Review: DEATH BECOMES HER at Cadillac Palace
by Misha Davenport - May 20, 2024
Move over Witches of Oz. There’s a new pair of Broadway-Bound divas looking to stage a wicked fight for supremacy eight shows a week. And you better best believe the stage becomes her, er, them....
Review: ON THE 20TH CENTURY at Blank Theatre
by Zac Thriffiley - May 16, 2024
Blank Theatre’s ON THE 20TH CENTURY makes for a delightful ride through a farcical facsimile of Broadway’s Silver Age, if one can accommodate a few bumps along the way....
Review: TURRET at A Red Orchid Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - May 13, 2024
Levi Holloway’s dystopian play TURRET introduces audiences to an intimate bunker in a post-apocalyptic world. And notably, the play marks Michael Shannon’s return to A Red Orchid. Shannon plays Green, who presides over this mysterious bunker in which he’s holding captive his trainee, Rabbit (Travis ...
Review: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - May 06, 2024
In THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, four actors’ road to creating an elementary school Thanksgiving performance is paved with good intentions. But good intentions aren’t enough to save them from their “white savior” complexes. ...
Review: BEAUTIFUL THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Paramount Theatre Aurora, IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - May 06, 2024
The earth moved. The current production at the Paramount Theatre is Beautiful, the Carole King Musical. This is more than a jukebox musical. It tells the amazing story of one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and how her story evolved.
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Review: JUDGMENT DAY AT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
by Rachel Weinberg - May 02, 2024
JUDGMENT DAY may be a world premiere comedy, but it trades in old-school jokes. Rob Ulin’s play is relatively simple and wears its moral heart on its sleeve (Main takeaway: Don’t be a jerk), even if lead role Sammy Campo doesn’t have a heart at all. While JUDGMENT DAY pokes some fun at the Catholic ...
Review: JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE at Goodman Theatre
by Zac Thriffiley - April 25, 2024
Under the meticulous direction of Chuck Smith, the Goodman’s newest revival of JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE emphasizes the play’s continued relevance through masterful performances that find cause for celebration and laughter even in the face of oppression. The production has already been extended thr...
Review: BROOKLYN LAUNDRY at Northlight Theatre
by Zac Thriffiley - April 22, 2024
Under the direction of BJ Jones, John Patrick Shanley's newest play boasts a talented cast gifted with good humor and heartfelt emotion, but the uneven script feels as though it shrank in a dryer fed by clichés rather than coins....
Review: GUYS AND DOLLS at Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook Terrace
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - April 19, 2024
The number of sinners at the mission impresses General Cartwright (Heidi Kettenring in another comedic gem), especially Big Jule (KC McNeil in his Drury debut). As Adelaide and Nathan are trying to leave to get married, the mission band arrives with its new leader Sky Masterson. He and Sarah were m...