The Real Thing
Never mind the hype, it’s always bollocks.
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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!
Riff Raff
These hapless losers and half-brothers screwed-up a robbery of a drug dealer that resulted in Torch being shot in the hand after he shot one during the sting. 20/20 Mike calls his old running buddy and cell mate- Tony Lee-the tiger (Eric Sherman-Christ) to help them escape NYC. The result is a fast paced, well acted emotionally packed crime drama.
Read MoreThe Count of Monte Cristo
The Count is a noble man, learned, driven, excellent; he performs great deeds. And yet he has, at times, surrounded himself with unsavory characters. He is consumed by his desires, his drive; and yet, when they are consummated, what is left for him? Is revenge justice or pettiness? The story delves deeply into morality, and not in a simplistic way.
Read MoreBlue Man Group 2011
The three blues are studies in nuance and non-verbal communication – from the pertinent turn of a head to the gesture of a finger – everything becomes clear. The Blue Men can be slapstick or poignant; they capture and display emotion easily and with aplomb and wind us around their drumming fingers with each and every shtick. Their individual facial features may be blurred by the blue, but oh those speaking eyes!
Read MoreThe Fever Chart: Four Visions of the Middle East
They deal with their issues in complex, thought-provoking, fair, and difficult ways. They are mature and ask for discussion, delving into the depths of their implications and repercussions. None of them are point-blank, simple, blanketed statements. They are sympathetic to all parties involved, neither bearing ideology nor dogmatism.
Read MoreIN THE NEXT ROOM or the vibrator play
Who would ever think that such a topic could be molded into a drama? With wit, humor, and compassion, Sarah Ruhl takes historical fact – the medical use of vibrators to calm female patients suffering from what was diagnosed as hysteria in the late 19th century – and innovatively weaves it into a tale of love on many levels, including but certainly not limited to the physical.
Read MoreSummer & Smoke
Alma is almost wholly focused on the fulfillment of the soul; while John is focused purely on the fulfillment of the body. They both try to convince the other of the merits of their way of thinking; but as I said, they are both flawed manifestations of even their points of view.
Read MoreSpunk
Narrated and framed by Southern blues played deftly by Kelvyn Bell (Guitar Man) and sung soulfully by Alexis J. Rogers, Spunk unfolds as a funny yet poignant adaptation (by George C. Wolfe) of three short stories by Zora Neale Hurston – “Sweet,” “Story in Harlem Slang,” and “The Guilded Six-Bits.”
Read MoreClybourne Park
When they were told that inadvertently they sold their home to a Black family, Russ staunchly refused to listen to the racist rationalizations from Karl (Cliff Chamberlain) a neighborhood organizer bent on keeping the neighborhood white. Act One exposes the white racism clouded by stability issues that shatter the peacefulness of the 1950’s.
Read MoreMy Fair Lady at Paramount Theatre Aurora
The lavish sets, gorgeous score, witty lyrics, fine period costumes and the spirited performances makes Paramount Theatre’s inaugural Broadway musical a high standard affair that instantly gives Paramount credibility. We need a western suburban theatre such as the 1800 seat large proscenium stage Paramount Theatre to succeed so that large-scale classic musical can be offered outside of downtown Chicago with our home-grown talents
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