Chicago Critic Must See recommendations.
When Chicagoan Yolanda (the terrific Marketta P. Wilder) is sent down South after her brother is gunned down, she finds strength from the tales of the five wise women who surround her. The power of learning old-time rituals symbolized by the pride in their hats eventually dazzles Yolanda
“Toska” -its nostalgia for dreamed life- of a life that never was nor ever will be. Three Sisters is about a certain kind of paralysis that finds the characters visualizing a future happy life that keeps them immobilized in the here and now.
They’ve done it again! The Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of Beauty and the Beast enchants the audience just as effectively as the old woman enchants the tale’s hero. These CST Family Productions never disappoi
Hero is a warm, funny and well sung new musical that, for a world premiere, is ready for life after Marriott Theatre. Kudos to Thielen, Mahler and Bell for creating such a fun new show.
Combining duets and full ensemble harmonies and cute dance movements, Time After Time unfolds as a fun, silky tune fest that showcases the skills Jule Styne possessed making him one of the premier songwriters of the 20th Century.
My first visit to see an operetta by the six year old Chicago Folks Operetta was a most pleasant one. Their fabulous modern German operetta, in a rhyming translation into English by Gerald Frantzen and Hersh Glgov, is a fun time.
The sad haunting tone of the folk styled music and the seriously generous use of sung dialogue in a pure operetta motif was skillfully performed giving just the proper tone to this magnificent work. This is quintessential Chicago story told with class in a dynamic trade mark Lookingglass style. The production values and the terrific music and singing make Eastland a “must seeing” show.
This truly polished production highlights the strong emotions of the Chinese, their perseverance, playfulness, and love of pageantry. “Legend of the Sun” offers a rare opportunity for Americans to feel the spirit of China in a grand venue at modest pricing. It would be great to have them return again next year!
The show hinges on Peter Oyloe who plays Hank Williams. Oyloe doesn’t disappoint. He give an amazingly truthful tour de force performance. Peter Oyloe demonstrates his vocal range as he channels Hank Willimas style – twang and yodel included. His strong voice contains all the angst and heartfelt emotion that Williams’ songs contained.
Whiteman’s research lead him to Francis O’Neill and his amazing life story that featured world traveling, police work and Irish music. With the help of director Stefan Brun, Whiteman created Music Mad which includes terrific music by a band consisting of world-class Irish musicians from Chicago. As we hear Chief O “Neill ( played with zest by Brett Tewell) tell his story, the band plays transitional tunes to either underscore the mood and emotion of the story or to exemplify actual Irish traditions.