Thursday, 04 December 2025 11:34
Elf the Musical: A Candy-Coated Tale of Family and Faith
Written by Ken Payne
Christmas cheer is here. Or rather... CHRISTMAS CHEER IS HERE!!! Based on the 2003 blockbuster hit movie Elf with Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel, Elf the Musical is a glittering holiday stage confection that mixes slapstick comedy, heartfelt family drama, and a score full of catchy tunes like “Nobody Cares…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 02 December 2025 00:23
Tinsel and Tantrums: Handbag's 'The Real Housewives of the North Pole'
Written by Ken Payne
I’ll admit it—I’ve never watched an episode of The Real Housewives. So, heading into Hell in a Handbag’s latest holiday production inspired by the series, I braced myself for a barrage of references that might slip past me. Turns out, I caught the vibe almost instantly—and once I did, the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Wednesday, 26 November 2025 16:59
Review: Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Much Ado About Nothing
Sarz Maxwell
"The course of true love never did run smooth." No, wait, that’s from A Midsummer Night's Dream "I do desire we may be better strangers." Mmmm … closer, but this one’s As You Like It " Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage". A worthy sentiment, but it appeared in…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 30 November 2025 16:42
Season’s Joy Shines Bright at American Blues Theater with ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!'
Written by Kimberly Katz
Under the deft direction of American Blues Theater’s Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, Frank Capra’s beloved holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life is reborn as a charming 1940s radio broadcast. With vintage microphones, live foley effects, and a versatile ensemble shifting seamlessly between characters, the production becomes more than a…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 30 November 2025 16:01
Snowfall on Stage: Paramount’s White Christmas Sparkles with Holiday Magic
Written by Kimberly Katz
Paramount Theatre’s White Christmas unfolds like a living snow globe - bursting with holiday sparkle, sweeping dance numbers, and the timeless melodies of Irving Berlin. From the first notes to the final snowfall, the production wraps audiences in a nostalgic embrace, blending old-fashioned charm with Broadway-sized spectacle. Each scene glitters…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 30 November 2025 11:24
A Ghost of Christmas Past? A Christmas Carol at Metropolis Performing Arts Center
Written by Kendall Royzen
The holiday season in Chicagoland brings with it many things: snowstorms, festive markets, twinkling lights, and cozy traditions that warm the soul on bitterly cold evenings. Holiday traditions also abound in the Chicago theatre scene with familiar favorites, comforting stories, and guilty pleasures easy to come by. If 2025 has…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 29 November 2025 13:12
Pose and Prose: DORIAN now playing at Open Space Arts
Written by Kendall Royzen
Chicago is well-known for its hidden gems: speakeasies hidden behind working laundromats, restaurants located down darkened alleyways, and even theatres located in basements and converted houses. One such innocuous playhouse resides in a small, transitioned home studio, just west of the Uptown neighbourhood. Like any hidden gem in Chicago, looks…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 24 November 2025 22:29
Holiday magic has arrived! Goodman Theatre's 'A Christmas Carol' is a triumph!
Written by Kimberly Katz
Goodman Theatre’s 2025 production of A Christmas Carol delivers a reimagined yet reverently faithful vision of Charles Dickens’ enduring holiday masterpiece. Directed by BOLD Artistic Producer Malkia Stampley, the staging infuses fresh energy into the familiar tale, striking a delicate balance between honoring tradition and embracing innovation. Charles Dickens’ A…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 23 November 2025 13:52
Review: It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Oil Lamp Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
Next to death and taxes, Chicagoans can count on their favorite theater companies doing holiday shows in the last few weeks of the year. For their part, Glenview’s Oil Lamp Theater presents Joe Landry’s radio play adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life. With their charming downtown Glenview location, Oil Lamp’s…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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Sunday, 23 November 2025 13:29
Court Theatre’s Erotic Taming of the Shrew brings the simmer to a boil
Written by Wesley David
We often forget that The Taming of the Shrew is, at its core, a play within a play - a bit of theatrical mischief in which characters watch other characters pretend. Marti Lyons’s ambitious new adaptation for Court Theatre not only remembers this but revels in it. She reframes Shakespeare’s…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Safe to say Steppenwolf’s revival of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus is “fetes and fireworks”. Robert Falls makes his directorial debut at Steppenwolf after recently retiring from his role as Goodman Theatre artistic director. To say his new production of Amadeus makes a splash would be an understatement. Falls brings his signature…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 15 November 2025 22:51
Experimental Theater Grottesco and Fay|Glassman Duo Bring New Approach to Stage Narrative in 'Action at a Distance'
Written by Bill Esler
Santa Fe-based Theater Grottesco's new show, produced with Fay|Glassman Duo of Urbana, IL, is having its Chicago premiere at the Facility Theater on California near Division, brings a new approach to the performance and script design. The one-hour “Action at a Distance. . .in 2025” consists of six different plays, all performed simultaneously…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 13 November 2025 14:50
Rock Royalty Rings in the Season: A Quartet Christmas Revival at Marriott Theatre
Written by Kimberly Katz
Million Dollar Quartet Christmas brings the legends back together - Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins - for a high-energy holiday jam at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. Packed with rock 'n' roll hits and festive favorites, this jukebox musical delivers a nostalgic blast of seasonal…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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