Erin Creighton and John Sessler in Street Tempo Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors.” Photo credit: Linda Gartz You think you’ve seen Little Shop, right? You’ve probably even been involved in a production or two at some point. I know I have — I was the left arm of the giant plant puppet in Alpena High [...]
Hollywood takes Chicago theatre by (dust) storm in ‘Johnny Theatre’
Ah, Chicago theatre. The place where people willingly toil away for countless hours in windowless black boxes, bearing their souls for little to no pay. As a frequent voyeur of such perversions, I’m in constant awe of the commitment and courage these artists place on telling a story to those of us who show up. [...]
This and that in Chicago theatre
This audition video for Goodman Theatre’s Crowns is quite charming. These two young actresses look like they’re completely gobsmacked to be working on this show, and their energy is infectious. Now I’m even more excited to see this Goodman revival. *** Maybe old news to some, but Writers’ Theatre’s A Little Night Music has scored [...]
Chicago Like a Local: ‘Fela!’ at the Oriental Theatre
Fela!, which started as an Off-Broadway show in 2008 and has grown into an international sensation (and is now playing at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre through April 15), follows the life of Afrobeat Nigerian legend and activist, Fela Kuti. The high-energy concert/musical/political play portrays Kuti in the days when his public performances at the legendary nightclub [...]
When Hollywood invades Chicago storefront theatre: A tell-all interview
There are many fancy Hollywood actor types who got their start toiling away in Chicago storefront theatre. I won’t name them here (we get to that later), but trust me: it’s true. But what should happen if a struggling storefront company is graced with the presence (and pretense) of a former company member who’s made [...]
Huffington Post Review: ‘Freud’s Last Session’
In Mark St. Germain’s play, Freud’s Last Session, which is receiving its Chicago premiere with the original New York cast, director and producers, he imagines what would happen if a young C. S. Lewis and the infamous psychoanalyst Dr. Sigmund Freud were to spend an afternoon together debating softball topics such as, oh, the meaning [...]
Theatre Mir’s ‘The Sea’ is lovely to look at, but lost at sea
Sometimes there are those characters in a movie or play that you wish could be extracted from the clutter around them and given their own showcase piece. Such is the case with the characters of the grand Mrs. Rafi (Rachel Slavick delightfully channeling Hermione Gingold) and her assortment of lady minions (the standout being Patrice [...]
Huffington Post Review: Goodman Theatre’s ‘Camino Real’
While there were many moments in Goodman Theatre’s deeply disturbing and immensely fascinating production of Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real that flew over my head, one thing certainly didn’t: a large chunk of stale bread tossed into the audience by an actor, which navigated right to my forehead, ricocheted off it and landed square onto my [...]
‘The Maids’ at Oracle Theatre: While madame’s away, the maids will play
They say role play is a great form of therapy. But in French playwright Jean Genet’s 1947 play, The Maids, this concept is taken to a whole new sadomasochistic level. Two maids, who also happen to be sisters, play out private, elaborate and deeply disturbing rituals where they take turns embodying the roles of “Madame” [...]
My take on the Mike Daisey clusterf**k
Not that anybody has asked for my opinion on the matter, but here ya go… I’m not going to rehash all the back story on this, because by now you’ve probably heard it all (including the recent This American Life “Retraction” episode). As I see it, the main argument boils down to the notion of [...]
‘Best Musical!’ turns weary Wednesday nights into lyrical lunacy
What do you get when you take five singer/comedians, one pianist, a top hat filled with fictional song titles and shove them on a stage? You get BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy! Musicals often take years — even decades! — to develop. Just look how long it’s taking the folks in Smash to [...]
Internet stalking The Light in the Piazza’s Kelli Harrington
Do you have your tickets to Theo Ubique’s The Light in the Piazza? No? Well, you should, because it’s remarkable. In fact, Chris Jones gave it an out-and-out rave and said that Kelli Harrington, who plays Margret Jonson, is, “currently delivering one of the best performances of the year on a Chicago stage.” I also [...]
A Sleepy ‘Falling: A Wake’ and a Radiant ‘The Light in the Piazza’
My latest HuffPo review is now live, people. Check it. — After 16 years renting spaces around town, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble — Chicago’s only producing organization dedicated to women’s voices — has finally found a permanent home. The modest double storefront space features a cozy 50-seat blackbox performance venue, male AND female restrooms (a luxury [...]
Eight things I learned watching ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ 25th anniversary concert
Can you believe it? Phantom is a quarter of a century old. It’s the longest running show on Broadway, has generated roughly 4,678,980 katillion dollars, and your beer guzzling brother-in-law can probably hum out a few bars of “Music of the Night.” Or not. But still. It’s a phenomenon. A phantomnomenom. Nom nom nom. Secrets! [...]
Welcome to [CTA]
- Hi. My name's Bob Bullen and I'm a Chicago Theatre Addict [CTA]. Learn more here. Please leave comments — I'd love to hear what you think, and promise to do my best to reply.
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