Belleville
A smart script, tense direction, and masterclass performances make this a must-see summer thriller.
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MUST SEE
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!
Beaten
What makes Beaten so compelling are the terrific performances by the cast. Conor McCahill, once he slows down and stops mumbling in several of his monologues, is most empathetic. Kristin Collins and Kathryn Ascota were excellent in the troubled mother-daughter dynamic. Kathy Scambiatterra is a hoot as the tough, foul-mouthed pot-smoking grandmother. We empathize with the characters and we see the flaws within each as we try to decide what and who is best for Chloe. You’ll be surprised at how it all plays out. Beaten is a worthy play.
Read MoreThom Pain (based on nothing)
It’s not especially out of the ordinary in the theater for there to be bouts of nervous laughter. But usually, it’s unintentional—the awkward byproduct of jokes gone awry, actors gone off-key or whole plays gone sadly off the rails. Rare is the play which demands nervous laughter. Insists upon it. Nay, even feeds off of it.
Read MoreThe Jungle Book – The Musical
The Jungle Book is a major new work that contains am amazing range of artistry. From the innovative musical arrangements by Doug Peck wherein he using jazz and Indian musicians with trumpets, clarinets, trombones, saxophones with Sitar, veena, carnatic violin and tablas to create a unique music; to the outstanding costumes by Mara Blumenfeld; to the sharp lighting by T.J. Gerckens to the imaginative staging by director Mary Zimmerman, we experience a delightful story filled with jubilant sangs and dances and populated by spirited characters led by the outstanding performance by young Akash Chopra. The Jungle Book is stylized, refreshing new musical that is amazingly polished and near finished and ready for Broadway. I’m begging that Chicago will export another hit show to NYC with The Jungle Book. This family friendly show will please all with its honesty and its polished stage craft.
Read MoreDeath and Harry Houdini – 2013 Remount
The magic tricks — dazzling as they may be (palming cards, disappearing/reappearing objects, walking on glass, and the like) — are balanced by this exploration of a man who wanted to defy death and who — if not immortal, was at the very least invincible in his craft. It is a life story retold through the magician’s most famous tricks and escapes. Allen’s skillfully paced story of Houdini’s struggles gathers intensity until it ultimately touches the heart as well as the imagination.
Read MoreTartuffe
Set in Chicago’s highly affluent Hyde Park/Kenwood neighborhood, there is something terrifyingly relevant about the evangelist Tartuffe’s efforts to dispossess Orgon of his property, ensnare his daughter in abject bondage, and ultimately cuckold Orgon before finally sending him off to be incarcerated for crimes against the state. The racial undertones of Newell’s production, featuring a black man threatened with prison, leaving his wife and two children to fend for themselves, is a narrative sadly all too familiar to modern American audiences.
Read MoreThe Land of Smiles
Chicago Folks Operetts’s new English translation (from German) of The Land of Smiles marks the first production of Smiles in Chicago in 25 years. This is a landmark production; an exquisite artistic achievement; and a beautifully sounded and sung operetta. Each artistic element contributes to a wonderful, lavish and lovable theatrical experience. From the 20 piece orchestra conducted by Kim Diehnelt to the wonderful set designed by Ian Zywica to the fabulous video projections by Liviu Pasare with terrific rear-screen images and personal silhouettes to the vivid and unique costume designs by Kate Kamphausen- all thses elements contributed to make The Land of Smiles an artistic splendor seldom seen on a Chicago stage!
Read MoreThe Pirates of Penzance
An always classic Gilbert and Sullivan gets a twist as the tall ship Windy sets sail from Navy Pier with a merry band of misfits!
Read MoreShakespeare’s Cymbeline A Folk Tale With Music
The world premiere of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline A Folk Tale With Music is a sheer delight! Combining the lyrical words of The Bard with tuneful, expert music and lyrics by Michael Keefe and David Rice and putting Cymbeline in Appalachia during the American Civil War adds punch to the tale making more folk than fairy (tale). With 10 songs accompanied by a jug band, this Cymbeline is a tale with music but it is darn-near a hillbilly musical.
Read MoreThe Pride
The Pride reminds us that buried even within the essential question of civil liberties, there remains still more fundamental questions about how gay men connect to one another. Even as we here in the U.S. seem to teeter on unprecedented political victories for GLBT individuals, The Pride doesn’t let us forget that such hard won personal liberties mean nothing if used only as a pretext for further withdrawal and self-isolation.
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