’s costume design subtly tracks the characters’ emotional evolution, using clothing as quiet storytelling. Willow James’ sound and composition design doesn’t just support the action—it lives within it, amplifying the emotional beats with a soundscape drawn from the golden age of hip-hop and rap, pulling the audience into the same rhythm that moves the characters.

Hymn is a quiet triumph. It doesn’t shout its themes or offer easy catharsis. Instead, it hums, vibrates, and resonates—an invitation to witness male vulnerability not as spectacle, but as something sacred and human.

Highly Recommended

When: Through May 25
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre 800 East Grand Avenue in Chicago.
Tickets: $52 - $95
Info:  www.chicagoshakespeare.com

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

Something extraordinary happens on a street in Huntsville, Alabama. Mr. Woods (Keith Randolph Smith), a hard-working Black man in the community, is involved in a traffic stop with two cops (Mark Bedard and Jorge Luna) - a scene witnessed far too many times in America. But this time something strange occurs. As his neighbors, Retta (Caroline Stefanie Clay), Reggie (Ray Anthony Thomas), and their grandson, Trent (Cecil Blutcher), watch from their balcony perch, Mr. Woods's anger transforms into something... unexpected. Something that changes everything.

That's where Zora Howard's "BUST: AN AFROCURRENTIST PLAY" begins, and to say more would spoil its interesting revelations. "Bust," written by Zora Howard and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, is produced by Goodman Theatre in association with Alliance Theatre.

What makes this play remarkable is how it reimagines Black rage not as a liability, but as a source of protection - a force that might finally shield from, instead of exposing to, danger. Howard asks us to consider: What if the very emotion that so often puts Black lives at risk could become their shield?

Zora Howard's dialogue—especially in its most naturalistic scenes—crackles with authentic humor. Retta and Reggie's interactions sparkle, their shared past adding layers of meaning to every exchange. Their long history together makes even the smallest moments between them feel like inside jokes waiting to be told. The classroom sequences, where students push back against repressive authority, each other, and the invisible weight of a broken system, are electric. But as the narrative slips into more surreal terrain, cracks begin to show.

Unlike the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez—where supernatural moments are seamlessly embedded in the everyday, unquestioned and mythic—"Bust" dwells too long in the confusion of its own metaphors. The characters' prolonged reactions to the inexplicable events ("What just happened?", "Where is…?", "How can…?") pull us out of the flow and render the surreal sequences more like detours than revelations. The unnamed, non-descript space—perhaps intended as a psychic or spiritual refuge from racial trauma—feels underdeveloped and too divorced from the world around it. Rather than expanding the emotional scope of the play, this abstraction creates a frustrating disconnect.

There's a clear metaphor at work: rage forces retreat; grief bends reality. But in "Bust," that retreat never fully reconciles with the lived world of the characters. The liminal realm they enter—be it dream, myth, or madness—never roots itself in the logic of the story. It becomes less a mystical integration and more an escape hatch, leaving the audience unsure how to interpret it, or why the play is split in two.

A seasoned dramaturg might have helped stitch the play's dual impulses—realism and abstraction—into a more cohesive fabric. As it stands, "Bust" is a piece with two distinct voices: one that speaks in the language of humor, pain, and communal survival, and another that whispers through metaphor, without always being heard.

Still, even in its fragmentation, "Bust" pulses with urgency and vision. Blain-Cruz's direction keeps the energy taut and the stakes high. The ensemble, including Bernard Gilbert as Zeke, Victoria Omoregie as Paige, Ivan Cecil Walks as Boobie, Renika Williams-Blutcher as Krystal, and Caitlin Hargraves as Ms. Pinto, bring unvarnished honesty to their performances.

In the end, "Bust" isn't a bust—it's an eruption. It's bold, funny, and full of potential. But in aiming for the transcendent, it sometimes loses sight of the real—and the real, here, is already more than enough.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED
When: Through March 18
Where: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.
Tickets: $25-$85
Info: www.goodmantheatre.org

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

I reviewed TITUS ANDRONICUS in mid-February, so I was eager to see the sequel!

In TITUS, Shakespeare tells the story from the viewpoint of the regnant major characters: Empress Tamora and her sons Chiron, Demetrius and Bassianus; Lucius and the unlucky Lavinia, progeny of Titus Andronicus himself. GARY occurs immediately after that sensationally gruesome tale and tells the story from behind the green baize doors: two very lowly servants are charged with cleaning up the mess of bloody bodies strewn thither and yon. Let me stress, however, that one need not have seen TITUS previously; GARY works just fine as a stand-alone.

Gary (brilliantly played by William Delforge) is a servant who aspires to the lofty status of Fool and wistfully dresses the part. His BFF (tho she may not agree!) is the maid Janice (Hannah Rhode), less imaginative but patently more astute than Gary. We encounter one old friend from TITUS: the delicious Cameron Austin Brown as Carole, the midwife who delivered Empress Tamora’s baby, which was instantly and inarguably seen to have been fathered by the Moor Aaron (James Lewis). Inexplicably, Carol survives the resulting collieshangle [great word, yeah? Means donnybrook or argy-bargy. Aren’t words fun then?] to reappear in the midst of the (very) bloody task of tidying up the corpses littering the palace.

So, the plot being fairly straightforward, I choose now to focus on the playwright, Taylor Mac, who uses the pronoun ‘judy’, a personalized pronoun for someone whose gender (professionally and personally) is constantly changing. Judy describes GARY as ‘a tragedy determined to become a comedy’ – a definition I can absolutely get next to! Mac’s (absolutely fabulous) bio provides a simple list of judy’s achievements, which include: a MacArthur “genius”, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist, a Tony nominee for Best Play, and the recipient of the International Ibsen Award, the Kennedy Prize, the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim, a Drama League Award, a NY Drama Critics Circle Award, two Obie’s, and two Bessies. Whew! Judy’s webmaster has a lot of work keeping judy’s website current!

And how lucky are we to live in Chicago, where Redtwist Theatre is mounting a production of this extraordinary phenomenal deviant unorthodox outlandish bizarre freakish mind-boggling peculiar implausible superlative disruptive … well, I (obviously) could go on and on – god how I love word hippo’s thesaurus! What I’m trying to say is I really really liked the show, but it’s unquestionably not for everyone. Don’t take your grandma to see GARY, and please don’t bring the kids! And BTW, don’t worry about the blood splashing – Redtwist will provide a water-repellant poncho upon request.

OK, that’s the playwright, let’s move on. The remainder of the production team is familiar to those of us who frequent Redtwist Theatre.

Director Steve Scott: Steve has been around; he’s a member of the Redtwist ensemble and served as producer at Goodman Theatre for more than thirty years. For three decades Steve taught at Chicago College of Fine Arts at Roosevelt University. He has received six Jeff nominations, an After Dark Award, a special Jeff Award for career achievement, and the League of Chicago Theaters’ Lifetime Achievement Award.  So … Steve knows what he’s about, but with a production so labyrinthine as GARY, he welcomed aid from Assistant Director Korey Joseph and Technical Director Jeff Brain.

Dusty Brown is another familiar name; they served as Dramaturg and Sound Designer for GARY. Fight Choreographer Seth Eggenschwiller was excited to continue prioritizing actor safety alongside hard-hitting theatrical violence. The lighting for GARY was complex and superbly executed by Lighting Designer Piper Kirchhofer.

Props Designer Robin Manganaro loves working with teams and stories that represent BIPOC, neurodivergent, and LGBTQ+ perspectives; definitely the case with GARY at Redtwist.  I imagine (and certainly hope) Costume Designer kClare McKellaston (yet another familiar name!) had real fun with the costumes for GARY – and they came out absolutely fabulous!

Scenic Designer Eric Luchen also did a marvelous job with the scanty space he had to work in at Redtwist; remember the splash warnings! Luchen was most recently awarded the Conda Award for Excellence in Scenic Design for his production of ‘Mary Poppins’ in Newcastle, Australia.

One is at times sitting mere inches from the action – only an excellent and very professional cast could keep from overbalancing and falling into someone’s lap! this contiguity made interaction with the audience well-nigh unavoidable; people were given beads, and during a long oration I was able to slip a mint to Hannah Rhode.   

We come last to stage management. I asked a friend who’s held every backstage position imaginable, “So, what does a Stage Manager actually do, anyway?”  They replied, “Everything.” And indeed, Everything was done by Co-Stage Managers Ashley O'Neill and Maria Reyes, and Production Stage Manager Raine DeDominici.

OK: the stage is set, props arranged, scripts perused; audience members file expectantly in to take the available seats (16? 18?).  What now?

The cast of GARY is small – only three actors, and I’ve already named all three: William Delforge as Gary; Hannah Rhode as Janice; Cameron Austin Brown as the midwife Carol. (a wad of fabric was cast as ‘baby’.)

CAMERON AUSTIN BROWN, I remember fondly as midwife Carol from TITUS. He occupied the role and made us believe: once this accoucheuse [another great word yeah? 3 cheers for word hippo!] laid eyes on the baby, they knew that this dusky little morsel was fated for elimination; one could not, after all, retain this irrefutable evidence of the Empress’ infidelity … and adulterous miscegenation to boot! What on Earth would the neighbors say?

But Carol, irrefutable witness that the dark infant proceeded from the Empress’ loins, is fond of this morsel of iniquity. Luckily (for Carol!) the babe is also cherished by Aaron, the Moor whose protracted liaison with the Empress has now borne this damning fruit.

HANNAH RHODE is Janice – by my reckoning the only one of this group who’s got the good sense God gave a little green worm. Gary finds her a bit boring, because Janice is focused on that which is practicable, functional, sensible … just reading that list of words would send Gary into a snooze. Rhodes is wonderful in this role, keeping a straight face in the most comical circumstances, even while giving Gary a perfect “WTF??” look. Yet despite being commonsensible, levelheaded and prudent (all opprobrious qualities to Gary!), Rhode gives her an essential likability. All three of the characters are actually quite appealing, despite their more vulgar and indecorous traits.

Ah, Gary … GaryGaryGary. William Delforge is well and truly brilliant in this role. I just hope he’s taking his vitamins to keep him going as he capers and cavorts, prances and gambols, downplaying Gary’s knavery with exuberant tomfoolery.  And one is forced to admire Gary’s ambitions: he will be a Fool! In fact, Delforge shows us that Gary already is a Fool, in all its positive and negative permutations. I truly loved Delforge’s characterization of Gary.

I usually unabashedly single out a member of the cast as my ‘favorite’, but GARY has me discombobulated [one of my favorite words for decades!] – I truly can’t choose between the three! Hannah Rhode’s Janice was perfection. Cameron Austin Brown’s Carol was sublime (and oh my, Brown is simply adorable!). And I just finished waxing eloquent about Delforge’s Gary.

*sigh* no way to pick

But here's the really good news: GARY: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus will be playing at Redtwist Theatre for another month! Really, truly, GARY will play through June 1 at Redtwist, 1044 W Bryn Mawr. And I VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check it out!

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

“Spring Awakenings,” now playing at Chicago’s Greenhouse Theater Center, is not the Tony-winning 2006 Broadway musical “Spring Awakening,” but an adaptation of its original basis, an 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind that was first performed in 1906. Translated by Francis J. Ziegler, and directed and adapted by Lazy Susan Theatre Co. company member Matthew Masino, it is a fervent and vibrant production with a cast clearly filled with passion for what might be seen as something of a theatrical novelty.

An exploration of the angst of sexual awakenings of teenagers, it was also a social commentary on the damaging effects of sexual repression, those things we haven’t liked to talk about - puberty, erotic dreams, BDSM, pregnancy, abortion - all on stage. And other things, too - teen suicide, the stress of scholastic competition, and societally enforced sexual repressiveness.

Measured against this window into the past, we must have learned something over the decades. At least we’ve been talking about these matters more.

Though not a musical, it is laced with song, and actor performers on cello (Nicholas Ford Kinney, and in the role of Georg), guitar (Grace Trivax, and in the role of Martha), flute (Phoebe Webstbrooks, also playing Otto) and piano (Pierce Howard, and in the role of Hänschen). Music for the show is composed by Michael Van Bodegom-Smith, with musical direction by Dominic Rinker.

Remarkable in their performances and the core of the drama are the trio of Isabelle Grima as Wendla, Jake Griffith as Melchior, and Bryce Lederer as Moritz. As the show runs on (two hours, no intermission) one begins to realize that Lederer has the most demanding role, and he really delivers. His Moritz is central to the storyline, heavily laced with tragic turns.

Moritz confides to his classmate Melchior that he struggles with confusing dreams. The more seasoned and knowledgeable Melchior quickly tells him essentials of the facts of life, explaining that these are erotic dreams, a natural companion to sexual development. Wendla, who has a thing for Moritz, asks her mother to explain where babies come from, and is met with obfuscation. Uninformed, she soon enough ends up in the hay with Melchior, and pregnant.

Set in Germany—young men wear short pants, young women just trading girlish skirts for long dresses—these school chums are a bonded group, and display real affection for each other. Characters are fully fleshed out in the charming production, even lesser roles like Ryan Vu’s Ernst, Quinn Skelly’s Rupert, both so good in their performances. A real standout is Hannah Loessberg as Thea.

Other than its historic theatrical interest, Is there a message in this show? Perhaps. With the rise in illiberalism fueled by drastic governmental shifts, it’s beneficial to look at the harms we suffer when social repressiveness suppresses openness to talk about taboo subjects. And this show is just plain fun, as well.
“Spring Awakenings” runs through May 11, 2025 at Greenhouse Theater Center.

Lisa Sanaye Dring’s play “Kairos,” which just opened at The Edge Off Broadway theater, is one of the most thought-provoking and enjoyable productions I have seen lately. Set in the near future, the 90-minute play (no intermission) is as good anything you might see in streaming shows ("Black Mirror" comes to mind.) Directed by Clare Brennan, “Kairos” is in the midst of its rolling world premiere with the National New Play Network. 

As the play opens, David (Johnard Washington is really good), a somewhat detached and scholarly fellow, and the all-business Gina (Tamsen Glaser) meet one rainy night via a mall parking lot fender bender. David is only lightly concerned about his car's damage, as he’s smitten with Gina, who blames him for the accident. During a practical exchange about insurance, police reports and such, Gina discovers she is charmed by David as well. “Here’s my number,” she says. “Not for the accident. For sex….maybe?”

The scenes cycle rapidly through their evolving romance, and they discover more and more appeal in each other. But this fast-paced affair is only a prelude to the core of the story. A few weeks in, they are lounging around, when arresting news crosses their screens: medical science has discovered a treatment, dubbed “Prometheus,” promising eternal life.

What a remarkable premise for a drama. A developing relationship meets a decision about living everlastingly. Way beyond, “Should we get married?” That’s only until death do us part.

Because of its likely appeal, the Prometheus treatment is offered by lottery, and is restricted to those aged 25 to 34, who are also, once treated, prohibited from bearing children. The playwright has upped the ante with that. Candidates apply online, and once selected, must undergo a psychological screening.

David wants in immediately, while Gina figures she’ll just see if she qualifies, and then decide. Their relationship progresses while they await the news, with the usual ups and downs, and matters like meeting family playing out in the background.

As we await the lottery results, we get a feel for the likelihood of David and Gina's relationship surviving on its own terms. David seems more in touch with his feelings, and a bit more empathic. Gina is more self-centered, seemingly waving away the life challenges her partner encounters. When David’s father leaves his mother suddenly after 40 years, he is distraught. Gina doesn’t quite get it. “I’m sorry about your father,” she says, “but he can’t be where his heart is not.”

At the risk of a spoiler, Gina wins the lottery first. I felt my heart racing as she prepared to open the communication. David still hasn’t heard. And when he too is eligible for Prometheus, there is instant elation. “We’re not going to get old together!” he exclaims.

Soon enough we find out it’s not that simple. These two weren’t quite ready for marriage, let alone eternal life. And David must still undergo a psychological exam, which we gather Gina has passed.

The world around them also shifts as society spins into an upheaval, and protests against Prometheus arise. The world is split between “agers,” and those who, because of Prometheus, won’t age.

We soon see fissures in their relationship. David becomes depressed, partly about his parents’ divorce, and we suspect, also about this massive life change. Gina prods him to pull himself together for his psych exam: “They might not want immortal sad boys running around.” I think the heft of the play would be greater if there had been a little more depth to the emotional dynamics of the relationship. It felt a little too once-over-lightly to be convincing. But the storyline is so interesting, it’s not consequential.

“Kairos,” the Greek term for “the right time,” when an alignment of circumstances presents an opportunity, is a recurrent theme in the play, from their very first encounter in the mall parking lot, to opportunity for Prometheus as their relationship gets rooted. An epilogue to the play, dated 2068 A.D., lets us know how things turned out for Gina and David. Produced by Red Theater “Kairos” runs through May 18 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago.

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

It was a night of celebration, reflection, and breathtaking talent at the Civic Opera House. Fifty years of song echoed through the hall, but it was the future of opera that took center stage. On Friday, April 25, Ryan Opera Center celebrated their 50th Anniversary Season with 11 opera singers in ‘Rising Stars in Concert’. The concert hosted by the Lyric Opera House served as a moving tribute to the Center’s mission of keeping opera vibrant in Chicago and nurturing the next generation of opera artists.

The evening began with a short video sharing the Ryan Opera’s history with testimonies from alumni about their experience. For context, the Ryan Opera Center was founded in Chicago in 1974 and has been central to Lyric Opera’s commitment to cultivating rising talent. With approximately 300 alumni, many of whom have gone on to international acclaim, the program is known for its intensive training, expert mentorship, and world-class performance opportunities. Reaching the 50-year mark is no small feat, it’s a sign not just standing the test of time, but of the Ryan Opera Center’s continued excellence and impact in the opera world.

The concert, conducted by Lyric’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola and directed by Paul Curran carried on into Part I, Orpheus in the Underworld. An operatic comedy by Jacques Offenbach that humorously reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus, who journeys to the underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice. The “Rising Stars in Concert” was a more simplified version of the comic opera as the singers were not in costume and the set was mainly a massive bed and Greek pillars in the background. Despite the lack of set design and costumes, the singers entertained the crowd with powerful singing and captivating acting. 

Director Paul Curran.

In the first half of the show, as Orpheus and Eurydice's conflict unfolded, I was especially impressed by Emily Richter’s portrayal of Eurydice. Her soprano voice was not only beautiful but had incredible projection, filling the space effortlessly. Beyond her vocal talent, Richter brought an impressive flair for acting, making her portrayal of the disloyal wife entertaining.

In between each act, the show was narrated by different members in the ensemble in English. Helping the crowd with the movements of the story, while also providing a few jokes to keep us laughing. Various props were used in effort to bring the concert to life, including devil horns for Hades, picket signs with jokes, and teddy bears held by the Greek gods as they slept in the massive bed on center stage.

Following a 20-minute intermission, Part II of the concert transitioned into a varied program of operatic and non-operatic selections. Most of which were solo singer performances accompanied by the orchestra. Adia Evans, a soprano, sang a beautiful opera song from Hérodiade called “Vision Fugitive” by Jules Massenet in French. Evans showcased impressive vocal projection, sustaining long phrases between breaths with a rich, beautiful tone.

Another standout artist was Christopher Humbert Jr., a Bass-Baritone who sang Charles Gounod’s “Le veau d’or” from the five-act opera called Faust. Humbert made a dynamic entrance, cueing the music with a snap before launching into song with his deep, animated voice that immediately drew in the crowd. He brought extra energy by encouraging the ensemble to join him, and his performance stood out for its vocal power and crystal-clear enunciation.

One of the final solo performances stood out for its departure from traditional opera. Baritone Finn Sagal delivered a beautiful rendition of “Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours?” (“I Wish You Love”) by Léo Chauliac. Entering with a microphone in hand and accompanied by a pianist, Sagal captured the audience with his melodic, Sinatra-style vocals infused with operatic nuance. His heartfelt performance brought out genuine emotion and highlighted the versatility of opera singers, setting him apart from the rest of the ensemble.

The show concluded with the completion of Part II of the Orepheus in the Underworld opera performance with Enrique Mazzola’s brilliant leadership as the musical conductor. Mazzola led the music for Orpheus in the Underworld with great finesse, earning enthusiastic cheers from the audience as he stepped into the orchestra pit. In the second half of the concert, Chi-Yuan Lin took the baton, conducting a wide range of operatic and non-operatic selections. As only the second artist appointed to the Ryan Opera Center’s conductor position, Lin impressed with her precise and supportive accompaniment, skillfully guiding the ensemble through each performance

Throughout the lively evening, the Civic Opera House was nearly full, with concertgoers and proud family members of the ensemble filling the seats. The auditorium rang with enthusiastic cheers between performances, and bursts of laughter echoed often, thanks to the show’s playful humor and lighthearted moments. The night ended on a high note with a well-deserved standing ovation and thunderous applause from the crowd.

The 'Rising Stars in Concert' delivered three hours of musical entertainment, which, while a bit lengthy, felt appropriate given the significance of celebrating the Ryan Opera Center’s monumental 50th anniversary. The performance offered a glimpse into the bright future of opera, showcasing the immense talent of up-and-coming singers. As someone not deeply versed in the opera world, I was thoroughly impressed by the powerful voices and extraordinary musical gifts of the ensemble.

If you are interested in listening to or watching the show, ‘Rising Stars in Concert’ has been recorded and will be broadcast on 98.7 WFMT and streaming on wfmt.com on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Court Theatre’s world premiere of Berlin, adapted by Mickle Maher from Jason Lutes’ monumental graphic novel, is a breathtaking achievement. Directed with precision and deep sensitivity by Charles Newell, Berlin brings the chaos and beauty of Weimar-era Germany to stunning life on stage, rendered in an unforgettable 1930s noir style.

Lutes spent two decades crafting his sprawling graphic epic, and it’s clear Maher and Newell approached this adaptation with profound respect. The production’s black, white, and grey palette—designed by scenic designer John Culbert, lighting designer Keith Parham, and costume designer Jacqueline Firkins—immerses the audience in a city teetering on the edge of catastrophe. Every shadow and seam speak volumes, creating a world that feels both immediate and mythic.

Raven Whitley leads the ensemble as Marthe Muller, capturing a young woman’s vulnerability and fierce independence with magnetic grace. Tim Decker’s Kurt Severing carries the weary idealism of a journalist witnessing democracy’s slow death, while Ellie Duffey delivers a moving performance as the idealistic Silvia Braun. Elizabeth Laidlaw is harrowing as both Gudrun Braun and Adolf Hitler, offering a brutal glimpse into rising fascism.

Special mention must be made of Julia Rhoads’ fluid, expressive movement direction, which underscores the sense of a city swirling with ideas, danger, and desire. Sammi Grant’s expert vocal and dialect coaching ensures every character’s voice feels authentic—from Joseph Goebbels’ oily charisma (a chilling performance by Terry Bell) to the many Berliners struggling to survive an unraveling world.

Kate Collins, Mo Shipley, Jack Doherty, Guy Van Swearingen, Christopher Meister, Molly Hernandez, and Brandon Ruiter round out the exceptional ensemble, each carving out vivid portraits of citizens caught in history’s gears.

Watching Berlin today mirrors America’s turbulent political landscape with haunting clarity. From surging extremism to collapsing civil discourse, from journalism under siege to widening economic divides—these echoes ring too close to home. Berlin is more than historical; it is an urgent warning, a desperate plea, and a piercing call for vigilance.

Newell’s production reminds us that civilizations don’t collapse with a bang—they decay slowly, invisibly. Each small compromise, each overlooked lie, each quiet injustice piles up until the ground gives way beneath us. By then, we’ve sealed our fate, having watched our undoing unfold in slow motion.

Court Theatre hasn’t merely adapted a graphic novel—they’ve unleashed a theatrical thunderbolt. Under Newell’s visionary direction, Berlin transforms into something rare and electric: a defining moment of Chicago theatre that will be talked about for years to come. In a time when we desperately need art that matters, Berlin delivers with a punch that leaves you breathless.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED                                                                                                                                                              

When: Extended through MAY 18TH

Where: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes 15-minute intermission

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

The Joffrey Ballet concludes its 69^th season with two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's enchanting and family-friendly Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Set to Joby Talbot's hallucinatory sound world of sweeping melodies and ticking clocks, the production features vibrant stagecraft and puppetry by Tony Award®-winning designer Bob Crowley, transforming Lewis Carroll's classic tale with a modern twist. The production run has been extended for the first time in the Company's history, with 14 performances across three weekends at the historic Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, from June 5 to 22, 2025 (originally scheduled to close June 15). 

Based on Carroll's beloved story, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland takes audiences on a magical journey through a fantastical world filled with iconic characters, including the high-strung Queen of Hearts, the entrancing Caterpillar, and the tap-dancing Mad Hatter. Through a seamless fusion of humor, whimsy, and fantasy, Wheeldon makes Wonderland wonderfully real in this audience-favorite dance adventure.

A highlight of the year, the Joffrey is the first American company to bring Wheeldon's whimsical Wonderland to life. Premiering in 2011 at the Royal Opera House in London, the ballet has since toured internationally with some of the world's most prestigious ballet companies.

Renowned for blending popular culture with artistic brilliance, Wheeldon also choreographed The Joffrey Ballet's reimagined holiday classic The Nutcracker, celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. The Joffrey first collaborated with Wheeldon on Swan Lake in 2014.

"The Joffrey holds a special place in my heart. I can't think of a more fitting U.S. company to premiere Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," says choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. "The Joffrey dancers lead the way in storytelling through dance, approaching choreography with enthusiasm and energy. Their passion allows them to fully inhabit the zany and colorful characters of Wonderland. Each year, I'm in awe of their growth in The Nutcracker; it remains one of my proudest achievements. These dancers are artists of curiosity and great integrity."

The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE said, "Collaborating with Christopher is always extraordinary. We are honored to be the first American company to perform Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a production that dazzles on every level. This spectacular finale to our record-breaking season bursts with theatricality, whimsical stagecraft, and inspiring design. The versatility, theatricality, and technical prowess of the Joffrey artists will bring the iconic characters of Wonderland to life in the most magical way."

President & CEO Greg Cameron added, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland embodies the Joffrey's commitment to artistic excellence and accessibility. For the first time, we've added four extra performances to expand our Joffrey for All initiatives. These added performances provide more opportunities to engage with our Community Engagement partners and affiliated schools, offering equitable access to arts education for Chicago's youth. Wonderland is a joyful and imaginative showcase of the very best the Joffrey has to offer."

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland features live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.

Special thanks to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Producing Sponsor Margot and Josef Lakonishok; Presenting Sponsors Ethel Gofen, The Negaunee Foundation, and Sonja and Conrad Fischer; Major Sponsors Mary Jo and Doug Basler, Dancing Skies Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald V. Waters III, Audrey Weaver, and the Women's Board of The Joffrey Ballet; Production Sponsors Lynda Sue Lane, M.D., Holly Palmer Foundation, Jeanette Stevens, Richard and Diane Weinberg, and an anonymous Production Sponsor; and Costume Sponsor Jane Ellen Murray Foundation.

Tickets and Schedule
The Joffrey Ballet presents Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 22, 2025; the full performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, June 5 at 7:30PM; Friday, June 6 at 7:30PM; Saturday, June 7 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM; Sunday, June 8 at 2:00PM; Thursday, June 12 at 7:30PM; Friday, June 13 at 7:30PM; Saturday, June 14 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM; Sunday, June 15 at 2:00PM; Thursday, June 19 at 7:30PM; Friday, June 20 at 7:30PM; Saturday, June 21 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM; Sunday, June 22 at 2:00PM.

Tickets are available for purchase at the Lyric Opera Box Office located at 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr. by telephone at 312.386.8905, or online at joffrey.org.

About The Joffrey Ballet 
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for 69 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works.  

Founded in 1956 by pioneers Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey remains dedicated to artistic expression, innovation, and first-rate education and engagement programming. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE and President and CEO Greg Cameron. 

The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support of its 2024-2025 Season Sponsors: Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, The Florian Fund, Gallagher, Anne L. Kaplan, and Live Music Sponsors: Sandy and Roger Deromedi, Sage Foundation, Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, and The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music. The Joffrey also acknowledges Season Partners: Chicago Athletic Clubs, and Athletico Physical Therapy, official provider of physical therapy for The Joffrey Ballet. 

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

“Henry Johnson,” David Mamet’s new play running at the vintage Biograph Theatre, is like many of his works, enigmatic and demanding of his audience. With Mamet one must pay close attention to the dialog, packed with foreshadowing and reveals. Miss a line or even a word, and you’ll miss out.

This focus on the dialog is the essence of what Mamet’s works are about - plumbing the interior workings of the characters, as they face their lives. It also allows Mamet to examine in depth the forces at play in any human interaction, which in my take the playwright sees as transactional.

Expectations were clearly high for the Midwest premier of “Henry Johnson” by the Pulitzer winning Chicago playwright (“Glengarry Glen Ross,” “American Buffalo”) and screenwriter (“The Untouchables,” “Hoffa,” “The Postman Always Rings Twice”).

The biggest letters are Mamet’s name on the marquee at the Biograph. This is Victory Gardens Theater's home, where it is celebrating 50 years with this show. Its legendary founder, Dennis Zacek, takes executive producer credits on the production.

The promise of a rare new stage work by Mamet (as well as its planned release this summer as a film starring Shia LeBoeuf) drew a strong team of pros as well:
Directed by Edward Torres (co-founder of Teatro Vista), it stars Thomas Gibson (TV’s “Criminal Minds”), Keith Kupferer (“Ghostlight”) as a prison guard, Al'Jaleel McGhee (“A Soldier’s Play” Broadway tour) as Mr. Barnes and “Chicago PD” character Daniil Krimer as Henry.

“Henry Johnson” has what people come to David Mamet for - the thinking script, the demands on audiences to fill in the dots, the mystery, the unexpected reversals. For me, what is most intriguing about “Henry Johnson” is how Mamet explores a character, Henry, a beta male who is readily susceptible to being dominated by alpha male personalities.

It opens as Mr. Barnes, Henry’s boss, questions him on his unusual request: to find a job for a parolee that Henry once knew in college. McGhee’s Barnes digs into Henry’s motivation, asking him “What attracted you?” Henry’s answer: “He had this power over women,” relating how he could pick up women in bars and go home with them easily.

Barnes is hard driving, suggesting to Henry that he is under the spell of this one-time college buddy (who never appears in the play), now a convicted felon. Barnes gets Henry to state he is not physically attracted to this guy, just under his thumb.

Henry can accuretly relate back to Barnes his assessment of him - that Henry is putting the welfare of a past friend ahead of the interests of the company. Henry can hear it, but presumably he is so much in thrall to this “friend” he cannot be persuaded to discard him.

“You saw him after college?” Barnes asks.
Henry: “Before he went to prison.”
Barnes: “He was grooming you.”

The unseen friend was also a steady winner in card games, inexplicably lucky. Barnes ventures that the other men, also dominated by the friend’s charisma, let him win. “They were paying him rent.” In my experience, this is really how the dynamics of unhealthy male social hierarchy can work. When Barnes asks what he thought about his friend’s conviction, Henry replies, “I had no opinion. I thought it was my responsibility to have no opinion.”

In an abrupt change of scene, we now find Henry newly arrived at a prison cell - Barnes caught him embezzling, presumably for this unseen friend, and the audience must conclude he’s been convicted. Henry’s cellmate, Gene (Thomas Gibson) digs into Henry enough to determine his untoward fealty to his friend. Then he lectures him continuously, and Henry offers only desultory replies. As with Barnes, Henry is able to relate back to Gene, “You think my interest {in him] is an addiction.”

The setting shifts to the prison library, and the guard in charge is played by Kupferer. And then finally, a climactic scene, also in the prison library, where Mamet ties up the story for us, in a shocking end..

True to Mamet, the dialog doesn’t lead us through a plot - but an examination of where the characters are emotionally at key points along a timeline. Abrupt shifts in the setting are unexplained - Mamet expects us to figure it out, and we like him for that - but he’s not giving much to go on in each quadrant of the play: an inquiry in an office; a prison cell; a prison library; and a closing setting that spoiler concerns will leave undescribed.

The script seems less a play, than an extended treatment for a screenplay. The dialog  is less compelling than Mamet’s signature works, which take a lot of rehearsal to refine the playwright’s intended cadences. Kupferer and McGhee come closest to getting this down. With all that, it’s Mamet, and so “Henry Johnson” comes highly recommended. It runs through May 4 at Victory Gardens Theater.

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!