Liz Lauren News

Rarely do I see theater that feels truly unique, but Mary Zimmerman's THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI at Goodman Theater is indeed unlike any other piece of theater.

The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr. in Lincolnshire, is kicking off the New Year with WEST SIDE STORY, the revolutionary Tony Award-winning musical that forever changed American theater running now through March 27, 2022.

Paramount Theatre presents the Midwest regional premiere of this uproariously funny, surprisingly touching and simply inspirational musical comedy. Previews start Wednesday, January 26, 2022. Performances run now through Sunday, March 13. Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora. Single tickets, $36-$79, are on sale now.

Dear Readers, before I talk about the current Seattle Rep production of Cheryl L. West’s, “Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer” I need to step up on my soapbox for a minute. And if what I’m about to talk about offends, then something tells me you wouldn’t want to see the show anyway, so you can just move on. But I need to address the lack of advance knowledge I had about Fannie Lou Hamer and the struggle for black people to get to vote in this country. A struggle that sadly still exists today, making this show quite timely. But the fact that this stain on our history, among others, are not readily taught in our schools is appalling and why the inclusion of Critical Race Theory needs to be included in our curriculum. We’re more than happy to talk about the atrocities of other countries but when it comes to our own, we look the other way. And I doubt I was the only one last night who wasn’t familiar with the works of Hamer and the horrors she endured. Something we all should think about. OK, off the soapbox, let’s talk about Fannie.

Get a sneak-peek at Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol back on stage in the heart of the Chicago Loop following a year of darkened stages.

Step inside rehearsal for Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol returning to the stage for its 44th annual production in the heart of the Chicago Loop following a year of darkened stages.

E. Faye Butler gives a formidable performance as civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in Cheryl L. West’s one-woman play.

Get a first look at the powerful and electric Fannie (The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer) by Cheryl L. West, directed by Goodman Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez.

Cloran’s production cleverly unites Shakespeare’s text and the Beatles’ music to come together (pun intended) in a lively and original version of AS YOU LIKE IT.

AMERICAN MARIACHI is an enchanting celebration of female empowerment and mariachi music.

American Repertory Theater at Harvard University announced today that members of the A.R.T./Broadway cast of the hit musical sensation SIX will reunite on The Lunch Room on Tuesday, June 1 at 12PM ET. 

It seems most fitting that Goodman Theatre's current encore streaming production of SMOKEFALL exists both in and out of time. Noah Haidle's whimsical play, beloved by critics and audiences when it originally premiered at the Goodman in 2013 (and remounted in 2014), occupies an achronological space.

Smokefall is streaming free and on demand, April 12 – 25, 2021 at Goodman Theatre. Insider her womb, her unborn sons contemplate their future, while the world around her is in transformation: her husband is secretly planning to leave her, her father is slipping into senility and her daughter has taken a vow of silence.

As the Goodman's stages remain dark, audiences everywhere can experience a beloved past production-or discover one they may have missed-through Encore, an on-demand video streaming opportunity.

Live-outdoor theatre, an incredible view of the water at the Wharf, and E. Faye Butler are all we could ask or hope for at the moment. Arena Stage has delivered big with its limited engagement of Cheryl L. West's timely Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak On It!.

My fellow theatregoers! Ever since this pandemic began, we have been asking when and if will live theatre return to the DC area. I am happy to report that the answer is a resounding YES and it is going to happen sooner than you maybe thought it would.

In 1905, a black seamstress named Esther sews her way out of poverty stitch by delicate stitch, creating fine lingerie for her Manhattan clientele while longing for a husband and a future. She finds common ground with a Jewish fabric merchant, a relationship they both know cannot grow.

J. Nicole Brooks's HER HONOR JANE BYRNE, now in a world premiere production at Lookingglass, is a play deeply rooted in Chicago's not-too-distant history. Inspired by former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne (the first woman to serve as mayor here) and her decision to move into Cabrini-Green as a display of her desire to revitalize the city's housing projects, the play introduces a cast of characters representing different perspectives in the city. Brooks (who also directs) has assembled an intriguing array of characters in HER HONOR JANE BYRNE, and she makes the pivotal choice to prominently feature residents of Cabrini-Green as much as Byrne and some of her fellow Chicago politicians. Yet the play becomes too cluttered in its various storylines and ideas.

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of Her Honor Jane Byrne, written and directed by Ensemble Member J. Nicole Brooks. Her Honor Jane Byrne runs February 26–April 12, 2020 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. at Pearson. The Press Performance will be held Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.

Join Paramount Theatre for its world premiere musical The Secret of My Success, a hilarious, heartfelt new romp about corporate culture, unbridled ambition, mistaken identity and making your own way in life.