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Music ReviewsOperaTom Williams

Jason (Giasone)

Chicago Opera Theater presents the first of three baroque masterpieces over the next few years. This season features Francesco Cavalli’s 1649 opera devoted toMedea as a central character – Jason (Giasone). The rarely presented opera was quite different from any opera I’ve ever witnessed.

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REVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

Girls vs. Boys

House Theatre’s idea to turn their new loud (rock) musical at the Chopin Theatre, Girls vs. Boys, into a concert-like experience is a great idea that fits in perfectly with this part of Chicago. However, the material of the show does not create rock concert euphoria because it is not fun. The music is continually interrupted by long scenes of cheesy dialogue, the characters are stock and interchangeable, it is often difficult to hear the singer/actors onstage, and rather than stirring the audience into the frenzied euphoria I mentioned, it begs the audience to have fun.

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Theatre ReviewsTom Williams

The Farnsworth Invention (Two Reviews)

Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing and A Few Good Men) loves stories about powerful visionaries. His Chicago premiere of The Farnsworth Invention is a fast faced historical drama about the invention of television. It ultimately pits Russian emigrant, David Sorkin (1891-1971) the founder of NBC and Chairman of RCA – pure Eastern Establishment mogul verses the hayseed Western genius visionary, Philo T. Farnsworth (1906-1971) – the inventor of most of the elements for television

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