Our Chicago Critics
View All »
.jpeg?format=auto&width=100)
Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts, Skokie, IL
What did our critic think of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts, Skokie, IL?...
Review: SOME LIKE IT HOT National Tour Present by Broadway In Chicago
SOME LIKE IT HOT brings old-fashioned musical comedy, hijinks, and a ton of superbly executed tap dancing to the stage. ...
Review: BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA at BrightSide Theatre
What did our critic think of BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA at BrightSide Theatre?
...
Review: ATONEMENT Astounds at The Joffrey Ballet
What did our critic think of ATONEMENT at The Joffrey Ballet? Read the review.
...
Review: PRIMARY TRUST at Goodman Theatre
Namir Smallwood’s performance as Kenneth is a real testament to his superb abilities as a performer and the intimacy of PRIMARY TRUST becomes more profoundly emotional thanks to him.
...
Review: Siegfried Tieber at THE MAGIC PARLOUR
Magician Siegfried Tieber’s sparkling, genuine charm is every bit as magical as his tricks in his special engagement at THE MAGIC PARLOUR....
Review: AN ACT OF GOD at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL
A question from Archangel Michael to God. The newest production in the BOLD Series at the intimate Copley Theatre in Aurora is An Act of God. Alex Weisman, in his bravura Paramount Copley debut as God, delivers each of the revised Ten Commandments to the audience in a way they do not expect. Sarcasm...
Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD National Tour Premiere
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is three hours of nostalgia-fueled, utterly captivating theater...with heaps of stage magic. The Chicago engagement marks the national tour debut of the eighth installment in J.K. Rowling’s HARRY POTTER series....
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at The Home Creative Co.
Despite some moving performances from the supporting cast, seasoned fans of and newcomers to THE OUTSIDERS may be underwhelmed by a production whose various elements leave it struggling to “stay golden.”...
Review: INHERIT THE WIND at Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre’s season-opening production of INHERIT THE WIND centers on a fictionalized version of the 1925 “Scopes Monkey” trial — at its heart, a debate on creationism vs. evolutionism. Though playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee make it clear they’re on the side of evolution...
Review: NOISES OFF at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
NOISES OFF is lengthy and occasionally redundant because the show literally runs through Act One three times from different perspectives. But it’s also legitimately funny — which is rare and welcome for a Steppenwolf show....
Review: NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 at Writers Theatre
It’s a joy to experience GREAT COMET end-to-end, and for musical theater lovers that want to hear a complicated score flawlessly performed, this is the ticket. This GREAT COMET soars....
Review: LIGHT SWITCH at Open Space Arts
Open Space Arts's production of LIGHT SWITCH shines a much-needed spotlight (no pun intended) on the struggles of neurodiverse members of queer communities, thanks in large part to its captivating leading man....
Review: HENRY V at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Featuring a strikingly charismatic yet grounded performance from its leading actor, HENRY V presents a compelling study of the excitement and danger inherent in even the best-intended feelings of nationalism....
Review: THE FLYING LOVERS OF VITEBSK at Northlight Theatre
Now receiving its Chicagoland premiere, Northlight Theatre’s THE FLYING LOVERS OF VITEBSK features brilliant performances and moments of exquisite stagecraft, though the play’s lean script occasionally saps the production of necessary tension and greater thematic depth....
Review: THE HOUSE OF IDEAS at City Lit Theater
THE HOUSE OF IDEAS provides an entertaining history of Marvel’s precipitous rise to pop cultural supremacy that nicely captures the collaborative spirit of Kirby and Lee’s frequently tumultuous partnership. But more casual fans of the brand may find themselves lost in the play’s more intricate...
Review: THE FULL MONTY at Paramount Theatre Aurora, IL
“Desperate times take desperate measures”. These words are spoken by one of the out of work steel workers in Buffalo. That is exactly what happens in the Full Monty, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora through October 6, 2024.
...
Review: THE NORMAL HEART at Redtwist Theatre
Redtwist’s THE NORMAL HEART is frequently an emotionally affecting piece, thanks to the powerfully palpable talents of its principal cast. However, some uneven performances and an occasionally murky directorial vision prevent the production’s themes and message from beating forth as forcefully a...
Review: 1776 at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL
In this political year, it seems very appropriate that the new production at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone’s musical 1776, the background story of the days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence....
Review: BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL National Tour
=
BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL is a fun and faithful adaptation of the 1985 film — but it’s overly long and generically scored. With music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard (Silvestri composed the film’s original score) and book by Bob Gale, the musical has a typical pop Broadw...
Review: CAROUSEL at Music Theater Works At The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts
What did our critic think of CAROUSEL at Music Theater Works At The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts?...
Review: ALICE BY HEART at Kokandy Productions
While Kokandy Productions’ ALICE BY HEART has some lovely performances, the musical itself is far less imaginative than its ALICE IN WONDERLAND-inspired title suggests. ...
Review: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL
t tells the story of how he became Peter Pan and provides the backstory of Peter and his forever nemesis Captain Hook. I believe that kids under the age of 13 probably won’t understand the story. The script is geared to adults and has some groan worthy (purposely written) lines. The cast of 16 und...
Review: LES MISERABLES at Uptown Music Theater At Deerfield Performing Arts Center
See what our critic thought of LES MISERABLES at Uptown Music Theater at Deerfield Performing Arts Center....
Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
I think LOTR die-hards will appreciate the world-building and the visual spectacle of this production, but the material needs editing and more focus and refinement on key moments and characters....
Videos
|
Windfall Steppenwolf Theatre Company (4/09-5/31) |
|
South Pacific Paramount Arts Centre (4/29-6/14) |
|
EWP presents Robbie Fulks & Griffin William Sherry Showcase Raue Center For The Arts (8/07-8/07) |
|
Bride To Be Newport Theater (6/05-6/05) |
|
Rio: A Tribute to Duran Duran Raue Center For The Arts (5/29-5/29) VIDEOS |
|
Two Out of Three Falls The Factory Theater (6/04-7/18) |
|
Job Writers Theatre (4/09-6/14) |
|
Chicago Live! Navy Pier (9/19-9/20) |
|
Bach Iben Organ Marathon Westminster Presbyterian Church (5/31-5/31) |
|
Good People By David Lindsay-Abaire 4 Chairs Theatre (7/17-8/23) PHOTOS |
| VIEW ALL SHOWS ADD A SHOW | |
Get Chicago's #1 Theatre Newsletter
Get the best news & discounts for Chicago Shows & beyond.
