Displaying items by tag: Tim Maner
Firebrand's "Lizzie" a spellbinding theatrical experience that rocks
It only takes a few moments into Lizzie’s opening number that audience members realize they are in for quite the unusual theatre experience. Haunting, yet beautiful, the creepiness quickly sets in as Lizzie’s four Victorian-clad characters solemnly sing the tale of the infamous Lizzie Borden who was accused of butchering her father and stepmother in August of 1892.
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
Based on true accounts of the double murder that took place in Fall River, Massachusetts, the grim tale reimagined by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Tim Maner is told by Lizzie, her sister Emma, her neighbor Alice and the family’s maid, Bridget. Presented by Firebrand Theatre, whose claim is that of being the first feminist musical theatre company, Lizzie is a detailed account of the legendary crime that is one of the most talked about grisly murders in our Nation’s history.
Firebrand hits a homerun with their first ever production by delivering a deliciously enticing story that engrosses from beginning to end thanks to its strong acting performances and punchy soundtrack that is both powerful and, when called for, dreamlike.
The play offers great insight to Lizzie herself and speculates the heinous crime may have been prodded by the home’s maid while also suggesting she may have been lovers with her neighbor Alice. Liz Chidester is Lizzie Borden and dominates in the role. Chidester so well captures the essence of a girl who loses her grip on reality after years of being abused by her father and is subjected to a newly introduced stepmother who has manipulated her way into inheriting the family wealth.
Ingeniously directed by Victoria Bussert, Lizzie is stacked with commanding performances. Leah Davis fiercely takes the reigns as the mischievous housemaid Bridget, injecting well-timed humor and velvety smooth vocals that make her character a powerhouse. Camille Robinson as Emma and Jacquelyne Jones as Alice round out what makes for an excellent cast. Our four characters deliver amazing vocal performances, each as unique as the other while smartly straying from the standard Broadway-esque sounds we are used to hearing in so many big musicals. No. These women truly rock.
Instead we get a conceptual rock concert. Hypnotic, sexy and plot-rich, Lizzie is presented by a female-fronted rock group heading a talented band that sits rear stage. As engrossing as the music is the show’s often pithy dialogue exchanges, it’s costumes and creative effects (hint - ponchos are available for those who choose to sit in the first row).
Lizzie is a fun show that has it all – murder, treachery, sex and scorching music.
It is with high recommendation that I urge theatre lovers to see the story of Lizzie Borden that is presented in the most imaginative way. If such a brilliantly inventive production such as Lizzie is an example of what Firebrand has in store for theatre goers in the future, we can only look forward to what the young theatre company will bring us next time around.
Lizzie is being performed at The Den Theatre through December 17th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.firebrandtheatre.org.
*Now extended January 3rd-14th with Broadway's Ciara Renee joining the production.
Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem
30 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewGoodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth…
All The World's a Stage and Chicago Merely The Best Player: 'As You Like It' in Chicago Parks this summer
30 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIs there anything more alluring than a summer night in Chicago? The lakefront beaches, the meandering pathways, the festivals and…
Opera Festival of Chicago Delivers an Assured, Full‑Hearted La Bohème
28 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewOpera Festival of Chicago continues its season with two mainstage productions - La Bohème and Adriana Lecouvreur - each featuring…
A Quietly Ravishing Night: Marriott’s A Little Night Music
26 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMarriott Theatre’s in‑the‑round intimacy turns A Little Night Music - which premiered on Broadway in 1973 and later became a 1977…
GDC's Full 64th Season: "untamed passion:" Features New Works, New Voices and More
26 June 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, has announced its 2026-2027 "untamed passion" season. Highlights of the season include a November…
The Art of Awe: Water for Elephants Balances Spectacle and Soul
25 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThe musical Water for Elephants, presented by Broadway In Chicago and based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel, is the rare touring…
Overshadowed Theatrical Productions Announces 2026-2027 Season: “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Moments”
23 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOvershadowed Theatrical Productions announced their 2026-2027 season entitled “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Moments,” which includes five main stage productions and special…
Kokandy Productions presents SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Chopin Theatre August 13 – November 1, 2026
23 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreKokandy Productions is pleased to announce full casting for its revival of Stephen Sondheim's stunning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, playing August 13 –…
Goodman Theatre’s Summer: Musicals, Park Performances & New Voices
23 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreGoodman's Centennial 25/26 Season concludes on a high note, with programming for all ages, interests and neighborhoods. The theater announces…
Astonrep Approaches Uncle Vanya’s Appeal from a Novel New Angle
21 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewAnton Chekhov, a Russian playwright who was also a doctor, can claim a level of regard few writers achieve and…
Couch Penny Ensemble’s An Oak Tree: A Raw, Unrehearsed Descent Into Grief
21 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCouch Penny Ensemble, in association with Theatre Arcana, presents the ambitious and experimental An Oak Tree, a raw, unconventional approach…
A People: A Sweeping, Soul‑Stirring Journey That Celebrates Jewish Identity
21 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewAn extraordinary eight-person ensemble fuels the sweeping storytelling of A People - a production presented collaboratively by Arts Judaica and…
Lookingglass' Untitled Vampire Play has bite
19 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewLookingglass Theatre Company continues its tradition of staging visually inventive and thought-provoking world premieres with its latest production, Untitled Vampire…
Tom Stoppard’s epic finale Leopoldstadt is an instant classic at Writers Theatre
19 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewWhat would you do if you found out your heritage wasn’t what you thought it was? In Tom Stoppard’s case,…
Champions of Magic Captures the Thrill of Live Performance
18 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewOne of the things I have always thought that concerts and other live events had over theatre is the energy…
Nunsense, Not Quite Immaculate - But Blessed With a Strong Cast
18 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewFollowing its recent winter production of Sister Act, Drury Lane Theatre returns to the convent with Nunsense, a light-hearted musical…
League of Chicago Theatres welcomes Summer with the return of "Thank You 5," Juneteenth and Pride Month
17 June 2026 in Theatre BuzzThe League of Chicago Theatres announces the return of the "Thank You 5" summer promotion, running from June 18-July 3, 2026. "Thank You 5"…
Cedric the Entertainer brings laughter, life lessons to Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, one-night-only, Saturday, August 8
17 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreYou know him from “The Neighborhood,” “The Last O.G.,” “The Proud Family” and much more. Don’t miss your chance to…
Northlight Theatre to celebrate its new home in Evanston with a Grand Opening Gala "Celebrating our Past, Building our Future" Saturday, August 15, 2026
16 June 2026 in Theatre BuzzNorthlight Theatre's Board of Directors proudly presents Northlight Theatre's Grand Opening Gala, "Celebrating our Past, Building our Future," marking the culmination of the company's 50th Anniversary…
A Red Orchid Theatre Announces Remount of Hit Production BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA September 10 – October 4, 2026
16 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreA Red Orchid Theatre is thrilled to announce a remount of its critically-acclaimed, father-daughter drama Birds of North America, returning for a limited…
Raven Theatre's *OCTET* Makes Downtown Debut at The Goodman
16 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFollowing an acclaimed extended run at Raven Theatre, Dave Malloy's "unique, ravishing and resplendent" (Chicago Theatre Review) a cappella musical Octet transfers to…
Funny, Incisive 'Southern Rapture' Skewers All Parties in 'Angels in America' Fracas
15 June 2026 in Theatre in Review“Southern Rapture” quickly elicits loud guffaws from the audience, a heartening circumstancve, as it means playwright Eric Coble’s script is…
Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music - Marriott Theatre - Through August 9th
15 June 2026 in Now PlayingMarriott Theatre, Chicagoland's longest-running musical theatre, presents A Little Night Music, a Tony Award-winning musical from Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler that explores…
Where Identity Slides: Steppenwolf’s Mesmerizing Catch as Catch Can
15 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can, which premiered with Page 73 in New York in 2018, arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre…
PlayMakers Laboratory Celebrates That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday August 23 – September 6, 2026
14 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJoin the fun this summer as PlayMakers Laboratory (PML) celebrates a major milestone at That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday, marking a quarter century of the…
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
13 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewNate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence…
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
13 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewBrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash,…
Factory Theater’s Two Out of Three Falls is a Theatrical Event
13 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThose familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two…
Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre presents IN THE CONTINUUM, playing July 25 - August 9
12 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreTim Rhoze, Fleetwood-Jourdain's Producing Artistic Director, today announced the cast and production team for the company's upcoming production of IN THE…
Magic Pairs with Artistic Expressions of Empathy in EAM’s Summer Art Exhibitions
11 June 2026 in BCS SpotlightElmhurst Art Museum’s two new exhibitions feature a pair of artists with Midwestern roots whose outlooks and perceptions of the…
Latest Articles
-
Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem
Written by Ken PayneGoodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth making into one of the most delightfully strange premises to hit Chicago in years. It’s a satire, a love letter… -
All The World's a Stage and Chicago Merely The Best Player: 'As You Like It' in Chicago Parks this summer
Written by Kendall RoyzenIs there anything more alluring than a summer night in Chicago? The lakefront beaches, the meandering pathways, the festivals and street foods, the hidden gardens where free art productions are staged, whatever you like, you can find it in the… -
Opera Festival of Chicago Delivers an Assured, Full‑Hearted La Bohème
Written by Kimberly KatzOpera Festival of Chicago continues its season with two mainstage productions - La Bohème and Adriana Lecouvreur - each featuring the Opera Festival of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus and performed at the George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore… -
A Quietly Ravishing Night: Marriott’s A Little Night Music
Written by Kimberly KatzMarriott Theatre’s in‑the‑round intimacy turns A Little Night Music - which premiered on Broadway in 1973 and later became a 1977 film - into a quietly seductive swirl of glances, secrets, and second chances, the kind of production where the waltz…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.