Tom Williams

Follies is a most worthy production featuring a large no-Equity cast each dedicated to producing musical theatre art with an eye on craft and showmanship. They succeed nicely under the detailed direction of Marlon Barden and the effective choreography from Robin Lehtman.

Nederlands Dana Theater I brings their amazing modern dance style to Chicago tonight at 7;30 pm at the Auditorium Theatre

Cleage’s drama elucidates the faces that the civil rights movement produced with the emphasis on five women’s perspectives. Mrs. King’s legacy is vividly presented by each of the disparate African-American women.

Kudos to Jackie Taylor and Rueben Echoles for casting such a fine collection of crooners! We enjoy the golden voices of the ‘old crooners’–Trinity P. Muedock, Donald Barnes and Magellen Watts and their children–Donald Manuel, Michael T. Bartlett and Rashawn Thompson.

In Ride, Miller presents one of his most complex characters–Lyman Felt (Robert Dennison)–a self-made insurance millionaire. Lyman is brilliant, charming and quite charismatic. He is also a devious, amoral, selfish, delusional liar who convinces himself that his deceptions are truthful

Topol’s Chicago opening resulted in a resounding standing ovation from the packed house. It isn’t only Topol’s voice – which is as strong and mesmerizing as ever — or his acting ability — which is finely honed – it is all the little touches that make up a great role – the innuendos inherent in a raised eyebrow, a shrugged shoulder, a sly grin.

5th of July moves along breezily with biting humor in the early moments yet it builds dramatic tension as each person come to grips with facing the present and putting the past to rest. Wilson populates his plays with full rounded characters with whom we care about.

Michael Halberstam has conceived and directed a marvelous new operetta based on Shaw’s 1894, Candida. In a collaboration with Austin Pendleton (adapter), Jan Tranen (lyrics) and Josh Schmidt (music), A Minster’s Wife, now in a world premiere at Writers’ Theatre in Glencoe is stunning work of art

Third tells the story of Laurie Jameson (Robin Lewis-Bedz), a middle aged college professor whose well-ordered life as a wife, mother and daughter is thrown into disarray when she accuses a student of plagiarism