If there’s any mystery in Remy Bumppo’s An Inspector Calls, it’s how this play is considered a classic of the mid-20th century English theatre. J. B. Priestley’s drama is less an Agatha Christie parlor mystery and more a heavy (heavy!) handed morality play delivered with all the subtlety of a Hallmark Channel Christmas Special. It’s… Read More A Solid Cast Fails to Solve Remy Bumppo’s ‘An Inspector Calls’
The cast of Strawdog’s “Great Expectations” Oh, Pip. That poor orphaned protagonist from Charles Dickens’ classic 1861 novel Great Expectations. The one who moves from youthful innocence to morally questionable social climber to sobered adult while meeting a host of colorful characters along the way, including an aged jilted bride with a sadistic streak and… Read More Strawdog presents a straight-to-the-heart ‘Great Expectations’
Perhaps you heard the cheers, sobs and stamping feet coming from Southport street? Well, that was the sound of the opening night audience at Mercury Theater’s The Color Purple, a searing and emotionally resonant production directed by L. Walter Stearns. This is my first encounter with the 2005 musical adaptation of the beloved Alice Walker… Read More Mercury Theater finds the emotional core in sprawling ‘The Color Purple’
F Karmann Bajuyo, Kate Garassino and Kevin Matthew Reyes in Bailiwick Chicago Theater’s world premiere of production of “Mahal” “Mahal” is Tagalog for “love.” It also means “expensive.” While it might seem odd that such an important word serves two meanings, when you think about it, it makes sense. Love is precious. It’s something that… Read More Bailiwick’s entertaining ‘Mahal’ explores the struggle of redefining family post-tragedy
Vincent L. Lonergan and Don Bender in The Side Project’s “Lives of the Pigeons” Sometimes after seeing a show, I leave the theatre feeling more than a little disoriented. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — good theatre should challenge. So, following the world premiere of Sherod Santos’ perplexing Lives of the Pigeons, I went… Read More A perplexing and pretentious ‘Lives of the Pigeons’
Writer, director and performer Ben Rimalower knows a thing or two about high belting. No, he’s not a singer per say, but he does appreciate the finer belts in life — including those of Broadway icon Patti LuPone. As the writer and performer of his acclaimed and award-winning one-man show, Patti Issues, Rimalower has turned… Read More Don’t cry for him: Ben Rimalower is taking his hit one-man show on a rainbow tour
Actor and playwright Sentell Harper feels trapped. As a gay black man, he’s disinterested in “throwing shade,” lip syncing for your life or being on the DL as a way to survive within this marginalized minority. He’s searching for answers, but coming up with more questions about what it means to just simply be yourself.… Read More HuffPo Review: One Man’s Journey to Self-Discovery in Compelling ‘Seek and Ye Shall Find’
P.T. Barnum knew how to put on a show. With some manipulative marketing and a dash of spectacle, he could sell you a wooden nickel for a dollar. The 1980 musical Barnum, which features a jovial, ear-wormy score by Cy Coleman, captured this celebrated flim-flam artist’s ascent to a household name as partner in the… Read More Mercury Theater’s enjoyable ‘Barnum’ needs more brass
You think you’ve seen Julius Caesar? Think again. Yes, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s bold, modern-day production (closing March 24) has its share of surprises and risk, but there’s a smaller, yet no less intense, production taking place up north. Babes With Blades, a company devoted to staging stories featuring women in the central, empowering roles (and… Read More An All-Female ‘Julius Caesar’ Breathes Life into A Well-Worn Classic
While the rest of Europe was suffering through WWII, Ireland stood fast in its neutrality, even referring to the war as “The Emergency” in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the war, and the news surrounding it, with their people. Improbable Frequency, an unapologetically zany musical comedy by Arthur Riordan (book and lyrics) and… Read More Strawdog’s raucous ‘Improbable Frequency’ could use a bit more probability
Christine Sherrill has ‘New Ways to Dream’ as Norma Desmond in Drury Lane’s “Sunset Boulevard” Before I begin to discuss Drury Lane’s disappointingly dreary production of Sunset Boulevard, let me set the stage. Sunset Boulevard, the Andrew Lloyd Webber megamusical based on the groundbreaking 1950 Billy Wilder film about a faded silent film star, Norma… Read More HuffPo Review: Despite an excellent Norma Desmond, a dreary ‘Sunset’ at Drury Lane
In Porchlight’s seductive and sobering production of Lanie Robertson’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, the moment Alexis J. Rogers makes her reluctant entrance, drink in hand, you know you’re in for a turbulent ride. Rogers, channeling the singular jazz singer Billie Holiday, known by her fans as “Lady Day,” simply captivates in the… Read More Huffpo review: Alexis Rogers captivates as Billie Holiday in Porchlight’s ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’
Sometimes all you need is a committed, eager, talented cast, a piano and a director with vision to deliver a delightful evening of musical theatre. And Music Theatre Company in Highland Park, under the direction of Dominic Missimi, is serving up a scrappy, sincere and streamlined production of that legendary flop musical, The Baker’s Wife… Read More Music Theatre Company’s sweetly sincere ‘The Baker’s Wife’ charms
It’s a very rare thing to come across a show that embraces its simplicity with virtually zero pretense. A Grand Night for Singing at Mercury Theater is such a show. This perfectly enjoyable musical revue celebrating the classic scores of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein isn’t afraid to make the songs the star by featuring… Read More HuffPo Review: Mercury Theater’s ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ is ‘Something Wonderful’
It’s not hard to understand why Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities is such an effective play. This award-winning compact family drama addresses the notions of deception, trust, loyalty, privacy and integrity using a deliciously straightforward setup: a strong-willed novelist daughter returns home to declare to her well-bred and respected republican family that her next… Read More HuffPo Review: A Flat Yet Fascinating ‘Other Desert Cities’ at Goodman
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