Tom Williams

This cynical glimpse into the world of those dedicated to keeping the Christmas spirit alive. Fain delivers the vignettes about the chaos of the NYC Macy’s Santa Claus exhibit with varying comedic style

The 85 minute holiday classic–Miracle on 34th Street, now at the Theatre Building Chicago staged by Porchlight Music Theatre is a refreshingly sweet, family friendly, cute holiday treat.

Felder mixes stories, biographical information with explanations and examples of Beethoven’s style and technique. Felder demonstrates his skills as an actor, pianist, teacher and showman. Felder teaches how Beethoven loved to create music in the key of C Minor, how he structured his sonatas and how he put his soul into his music creating deep emotionality into music.

The cast of 34 nimbly performed the Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes. The large (for a tour) orchestra played with gusto the complete Bennett orchestrations giving the show a lavish, romantic and hauntingly moving tone.

The Mystery of Irma Vep is a hilarious adventure mystery and door-slamming farce that is part horror movie, part melodrama, part Grand-Guignol, and part drag show pastiche featuring wordplay, Shakespeare and Ibsen quotes with much physical comedy

Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944) has been called “The First Lady of the Sliding Scale,” “The Terror of the High C’s,” and the “The Tone-deaf Diva.” She sure was all of those yet she was a devoted musician with a deep passion for music despite not having a shred of musical ability

The Pillowman is filled with a series of wonderfully presented storytelling (mostly presented by Andrew Jessop as Kuturian) that were creatively staged in this production. The terror builds once we learn that three murders actually happened almost exactly like those in Katurian’s stories. Once we meet Katurian’s simple-minded brother Michal (Peter Oyloe in a winningly eerie performance) we experience how effective stories can influence behavior.

the guys at The House went out to find some new blood and indeed they have found journalist/playwright Mark Guarino and the excellent music from legend Jon Langford. Under the smart and clever direction of Tommy Rapley and with the everyman qualities of Nathan Allen as Lofty Deeds–the elements of a memorable show are present.

Julie Shannon’s folksy score sounds terrific with more instruments including a cell0, percussion, reeds, harp and keyboards. Her vocals, especially the choral harmonies, sounded with more depth. Her anthems: “We All have Songs” and “What is It About The Water” haunts us and sets the mood nicely.

Theatre Seven of Chicago offers another enchanting world premiere with Brian Golden’s Cooperstown. With hints of Lanford Wilson and an ode to William Inge’s Bus Stop, playwright Brian Golden’s Cooperstown is an ambitious 95 minute one-act that tightly covers several stories.