All stories by Emily McClanathan on BroadwayStars

Monday, September 12, 2022

‘Wicked’ is back in the Loop for the fall, with witches who know what this show means to Chicago by Emily McClanathan

Both actors playing Elphaba and Glinda fell in love with “Wicked” at a young age and long have hoped to play these roles.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Review: Best for detective fans, ‘Miss Holmes Returns’ at Lifeline Theatre by Emily McClanathan

Katie McLean Hainsworth is quite good as Miss Holmes — suitably cerebral and stiff, with understated physical tics that suggest a constantly active mind.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Review: ‘My Brother Langston’ at Black Ensemble Theater shines when the poetry is allowed to speak for itself by Emily McClanathan

“My Brother Langston” truly shines when the spotlight is on Langston Hughes’ own words.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:15AM
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

This story is a hike: Theatre Y brings ‘Laughing Song: A Walking Dream’ to North Lawndale, taking audiences along on foot by Emily McClanathan

Actors and audience members take a three-mile journey through the streets of North Lawndale in Theatre Y’s “Laughing Song: A Walking Dream.”

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Galaxy cats by Emily McClanathan

Nerds of many stripes will feel at home entering the magical portal that is Otherworld Theatre, a Wrigleyville-based theater company that specializes in science fiction and fantasy. Fancy a …

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 03:45PM
Sunday, July 24, 2022

Review: ‘Dear Jack, Dear Louise’ at Northlight Theatre is a touching, personal piece that celebrates human connection by Emily McClanathan

The nostalgic period drama by Ken Ludwig is based on the real-life romance of his parents, who wrote to each other for three years during World War II before meeting in person.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:54PM
Friday, July 15, 2022

Review: American Blues Theater hits the right notes in August Wilson’s ‘Fences’ by Emily McClanathan

At the play’s heart are a flawed patriarch straining against an inequitable society and resilient family members fighting generational trauma.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 03:08PM
Thursday, July 14, 2022

Review: ‘Homecoming’ taps past stories by Albany Park Theater Project — these young performers are sure to move you by Emily McClanathan

The reopening for this storied youth theater borrows from "Feast," “Home/Land” and others, scenes staged with music.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:01PM
Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Review: In touring ‘Where We Belong’ now at the Goodman, a Mohegan theater-maker forges a deep connection with her audience by Emily McClanathan

Madeline Sayet moved to England in 2015 to pursue a doctorate degree in Shakespeare, a journey that led her to question her identity and place in the world.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:55PM
Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Review: A parody of Agatha Christie, ‘A Fine Feathered Murder’ is heavy on farce and light on plot by Emily McClanathan

If “The Play That Goes Wrong” had a raunchier older sister, it might look like “A Fine Feathered Murder.”

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Tuesday, May 24, 2022

‘Skates’ musical taps into Chicago’s roller rink nostalgia, and stars ‘American Idol’ couple Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young by Emily McClanathan

The show co-stars “American Idol” alumni Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young, and features a cast of Chicago theater veterans and newcomers.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Friday, May 20, 2022

Review: In the new musical ‘Somewhere Over the Border’ by Teatro Vista, the ‘Wizard of Oz’ story gets a new kind of magic by Emily McClanathan

Brian Quijada transforms this tale into a different kind of American story: that of a young woman from El Salvador making the dangerous trek to the United States.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:00PM
Monday, May 16, 2022

Actor Richard Thomas is Atticus in the ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ tour. This new adaptation ‘takes Atticus down off his pedestal a little bit.’ by Emily McClanathan

The current play opened in New York in 2018 and became the highest-grossing American play in Broadway history.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Sunday, May 8, 2022

Review: ‘Rasheeda Speaking’ by Shattered Globe Theatre is about a toxic workplace, both the fumes and the coworkers by Emily McClanathan

Joel Drake Johnson's play centers on a middle-aged Black woman who returns to her job at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after days off to recover from an illness attributed to chemicals from…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:44PM
Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Review: ‘At the Vanishing Point’ at Gift Theatre explores how the past and present are linked by memory by Emily McClanathan

Playwright Naomi Iizuka frames single moments in the lives of ordinary people, transforming them into images rich with meaning and memory.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Sunday, April 24, 2022

Review: ‘Carmela Full of Wishes’ invites audiences at Chicago Children’s Theatre to see the world through her eyes by Emily McClanathan

With the help of a dandelion, a child’s imagination takes flight in this world premiere adaptation of the book by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:16PM
Sunday, April 17, 2022

Review: ‘Spay’ by Rivendell Theatre is a powerful story about opioid abuse and families, as well as a real-world proposed remedy by Emily McClanathan

Noah is fresh out of the hospital after overdosing on heroin, Harper is her sister and legal guardian of the son Noah bore in high school. Looming over both women is the legacy of their moth…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:20PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime