All stories by Lauren Warnecke on BroadwayStars

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Review: Chicago Tap's spacey 'Changes' has big themes, daffy plot, Bowie and lasers by Lauren Warnecke

Chicago Tap Theatre's "Changes," now at Stage 773, is a full-length narrative tap dance set to the music of David Bowie. There's not nearly enough space on Stage 773's tiny Pro Theater for a…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:18PM
Saturday, June 17, 2017

Ensemble Espanol’s ‘Raices’ shows flamenco’s roots and mostly moves beyond the fans and ruffles by Lauren Warnecke

Flamenco is a quintessential element of Spanish culture: the women’s long, ruffled skirts, the men’s machismo, the fans, the scarves and the ferociously fast rhythms of Spanish dancers�…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:55PM
Tuesday, June 13, 2017

'Going Dutch' fest for female artistry ends up in Elgin by Lauren Warnecke

There's a running joke at Side Street Studio Arts that every time Erin Rehberg hears a good idea, Elgin gets a new arts festival. Rehberg, an Elgin native, opened Side Street Studio Arts wit…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:36PM
Monday, June 5, 2017

Dancing the beauty of utility in site-specific works at Pivot Arts Fest by Lauren Warnecke

For two weeks in June, the Pivot Arts Festival presents artists of all disciplines in unconventional spaces throughout the North Side. Director Julieanne Ehre created the festival to bring a…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:29PM
Saturday, June 3, 2017

Review: Stomping Grounds at its best when it's dancing out in the neighborhoods by Lauren Warnecke

Friday marked the conclusion of Chicago Human Rhythm Project's two-month-long rhythmic dance festival called Stomping Grounds. A celebratory performance at the newly renovated Studebaker The…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:46PM
Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Spring to Dance fest makes St. Louis a dance destination by Lauren Warnecke

An annual dance festival called Spring to Dance celebrated its 10th anniversary this Memorial Day weekend. St. Louisans flocked to the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Mis…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 03:40PM
Saturday, May 20, 2017

High drama of the ballet 'Red Giselle' returns at the right time by Lauren Warnecke

"Control versus chaos — that formula came to define my Russian experience. My journey to Russia turned up all of the stereotypes — onion domes, stacking dolls, hammers and sickles, exasp…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:30PM
Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Nomi's 'Ten Yeared' includes dance work 'Kim' for every woman by Lauren Warnecke

Concluding its 10th season, Nomi Dance Company presents "Ten Yeared" for one night only Saturday at the Athenaeum Theatre. On the program is "Fyrsta Decad," an abstraction of Nomi's 10-year …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:21PM
Saturday, May 13, 2017

With 'Threepieces,' Elements Ballet shows skill but glaring lights, puppet movements get in the way by Lauren Warnecke

Called "Threepieces," Elements Contemporary Ballet's one-nighter at the beautifully renovated Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building was simply that: three pieces. Though Elements has …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:08PM
Thursday, May 4, 2017

'The Wanderer' a simple story ballet about the girl who gets away by Lauren Warnecke

New York-based choreographer Jessica Lang returned to the Harris Theater on Wednesday for a one-night-only performance of her 2014 work, "The Wanderer." "The Wanderer" is a one-act ballet se…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:10PM
Thursday, April 27, 2017

'Mandarin' a puzzle, but those stilettos come through joyful and clear in Joffrey's 'Global Visionaries' by Lauren Warnecke

The main curtain at the Auditorium Theatre was already lifted as guests filed in for the Joffrey Ballet's last big event of the season. Titled "Global Visionaries," the program highlights th…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:43AM
Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Remembering Trisha Brown and the mark she made on Chicago by Lauren Warnecke

When the Stephen Petronio Company visited from New York in October 2015 to open the season at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, it performed the first episode in a dance series P…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 04:31PM
Sunday, April 9, 2017

'Synapse' the crowd-pleasing highlight of Visceral Dance's spring show by Lauren Warnecke

Visceral Dance Chicago's Saturday one-nighter at the Harris Theater marked the end of its fourth season, highlighting the group's capacity to shift seamlessly between ballet and contemporary…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:55PM
Friday, April 7, 2017

Liz Gerring Dance's 'Horizon' a carefully calculated kind of random by Lauren Warnecke

New York choreographer Liz Gerring presents the 2015 work "Horizon" for her Chicago debut at the Dance Center of Columbia College through Saturday. "Horizon" is a continuous hour of dancing …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:59PM
Wednesday, April 5, 2017

In Chicago Dance Month, free shows and a 'peek behind the curtain' by Lauren Warnecke

With more than 200 dance companies in Chicago, those of us who are immersed in the scene can feel easily overwhelmed by the volume of dance in our city, and the depth and breadth of artists …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Saturday, April 1, 2017

Review: Revivals rule in Giordano Dance Chicago's spring series by Lauren Warnecke

Friday and Saturday at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Giordano Dance Chicago's spring series displays a wide range of possibilities in American jazz dance. While some of the newer w…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:11PM
Monday, March 27, 2017

The Joffrey left New York and hasn't been back until now by Lauren Warnecke

Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino founded a dance company together in 1956. In the beginning, Arpino caravaned around the country with a small group of dancers while Joffrey stayed back, mana…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 07:12PM
Thursday, March 23, 2017

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater tries out some new moves at the Auditorium by Lauren Warnecke

Through Sunday, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns for its annual Chicago engagement, the company's 47th time at the Auditorium Theatre. Though each of the programs (four in all) has…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:30PM
Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Every Alvin Ailey Dance visit to Chicago ends with 'Revelations' - here's why by Lauren Warnecke

On a recent edition of his WXRT radio spot "Lin's Bin," host Lin Brehmer defined what it means to be a classic: "A classic is a survivor. A classic transcends the winds of change. We see its…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:23PM
Sunday, March 12, 2017

Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works is scattered but still brings a smile by Lauren Warnecke

There were a few notable changes to the seventh edition of the Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works Choreographic Competition: There are four winners this year (previously three), and a change of …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:21PM
Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Final bow for Thodos Dance and a visit from Cuba: 4 dance events in March by Lauren Warnecke

March is a busy month for dance in Chicago; here are four events to watch for. Thodos Dance Chicago presents "Full Circle": When Thodos Dance Chicago formed (as Melissa Thodos & Dancers) in …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:39PM
Monday, March 6, 2017

Visceral Dance's 'Dream' tells a story that's a joy to follow by Lauren Warnecke

When I was a kid I used to wake up on Sunday mornings for my favorite television show: "Breakfast With the Arts" (yes, I was that kid). I would wait on the edge of my seat as Elliott Forrest…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:18PM
Thursday, February 16, 2017

'Game Changers' doesn't change the game, just plays it well by Lauren Warnecke

The Joffrey Ballet's first program of 2017 is called "Game Changers," highlighting three of ballet's most in-vogue choreographers: Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor and Justin Peck. Each …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 04:15PM
Monday, February 13, 2017

Not dead yet: Why Justin Peck's 'Year of the Rabbit' is set to Sufjan Stevens by Lauren Warnecke

About a half-decade ago, author and critic Jennifer Homans made a bold claim in the epilogue of her book "Apollo's Angels": Ballet is dying. Whether she was right has been a topic of debate …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 03:40PM
Sunday, February 5, 2017

Review: Artistry under all the flash in Jackie Chan's Long Yun Kung Fu Troupe by Lauren Warnecke

Many Americans' first thought when they hear the words "kung fu" is Jackie Chan. Well, maybe it's actually that line in the first "Matrix" movie when Keanu Reeves famously utters, "I know ku…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:00PM
Sunday, January 29, 2017

Review: Batsheva Dance rails against convention, per usual by Lauren Warnecke

After an eight year absence, the highly anticipated return of Batsheva Dance Company of Israel and esteemed artistic director and choreographer Ohad Naharin resulted in sold-out houses at th…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:42PM

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