Day of Late is a romantic drama about a group of 30something’s each lonely and desperate for sex, companionship and personal fulfillment. The play is structured like a screen play with many short scenes each lasting a minute or two followed by blackouts and movement of benches and chairs. I found all the characters as emotionally desperate souls.
Read More“Taming of the Shrew” — one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed plays — has survived innumerable incarnations on stage and in film – some more successful than others. While Neil LaBute’s additions do offer humorous and entertaining moments, his version unfortunately damages rather than enhances the drama.
Read MoreMusical Director Eugene Dizon and the small orchestra are wonderfully housed onstage in a little nook. I would like to applaud Mr. Dizon for making the music in the show so seamless and scaling down the large score to the point where it could be played by a handful of musicians.
Read MoreThe winner of 10 Tony’s including Best Musical, Billy Elliot arrives for an extended sit-down run at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre. There has been much hype about this show and, as is the case so often, it doesn’t quite live up to my expectations. I must say, that Billy Elliot has so much going for it that it is “critic-proof.”
Read MoreCorrie ten Boom (Lia Mortensen), her sister, the saintly Betsie ten Boom (Cynthia Judge) and their father, Casper ten Boom (Dennis Kelly) have a large house/watch repair show. The ten Boom’s are devote Christians from the Dutch Reform Church. They are also fierce Dutch patriots who quickly became members of the Dutch Resistance.
Read MoreThe Best Little Whorehouse In Texas features a nice blend of adult humor, sweet country ballads and rip-roaring high energy dance tunes that make for a pleasing light-weight Broadway musical. Kevin Bellie, as usual, mounts several large ensemble dance tunes where he has his dancers moving deftly on his small stage.
Read MoreCombining Rogers’ folksy, down-home kitchen-sink humor with satire of national politics and a message of hope, the presentation plays like a 1934 live Rogers’ radio show with McKillip displaying the rope tricks as Will’s trade mark.
Read MoreTom Williams has won the 2010 James Friend Memorial Award for Criticism for his work as creator and founder of www.chicagocritic.com
Read MoreThe amazingly honest performances, rich in nuance and depth, make Our Lady of the Underpass a most enticing and wholly engaging theatrical work. Brian Sidney Bembridge’s set and Jess Klug and Mac Vaughey’s vivid lighting give an aura that sure could be an portrait of a holy woman.
Read MoreThe rock opera covers a wide range of emotions, actions including violence. With the over powering music and the uneven vocals by some players, You Took Away My Flag is long on rock anthems, a cliche-ridden story and several false endings.
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