All stories by Amanda Finn on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Get Sparklejollytwinklejingley: A Review of Elf the Musical at Drury Lane by Amanda Finn

The show is everything you’d imagine for a staged version of Buddy the Elf’s coming-of-age story. You can practically taste the gooey gumdrop goodness from any seat in the house, even if…

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Thursday, November 17, 2022

A death in the family by Amanda Finn

Death is an often unwelcome teacher. It descends into our lives suddenly, without warning, or takes its sweet time. No matter when it finds us, Grief is right behind Death, […] The post A …

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:52PM
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Then There Was Music: A Review of Measure for Measure at Chicago Shakespeare Theater by Amanda Finn

“Measure” is one of those bizarre Shakespearean plays that resides in the space between comedy and tragedy—something that few of the Bard’s works do. Yet you will find yourself mesme…

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Rich family fare by Amanda Finn

As someone whose older sisters are over a dozen years her senior, Sancocho (presented by Visión Latino Theatre Company as part of the fifth Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Fe…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 03:26PM

We Didn’t Start the Fire: A Review of Botticelli in the Fire at First Floor Theater by Amanda Finn

This play is super-duper-ultra queer. And I’m here for it.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, October 11, 2022

A Eulogy for Eugene: A Review Of 1919 At Steppenwolf Theatre Company by Amanda Finn

Eve L. Ewing’s 2019 collection of poems deep dives into the archives of the 1919 Chicago Race Riots—the most noted moment of the country’s Red Summer.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Monday, September 26, 2022

Leave the Doors Open: A Review of Enough to Let the Light In at Teatro Vista by Amanda Finn

This psychological thriller lends itself wholeheartedly to the macabre.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Thursday, September 22, 2022

Crowded house by Amanda Finn

Chicago doesn’t have much in the way of immersive theater experiences like Sleep No More in NYC. So when Windy City Playhouse debuted Leslie Liautaud’s Southern Gothic in 2018 it […] T…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:27PM

Slings and arrows by Amanda Finn

Never before has my Catholic upbringing been helpful in seeing theater. And yet, my mind couldn’t help but wander back to catechism class during Refracted Theatre Company’s inaugural pro…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 12:12PM
Thursday, July 7, 2022

A New Path Forward? Exploring the State of Chicago Theater by Amanda Finn

Many of our city’s theatrical leaders agree that Chicago is at the forefront of defining the future of the American theater.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Friday, July 1, 2022

The Winds of Change Are Here: Hurricane Diane at Theater Wit by Amanda Finn

madeleine george’s modern-day Greek comedy “Hurricane Diane” could not have come at a better time.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Friday, June 24, 2022

The magic is gone by Amanda Finn

Every piece of art has a timeliness. When it is born and put into the world, it becomes part of its identity for better or worse. For Godspell, that time has come and gone. First staged in 1…

SOURCE: chicagoreader.com at 11:28AM
Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Preps Rally: A Review of Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical at Kokandy Productions by Amanda Finn

For fellow nineties nostalgia seekers, “Cruel Intentions” is one of those quintessential teen drama romps. Chock full of nineties music you will be compelled to sing along (but seriously…

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Thursday, June 2, 2022

What Do Your Ghosts Want? A Review of “The Magnolia Ballet” at About Face Theatre by Amanda Finn

Rarely do you get such rich storytelling in just over ninety minutes.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Thursday, April 21, 2022

The Rise and Fall of a King: Lanise Antoine Shelley Brings the “The Tragedy of King Christophe” to the House Theatre of Chicago by Amanda Finn

In a world like ours so wrought with chaos and war, what happens when freedom is finally achieved? That is something that the play “The Tragedy of King Christophe” attempts to answer.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Friday, April 1, 2022

Sisters in Crisis: A Review of “Spay” at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble by Amanda Finn

When one in four Americans are directly impacted by opioid addiction, any art we create on the subject will have a profound effect.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Monday, March 21, 2022

Men Need Not Apply: A Review of Wife of a Salesman at Writers Theatre by Amanda Finn

“Wife of a Salesman” is full of cogent points about being a woman that are just as relevant now as they were in the show’s 1950s setting.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Take It With You: A Review of Come From Away at Broadway in Chicago by Amanda Finn

Much like the show’s spirit, the cast of this production is an homage to togetherness.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Friday, February 11, 2022

The Family Burdens We Bear: A Review of Queen of the Night at Victory Gardens Theater by Amanda Finn

travis tate’s play interrogates preconceived notions of ourselves and the ones we hold against others.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Friday, November 19, 2021

Buggin’ Out: A Review of Bug at Steppenwolf Theatre by Amanda Finn

The audience is the fly on the wall of a dingy Oklahoma hotel room where Agnes White is taking refuge from her recently released, abusive ex-husband Jerry.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Thursday, September 23, 2021

Déjà Vu, I Think We’ve Seen This All Before: A Review of Mr. Burns a Post-Electric Play at Theater Wit by Amanda Finn

Playwright Anne Washburn succinctly crafted a show that demonstrated the cyclical nature of human storytelling, theater and life itself all in the span of three hours.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, August 31, 2021

A Fine Welcome Home: Kinky Boots at Paramount Theatre by Amanda Finn

The first thing you’ll notice stepping into the theater at Paramount is the electricity…. It’s the hum of anticipation.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Linking Up: Out of COVID Comes a Co-MISSION Festival  by Amanda Finn

“It’s interesting, we started conversations before the pandemic about what it might look like to create one big festival with residents and fellows presenting together,” Stephanie Pach…

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Twenty-Four Hour Spin Cycle: A Review of “The Spin” at Interrobang Theatre Project by Amanda Finn

Spenser Davis' play, written for Zoom, takes advantage of where we are to tell a compelling story about what we’re up against.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Friday, October 9, 2020

National Political Crisis: Radio Play “It Can’t Happen Here” Is a National Theatrical Response by Amanda Finn

Nearly one hundred theater companies from around the country join forces to present a free a radio play rendition of Sinclair Lewis' frighteningly prescient novel.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Monday, October 5, 2020

Stranger in a Strange Land: A Review of Run the Beast Down at Strawdog Theatre by Amanda Finn

Titas Halder's one-man play questions who the real villain is.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 04:30PM
Tuesday, August 4, 2020

The Kids Will Play: Digitizing Theater Camp by Amanda Finn

A cornerstone in the creative development of many performers, theater camps face significant challenges from COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Creatives are doing it for themselves with the Chicago Artists Relief Fund by Amanda Finn

A GoFundMe by artists and for artists provides COVID relief. At the start of COVID-19 lockdowns, thousands of Chicago theater artists lost immediate income. In t…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 07:25PM
Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Don’t be a Dick, Richard: A Review of Teenage Dick at Theater Wit by Amanda Finn

In the wake of COVID-19, Theater Wit brings the local premiere of Mike Lew's play directly to their audience.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 11:30AM
Monday, March 2, 2020

Bells That Toll: A Review of Kill Move Paradise at TimeLine Theatre Company by Amanda Finn

Directed by Wardell Julius Clark, the local premiere of James Ijames play asks for only one thing: that we listen.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 12:30PM
Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Vinegar and Honey: A Review of Stick Fly at Writers Theatre by Amanda Finn

Lydia R. Diamond's play of privilege and all it entails returns to Chicago fresher than ever.

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 02:30PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards