Monday, 22 July 2024 21:29
Well Worth It: Wells And Welles Premieres in Chicago
Written by Kendall Royzen
Every once in a while I think about how lucky I am to live in the Chicagoland. A short drive or train ride away from the third largest US city that boasts more theatres than New York City. On any given night, during any season, one can find multiple theatre…
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Theatre
Sunday, 21 July 2024 17:51
A Young Man Reckons With Middle Passage, and his Family, in ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’
Written by Bill Esler
Pegasus Theatre’s “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” is a family drama with plenty of comedic overtones. Director ILesa Duncan relies on very strong performances by Maya Abram as Mom, the whirling core of the family, along with David Goodloe as a deadpan Dad, to center the show in the Jones…
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Theatre in Review
When one first thinks of improvised comedy (and perhaps this is an unfair assumption), the mind immediately jumps to the image of a group of extremely energetic and theatrical actors, running onto the stage and asking the audience for a suggestion. From the start, TJ and Dave’s take on long-form…
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Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 13 July 2024 11:16
Stop and Savor the Moment; Savor After Hours Sizzles at Broadway Playhouse
Written by Kendall Royzen
100 days of summer. The unofficial Chicago holiday season between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a local challenge to get out and experience all the city has to offer from 1:20 games at Wrigley to concerts on Northerly Island, festivals, fairs, and everything in between. I can think of…
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Theatre
Thursday, 11 July 2024 15:10
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Rocks Anew at The Den
Written by Betsy Schmitt
You might think that a rock musical featuring a genderqueer, hard-rockin’ and brokenhearted performer born on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall and the recipient of a sex-change operation gone horribly wrong might not be the show for you. But you would be making a big mistake. Hedwig and…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 10 July 2024 12:39
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" Enchants at The Goodman Theatre
Written by Wesley David
“Truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder” Jim Williams The Goodman Theatre has conjured a spellbinding spectacle with the world premiere musical adaptation of John Berendt's captivating "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Tony Award winning Director Rob Ashford masterfully weaves together a tapestry of…
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Theatre in Review
There is something timeless and lasting about 1920s and 1930s jazz. The lively tunes and sultry tempos defined an era and resonates throughout every aspect of our culture from movies and cinema, music and radio, and to literature and theatre. I jumped at the opportunity to revisit the art-deco, jazz-fueled…
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Theatre Reviews
Sunday, 30 June 2024 12:51
Writers Theatre’s “The Hot Wing King” with extra sauce
Written by Wesley David
Katori Hall is an acclaimed American playwright, screenwriter, and director, known for her vivid portrayal of African American experiences and social issues. Her notable works include "The Mountaintop," which won an Olivier Award, "Hurt Village," and "Pussy Valley," which she adapted into the successful TV series "P-Valley." Hall's "The Hot…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 27 June 2024 10:49
Laurie Metcalf Shines on Expressive Barcaloungers in 'Little Bear Ridge Road’ at Steppenwolf
Written by Bill Esler
Steppenwolf’s Laurie Metcalf gives us a tour de force performance in playwright Samuel D. Hunter’s masterful “Little Bear Ridge Road.” But you might find this is a little different than the roles from Ibsen and Albee for which she won Tony’s on Broadway. As Sarah, the 60ish cranky nurse living…
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Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 23 June 2024 21:28
The Butler with the Candlestick in the Study: CLUE Walking Mystery Experience Spoilers
Written by Kendall Royzen
The running joke in my family is that we’ll go to the opening of an envelope if it were being opened at a theatre in Chicago. Whatever the show, the restaurant, the experience, we’re in. The third largest metropolitan in the United States boasts never before seen shows, touring productions,…
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Theatre Reviews
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Tuesday, 18 June 2024 13:52
Review - 1619: THE JOURNEY OF A PEOPLE by Ted Williams III At Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Sarz Maxwell
My first impression was, naturally, of the set: a stunning mural by Sholo Beverly in shades of blues and grays, the only color the red white & blue of an American flag. A series of posters were hung from the ceiling, from an announcement of a slave auction through Emancipation,…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 15 June 2024 17:27
Like Lightning Striking: Percy Jackson Musical Brings Myths, Gods, and Fantasy to Life at Skokie Theatre
Written by Kendall Royzen
We all can do with a little more magic in our lives. Myths and Gods, magic and fantasy, these are the foundations of the stories we’re drawn to. They have a way of pulling us in, making us believe, and letting us escape the world around us, even if it…
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Theatre Reviews
First on the stage was Tabla artist Salar Nader, considered Afghanistan’s premier virtuoso on the tabla. His unceasing accompaniment was at times almost subliminal, then bursting out with intentional significance, but ever present, keeping us firmly rooted in Afghani culture … though I hadn’t been aware that in August 2021…
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Theatre in Review
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