Fueled by playwright Brett Neveu’s brilliant writing and Kate Buddeke’s riveting performance, this solo show tells a horrible story about an unremarkable woman forced to deal with the powerful forces that have shaped her destiny. Her secret from the time she placed something in the steamer trunk she finds in the basement. This heart-braking story speaks to the events that changed her identify and controlled her choices.
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City Lit Theatre has mounted another world premiere of another Shirley Jackson novel, The Sundial adapted for the stage and directed by Paul Edwards. Billed as a mystery thriller and a darkly Gothic gem, The Sundial is a disaster of a play! According to the press notes, this work is suppose to be a “philosophical and frightening ghost story set in a haunted mansion.” However, the play I saw was a mixture of Gothic eerie family conflict with stupid silliness disguised as humor with hints of a mystery which was never solved and evolves into an doomsday eventually. Nothing works here,
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While “The Most Happy Fella” has been called “the most operatic of classic
American Musicals,” Loesser cleverly interweaves down-to-earth subjects.
Cleo soaks her tired feet in a basin of water while singing about how
painful they are, farm hands stand on a corner singing “Watching All the
Girls Go By, ” Rosebella and Tony perform a hilarious duet in “Happy to
Make your Acquaintance,” and Herman is dazzled when he learns how to make
a fist and sings a tribute to his hand.
Salute to Vienna celebrates more than 21 years of New Year’s concerts, rounding off the holiday season with entertaining, light-hearted performances in 23 North American cities this year. More than 60,000 concert-goers will party like it’s 1899 between December 27 and January 3, when Salute to Vienna will kick off 2017 in the 81-year old tradition of Vienna’s world famous “Neujahrskonzert”
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Here are the 12 Best stage performances for 2016:
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Lookingglass Theatre sure knows how to mount a little show – a two-hander actually into a complex superbly staged piece of emotional storytelling. Credit playwright/director Doug Hara’s love of the basic nature of theatre-that is storytelling into a captivating 85 minutes of stage craft. This two person show is called (by the playwright0 ” A love story…and a murder mystery…and a science-fiction fantasy…and a fairy tale adventure.” Hara also sees it as a philosophical exploration of what it means to be “alive.”
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The Phantom of the Opera overwhelmed me once again with its stagecraft, its melodic score and its wonderful singing. I enjoyed this production. The opening night audience gave it a roaring standing ovation that was amazing since it was playing Chicago for the eight time! Worldwide, over 130 million people have see Phantom of the Opera in the more than 90,000 performances; there are currently 6 productions running worldwide.
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The story, part fable, part frontier ghost story and parable, takes us from a campfire to wondering through the woods as the group fears a bear attack. When Tobias, the pragmatic hunter, decides to protect the community from the bear, he ventures into the woods in search. His imaginative son Elliot, who loves storytelling, wonders out into the forest to aid his father, he disappears.
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It is all amazing, especially considering the limited stage in this cozy
theater. Once again, Stage Door rises to the challenge and proves that
“less can be more” — much more. “Vegas: a Night on the Strip” may not
replace an actual trip to Nevada — but this production is a work of art
in and of itself.