The Top 10 Plays of 2011
These are the ten top plays of 2011 in Chicago that reflect excellent stage craft and flawless production values according to us at Chicagocritic.com.
Read More
REVIEWS BY
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Written by Neil Simon Directed by W. F.Wilson Prisoner captures audience There is nothing like a Neil Simon play for
Read MoreThe Addams Family National Tour
The Addams Family features a marvelous score and witty/funny lyrics by Andrew Lippa whose score has everything from vaudeville, to power ballads, to tango/fandango, to patter songs, to a pop/rock pastiches that deftly tell the story and enrich the characters. Lippa score is the vehicle that drives this show–it has humor, panache and loads of heart. There are hummable take-home songs here such as the opening “When You’re an Addams” and dance tune “Just Around the Corner.”
Read MoreThe Secret Garden
It is wonderful that the management at Light Opera Works keeps producing authentic productions of classic operettas and Broadway musicals using the full orchestrations from the originals with a full 28 piece orchestra. The lush score filled with haunting operetta style ballads and English folk melodies, The Secret Garden is a beautiful heart-warming musical filled with charm and wholesomeness.
Read MoreLa Cage Aux Folles National Tour
From the opening number that was changed and poorly danced by the six boys (instead of the mixed gender 13 from the 1983 original), we quickly realize that this crude production is a mere parody of the lush heart-felt original that was ground-braking in 1983-84 since it featured a male-male relationship. In this production, no one will ever believe that George Hamilton and Chris Sieber have been lovers for more that 20 years
Read MorePenelope
This is all by means of saying that this play bears incredible intellectual fruit. It is, like Beckett, like Brecht, deep in meaning and rich in metaphor. But, also like Beckett and Brecht, it is incredibly hard to stage successfully. And Steppenwolf falls short…And the play itself, I say again, I find fascinating and highly worthy of both praise and production. But, sadly, this particular one falls short. Perhaps in a few years – maybe with some Irish help – the right people will come together and create magic with this piece.
Read MoreA Christmas Story – The Musical
Led by the steady work from Gene Weygandt as Shepherd and by golden-voiced youngster Clarke Hallum as Ralphie, A Christmas Story The Musical is a most winning full-blown Broadway musical true to its source material and marvelously acted, sung, and danced by a 30 person cast consisting of a mixture of Chicago Equity talents and a polished troupe of kid talents. Adam Petly, George Andrew Wolff and Karen Mason are a few of the Chicago players featured in this family friendly new show.
Read MoreThe Magic Flute
For those of us either unfamiliar or who hold only cursory knowledge of the opera, it’s sort of Mozart’s musical comedy. Overall it’s quite light and the morality of it is somewhat ham-handed, if classic: typical Sun vs. Moon, Light vs. Dark, Wisdom vs. Ignorance sort of stuff. Maybe (though not necessarily) some references to Free Masonry in there.
Read MoreOpus
Utilizing flashbacks for the back story, Opus is a compelling ‘family’ story of how personal dynamics, professional jealousy, sexual relationships, and drugs contribute to the vibrant culture of the four expert musicians. Opus deftly offers a glimpse into the artistic world of musicians striving for perfection in their art.
Read MoreI Love a Piano
Irving Berlin… And what about “God Bless America?” “Blue Skies?” ” A Pretty Girl is like a Melody?” “Puttin’ on the Ritz?” “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning?” “Easter Parade?” and the scores of his Broadway and Hollywood hits? If this list continued to include all his songs, it would be over 900 titles long – and include 19 musicals and 18 movies!
Read More