Saturday, 10 October 2026 13:16
BrightSide’s Addams Family Musical Revives the Wonderfully Weird World of the Addams Clan
Written by Ken Payne
They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family. Yes, ooky. BrightSide Theatre’s production of The Addams Family Musical at the Theater at Meiley Swallow Hall feels like stepping back into the wonderfully odd world of a family we’ve all grown up with. There’s an…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 07 October 2026 15:10
Goodman's Dead Girl’s Quinceañera: When Fifteen Meets the Adult World
Written by Wesley David
At fifteen, the world can feel like a television show you haven't quite figured out how to turn off. For Salma (Jacqueline Guillen), it may be even more difficult. She watches too much television—especially detective shows—and has begun to see the world through the eyes of a detective. So when…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 08 October 2026 12:42
Chicago City Opera Delivers a Rare Operatic Haunting with Der Vampyr
Written by Ken Payne
With Halloween creeping closer, there’s something fitting about revisiting one of opera’s earliest flirtations with macabre horror - especially in a production presented and performed by Chicago City Opera (COT). Der Vampyr may not enjoy the mainstream familiarity of later supernatural works, but its mix of moonlit superstition, doomed romance,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Chicago City Opera
- Der Vampyr
- Heinrich Marschner
- John Polidori
- The Vampyre
- Heinrich Ludwig Ritter
- Vampire
- Jeremiah Strickler
- Jordan Loyd
- Jessie Lyons
- Ariel Emma
- Keaton Payne
- Molly Clementz
- Bat Collazo
- Kevin Wheatle
- Alexis Enyart
- SarahAnn Sutter
- Jordan Crice
- Opera
- Halloween
- Chicago events
- Chicago opera
- live theatre
- live opera
- on stage
- Colvin House
- Fulton Street Art Center
- Skokie Theatre
Sunday, 04 October 2026 17:14
Dial M for Mastery: Oil Lamp’s Thriller Tightens the Screws
Written by Ken Payne
As a lifelong Hitchcock fan, Dial M for Murder has always been one of my comfort film thrillers - the kind of tightly wound mystery where every glance, every pause, and every seemingly harmless detail becomes a loaded clue. I’m a sucker for a well-crafted whodunnit, especially the kind that…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 01 October 2026 11:31
Operation Mincemeat: A Smart, Scrappy Musical That Shines When Its Cast Takes the Wheel
Written by Maddie Burroughs
In the 2019 film Yesterday, a struggling musician wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed. A similar theatrical case study could be done with every musical that might not exist without Hamilton; Operation Mincemeat should be first on the list. That is not to say it is…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 28 September 2026 20:31
Steppenwolf’s Topdog/Underdog: When History Deals the Cards
Written by Wesley David
Susan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, is the kind of play that changes depending on when—and how many times—you see it. Directed by Kenny Leon, this revival stars Tony nominee Glenn Davis as Lincoln and Namir Smallwood as Booth, two brothers whose names alone tell us that Parks is…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 25 September 2026 16:38
'I’m Going to Marry You Tobey Maguire,' Full of Laughs, Ends With a Fizzle
Written by Bill Esler
Here’s a play that should be really good, based on its reputation alone. Written by Chicago comedy writer Samantha Hurley, I’m Going to Marry You Tobey Maguire premiered off Broadway at The Cell Theater in 2023. Now Refracted Theatre Company has mounted it at The Den Theatre in Chicago, bringing its…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 24 September 2026 12:12
Lookingglass’ Kowalski Ignites a Battle of Wits Between Two Icons
Written by Angelo Campos
Lookingglass Theatre’s production of Kowalski offers a gripping, fictionalized glimpse into the first meeting between two theater greats: Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando. Set in 1947 in a dilapidated beach house, the plot revolves around the legendary playwright as he puts the finishing touches on his landmark work, A Streetcar…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 23 September 2026 18:49
Detroit ’67: A Basement Becomes a City on the Brink
Written by Wesley David
Detroit was burning in the summer of 1967, inside one basement, life was still going on. That contrast is at the heart of Dominique Morisseau’s Detroit ’67, now being produced by Pulse Theatre Company in residence at eta Creative Arts Foundation. Directed by Pulse Executive Artistic Director Aaron Reese Boseman,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Wednesday, 23 September 2026 13:06
Now Boarding: Bonnie’s Last Flight, a Sky‑High Comedy with Real Heart
Written by Ken Payne
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble closes its milestone 30th season with Bonnie’s Last Flight, a sly, sky‑high comedy set during a flight attendant’s final day on the job - a blend of sharp satire and warm, traditional character comedy that’s genuinely, disarmingly funny. Jan has always carried a quiet love for writing,…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 20 September 2026 02:02
Chicago Shakes' Play On!: With a Syncopated Harlem Beat
Written by Wesley David
There are some productions you watch, and then there are productions that make your heart swoon and your toe tap. Sheldon Epps’ Play On! is definitely the latter. Now playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, this exuberant musical takes Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, moves it to 1930s Harlem, adds the extraordinary music…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Play On
- Musical theatre
- Sheldon Epps
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater
- Chicago Shakes
- Duke Ellington
- Shakespeare
- Harlem
- Hailee Kaleem Wright
- Edred Utomi
- Krystal Joy Brown
- Cheryl L West
- African American
- Twelfth Night
- Edgar Godineaux
- Luther Henderson Jr
- Theodis Rodgers Jr
- live theatre
- on stage
- Chicago events
- chicago theatre
Tuesday, 22 September 2026 16:29
Step Right Up and Ride the Cyclone (The Musical) at Metropolis Arlington Heights
Written by Anne Rakowiecki
If anyone has ever told you to buckle up and enjoy the ride, they were talking about life—and even if they didn’t know it, they were talking about Ride the Cyclone, the musical. When six teenagers die in a rollercoaster accident and end up in purgatory, each arguing their case…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Erik Gernand is resident playwright at Redtwist Theatre, and his Prayer Circle is absolutely laugh-out-loud funny. The strength of this script is the characters—who are clearly defined and familiar types—and the performances, directed by Dusty Brown, are uniformly outstanding. Set in the cramped loft of a church (with stained glass…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
Dear Rhoda, a new play set at Chicago’s Dil Pickle Club, opens January 7 at Theater Wit
Written by Buzz Center StageDear Rhoda invites audiences into the chaotic world of 1920s Chicago, where love refuses to surrender to fear. Inspired by the letters of Chicago bookseller Jerry Nedwick, found locked in a trunk for more than 90 years, this timeless love… -
9th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Brings Global Artists to Chicago, January 20-31, 2027
Written by Buzz Center StageThe puppets are coming!The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the largest of its kind in North America, has announced the line-up for its 9th edition, January 20-31, 2027.As before, the Festival will run 12 consecutive days, with shows and events…
-
Broadway In Chicago presents MAYBE HAPPY ENDING at CIBC Theatre January 5 – 17
Written by Buzz Center StageBroadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce that single tickets for the critically and widely acclaimed Tony Award winning Best Musical, Broadway In Chicago by Tony Award winners and Grammy Award nominees Will Aronson and Hue Park ; and directed by…
-
Artemisia Theatre Announces Cast and Festival Lineup for 2026 WeWomen Play Festival November 16-18
Written by Buzz Center StageArtemisia Theatre has announced casting for its annual WeWomen Play Festival, a celebration of new feminist work featuring six staged readings from playwrights across the United States. This year's lineup includes a first draft of Lauren M. Gunderson's newest play…
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.