Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows Based on the Story and Characters of Damon Runyon Directed by Rudy Hogenmiller Choreographed by Clayton Cross Conducted by Shawn Stengel Produced by Light Opera Works, Evanston New Talent Keeps an Old Favorite Vital I’ve seen Light Opera Works do such a … Read more
By Jackie Taylor Directed by Rueben D. Echoles Musical Direction by Robert Reddick Produced by Black Ensemble Theater, Chicago The Divas Walk among Us 2016 will mark the Black Ensemble Theater’s fortieth anniversary, and their upcoming season looks set to be a fantastic retrospective. The Uptown/Ravenswood-based company, which is still led by its founder, Jackie … Read more
By George Frideric Handel Music Director/Conductor Produced by Apollo Chorus of Chicago At the Harris Theater, Chicago Heavenly rendition of Handel’s masterpiece a terrific holiday tradition Handel’s 1741 oratorio Messiah has been presented since 1879 in Chicago by the Apollo Chorus of Chicago! This 136th yearly production is more than a holiday tradition, it is … Read more
Conceived by Marc Kudisch Created by Marc Kudisch with Merwin Foard, Jeff Mattsey and Timothy Splain Directed by David Dower Music Direction by Timothy Splain Produced by Hershey Felder At the Royal George Theatre, Chicago A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor … Read more
Written and Directed by Bruce Norris Produced by Steppenwolf Theatre Company Norris Returns to His Old Stomping Grounds People familiar with the works of Bruce Norris, and people who regularly attend Steppenwolf undoubtedly are, may remember his 2000 play The Infidel. Inspired by the downfall of New York Chief Justice Sol Wachtler, The Infidel centered … Read more
By Okko Leo Translated by Kristian London Directed by Brad Akin Produced by Akvavit Theatre Playing at Rivendell Theatre Finnish Satire is Tough Humor is difficult to do successfully across cultures. That’s particularly true of humor that is based on irony, detachment, or, in the case of young Finnish playwright Okko Leo’s Orkesteri, now in … Read more
By Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort Directed by Matt Hovde Produced by The Second City and The Goodman Theatre At the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Theatre Dickens…Twisted, Not Scrooged As it would be my first Second City show, I had great expectations for Twist Your Dickens. It is, after all, penned by two Emmy-winning, former writers … Read more
World Premiere Music by Jimmy Lopez Libretto by Nilo Cruz Opera in two acts in Spanish, English, Japanese, Russian, German, French and Quechua Based on the novel by Ann Patchert Commissioned by the Lyric Opera of Chicago Curated by Renee Fleming Conductor Sir Andrew Davis Stage director Kevin Newbury At the Lyric Opera Chicago Stunning … Read more
Translated and Adapted from Federico García Lorca Directed and Adapted by Robert Shoemaker Produced by Poetry Is Playing at Red Twist Theatre, Chicago A Southern Gothic Treatment of Spain No matter how bravely theatre artists praise limited resources and for spurring creativity, it’s still always a relief to see productions that are heavily shaped by … Read more
By David Ives Adapted from Jean-François Regnard Directed by John Rando Produced by Chicago Shakespeare Theater Louis XIV Dances on His Throne It can be hard to know sometimes, when looking at an old, long-forgotten script, whether to admire it as a forgotten treasure, or to accept the judgment of history, and leave it on … Read more