HANDMADE WRITNG

by Tina St. Angelo - January 11, 2026

What did our critic think of YESTON & KOPIT'S PHANTOM IN CONCERT at BrightSide Theatre?...

by Tina St. Angelo - December 07, 2025

There are 2 artistic performances in Chicago when you know its Christmastime. One is the Goodman’s A Christmas Carol and the other is the Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Lyric....

by Rachel Weinberg - December 04, 2025

Thanks to Buddy the Elf, ELF THE MUSICAL has plenty of holiday cheer. Jack Ducat has large shoes to fill as the beloved film character Buddy, a now adult man raised on the North Pole by Santa (Andrew Hendrick) and his elves— who must then venture into the wilds of New York City to meet his human fat...

by Zac Thriffiley - December 04, 2025

This year's timeless and timely production, under the thoughtful yet daring direction of Malkia Stampley, runs through December 31....

by Tina St. Angelo - November 28, 2025

Don’t forget where you came from. Words spoken by Sam Phillips, founder and owner of Sun Records, to Elvis Presley. The holiday production at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre is Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. It continues the story where Million Dollar Quartet ends. ...

by Tina St. Angelo - November 25, 2025

An aptly titled song from one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century, Irving Berlin. The holiday offering at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Jeff Award-winning director Stephen Schellhardt has created a musical that will stay with you long after the last note ...

by Rachel Weinberg - November 17, 2025

AMADEUS at Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a lively and sprawling production of Peter Shaffer’s play. Director Robert Falls, the recently retired former Goodman Theatre Artistic Director, makes his Steppenwolf directorial debut with one of the best uses of Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater I’ve seen. ...

by Rachel Weinberg - November 13, 2025

HELL’S KITCHEN, the Alicia Keys jukebox musical now making its Chicago premiere as part of the first national tour, has a messy storyline wrapped in slick packaging. While the show is loosely based on Keys’s childhood in Manhattan, the storytelling is generic, and the songs are often awkwardly incor...

by Misha Davenport - October 27, 2025

What did our critic think of JEKYLL & HYDE at Kokandy Productions?...

by Tina St. Angelo - October 25, 2025

It’s just a jump to the left… famous words that the audience is waiting for.  The first show at BrightSide Theatre for its 14th season dedicated to For the Fun of It is Richard O’Brien’s campy, cult classic The Rocky Horror Show....