Latest from Chicago Critic

Dreamgirls at Marriott Theatre

Director Marc Robin has his cast fully engaged in his fast-paced, well sung back-stage musical about the R & B groups of the 0-‘s and 70’s. Raena White , as Effie, sing her heart out especially in “I Am Changing.”

Skin Tight

Skin Tight is a 50 minute two-hander about a couple living in a special relationship despite being married. We find Tosha Fowler (Ekizabeth) and her husband Tom (Tony Bozzuto) engaged in a highly physical game where ultimate violence…

Princes of Waco

The only thing that kept me engaged was the strong performance by Joe Stearns as the evil Fritz. Stearns is an under rated character actor completely at home in comic or evil roles.

Sweet and Sad

Nelson uses the family brunch setting to explore the family dynamic in terms of how world events actually directly and indirectly affects individuals and the family relationships. These folks speak about ltheir losses, memories and we see the struggle by all to maintain the moral equilibrium in a fast-changing world that somehow escapes them.

Idomeneus

Using German playwright Roland Schimmelpfenning’s version of the Idomeneus story, translated by David Tushingham, director Jonathan L. Green has utilized his 15 person ensemble to employ mostly group speak that finds from three to five to the entire cast all speaking the words of the story

Don Giovanni by American Chamber Opera Company

The intimate space and the use of contemporary English sung most articulately by the principals made the opera work surprisingly well. Led by the rich baritone vocal chops of David Govertsen as scoundrel Don Giovanni with the soothing tenor work from Benjamin De Los Monteros as Don Ottsvio, the cast featured harmonious arias rich in emotion and verve.

Man of La Mancha – Light Opera Works

The dignified older gentleman, Miguel de Cervantes, played with genuine lovableness by Jim Harms gradually yet honestly wins the souls of his cellmates as he vividly weaves the story of Don Quixote. From Harm’s powerful opening number “I, Don Quixote” we know we’re on a dream-like journey.

Savage Land

The vagueness of the work set in an unnamed island sometime in the 19th Century peopled with characters trying to be Victorian imperialistic representatives of some country with natives that look like white boys and girls from down the block left me asking more questions than the play answered.