These are Chicago Critics Must See shows. If you are only going to see one show let us recommend one of these great pieces of true Art!
The Ben Hecht Show is filled with fine examples of Hecht’s brilliant writing that was expertly delivered by James Sherman. This is an important solo show that contains the wit, wisdom, and commitment of a major public figure to a worthy cause. Hecht’s story is in good hands with Sherman.
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I thought it might be challenging to bring my 9 year old daughter since this is so different from the other shows she is accustomed to seeing. She absolutely loved it and really understood it even pointing out some very valid observations to me. You are truly going to be thrilled once you attend this brand new beautiful Lake Forest theatre and performance of The Secret Garden.
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As someone who is not often partial to comedies or musicals, Bat Boy: The Musical found a willing and entertained viewer in me. Though I imagine its humor is especially suited to Millennials and younger generations, I think fans of musical theatre in general could find something to enjoy in this show, provided they are amenable to camp humor.
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In a world-premiere drama featuring a plethora of signature Lookingglass acrobatics and early twentieth century vaudeville acts, Douglas and the cast explore the psychological impact of blackface on the white and black performers who used it, the politics of access, and the way racial disparity can taint even the closest relationships.
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Advise theatre patrons to withhold donations or not to purchase tickets to Profiles shows until the above are removed form Profiles Theatre.
Let us state that Chicagocritic.com will NOT review any upcoming Profiles Theatres shows until new leadership takes over Profiles Theatre.
Tom Williams & Jacob Davis
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The Sound of Music is so sweet, so pure that it can’t help but please. This is solid family entertainment. This National Tour is charming and well executed; it is a star-making role for Kerstin Anderson, still a college student. She anchors a wonderful production. Hurry, you only have through Sunday, June 12.
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Northanger Abbey is a charming coming-of-age novel, filled with wit, humor and insight, and this musical version certainly does justice to the original. For Austen fans, there can never be too many adaptations, but one need not have read the book to enjoy this play; it stands on its own, providing a delightful evening of entertainment.
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There are some images that will never leave your mind, if Lekethia Dalcoe has anything to say about it. The latest product of Congo Square’s August Wilson New Play initiative, Dalcoe’s A Small Oak Tree Runs Red puts a horrifying twist on the concept of a memory play, with the ghosts of three historical lynching victims struggling to remember and come to terms with their experiences.
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Nick Sandy’s in this 2016 performance seemed more confident as Higgins as he was equally terrific to his 2009 take on Higgins.
This production of My Fair Lady looks gorgeous, sounds wonderful and sings beautifully while still having Shaw’s biting social attacks on British society in 1907. Take your family and friends to enjoy one of the greatest musicals of all-time here in a most enjoyable production!
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Caught is a very smart, humorous, and thought-provoking play, and one whose experience will linger with us long after the stage lights rise: I believe its effect actually has the power to transform the way we think because of how it works on us (or, better, plays with us) at the very crux of our thinking, in our acts of conceptualizing and understanding. If you enjoy plays that are highly intellectually engaging as well as entertaining, and you like to have something to talk about after a show, you will not want to miss Sideshow Theatre’s Caught.
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