Wednesday, 26 February 2020 13:08
'Book of Moron' is a Fantastically Fresh and Funny Way to Get Your Brain Clean and Running Again!
Written by Kimberly Katz
It's been 24 hours since I enjoyed this play and I'm still reeling from the super intelligent "trance-formation" delivered with rapid fire accuracy by Robert Dubac's one man show Book of Moron. Dubac plays out the thought patterns of a man who has traumatically lost a portion of his memory and is…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 22 February 2020 17:39
You be the detective: 'Shear Madness' returns to Chicago
Written by Ken Payne
There’s something about a good mystery that keeps us engrossed. Maybe it’s the colorful suspects, maybe it’s the dissecting of clues involved, maybe it’s our own morbid curiosity that comes with murder - after all isn’t Forensic Files still one of the most watched TV shows? We like the detective…
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Theatre in Review
There is a saying among the Maasai people that if you do not give an elephant a proper burial, it will haunt you for days. Lynn Nottage’s play Mlima’s Tale is an elephant ghost story. And in it we learn, elephants never forget! Mlima is a legendary elephant on the savannas…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 18 February 2020 14:19
Theatre at the Center's 'Almost Heaven' a beautifully performed tribute to the late, great John Denver
Written by Ken Payne
When I remember John Denver, it’s hard not to think about crisp country air, clean rivers, pristine mountains and, well, just a healthy planet. John loved nature. It was abundantly clear in his music. His life was cut short at just 53 years old when a plane he was piloting…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 19 February 2020 21:04
A Tough Hand To Play- The Queen of Spades at Lyric Opera
Written by Kendall Royzen
Some reviews are as easy to write as 1, 2, 3; an intro, a body, and a conclusion. Some reviews are more difficult to write, even when following that simple formula. Even time is broken into three parts: past, present, and future. Well, I cannot go into the past to…
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Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 15 February 2020 22:19
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Is Captivating and Poignant
Written by Bill Esler
Though I loved her music and her voice, I knew little about the celebrated Queen of Disco, Donna Summer - before seeing the Broadway in Chicago show about her. Summer: The Donna Summer Musical tells it all, an engaging narrative spiced with the diva’s great music, beautifully performed. Musically, Donna…
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Theatre in Review
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We are rarely privy to the forthright conversations traded among the wealthy about class dynamics and privilege. Doubly so when they involve the rarified class of rich, well-borne African Americans. In Stickfly, playwright Lydia Diamond said she wanted to “write a play that talks about class and class strata within…
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Theatre in Review
Raven Theater has a penchant for aptly timed revivals, and their production of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House is no exception. Published and set circa 1879 in Norway, the play offers a snapshot of domestic life at the time, reminding us how much progress has been made since then --…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 09 February 2020 16:33
Drury Lane's 'An American in Paris' - they've got Rhythm and a whole lot more
Written by Ken Payne
Drury Lane has wowed audiences over and over with big song and dance productions. Not only recognized for its intricate choreography, the theater has also been known for its dazzling sets and stunning costume design. From ‘42nd Street’ to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to ‘West Side Story,’ impressive musical stage…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 08 February 2020 17:33
Review: The Boys in the Band at Windy City Playhouse
Written by John Accrocco
"Life's a god damned laugh riot," writes Mart Crowley in his 1968 play "The Boys in the Band". Windy City Playhouse revives the iconic play under the direction of Carl Menninger. This is the first revival in Chicago in over twenty years. "The Boys in the Band" just ended a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 06 February 2020 15:19
Review: 'Madama Butterfly' at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Written by John Accrocco
It’s interesting to view the world through the lens of an early 20th century Italian opera composer. When “Madama Butterfly” by Puccini premiered in Milan in 1904 it was met with abysmal reviews. Audiences clamored that he had recycled music from his previous hit “La Boheme” which seems like the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 06 February 2020 13:03
Tracy Letts' 'Bug' at Steppenwolf a creepy thrill ride
Written by Ken Payne
When Tracy Letts wrote ‘Bug’ in 1995, it was an age when, yes, though conspiracy theories existed, they haven’t yet run nearly as rampant as the have since the September 11th, 2001 takedown of the mighty World Trade Center buildings in New York. Today we live in a world where…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 03 February 2020 15:36
Review: 'How to Defend Yourself' at Victory Gardens Theater
Kerstin Broockmann
Before seeing the co-world premiere (with Actors Theatre of Louisville) of Liliana Padilla’s How to Defend Yourself, read their program note. In it, they reflect on their fear that the play might be “harmful and re-traumatizing” (it might). They also state their aspiration “to be in the truthful chaos—to hold…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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