Mercury Theater has your springtime fun all ready and waiting for you. “Barnum” is not just an enjoyable musical, but it is also an amazing spectacle complete with aerial artistry, gymnastics, unicycles, clowns and juggling. Donned in colorful costumes, each performer/actor helps in succeeding to creating the illusion that we,…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 16 April 2013 11:14
One Night Is Not Enough: Havana Blue world premiere at Auditorium Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
I’ve never been to Havana, Cuba. I never even saw Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. But after seeing the world premiere of River North Dance Chicago and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s performance of “Havana Blue,” Havana is definitely a place that I would hop on a plane and visit in a…
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Theatre in Review
Based on the Charles Dickens’ 1838 classic Oliver Twist, OLIVER! has further immortalized this ageless story of a young orphan who finds himself living in the slums of London. Winner of multiple Tony Awards, this fiery musical has all the elements needed to cast a lasting impression on its audience.…
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Theatre in Review
There is nothing better than a good chase. Based on the remarkable, almost too far-fetched true story, “Catch Me If You Can” is a whirlwind of exciting scenes and show stopping numbers. The story follows the exploits of Frank Abagnale Jr., a con artist in a league of his own,…
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Theatre in Review
THEATRE-ON-THE-HILL proudly presents Peter Barnes' scathingly brilliant satire, THE RULING CLASS performed indoors April 12-28, 2013. A profoundly witty, oddly dark comedy that has everything: clever dialogue, musical numbers, fabulous sets, serial killers, madrigals and burlesque striptease, opera and aristocracy, romance and insanity, jealousy and drama and theology and much…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 20 February 2013 18:00
FELA! Magnificent, the most important and exciting show of the year!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Fela! is based on the biography of Fela Kuti, a Nigerian superstar singer, musician, and composer who became an iconic spokesman for the country's underclass against the brutal and corrupt Nigerian military government in the 1970s and 80s. Playing at the Arie Crown Theatre in McCormick Place through Saturday, Fela!…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 21 February 2013 09:36
Attention!: A Soldier’s Play is a must see at The Raven
Written by Kendall Royzen
The Raven theatre has never disappointed me. Their performances strike an emotional chord with their audiences and their actors are among the best I’ve seen in Chicago. On a rainy Monday night, A Soldier’s Play premiered with mixed reviews, but from my perspective, this play is timeless and one you shouldn't miss. When Captain…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:00
"Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" Asks Many Questions
Written by Ken Payne
Lookingglass Theatre’s “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” is a dark comedy that questions human nature, the existence of God and explores living with the decisions we have made. Directed by ensemble member Heidi Stillman and written by Rajiv Joseph, “Bengal Tiger” takes us to Baghdad and centers around two…
Published in
Theatre in Review
For a night of laugh out loud moments, take in Jeeves Takes a Bow, an adaptation of the series by PG. Wodehouse appearing at the First Folio Theater. It is an entertaining play which allows audience members to get lost in the debauchery of the 1930’s prohibition era of speak…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Friday, 08 February 2013 17:44
Steppenwolf Takes on Pinter's "The Birthday Party"
Written by Ken Payne
“The Birthday Party” at Steppenwolf’s new upstairs theatre, is theatre in the round at its best, with the living room set in the middle of the room amidst the audience, almost giving us the feeling that we are part of the play. With Chicago theatre heavyweights filling the cast, including…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Simply put, Christine Sherrill puts on one of the best all around performances I’ve seen in some time. Playing “Norma Desmond” in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard”, Sherrill clearly shows why she is a top stage talent with her brilliant use of dramatics, comedic timing and, maybe most of all,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 04 February 2013 20:17
An American Play, a Chicago Premiere; 'Southbridge' surprises at Chicago Dramatists
Written by Kendall Royzen
In a small and unassuming theatre on a low traffic corner in Chicago rests a playhouse that offers some big surprises. We ventured into this playhouse to see, unbeknownst to us, a world premiere production. Southbridge, written by Reginald Edmund and directed by Russ Tutterow was as unassuming as the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 03 February 2013 13:29
A Smart, but not Steamy "Other Desert Cities" at Goodman
Written by Zach Zimmerman
It's 2004 and a violent war is raging in the desert. In Afghanistan, young, fatigued soldiers fight against terror, but in a secluded West Coast mansion, a war of word wages between a strained family. Brooke, the daughter of two prominent old-school Republicans - Ron and Nancy are among the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Written by Wesley DavidSome stories refuse to fade with time, and Brokeback Mountain is one of them. What began as a modest short story by Annie Proulx in The New Yorker in 1997 grew into an award-winning literary work, an acclaimed film, and… -
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Written by Buzz Center StageProduced in partnership with JunkHeart, The Metal Shop Performance Lab is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Anatomy of a Suicide, August 12 - 30, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, written by Alice Birch and directed by Alex Mallory. Previews are Wednesday, Aug. 12 and Thursday,…
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