On a beautiful plantation in the modern day South, a mother asks her three daughters what they would change in the world, if they could. After rattling off some Miss America-esque answers – including "giving a croissant to a homeless person" – the girls go back to their own self-interests,…
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Theatre in Review
Thursday, 08 March 2018 15:20
Why ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’ Should Become a Hot Ticket
Written by Bill Esler
A stunning production of a striking play at First Floor Theater, Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea, has the hallmarks of a hit in the making for Chicago. This coming-of-age play by Nathan Alan Davis tells the story of a dreamer, the eighteen-year-old Dontrell, in the summer just before college. Dontrell…
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Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 08 March 2018 02:10
The Toddle Whisperer: The Emperor's New Clothes delights children of all ages at Marriott Theater
Written by Kendall Royzen
I love the theater. Having no talent for acting myself, I venture to see skilled thespians bring stories to life on the stage. My love of theater was fostered from an early age and, as an adult, I want to pass that love onto the next generation and help grow…
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Theatre in Review
"Faust" is revered as the world's most popular opera. It was the first opera performed at the Met in New York in 1863. This iconic French opera took Charles Gounod several years and several drafts to complete. Since its debut in Paris in 1859, "Faust" has continued to seduce audiences.…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 28 February 2018 03:01
Powerhouse Cast Highlights Theater at the Center's "Steel Magnolias"
Written by Ken Payne
In a departure to their oft musical-driven productions, Theater at the Center kicks of the 2018 season with the comedy-drama Steel Magnolias, Robert Harling’s 1987 play that became a blockbuster film directed by Herbert Ross just two years later. Set in the deep South, in a northwestern Louisiana town, the…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 28 February 2018 20:27
In Anna Karenina, Marriages Fail or Succeed, Each in Their Own Way
Written by Bill Esler
Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, said Tolstoy. And Lifeline Theatre artfully explores that famous maxim in Anna Karenina, its colorful and artful adaptation of Tolstoy’s novel. The story of Anna Karenina follows a 19th century woman’s fall from grace. Dutiful but unfulfilled in her marriage to…
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Theatre in Review
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Tuesday, 27 February 2018 01:12
That’s Why I Go for That Rock and Roll Music: "Hail, Hail Chuck" at The Black Ensemble Theater
Written by CJ Burroughs
These days, the antihero has become the new hero. Talented, but tortured. Acclaimed, but complicated. We have gotten to a point in culture where those we place upon pedestals are not just allowed to be, but expected to be, both ingenious and imperfect. And I’m fine with that; seeing my…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 25 February 2018 09:27
Review: American Blues Theater's "Six Corners" at Stage 773
Written by Earl Cochran
Having read that Six Corners was the “third in a loose Cop trilogy” by playwright Keith Huff, I was concerned that not seeing the first two stories (A Steady Rain and The Detective’s Wife) would lessen my experience. But from the moment I entered the theatre the stage was set,…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 25 February 2018 14:45
The Magic Lounge Brings Back Chicago Magic in the Biggest Way
Written by Ken Payne
When walking past the exterior of the unflattering storefront on Clark Street in Andersonville, a former laundromat, one wouldn’t give it a second glance. Perhaps a handful of classic magic posters littered around the entrance might cause pause for a brief second, but that’s about it. No marquee, no ostentatious…
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Theatre in Review
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Thursday, 22 February 2018 07:54
Teamwork and Tampons and Yogurt, Oh @#%! – "The Wolves" at Goodman Theatre
Written by CJ Burroughs
Before I set foot in the Goodman’s Owen Theatre to see the Chicago premier of Sarah DeLappe’s acclaimed play The Wolves, I tried not to read or hear or learn too much about it. I knew it had been a finalist for a Pulitzer, and won other awards. I knew…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 21 February 2018 00:31
"Southern Gothic" is a 4-D theatre experience with a flare
Written by Vika Lvova
Gone are the days of traditional theatre when actors and audience members were politely separated by at least an imaginary buffer zone. Enter Southern Gothic, written by Leslie Liautaud, created by Carl Menninger and Amy Rubenstein, and directed by David H. Bell, with its concept of “immersive theatre” where the…
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Theatre in Review
“No woman ever died for love” says Despina in Mozart’s charming little opera ‘Cosi fan tutte’. There may not be any deaths from love but, maybe a few tickled funny bones in this revival going on now at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Originally conceived by John Cox about ten…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 17 February 2018 17:31
The Phantom returns in well-worth-the-wait "Love Never Dies"
Written by Cindy Payne
If you are a passionate fan of the original "Phantom of the Opera" musical, its sequel "Love Never Dies" will surely peak your curiosity and is a 'must see'. The continuation to one of the greatest love stories of our time takes place in 1907, ten years later after the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
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