CHICAGO THEATER REVIEWS

Despite a few growing pains and a rushed finale, SWEET CHARITY is a great vehicle for the cast’s charming female lead and further evidence that Blank attracts some of the best young musical talent in the city while pushing the envelope of what Chicago storefront theater can accomplish....

Jordan Harrison’s new play THE ANTIQUITIES asks the question, “What does it mean to be human?” It opens with two museum curators inviting the audience to tour a museum displaying relics from the late human era...with the implication that said place exists in a post-human one. This is the first...

The newest production – and it is new in every way – at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora is Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. Director Trent Stork and a cast of 31 will leave you breathless with this new interpretation....

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s all-Chicago production of Lolita Chakrabarti’s HYMN is beautifully performed, but the script never quite delivers on the thematic complexity promised by the play’s premise....

Zora Howard’s BUST: AN AFROCURRENTIST PLAY opens with a mystery. In Huntsville, Alabama, Retta (Caroline Stefanie Clay) and Reggie (Ray Anthony Thomas) witness an all too familiar interaction between their friend Randy (Keith Randolph Smith) and two police officers — Tomlin (Mark Bedard) and Ram...

The beginning of Puck’s final monologue in William Shakespeare’s much loved and performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is the current production being performed at BrightSide Theatre in Naperville....

These are lyrics from the song The Blame sung by Captain E.J. Smith, J. Bruce Ismay the owner and Thomas Andrews the ship designer. The ship? The Titanic. The current production at Marriott Theatre is Titanic the Musical. David Girolmo portrays the Captain, Adam Pelty is the owner and Christopher Ka...

Now in its Chicago-area premiere, Joshua Harmon’s Tony-nominated sprawling and ambitious PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC is a searing and inquisitive look at contemporary Judaism and anti-Semitism....

I usually appreciate when plays show and don’t tell, but THE BOOK OF GRACE really needs more exposition. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. Steppenwolf’s production is a new version of Parks’s 2010 play, expanded from its original 100-minute run-time to two and a half hours. Even with the extr...

Near, far, wherever you are…you need to see TITANIQUE if you love musicals and parody. Porchlight Music Theatre’s production, presented in partnership with Broadway In Chicago, easily passes the Marie Kondo test: This show sparks immense joy....

If you enjoy the music of The Kinks, you’ll enjoy SUNNY AFTERNOON....

IT’S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE EVERYBODY DIED misses the mark on both scares and astute social commentary, but through no fault of its talented and refreshingly diverse cast....

The newest production at the Copley Theatre in Aurora is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It’s the story of “12” year olds competing in a spelling bee. Under the direction of Jeff Award-winning Stephen Schellhardt and a set designed by Lauren M. Nichols showcasing a gymnasium, this ...

What did our critic think of LA BOHEME at Lyric Opera Of Chicago? Giacomo Puccini’s heartbreaking La Boheme is playing for 10 performances at the Lyric. Bring a handkerchief. Director Melanie Bacaling, in her Lyric directorial debut, has given this production an emotional feel which is the heart o...

Guys and Dolls is a show to be seen and enjoyed. Vibrant, energetic and just fun. Sometimes an old fashioned Broadway show is needed. Guys and Dolls is that show....

While the play may be meager fare compared to other recent professional offerings, CLUE is undeniably a well-polished evening of hijinks and hilarity—if audiences know what they’re getting themselves into....

The current production at the Paramount Theatre is the musical Waitress based upon the motion picture. When it opened, it was the first all-female production team on Broadway. Director and choreographer Katie Spelman gives the audience an evening of laughter, some tears and love. Sarah Bareilles’ ...

Under the direction of artistic director Susan V. Booth and bolstered by actors at the heights of their craft, the Goodman’s BETRAYAL provides audiences with a sincere and sympathetic take on a modern classic....

Cirque du Soleil has long been known for its awe-inspiring performances, blending daring stunts, stunning visuals, and a sense of wonder. OVO continues this proud tradition, offering a show that is both visually spectacular and athletically extraordinary. What did our critic think of OVO CIRQUE DU S...

Director Jane Lanier (A Chorus Line) and this talented ensemble seamlessly tell Carole’s story to the fullest extent. The orchestra, under the direction of Chris Sargent, is the backbone to this music....

FOOL FOR LOVE has peak Steppenwolf energy. I’ve long associated Steppenwolf Theatre Company with gritty, messy, feral family and relationship dramas — Sam Shepard’s one-act fits the bill. It’s also only 65 minutes — that run-time is short, but it’s a logical choice in the TikTok era when...

Lookingglass Theatre’s CIRCUS QUIXOTE provides Chicago audiences with a stunning dramatic adaptation of Don Quixote that is every bit as impactful and imaginative as its source material....

Open Space Arts in Uptown is quickly establishing itself as the go-to “storefront” theater for plays and films that consider the many nuances of queer experiences, and their latest offering—MR. PARKER—is no exception. Elevated by the sophisticated performance of its leading actor, MR. PARKER...

Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s FUN HOME is a musical journey in sketches through the memories of Alison Bechdel. Based on the graphic memoir of the same name — and so called because the Bechdel family business was a funeral home — Porchlight director Stephen Schellhardt’s production brings e...

The Goodman’s FAT HAM is an intelligent, uproarious adaptation that explores and celebrates Black joy and resilience. The co-production with Definition Theatre has already been extended through March 2....