Sunday, October 11, 2015
Good for Otto contains plenty of interesting moments and boasts much psychological cleverness. The weak narrative arc makes it less dramatically interesting than is should be, however. (read…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:54PMTwenty-five years after its Goodman Theatre premiere, the late Scott McPherson’s dark comedy deftly explores the effects of impending loss, and the breaks and bonds of family. Shattered Gl…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:53AMFriday, October 9, 2015
As sumptuous as a wedding cake, Shakespeare veteran Barbara Gaines has put a new spin on this traditional crowd-pleaser. Mozart’s enduring music creates the focal point around which Gaines…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:52PMTuesday, October 6, 2015
On its first national tour since winning last year's Tony Award for Best Musical, this is one of the smartest and freshest new musicals we've seen in a long time. Highly Recommended! (read …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:04PMSunday, October 4, 2015
It may be that the term *mixed bag* was never a more appropriate descriptor than for Remy Bumppo’s production of Love and Information. Playwright Caryl Churchill provides the *bag* of dial…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:27PMFriday, October 2, 2015
Punk Punk isn't perfect, but we appreciate its edginess and genuine effort to be different. Silly, raucous and more than a little nasty, Punk Punk isn’t like anything else you’ll see in …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:55PMWith Feathers and Teeth, we get an enervatingly familiar look at family dysfunction disguised as demonology, a quirkfest that dumbs an audience down as they realize how little’s at stake. …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:40PMWednesday, September 30, 2015
With Blood Brothers, Theo Ubique has given us a stunning and intimate production of this tragic but lovely parable. A deep understanding of the text coupled with a vocally gifted cast makes…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:15PMThough the first act stumbles, the entrance of the three youngest cast members at the beginning of the second act is a game-changer, opening "East of Eden" up to becom a slow burn of emotion…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:16AMTuesday, September 29, 2015
This cauldron of campy comedy bubbles over with Handbag’s patented brand of lovable skewering. My cheeks hurt from laughter by show’s end. Highly Recommended. (read Clint May's entire r…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:37PMMonday, September 28, 2015
Sucker Punch isn’t always easy to watch: racism on display stings and cuts to the core. However, Victory Gardens’ season opener needs to be watched, talked about and digested. Williams�…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:37PMSunday, September 27, 2015
Shocking and smart, Disgraced has a compelling and cutting script. Not one second of the 85-minute running time goes to waste, thanks to Ayad Akhtar’s stellar writing and Kimberly Senior�…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:54PMThursday, September 24, 2015
Romantic and quirky, ‘Miss Buncle’ is a bemusing crowd-pleaser. Recommended. (read Clint May's entire review....)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:02PMWednesday, September 23, 2015
Playwright Bruce Graham had the right idea for this World Premiere play about a burlesque and Broadway follies comedian struggling to remain relevant amid changing audience tastes in the lat…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:39PMThis newly-revised Side Show, with added songs, characters and details of the twins' story – enjoying a stunning post-Broadway debut at Porchlight Music Theatre - is a beautiful, full-bodi…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:32PMMonday, September 21, 2015
The Tempest makes phenomenal use of the city’s talent, and even though it’s a visiting production, it’s full of the raw power and rich emotion that defines the best of Chicago theater.…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:33PMSunday, September 20, 2015
Not all August Wilson’s dramas are created equal. Gem of the Ocean, a magnificent 150-minute mess, though lacking in parts, is still earnest to a fault, delivering vital parallels to the p…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:18PMThursday, September 17, 2015
A feast for those who like their musicals meaty. Kudos to BoHo for bringing Dogfight to Chicago audiences. Highly Recommended! (read John Olson's entire review....)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:43PMWednesday, September 16, 2015
Director Jason Gerace has perfectly balanced his actors into models of anguished antagonism, and they are as mesmerizing to watch as those old-time staged train wrecks. This production reit…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:33PMMonday, September 14, 2015
While its season opener, The Revel, is decidedly imperfect, the beautiful staging, stunning original music and phenomenal female-dominated cast make the production well worth watching. Recom…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:55PMSaturday, September 12, 2015
Guardians runs a bit long, but is an unflinching, gripping look at our violence- and media-obsessed culture, and two individuals on different, but equally explosive, sides of it. Recommended…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:27PMThursday, September 10, 2015
Equal parts quietly profound and piercingly harmonious, American Idiot gives a theatrical taste of a seminal band. Enter, rock out and leave changed. Highly Recommended. (read Lauren Whalen'…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:28PMWednesday, September 9, 2015
Charming and inventive, this Peter Pan pre-quel contains a mermaids-on-vaudeville specialty act that is straight up one of the single most hilarious numbers I have ever seen in some 40+ year…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 02:52AMTuesday, September 8, 2015
The magnificence of this play lies in its stories, which celebrate the human spirit and remarkable ability to survive. Interrobang's Katrina is both extremely disturbing and incredibly touc…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:21PMMonday, September 7, 2015
Judging the merits of this production is challenging, but Rainmaker does succeed with Sarah E. Ross' gorgeously designed set, Sarah Hughey’s lighting, and Joe Cerqua’s original music. Ot…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:20PMSaturday, September 5, 2015
It’s not that Director Joe Jahraus’ attempt isn’t entertaining, there’s just some kind of ineffable something missing that might have sparked this to bigger heights. Nonetheless, the…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:54PMTimeLine Theatre Company’s superb production is living proof that The Price deserves to be regarded a classic. Highly Recommended! (read Lauren Whalen's entire review....)
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:49PMThursday, September 3, 2015
The end is near! Only one sponge can save the day. But he's going to need help from some of the greatest songwriters in rock and pop music history!
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:45PMTuesday, September 1, 2015
It’s Cory Goodrich as the love of Johnny Cash's life, June Carter Cash, that steals the show with charm and sass, particularly with her literally-breathtaking rendition of I’ve Been Ever…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:03PMMonday, August 31, 2015
In its current form, October Sky is definitely an entertaining show, with much credit due to Rachel Rockwell’s sharp direction and consistently winning cast. The show’s similarities to B…
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:28PMSunday, August 30, 2015
After Miss Julie Written by Patrick Marber Strawdog Theatre, 3829 N. Broadway (map) thru Sept 28 | …
SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:07PM 
