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 script is at once serious yet playful, superficial yet deep. Depression, suicide, and deadly disease sit next to the dalliance of drugs and frat-boy pranks. It’s the combination that Adam Rapp balances so well that makes this piece what it is. And Mary-Arrchie Theatre brings a smart interpretation of the text with strong actors that make this a piece really worth watching.
Read MoreThis nicely plotted drama is full of surprises that I’ll not reveal but as each character gets fully flushed out, we see how each character changes how they define themselves. Becoming an a adult has nothing to do with age as this tightly drawn drama so nicely shows.
Read MoreModest Mussorgky’s only completed opera is not for the faint of heart; it is not for those who like the Italians and nothing else, the lyrical, the symphonic, the easy ones. Boris Godunov is a difficult piece, at once crass and deep, with, on the one hand, somewhat technically amateurish composition, and, on the other, incredible insight into not only how to musically convey the moods of the characters but how to convey the chaos and horror around them.
Read MoreMaestro is an amazing theatrical tour de force that finds Hershey Felder once more capturing the essence of his subject – this time his passion is for Leonard Bernstein(1918 -1990). Felder nimbly uses his prodigious piano skills, his stellar accents and his deep understanding of Leonard Bernstein – the artist and Bernstein the man.
Read MoreThis is a slick journey through the roots of both vaudeville and the African-American musical experience…that explains Black history from 1830 to 1930 with emphasis on the Great Migration Era of 1910-1930, Keep A Song In Your Soul is a tuneful expose on American country, blue grass, work songs & chants, gospel, ragtime and jazz styles that shaped 20th Century vaudeville shows.
Read MoreMaria teaches the kids to sing (the toe-tapping “Do-Re-Me”) and wins their hearts with her unconditional loving spirit and energy. Maria also falls for the Captain (Larry Adams). The family is forced to flee the Nazi’s before the Captain is forced to join the German navy. The Sound of Music is a charming, heartwarming musical treat containing some of the best know show tunes and filled with enough goodness and purity to entertain all ages.
Read MoreThis is a sweet, feel-good musical that is as much an Irving Berlin musical as a holiday show. It is family friendly and a toe-tapping delight. Once you see it, it’ll make you enjoy the eventual White Christmas to come.
Read MoreRonan Marra found and expertly directs Canadian Hannah Moscovitch’s two one-acts: East of Berlin and The Russian Play. I can’t remember when I’ve witness such a riveting and fully engrossing new works!
Read MoreThe famous sextet when Edgardo crashes the wedding between Lucia and Arturo, Chi mi frena in tal momento?, is rich with countermelody and contrappunto, the polyphony not just musical but emotional, with six people expressing themselves deeply and strikingly. When Lucia loses her mind, Il dolce suono…Ardon gli incensi is an absolutely astounding representation of madness in music. Pardon the plebeian expression, but it is mindblowing. And Susanna Phillips absolutely brings it home. A superlative performance, to any eyes.
Read MoreThe National Tour of Mary Poppins began in Chicago in March 2009 at the Palace Theatre playing 18 weeks to 300,000 people grossing over $18.5 million at the box office. There are six productions worldwide grossing over $605 million and playing to 8.5 million guests! All this happened due to meticulous stage craft, catchy well-know tunes and a superb dance and special effects
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