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Review: JERSEY BOYS at Mercury Theater Chicago
Mercury Theater Chicago has staged a “homegrown” production of JERSEY BOYS full of Chicago heart. The bio jukebox musical has graced Chicago tour stages over the years (in fact, I had a chuckle looking back at the review of the first national tour I wrote for my high school newspaper), but this ...
Review: PURPOSE at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has set the table for one hell of a family dinner in PURPOSE. Directed by Phylicia Rashad in a world premiere for Steppenwolf, this family drama keenly focuses on the privileged Jasper family, whose patriarch is a Civil Rights icon. The first act moves at a brilliant clip with...
Review: CIRQUE DU SOLEIL CRYSTAL at NOW Arena Hoffman Estates
Crystal, the latest Cirque du Soleil production and playing through Sunday, March 24 at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, is the story about a young woman escaping the realities of her life by living in her imagination....
Review: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Paramount Copley Theatre Aurora
Read BroadwayWorld's review of A Streetcar Named Desire at Paramount Copley Theatre Aurora. ...
Review: SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE at Theo Ubique
No matter your preference, your favorite Sondheim shows will be represented in Theo Ubique's latest cabaret revue, which is as much an informative crash course in the composer's oeuvre as it is a heartfelt memorial to his rich life and lasting legacy. The production runs through April 28 at Theo's p...
Review: THE PENELOPIAD at Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Susan V. Booth puts her own spin on Margaret Atwood’s decidedly feminist tale THE PENELOPIAD. As with her famous novel THE HANDMAID’S TALE, Atwood uses THE PENELOPIAD as a device to convey the horrors and abuse committed against women. Atwood’s points are vali...
Review: WIPEOUT at Rivendell Theatre
Premiering at Rivendell Theatre under the inventive direction of Tara Mallen, WIPEOUT gifts audiences a hilarious exploration of aging, friendship, and womanhood that's as fun as a day at the beach and as bittersweet as a setting sun....
Review: DEATHTRAP at BrightSide Theatre
This is the description of Ira Levin’s comedic-thriller Deathrap. It is running through March 24 at BrightSide Theatre in Naperville. It ran on Broadway for 4 years and was made into a successful film starring Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve and Dyan Cannon. ...
Review: THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at Music Theater Works
The semi-improvised, fourth-wall-breaking musical now receives a delightful production at Music Theater Works that's heavy on humor if occasionally light on heart. It runs through March 31 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie....
Review: MRS. DOUBTFIRE National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago
MRS. DOUBTFIRE is escapist musical theater fun with tremendous character actor Rob McClure (reprising the role from Broadway) carrying on Robin Williams’s immense legacy from the 1993 film in the lead role....
Review: THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE at Goodman Theatre
Director Mary Zimmerman returns to the Goodman with the whimsical and inventive THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE. Zimmerman’s adaptation of Mozart’s iconic opera is lively and accessible; this would be a great introduction for those new to the opera.
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Review: TOPDOG/UNDERDOG at Invictus Theatre Company
Invictus Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize-winner TOPDOG/UNDERDOG has moments of comedic entertainment and dramatic import, but it struggles to live up to the play's substantial reputation. It runs through March 31....
Review: THE BAND'S VISIT at Writers Theatre
Director Zi Alikhan has gifted Chicago audiences with a production of THE BAND'S VISIT whose talent and creative execution equal---and may even exceed---those of the Broadway and touring productions. It runs through March 17 at Writers Theatre in Glencoe....
Review: BILLY ELLIOT at Paramount Theatre Aurora IL
That was my feeling after seeing this new production of Billy Elliot at the Paramount Theatre. It runs through March 24. The book and lyrics were written by Lee Hall. The amazing score was written by Sir Elton John. The original 2005 stage musical was inspired by the 2000 film....
Review: ALEX EDELMAN'S JUST FOR US at Steppenwolf Theatre
Alex Edelman's newest solo show JUST FOR US is a riotously hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt meditation on internet culture, Jewish identity, and the limits of radical empathy. It runs through February 25 at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater. Critic's recommendation: get your tickets immediately....
Review: GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago
“Like a Rolling Stone,” the Bob Dylan jukebox musical GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY rolls along at an erratic pace with haphazard direction....
Review: BROTHER SISTER CYBORG SPACE at Raven Theatre
Paul Michael Thomson's newest dramedy BROTHER SISTER CYBORG SPACE, now receiving its world premiere at Raven Theatre, occasionally loses itself in a flood of introspection. But it's buoyed along by a cast of thoughtful and charismatic performers....
Review: A HOME WHAT HOWLS (OR THE HOUSE WHAT WAS RAVINE) at Steppenwolf Theatre
Receiving its world premiere as part of Steppenwolf for Young Adults programming, Matthew Paul Olmos's A HOME WHAT HOWLS features moving performances and a haunting creative vision that make the most of an often frustrating script. It runs through March 2 at Steppenwolf's in-the-round Ensemble Theat...
Review: RICHARD III at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
If new Artistic Director Edward Hall's RICHARD III is any indication of what Chicago audiences can come to expect during his tenure, they would do well to cheer, 'Long live the king.' The darkly comic historical thriller runs through March 3 at CST's Courtyard Theater....
Review: NOTES FROM THE FIELD At TimeLine Theatre Company
With NOTES FROM THE FIELD, playwright Anna Deavere Smith once again proves she’s a master of her genre of theatrical storytelling. Known for her documentary (or verbatim) plays, Smith presents monologues from 19 different interviews in this exploration of the school-to-prison pipeline in America. ...
Review: ILLINOISE at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
ILLINOISE is a journey through our great state of Illinois using movement. Directed and choreographed by Justin Peck and featuring music and lyrics from Sufjan Stevens’s ILLINOIS album, the show uses dance as its primary narrative language. Peck collaborated with playwright Jacke Sibblies Drury on...
Review: SELLING KABUL at Northlight Theatre
Northlight Theatre's production movingly captures the pessimistic practicality and undying hope that still plagues those most affected by a conflict that never really ended. The play runs through February 25....
Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, IL
The new production at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace is Fiddler on the Roof. Under the direction of Elizabeth Margolius, this is a different looking production. It works. The scenic design is subtle but very powerful....
Review: IN THE HEIGHTS at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL
The new production at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is In The Heights. The music and lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda (pre-Hamilton) and the book is by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Washington Heights in New York City is the setting. This is a story about hope, love but mostly family.
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Review: HIGHWAY PATROL at Goodman Theatre
HIGHWAY PATROL has refreshing bravery and honesty; it’s an intriguing exploration of online identity and the connections that might be found, or that we seek to find, on our social media profiles and in our DMs....
Videos
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Windfall Steppenwolf Theatre Company (4/09-5/31) |
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South Pacific Paramount Arts Centre (4/29-6/14) |
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EWP presents Robbie Fulks & Griffin William Sherry Showcase Raue Center For The Arts (8/07-8/07) |
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Bride To Be Newport Theater (6/05-6/05) |
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Rio: A Tribute to Duran Duran Raue Center For The Arts (5/29-5/29) VIDEOS |
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Two Out of Three Falls The Factory Theater (6/04-7/18) |
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Job Writers Theatre (4/09-6/14) |
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Chicago Live! Navy Pier (9/19-9/20) |
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Bach Iben Organ Marathon Westminster Presbyterian Church (5/31-5/31) |
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Good People By David Lindsay-Abaire 4 Chairs Theatre (7/17-8/23) PHOTOS |
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