The musical Grand Hotel is, in many ways, an anomaly. Based on a 1932 MGM movie about the inner dramas occurring in an opulent Berlin hotel in 1928, this relentlessly dark show did not feel like a hit when it premiered on Broadway in 1989. Namely, it was competing with the British import megamusicals of… Read More Kokandy’s haunting “Grand Hotel”

As a hard-worn musical theatre nerd, it’s a very rare thing when I encounter a nearly two-decade old, critically praised musical in which I’ve neither seen the source material nor heard a single song. Needless to say, I entered Refuge Theatre Project’s The Spitfire Grill with delightful naiveté. The Spitfire Grill – written by James… Read More Refuge Theatre Project Presents an Earthy, Earnest “The Spitfire Grill”

I love me some Theo Ubique – the scrappy, award-winning storefront that’s made quite a name for itself (and also a new home, opening shortly up the road from its current residence at the No Exit Cafe in Rogers Park). I also love me some Sweeney Todd. It’s my favorite musical, in fact. I’ve seen… Read More A foggy ‘Sweeney Todd’ at Theo Ubique

I tried to hold myself back.  I really did. Out of the two shows presented Monday evening as part of Steppenwolf’s “Lookout” series, I very reasonably bought tickets for the late show, starting at 9 p.m. Mainly because the earlier show was sold out (or so I was told), and also because of a goal… Read More I saw Patti LuPone spill tea for three hours, and lived to tell the tale

It’s a rare thing where a show you’ve literally been anticipating for a decade arrives as a full-out, first-rate tour in basically your back yard. Yes, back in 2008 my friends and I wildly conjectured on the much-anticipated sequel to The Phantom of the Opera back when the first, sketchy details of the plot emerged… Read More An Unapologetic ‘Love Never Dies’ in Chicago

Growing up. Trying things, being flexible, bending with the road. Adding dreams when the others don’t last. Growing up, understanding that growing never ends. Like old dreams, some old dreams. Like old friends. “Growing Up” from “Merrily We Roll Along” by Stephen Sondheim It’s no secret in saying getting older means growing up. However, what… Read More Porchlight’s ‘Merrily’ Packs a Punch

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Perhaps you’ve heard about a little show taking the world over by storm. And Chicago is lucky enough to have it, eight nights a week for the foreseeable future, at the PrivateBank Theatre. But another show is also happening on that same stage during Hamilton’s off-hours – one that’s just as dynamic, and perhaps even… Read More #EduHam: Inspiring Young Minds Through the Power of ‘Hamilton’

Fun Home is a special show. The 2015 Best Musical Tony winner features a female, lesbian protagonist (the remarkable Kate Shindle playing graphic novalist Alison Bechdel), and an emotionally complex story conveyed through a refreshingly frank lens (book by Lisa Kron) and a sophisticated, counter-intuitive score by Jeanine Tesori (music) and Kron (lyrics). The fact… Read More “Fun Home” at Broadway in Chicago

They just don’t write ’em like that anymore. This phrase could be aptly applied to the classic musical comedy Wonderful Town, now getting a major revival at the Goodman Theater, under the direction of innovative director Mary Zimmerman. Wonderful Town, written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green,… Read More ‘Wonderful Town’ at the Goodman

I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been salivating at seeing the new musical War Paint, which is based on the PBS documentary The Powder and the Glory celebrating makeup moguls and life-long rivals Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein, as soon as the Goodman announced it as part of their trademark eclectic season. Not only did… Read More ‘War Paint’ at the Goodman Theatre

Gilded scenery, an exquisitely sung classic American songbook score, parades of hoop skirts and exotic Eastern textiles, and an unconventional love story. What’s not to adore in Lyric Opera’s The King and I? The draw, for me, was seeing one of the musical theatre stage’s brightest stars, Kate Baldwin, take on the iconic role of Anna Leonowens… Read More ‘The King and I’ at Lyric Opera

I almost skipped Dreamgirls at Porchlight. I’ve seen and enjoyed the movie, I saw a very decent (if emotionally neutral) touring production 6 years ago, I’ve watched Jennifer Holliday’s landmark performance of the titular first act closer in gay bars and YouTubes galore. I mean, I’ve *seen* Dreamgirls. Or so I thought. Following the first act of… Read More ‘Dreamgirls’ at Porchlight Music Theatre

When I visited London around five years ago, I made the grave mistake of choosing Ghost: The Musical over a newer show which I inaccurately assumed as a twee, commercial-friendly children’s spectacle – otherwise known as Matilda, the Musical. Last week, I righted my wrongs by catching the first-rate first National Tour of the show at the… Read More Thoughts on ‘Matilda the Musical’