… three versions of Liza Minnelli fuel Conrad Ticklebottom’s (Scott Duff) redemption or make-over as we see his story unfold that would make Ebenezer Scrooge cringe. Gone are the days when Conrad’s purple box ignited a fashion movement. With the help of the three witches from Macbeth and the three Lizas, Conrad’s story teaches us that we need “Christmas Every Day” and literally we should “Give It A Christmas Goose” as the ideal way to celebrate the holidays.
Read MoreBook by John Reeger Music & lyrics by Julie Shannon Directed by L. Walter Stearns Musical Director Eugene Dizon Choreographer
Read MoreThis show is an ode to the dignity and joy of traditional African living now spoiled by modernity. The music is intoxicating, the dancing sparkles and the mood and atmosphere exudes humanity and the spirit of community. Rueban D. Echoles has a splendid, toe-tapping joyous operetta that begs for an audience. Kudos for Black Ensemble for taking a risk with this original yet traditional “dancesical” that plays out also as a song fest and an ethnic African folk concert. Once Upon A People is a slick, well-staged fairytale with loads of heart. It touches us deeply with its positive message and wonderful spirit. It is one of the finest show yet produced by the Black Ensemble! Don’t miss it!
Read MoreIt has been a few years since I’ve seen The Santaland Diaries. I was particularly impressed as how Mitchell Fain both commands the stage and how he personalizes the story without making drastic changes to David Sedaris’ script. One only has to witness Fain’s opening to see a master comic and a terrific actor doing his craft. Fain’s skill at engaging and audience with his crude but very human honesty
Read MoreIt is 1931 in Monoreville, Alabama when seven-year-old Buddy is dropped of by his mother to his eccentric extended family. Buddy’s first friend quickly becomes his best friend. He develops a life altering unforgettable relationship with the 60something cousin, Miss Sook. She is a spinster recluse woman who never left the county, never ate in a restaurant and never married. Her world is the small house, cooking and being friends with Buddy. She is kind to everyone as she sees the best in everyone. She is thankful to the Lord and beholding to the wonders of nature. She nurtures Buddy as she teaches him by example what it is to be kind, gentle and human.
Read MoreFor an alternative to all those family-friendly holiday shows, try The Seafarer. It’ll give you reasons to go on the wagon for the duration of the holidays! McPherson’s The Seafarer is another of his cathartic plays that allow him to purge his personal battle against alcoholism. (He is now dry for more than 10 years!) He paints contemporary Irish life wherein many men use the act of drinking as a male bonding ritual and a means of companionship. Heavy drinking is a reality escape and a self-loathing act of loneliness and isolation
Read MoreAs part of their off-night Hugen Hall series, Strawdog Theatre presents prolific Chicago playwright Brett Nevue’s latest work, Detective Partner Hero Villain. This is a clever, funny, yet poignant work that spoofs the old detective films of the ’40/’50’s as well as comic book heroes. It is filled with all that stilted dialogue found in those B-movie black and white films of the 40/50’s yet it is also a clever parody of the hero genre.
Read MoreI have seen this annual gem many times with an assortment of Scrooges including William J. Norris, Frank Galati, Tom Mula, Rick Snyder, William Brown, Jonathan Weir, John Judd and Larry Yando. Each have played the nasty, money-loving old man with both pathos and humor as the nasty, lonely man finds redemption. I must say that Larry Yando once again proves again that he is the ultimate Scrooge
Read MoreKudos to playwright Alfred Uhry. Just as in his Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award Winning play and movie, “Driving Miss Daisy,” he has once again mined the world of Southern Jewry for a heartwarming story transcending ethnic and regional limitations.
Read MoreFirst Floor Theatre embarked on its first full season with a selection of shows which reaffirm their mission of inspiring intellectual curiosity in their artists and audiences. The three shows which First floor theatre has lined up this season are smart moving funny and tragic. These shows look up to our past while asking vital questions about our future, both as individuals and as citizens of a contemporary city. Polaroid Stories definitely fits these terms well, and poses strong questions about some of the overlooked yet very real parts of contemporary society.
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