Liz Lauren News

Marriott Theatre's FOOTLOOSE is a fun-filled throwback to the '80s, with a strong ensemble cast that does full justice to the original film's chart-topping hits. Directed by Gary Griffin and choreographed by William Carlos Angulo, this production radiates infectious energy.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines has staged a HAMLET that captures both the universality of Shakespeare's language and the equally universal-but also profoundly personal-experience of grief for the title character.

The Marriott Theatre is thrilled to welcome back ten-time Jeff Award-winning director Gary Griffin to helm the exhilarating smash hit FOOTLOOSE, running April 10 through June 2, 2019 with a opening night on Wednesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire.

BWW Review: A Country's Soul Beats in CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 44th season with the Chicago Premiere of Cambodian Rock Band, written by Lauren Yee, featuring songs by Dengue Fever and directed by Marti Lyons. Cambodian Rock Band runs April 5 - May 5, 2010, with press performance on Friday, April 12, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Victory Gardens is also pleased to announce a partnership with Lincoln Hall to present Dengue Fever in concert on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.

It seems only fitting that Ike Holter would conclude his seven-play "Rightlynd Saga," set in the fictional 51st Ward of Chicago, by literally sending it off with a party. And this is no ordinary celebration. A cast of characters from previous installments in the "Rightlynd Saga" gathers in Mallory's backyard; she's the neighborhood's maternal figure, and she's poised to give away a sizable sum of money to one lucky winner.

By popular demand, Goodman Theatre adds five performances of Sweat by Lynn Nottage, directed by Ron OJ Parson-on stage through April 21.

Lynn Nottage's 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning SWEAT, now in its Chicago premiere at Goodman Theatre under the direction of Ron OJ Parson, focuses on a group of blue-collar factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania. Bound together by the toils of working-class life in the town's steel-tubing factory, these friends and family members gather at a local bar to let off steam and celebrate special occasions. And though the work at the factory may not be fulfilling, Nottage makes clear this work is vital for the characters' livelihoods. For many of them, a life of working at the factory dates back generations. As the play toggles between 2000 and 2008, Nottage also reflects how her characters' lives intersect with current events and questions of race, class, and success in America.

Goodman Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of Lynn Nottage's Sweat, directed by Ron OJ Parson. An acclaimed Broadway hit and 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner, the production follows a group of friends in a Rust Belt town who have spent their lives sharing secrets and laughs on the factory floor. But when layoffs begin to chip away at their trust, they're pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight in this collision of race, class and friendship at a pivotal moment in America.  

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Act(s) of God, by Ensemble Member Kareem Bandealy, directed by Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman. Act(s) of God runs February 13-April 7, 2019 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The press performances are February 22 and February 23 at 7:30 p.m.

TWILIGHT BOWL is a thoughtful and delicate examination of what it means for the young women in the play to find their places in the world, and the fact that 'making it' in life might look quite different for all of them. The play posits that there is no definitive definition of success and that the best outcome for these young women is to figure out where they fit for themselves.

Before attending THE PRODUCERS at Paramount Theatre, I had a disturbing dream in which this production cut everything deemed offensive or politically incorrect from the original: tap-dancing Nazis, sex-crazed old ladies, grossly stereotyped portrayals of, well, everyone. 'But what will they have left?' my dream-self protested. Fortunately, my fears were allayed upon seeing Paramount's production; director Jim Corti stages a madcap romp that revels in the irreverent humor of Mel Brooks.

Paramount Theatre opened its new Broadway Series production of Mel Brooks's The Producers on Saturday, February 9 to a full house, an instant standing ovation and uniformly critical acclaim. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents Short Shakespeare! Macbeth, a 75-minute abridged production of William Shakespeare's tale of political intrigue and personal ambition, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons and featuring a dynamic ensemble cast.

Pulitzer Prize finalist and Goodman Artistic Associate Rebecca Gilman marks her ninth production (and seventh world premiere) with Twilight Bowl-featuring an all-female company. Set in a rural Wisconsin bowling alley, the coming-of-age story focuses on six women struggling to define their own version of success. Erica Weiss-co-creator and -executive producer of the upcoming CBS series The Red Line and former Goodman Theatre Michael Maggio Directing Fellow-directs the world-premiere production. 

In PIPELINE, playwright Dominique Morisseau reflects on the cracks in the inner-city public-school system, and the ways in which it often functions as a school to prison pipeline for young black men, without vilifying the system's participants. It's a skillfully crafted balance that demonstrates how the brokenness of the system is disheartening for teachers and students alike. And under the direction of Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Victory Gardens Theater's ensemble makes this a very human struggle.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 44th season with the Chicago Premiere of Pipeline, written by 2018 MacArthur Fellow Dominique Morisseau and directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce. Pipeline runs February 1 March 3, 2019, with press performance on Friday, February 8, 2019 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

In HOW TO CATCH CREATION, a world premiere at Goodman Theatre, playwright Christina Anderson tackles universal themes: the desire for human connection, the pursuit of creative and intellectual passions, and the longing to leave a meaningful legacy. Niegel Smith directs this intricately crafted tale, which spans five decades and follows six Black American artists whose paths intersect in surprising ways.

"I'm preparing. I'm expecting. I haven't figured out the path to creation yet."

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces today the extension of A Midsummer Night's Dream, now playing in the Courtyard Theater through February 3, 2019. Staged by internationally acclaimed director Joe Dowling, Shakespeare's beloved comedy is infused with raucous humor, dazzling dance numbers, and eclectic musical score blending rock, jazz, blues, rock, and '50s doo-wop.