Latest from Chicago Critic

The cast tries to push the comic elements too hard replacing comic timing with screaming, physical gestures and strange accents. The cast acted like players on meth or speed.

This journey into our obsession with our ‘need-to-know’ mindset contains much spot-on timing and verbal acumen from the entire cast…The media, the message, the facts, and the need to be dramatic converge to make us question why we feel the need to open doors we know are better left unopened?

These two Broadway stars offered a wonderful lesson on how to land a song in character. No one can “sell” a song better than Mandy Patinkin, except for Patti LuPone! These two work hard and with their arranger and pianist, Paul Ford, deftly accompanying on piano offer a rare treat. The song book is interesting and fresh, the singing fine for the most part but the energy and stagecraft by Patti and Mandy is dynamic and thrilling.

Featuring a lovely score by Harvey Schmidt with poetic lyrics and dialogue by Tom Jones, The Fantasticks a is beloved icon that generations cherish. Many terrific productions have emerged on Chicago stage through the years. The Promethean Theatre Ensemble, under the leadership of director Beth Wolf, got much of the musical correct. Her Fantasticks is worth a look.

Sometimes a theatre group outsmarts itself. That is the case with Dog & Pony Theatre Company’s new, highly inventive theatrical event-The Twins Would Like To Say. Too many gimmicks starting with the use of a promenade ( having the audience walk around the playing area and standing throughout the performance) and having spoken scenes competing for attention marred the production.

He and Armin meet on a chat room on the Internet. They bond and express their needs and desires over months of online chat. Eventfully, the agree to meet. Armin comes to Berlin to take Bernd to Armin’s country home where he has made a torture chamber complete with chains and cutting tools.

While I was impressed with the weird movement and unique staging, Bernadette’s story was presented in a surreal, abstract, almost absurdest style. Scenes like Bernadette and her muse-the imaginary Clip, being punished by having metal clips place on their tongues for hours allowed the boy and girl to invent a new language-“clip”-a sort of pig Latin.

Strawdog Theatre, under the intelligent direction by Kimberly Senior, has a well acted and sincere production of Chekhov’s 1899 tragicomedy, Uncle Vanya…The cast of nine talents most effectively present Chekhov’s tragicomedy translated by Curt Columbus.