CHICAGO THEATER REVIEWS

I can't stress enough that if you are looking for something for the kids to do this Halloween, this is not the show for you. There are no slashers or ax-murderers; however, Rhymes with Evil is a scary Hitchcockian good time. This Halloween, if you are looking for an original suspenseful evening, t...

The Profiles Theatre opened its 21st Anniversary Season with the Midwest premiere of Neil LaBute's The Mercy Seat. Directed by Artistic Director, Joe Jahraus, this production runs now through November 15, 2009 at the Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway. The Mercy Seat was one of the first theatrica...

Opening this week at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago's far north suburban collar community of Lincolnshire is one of the first post-Broadway productions of "Hairspray," one of this decade's biggest hits and longest running Broadway shows, based on a hit movie and the basis for yet another.... ...

No, it does. Literally. The Porchlight Music Theatre opened its 15th anniversary season this month with The Fantasticks. Based on Edmond Rostand's Les Romanesques with music by Harvey Schmidt and a book and lyrics by Tom Jones, this classic has produced Broadway standards such as "Try to Remember....

In the smallish pantheon of shows that followed in the footsteps of "Forever Plaid," that early 90s ode to the boy bands of the 1950s and 60s that uses a small cast, one set and a "juke box" of Baby Boomer radio hits, many of them quite naturally feature girls. ("Beehive" comes to mind, as does the ...

STOOP STORIES, currently playing at the Goodman Theatre, is a solo performance piece definitely worth exploring, though a slightly disjointed evening awaits....

The World Premiere of Michael Golamco's Year Zero opens this week in the new second floor studio of the historic Victory Gardens' Biograph Theater. Year Zero is the first of a two-show premiere concluding Victory Gardens' Ignition Emerging Playwrights of Color Festival, which after this production,...

The Provision Theater Company opened their season last week with a revival of their 2004 production of Cotton Patch Gospel. The Cotton Patch Gospel is a reverent retelling of the Gospels of Matthew and John, set to Bluegrass music. Based on the book, The Cotton Patch Gospel of Matthew and John by ...

Director Dexter Bullard has fashioned Craig Wright's world premiere of MISTAKES WERE MADE into a steady-paced and impeccably acted collaboration between Michael Shannon and A Red Orchid Theatre....

Halcyon Theatre's LORCA IN A GREEN DRESS is a fascinating way to look at the life (and afterlife) of an artist....

Last night, the Caffeine Theatre in association with the Chicago DCA Theater opened Dylan Thomas' 'Under Milk Wood' at the Storefront Theater. Thomas' dark 'Day in the Life' comedy about the fictional Welch town of 'Llareggub' explores the theme of isolation in an ever shrinking world, while still ...

Run. Do not walk. Run to Oakbrook Terrace-or, at least, run to your car, train, bus, taxi or helicopter-in order to get to Chicago's western suburbs. There you will witness an extraordinary night of theater, Jim Corti's staging of 'Cabaret,' which is seamless, courageous and frequently state-of-the-...

The Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 2009-2010 season with a revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo. Directed by ensemble member, Amy Morton, this production features ensemble members Francis Guinan and Tracy Letts with Patrick Andrews. You have until February 7th to catch this must-se...

Route 66 premiered the rehabbed Jalopy, High Fidelity, last night at Pipers Alley. However, when a show only lasts fourteen performances in its Broadway Debut, it might just be worth it to let sleeping dogs lie. Based on the 1995 Nick Hornby novel and the 2000 John Cusack film, High Fidelity intro...

With gratuitous R-rated horror films, reality programming, and mindless tweeney bopper fluff all the rage, teens and adults alike deserve to experience 'SPRING AWAKENING's' theatrically thrilling rock-based heart....

Whether you're from Chicago, Naperville, the South Side, or the flat lands of Iowa, The Second City e.t.c.'s 33rd review is a beyond-enjoyable homage to not only Terkel's work, but to a city second to none....

Victory Gardens' premiere of David Harrower's BLACKBIRD is a blunt anguished success....

When a professional theater in suburban Chicago bills a lone actor above the title, expect great things. I mean, it doesn't happen very often. In the opening seconds of Theatre at the Center's production of the musical stage version of 'Footloose' now open in Munster, Indiana, the actor in question,...

There was a sense of communal bonding at Steppenwolf's Downstairs space on its usually dark Monday evening. Steppenwolf Theatre Company was lucky enough to air the recent simulcast of National Theatre's production of Racine's 'Phedre' to a sold-out crowd of Greek tragedy (and British theatre) enthu...

Two important post-Broadway mountings of 21st-century musicals opened in the Chicago area this week. One, 'Mary Poppins,' has had a great deal of attention. Now you can forget about it. This review concerns itself with the other one! 'Curtains,' the exemplary 2007 Kander and Ebb post-modern musical ...

A helicopter very nearly lands on stage every night at the astounding, frequently breathtaking production of 'Miss Saigon' now on view at the Drury Lane theater in Chicago?s western suburb of Oakbrook Terrace. Said helicopter is the most viscerally exciting aspect of this high quality local mounting...

There's few magic changes, but Grease is still as automatic, systematic, and hydromantic as ever. The recent Broadway revival of Grease races into Chicago's Auditorium Theater an energetic cast and sparkles aplenty. This production rides in from the reality show 'Grease: You're the One That I Want' ...

I understand there is someone called David Sedaris. Now, don't shoot me-I've been busy....

Grey Gardens, the 2007 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical opened in Chicago on Friday, November 21, 2008, at the Northlight Theatre, and it?s one heck of a good piece of theater and history....

You couldn't throw at rock at the Wednesday night opening performance of 'Meet Me In St. Louis' at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place without striking the cream of Chicago's hometown musical theater talent. And THAT was if you threw a rock at the audience!...