CHICAGO THEATER REVIEWS

When Dr. Rosalind Franklin, portrayed by the formidable Chaon Cross, makes her first entrance in Court Theatre's PHOTOGRAPH 51, it's immediately clear that she inhabits a world dominated by men. Director Vanessa Stalling arranges the rest of the cast-who are all male-on the upper level of Arnel Sanc...

Ike Holter's RED REX, now in its world premiere at Steep Theatre, is a delightfully meta-theatrical experience. The play is the sixth in local playwright Holter's ambitious seven-play cycle about Rightlynd, the fictional 51st ward of Chicago. It is one of the most intriguing, brilliant, and solidly ...

Despite the title, Will Eno's THE REALISTIC JONESES, now receiving its Chicago premiere in a co-production between Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit, does not seem to wholly exist in the real world. Though Jack Magaw's tidy set design, Hailey Rakowiecki's quotidian costume designs, and John Ke...

In DADA WOOF PAPA HOT, now in its Chicago premiere at About Face Theatre, playwright Peter Parnell explores that nagging question of what it means to have it all. The play centers on a gay couple and their circle of friends. Though Alan (Bruch Reed) and Rob (Benjamin Sprunger) have been together for...

Hansol Jung's CARDBOARD PIANO, now in its Chicago premiere at Timeline Theatre Company, centers on historical and contemporary issues in Uganda. Jung's narrative sweeps up much of that nation's recent history of violence, child soldiers, and homophobia into the story of just a few characters inside ...

Acclaimed actor Brendan Coyle takes the Goodman stage in Conor McPherson's thoroughly bizarre monologue play ST. NICHOLAS, which combines the innately unsettling and the supernatural. Coyle, known for his work as Mr. Bates in DOWNTON ABBEY (which this critic has admittedly never seen) proves a maste...

Review: THE LIGHTNING THIEF Electrifies...

In his Tony-nominated revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, now playing on tour at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre, director Bartlett Sher delivers a fresh and strikingly relevant vision of this 1960s classic. While Sher carefully honors the cultural and historical setting, a rural Jewish co...

Despite the incorporation of modern technology, Allan's iMAGICIAN is purely old-school, family-friendly magic. This makes iMAGICIAN an accessible show for all ages, making it suitable entertainment for families during the holidays....

I left the world premiere of Isaac Gomez's LA RUTA at Steppenwolf Theatre Company with a heavy heart, yet one that was also full as I admired the immense work of the all-female Latinx ensemble. Gomez's necessarily tragic play focuses on Mexican women who live in Ciudad Juarez and have been disappear...

Theo Ubique's debut in its new Evanston performance space disappoints....

To sum up the Goodman Theatre's pairing of holiday productions this season: it was the best of humanity; it was the worst of humanity. While Tiny Tim's blessings and Scrooge's transformation warm hearts nightly in the Goodman's Albert Theatre, across the lobby in the Owen Theatre is a much different...

If there's one thing the world needs more of right now it's laughter. Sometimes we just need a few hours to set our brains to the side to rest while watching a show filled with hysterics and hijinks. There's plenty of all of that in the slapstick-filled farce, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, running now a...

The Goodman Theatre's annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, now in its 41st year, embraces Charles Dickens' world with all of its Victorian charm. And rightly so: after all, Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, are largely credited with popularizing Christmas traditions in Britain. Betw...

HIAH puts a holiday twist on the camp classic 'Showgirls' with SNOWGIRLS: THE MUSICAL...

Danai Gurira's FAMILIAR, now in its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf, offers up a lighthearted and laugh-out-loud funny family comedy, even as the play probes questions of identity and assimilation into American culture. Director Danya Taymor's dynamite ensemble builds on the richness of the characte...

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a prime example of the power of live theater: relying on evocative language, simple yet effective sound and lighting design, and skilled acting, this two-man gothic thriller easily surpasses any high-budget horror film in its ability to create a communal sense of fear among an ...

With its abundance of classic tunes and tightly choreographed ensemble numbers, Irving Berlin's HOLIDAY INN is the perfect fit for the Marriott Theatre, a company that excels with dance-heavy shows in its intimate, in-the-round space. Denis Jones directs and choreographs a talented cast in this regi...

The current National Tour of MISS SAIGON feature refreshed staging and a heartfelt, emotional and star-making performance by Emily Bautista....

Ike Holter's RIGHTLYND sets into motion the central theme of the tension between political idealism and the realities that come with power in a complicated, often staid political machine....

In an era when stage adaptations of animated films are seemingly a dime a dozen, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has stood the test of time, and for good reason. When the 1991 Disney film was adapted for Broadway in 1994, composer Alan Menken nearly doubled the number of songs, and the additions that he wrote ...

BoHo Theatre's production of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones's 110 IN THE SHADE makes the central, fierce, independent female character of Lizzie Curry take center stage. This is particularly true because Neala Barron's expert performance anchors every moment. Barron mines her character for the maximum...

Though often described as a 'universal language,' music, perhaps more than any other art form, is intricately linked to the memories and emotions of the individual. LADY IN DENMARK celebrates the power of music to weave together the strands of one life: in this case, the songs of Billie Holiday and...

Based on his prior works, Playwright Bruce Norris seemingly relishes nothing more than to push the buttons of the liberal, cultural elite (aka most theatergoers). He is in rare form in DOWNSTATE. The show is well-acted and directed with tact and skill by Pam MacKinnon....

In Timeline Theatre Company's MASTER CLASS, Chicago favorite Janet Ulrich Brooks schools the audience with her commanding performance as famous opera singer Maria Callas....