Tom Williams Black Ensemble Theater’s Season of Men continues with “I Gotcha” (The Story of Joe Tex and the Soul Clan). Written by Joe Plummer and David Barr III, “I Gotcha” uses the basic Black Ensemble formula: blending tidbits of biographical information with a character sketch of the principal person to that person’s music and those he/she associated with.
This nostalgic musical revue features a girl-group, The Taffetas, out of Muncie, Indiana as they appear on a national network TV show in the 1950’s.
Now in its second year at the Bank of America Theatre on Monroe Street, Jersey Boys keeps getting raves from the packed houses that come to see each performance – and with good reason
The British Stage Company and producer Damian Arnold have mounted one of the funniest sex farces to arrive in Chicago (at the Royal George Theatre) for sometime, Don’t Dress for Dinner. This wildly funny show is a treat for these bluesy holiday times.
The story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice Music by Bob Gaudio Lyrics by Bob Crewe Directed by Des McAnuff Slick production and strong book and 33 hit songs propel Jersey Boys Not since Mama Mia has a jukebox musical exploded like Jersey Boys. With seat down … Read more
Evanston resident and Yale law graduate, Anne Nicholson Weber has sought answers concerning the effects of film and TV on theatre. She has interviewed 24 theatre/film/TV experts allowing them to express in their own words: “How can theatre thrive in a culture dominated by film and television?”
Editor’s note: Tom Williams originally published this Chicago Critic list in 2002. Musical-theatre reputations and revival histories have changed considerably since then, so several titles once described as overlooked are now firmly established classics. We’ve cleaned up the original archive, corrected creator credits and added brief context while preserving Tom’s 25 selections. Some of these … Read more
by Tom Williams 1. Show Boat by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II 2. Les Miserables by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg & Herbert Kretzmer 3. My Fair Lady by Frederick Loewe & Alan Jay Lerner 4. Gypsy by Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim 5. Oklahoma by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II 6. Crazy For … Read more
The opening ten minutes of a Broadway Musical are critical. Every great show has a great opening. Even if a musical gets the opening correct, the show can still fall apart. But, get the opening wrong and the show surely will fail. The audience’s expectations are sent in the wrong direction and once they realize that they have been misled, they will feel cheated.
The 25 Significant American Dramatic Plays That Everyone Should See