Tuesday, 16 July 2019 12:31
'Darling Grenadine' A Romantic New Musical Theater Piece about Overcoming Addiction to Find True Love
Written by Kimberly Katz
‘Darling Grenadine’ is a completely original musical with music, lyrics and book all written by the extremely gifted Daniel Zaitchick. I'm often talking about how many musicals are derived from other sources and about how I long for a wholly original play to come out that can stand up to…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 14 July 2019 22:13
Seeing How Birthright Connections Control Our Fate in 'The Recommendation'
Written by Bill Esler
The Recommendation, which opened July 11 at Windy City Playhouse, tells a compelling story of two lifelong buddies who clash violently when their adult lives and values go in different directions than during their student days. Yet they remain friends. The play, which premiered in New York in 2013, is…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 July 2019 17:00
Mary Zimmerman’s The Music Man Is a Delight Made for Chicago Audiences
Written by Bill Esler
The Music Man is beautifully produced at Goodman Theater. It generated so much pre-show buzz that the run was extended twice before the curtain came down on opening night. No wonder. With great choreography (Denis Jones), wonderfully detailed period costumes (Ana Kuzmanic), and an orchestra directed by Jermaine Hill, it…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 13 July 2019 17:00
Mary Zimmerman’s The Music Man Is a Delight Made for Chicago Audiences
Written by Bill Esler
The Music Man is beautifully produced at Goodman Theater. It generated so much pre-show buzz that the run was extended twice before the curtain came down on opening night. No wonder. With great choreography (Denis Jones), wonderfully detailed period costumes (Ana Kuzmanic), and an orchestra directed by Jermaine Hill, it…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 13 July 2019 13:44
Murder, Intrigue and a Shitload of Laughs in Handbag's 'The Drag Seed'
Written by Ken Payne
In 1956 a psychological horror-thriller film hit the big screens across America that undoubtedly shocked audiences nationwide. The film, The Bad Seed, was based on William March’s 1954 novel of the same name and also hit the stage that same year. In a time when UFOs and alien invasions caused…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 07 July 2019 22:21
Hitler’s Tasters Tells of 15 German Girls Ready to Lay Down Their Lives for Their Fuhrer
Written by Bill Esler
It’s no secret Hitler feared he would be killed, by political assassins, rivals or enemy troops. He spent much of the war seeking security underground at The Wolf’s Lair, his heavily fortified command center 400 miles east of Berlin, while directing action on the Eastern front. One of his fears…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 06 July 2019 13:42
Suppressed by the Nazis, ‘The Flower of Hawaii’ Blossoms at Folks Operetta
Written by Bill Esler
The Flower of Hawaii (originally Die Blume von Hawaii) is a 1931 operetta by Hungarian composer Paul Abraham. Working in Berlin, Abraham was popular for his light operatic works, the type that live in the niche between grand opera and our classic Broadway musicals. In recent years, operettas seem to have been…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 29 June 2019 00:44
Something Clean: Terrific Performances, Great Chemistry Make It Something Wonderful
Written by Bill Esler
Something Clean, directed by Lauren Shouse, gives us a compelling story, very well acted, and with that touch of magic that comes from a great chemistry in the performers. The script (by Selina Fillinger) is notable for the way it depicts real human beings who develop and change in the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 21 June 2019 12:18
Wicked Little Town: 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' at Theo Ubique
Written by CJ Burroughs
I’ve probably said this before — the sheer volume of shows we here in Chicago have on offer makes me count my lucky stars whenever I enter a theater, be it for an opulent touring production or for a more intimate local performance. But it’s always the latter for which…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Monday, 17 June 2019 12:04
Review: 'If I Forget' at Victory Gardens Theater
Written by John Accrocco
Does not supporting Israel make you an anti-semite? This is the central theme of playwright Steven Levenson’s work ‘If I Forget’ now running at Victory Gardens under the direction of Devon De Mayo. Levenson is best known for providing the book to Broadway’s smash hit ‘Dear Evan Hansen’. “If I…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 14 June 2019 16:58
We Forecast Box Office Boffo for The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe
Written by Bill Esler
The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe is a new musical comedy that is so good I found myself lamenting half-way through Act 1 that its run at Underscore Theatre ends July 14 – or ever! It is hard to imagine anyone not being smitten by it; it is just the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Friday, 07 June 2019 22:27
In Service To America: If Only We Could Have Had Ms. Blakk for President
Written by Bill Esler
When Chicago drag performer Joan Jett Blakk ran for President in 1992 – the year Bill Clinton was nominated – it was certainly the most outré act of political insurrection Americans had seen – for those who noticed, anyway. It’s unlikely the Tribune and Sun-Times gave her candidacy much coverage.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 05 June 2019 18:09
Chicago's Physical Theater Festival Brings Exciting World Performance Artists to Your Doorstep
Written by Bill Esler
The Physical Theater Festival, running through June 9 at Stage 773, is an exciting opportunity to really enjoy theater from around the world. It overcomes the biggest barrier to shows from abroad – language – by reducing or eliminating the spoken script, subordinating it to broad movement, pantomime, facial expressions…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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