Thursday, 05 April 2018 22:38
Smashing Writing is Why Really Smart People Will Want Tickets for This Play
Written by Bill Esler
Lydia R. Diamond deserves most of the credit for the many wondrous theatrical moments in her play, Smart People. But without the spectacularly able cast and the razor’s edge pacing set by director Hallie Gordon, you would not be able to enjoy her excellent script. Smart People covers all the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 04 April 2018 18:20
Review: The Rosenkranz Mysteries: Physician Magician at The Royal George Theatre Cabaret
Written by Earl Cochran
Seated in the venue before the show, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. With a title like, The Rosenkranz Mysteries: Physician Magician, my first thought was of a murder mystery. The set, designed to mimic a well-appointed study or office, didn’t give any real clues. Enter our host for…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 04 April 2018 21:17
Review: 'The Gentleman Caller' at Raven Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
They say you should never meet your heroes. That may be the case in Philip Dawkins' new play 'The Gentleman Caller' at Raven Theatre. Dawkins', a popular local playwright, was commissioned to write this play about the strange friendship between Tennessee Williams and William Inge. This is Cody Estle's first…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 02 April 2018 22:44
Review: How I Learned to Drive at The Artistic Home
Written by John Accrocco
Never has there been a more relevant time for Paula Vogel’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize winner ‘How I Learned to Drive’. By now, it’s considered a modern classic and has certainly made Vogel a hot playwright ever since. The fact that this play is now twenty years old and is arguably…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 30 March 2018 14:35
Factory Theater Show Has Charm, Though It’s Probably Not The Next Big Thing
Written by Bill Esler
It’s 1997, and Beth Peterson, an aspiring 19-year-old musician, has journeyed from her home town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Chicago. She is bearing a guitar, and a business card of a gentleman who heard her at an open mic near her home in Escanaba. He invited her to come…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Monday, 26 March 2018 19:04
“Bad Girls: The Stylists” an ode to today's hairstylist
Written by Ken Payne
Akvavit Theatre’s latest presentation brings Astrid Saalbach’s Danish comedy “Bad Girls: The Stylists” to the U.S. for the first time where it is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company. Taking place in a beauty salon, the story follows four hair stylists through their daily endeavors in the workplace, getting all…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 25 March 2018 19:05
Review: Court Theatre's 'Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner'
Written by John Accrocco
By now we all know who’s coming to dinner. Based on the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn, Court Theatre presents a new stage adaptation of ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.’ Written in 2013 by Todd Kreidler, this fresh look points at the progress America has made regarding…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 24 March 2018 18:31
Point Taken - Red Tape's “Round Heads and Pointed Heads”
Written by Ron Reis
At The Ready, a small theatre on Chicago’s Northside is currently hosting the classic parable play “Round Heads and Pointed Heads”. Penned by Bertolt Brecht in 1936, its current Chicago run is being brought to you by Red Tape Theatre - a fine theatre company I would urge one to…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Round Heads and Pointed Heads
- Red Tape Theatre
- Bertolt Brecht
- Max Truax
- Maryam Abdi
- Ambrose Cappucio
- Ben Chang
- Casey Chapman
- Nora King
- Peter Laughlin
- Diana Lee
- Felix Mayes
- Emily Nichelson
- Brandon Rivera
- Caleb Roitz
- Kelsey Shipley
- Stephanie Shum
- Ann Sonneville
- chicago theatre
- Ron Reis
- Buzz Center Stage
Sunday, 25 March 2018 23:48
On Your Feet! Great Songs, Dance, and a Story Make It So Much More Than a Juke Box Musical
Written by Bill Esler
On Your Feet! is the compelling rags to riches tale of Emilio Estefan and Gloria Fajardo Estefan’s odyssey - from dreaming Cuban immigrants, to stars who brought a fresh Latin flavor to the American song book. It’s also a love story, and a musical journey. It wasn’t painless, either. And…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Women Laughing Alone with Salad from Theater Wit is a funny mess. Based on the popular meme of stock photos of women who always seem to be having the time of their lives while eating a bowl of tasteless raw vegetables, the play tries to satirize this concept. The concept being…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 19 March 2018 05:20
"The Brink or Nobody's Ever Kissed Me like That" A Stunning work of Surrealism Overflowing with Sensual and Romantic Images of Modern Love
Written by Kimberly Katz
Each week as I sort through the invitations to theater and concert events taking place in Chicago, it’s rare that I find a title as intriguing and inviting as this one - "The Brink or Nobody's Ever Kissed Me like That". Walkabout Theater Company described this show in their press…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 20 March 2018 23:38
'An Enemy of the People' not your average period piece
Written by John Accrocco
"In real life, you're exploited by the moneyed class and then you die." says Petra in Robert Falls' new production of 'An Enemy of the People' at Goodman Theatre. His adaptation of Ibsen's 1882 play, spends two and a half hours exploring the theme of freedom. "An Enemy of the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 14 March 2018 13:08
Comical Moments and Absurdist Riffs Almost Enough To Save Hang Man
Written by Bill Esler
It’s an unsettling opening scene: actor Gregory Fenner silently dons a noose strung from a tree in as he steps into the role of Darnell. When the spotlight hits him, he lifts his head to speak, and Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s Hang Man takes flight as a play. Darnell is hanging from…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
Gusto Performances in ‘Spring Awakening,’ Vibrant Staging of 1906 Basis of Broadway Musical
Written by Bill Esler“Spring Awakenings,” now playing at Chicago’s Greenhouse Theater Center, is not the Tony-winning 2006 Broadway musical “Spring Awakening,” but an adaptation of its original basis, an 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind that was first performed in 1906. Translated by… -
BrightSide Theatre announces cast and production team for season finale PIPPIN, June 13-29
Written by Buzz Center StageBrightSide Theatre, Naperville’s professional theatre company, has announced the cast for the final show of its 13th season – the Stephen Schwartz/Roger O. Hirson musical PIPPIN. This tale of a prince who learns the true meaning of glory, love, and… -
Chicago Puppet Lab Showcase culminates eight-month residency with experimental live shows by emerging puppet artists, May 31-June 1 at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
Written by Buzz Center StageEight Chicago artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines have spent the last eight months in residence at the Chicago Puppet Lab, a program of the Chicago Puppet International Puppet Theater Festival, where they have been expanding their skill sets by…
-
A Half-Century in Harmony: Ryan Opera Center Shines in ‘Rising Stars in Concert’
Written by Bree SamaniIt was a night of celebration, reflection, and breathtaking talent at the Civic Opera House. Fifty years of song echoed through the hall, but it was the future of opera that took center stage. On Friday, April 25, Ryan Opera…
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.