Tina St. Angelo

Don’t forget where you came from. Words spoken by Sam Phillips, founder and owner of Sun Records, to Elvis Presley. The holiday production at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre is Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. It continues the story where Million Dollar Quartet ends.

An aptly titled song from one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century, Irving Berlin. The holiday offering at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Jeff Award-winning director Stephen Schellhardt has created a musical that will stay with you long after the last note is played and the last bow taken.

It’s just a jump to the left… famous words that the audience is waiting for.  The first show at BrightSide Theatre for its 14th season dedicated to For the Fun of It is Richard O’Brien’s campy, cult classic The Rocky Horror Show.

What did our critic think of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Nederlander?

I ruined his life…. Whose life? Frank Sinatra. The newest production at the Studebaker Theater is Elizabeth McGovern’s play Ava: The Secret Conversations. She wrote the play which is based upon Peter Evans’ and Ava Gardner’s book “The Secret Conversations”.

Yes this cast of Grease at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center do go together. The well known musical about life at Rydell High is a joyous, foot stamping, sing along quietly, fun production. The story follows new student Sandy Dumbrowski (Morgan Wolfe in her Metropolis debut) and Danny Zuko (Eric Amundson).

The Joffrey Ballet’s current production and premiere at the Lyric Opera House is George Bizet’s eternal Carmen. The late, great choreographer Liam Scarlett conceived a ballet which is both classic, modern and seductive.

A young Frank Abagnale, Jr. (JJ Niemann in his bravura Marriott debut) wants to live a more colorful life. Thus begins his criminal career. The current production at Marriott Lincolnshire is the musical Catch Me If You Can which is based upon the movie and book of the same name.

The town of Gander, Newfoundland, is called the Rock. The current production at Paramount Theatre is the emotional but uplifting true story Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein.

What did our critic think of SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM at Oil Lamp Theater? I’m Still Here. In a career spanning 69 years and countless songs, it is safe to say that 4 years after the passing of one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century, Sondheim is still here. The current production at Oil Lamp Theatre in Glenview is the musical revue Side By Side By Sondheim.

The new production at Music Theater Works at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie is Fiddler on the Roof.

Part of the dialogue from the current production in the BOLD series at Paramount’s Copley Theatre. The late, great Sam Shepard’s 1980 play True West is running through August 31. There is a reason this series is called BOLD. This is an intense, dark and, at times, funny play. There are moments of holding your breath, gasping out loud and, sometimes, laughing.