By Scott McPherson Directed by Sandy Shinner Produced by Shattered Globe Theatre Playing in Theater Wit, Chicago Still Laughing Long After Death Shattered Globe, a much-respected Equity company, has just started its landmark twenty-fifth season. In a mood for reflection, the company is mounting a play that premiered at the Goodman in same year as … Read more
By Neil Simon Directed by Michael Driscoll Produced by Step Up Productions At the Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago Vintage Simon classic in good hands Featuring a terrific set design (by William Boles) of a 6th floor NYC walk up complete with a skylight with a broken pane that actually becomes a character in the play, director … Read more
By Nambi E. Kelly Directed by Ilesa Duncan Music Composition & Direction by Jaret Landon Produced by Pegasus Theatre Chicago Playing At Chicago Dramatists, Chicago A Mystical Reconciliation With the Ever-Present Past Pegasus Theatre Chicago launched its 2015/2016 season last week with the world premiere of For Her As A Piano. A new play by … Read more
By Madeleine George Directed by Jeremy Wechsler Produced by Theater Wit Many Interweaving Stories With an Elusive Reward It’s been a successful year for Theater Wit, with Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play having been extended twice, and Bad Jews still playing at the Royal George. Perhaps artistic director Jeremy Wechsler felt comfortable doing something a … Read more
(The Story of Chaz & Roger Ebert) Written & directed by Jackie Taylor At the Black Ensemble Theater, Chicago Light bio/love story light on story long on emotions I’m not sure that a play with music about the loving relationship of a black woman, Chaz (Rashada Dawan), and her white male lover, Roger Ebert (Kevin … Read more
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Rockwell Musical Direction by Doug Peck Produced by Chicago Shakespeare Theater Dark Humor Makes Musical About Dead Kids All the Better If you were an artistic director, and somebody pitched to you the idea of a musical about teenagers … Read more
By Geraldine Aron Directed by Siri Scott Produced by Irish Theatre of Chicago At Chief O’ Neill’s Pub, Chicago Terrific performance by Barbara Figgins saves one-person Irish play Usually a one-person play is about a famous celebrity, a politician, or notable person, but in Geraldine Aron’s 2004 one woman show, My Brilliant Divorce, the woman, … Read more
By Elizabeth Irwin Directed by Sandra Márquez Produced by Teatro Vista Playing at The Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, Chicago Fan Service For the Political Man Teatro Vista opened its 25th Anniversary Season this week with Elizabeth Irwin’s My Mañana Comes, a drama about the back-of-house lives of four busboys that endure the grind of their … Read more
Book and Lyrics by Peter Gwinn Music by Jody Shelton Directed and Choreographed by Christopher Pazdernik Music Direction by David Kornfeld Produced by Underscore Theatre Company Playing at The Chopin Theatre, Chicago Clichés Can Be Fun Underscore Theatre Company is dedicated to developing new musicals and guiding works that are not yet fully-formed. While you … Read more
Music by Gioachino Rossini Libretto by Jacopo Ferretti Directed by Joan Font Conducted by Sir Andrew Davis Produced by Lyric Opera of Chicago Rollicking Music with a Dramatic Flavor is Opera at its Best It’s a fun time to be an opera fan. Later this season, the Lyric Opera of Chicago will perform Alban Berg’s … Read more