Stage Top 5: December 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

If you've had enough holiday theater already, here are five shows that are not about Christmas.

Stage Top 5: November 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

The month starts serious and ends with farce, with a bit of comedy and opera in between.

Almost Heaven: A Review of Luminaire at Cabaret ZaZou by Brian Hieggelke

The thought popped into my head that if there was a heaven, it could not be better than this.

Stage Top 5: October 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

Four world premieres and "Rent" — now that's a good month in theater.

Can’t-Miss Stage Events (Fall Arts Preview 2022) by Brian Hieggelke

This season brings out bold new work by some of the city's most creative

One Sick Family: Playwright Brett Neveu Channels Orson Welles, Sort of, with “The Malignant Ampersands” at A Red Orchid by Brian Hieggelke

Brett Neveu debuts his "unofficial sequel" to the Welles film, "The Magnificent Ambersons."

Mother American Dream: A Review of The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington at Steppenwolf by Brian Hieggelke

Playwright James Ijames makes the case that there's more than one way to tear down a monument with his fever dream of a play about a fever dream.

Stage Top 5: September 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

A vibrant month in Chicago theater with all the major stages coming back to life, almost at once.

Welcome to the Jungle: A Review of Campaigns, Inc. at TimeLine Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

Will Allan's "Campaigns, Inc." is an origin story of modern political mendacity, found in the 1934 governor's race between the incumbent buffoon Frank Merriam and the visionary progressive U…

After A Fashion: A Review of “The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical” at the James M. Nederlander Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

Early in the first act of "The Devil Wears Prada,The Musical," Andy, a frumpy self-important recent college grad, is up for a job as a personal assistant to Miranda Priestly (a thinly veiled…

Stage Top 5: August 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

August stages are filled with famous people, both living and dead.

Stage Top 5: July 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

An eclectic month of performances culminates with the Broadway-bound "The Devil Wears Prada"

Sign of the Times: The Story Behind Natalie Moore’s Playwriting Debut, “The Billboard: A Play About Abortion” by Brian Hieggelke

Moore's show is set in Englewood, mostly at the fictional Black Women's Health Initiative, inspired loosely by an amalgamation of real-life events back in 2011 that she covered as a journali…

All Alone in the Moonlight: A Review of “Skates” at Studebaker Theater by Brian Hieggelke

"Skates," the creation of Chicago native Christine Rea (book and lyrics) and her husband Rick Briskin (music and lyrics) has its heart in the seventies, at a South Side roller rink called Wi…

Stage Top 5: June 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

A music-infused month of theater

The Dreams That You Dare to Dream: A Review of “Somewhere Over the Border” at Teatro Vista by Brian Hieggelke

A mashup of a mother's memories of crossing the border with the "Wizard of Oz" is a masterpiece in the making. "Somewhere Over the Border" reminds us that the world is full of common folks j…

Dueling in Dystopia: A Review of “Last Hermanos” at A Red Orchid Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

Two Mexican American brothers who've grown up separately in the United States are together on the run, hoping  to make it across the border to Mexico and escape the unfriendly confines that…

Stage Top 5: May 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

A big month for new musicals

Stage Top 5: April 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

April highlights.

When Mad Men Ruled the Airwaves: A Review of “Good Night, Oscar” at the Goodman Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

Doug Wright's brilliant new play, "Good Night, Oscar," in its hilarious and heartbreaking world-premiere production at the Goodman Theatre, is set in 1958. It's more than twenty years since …

Observations of Genius: A Review of “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci” at Goodman Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

Stage Top 5: March 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

March is such a robust month, we did not even have room for Hades Town, Moulin Rouge and Six at Broadway in Chicago.

Drill Team: A Review of “This Is Only A Test” at Broken Nose Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

We’ll Have A Gay Old Time: A Review of “Sons of Hollywood” at Windy City Playhouse by Brian Hieggelke

"Sons of Hollywood" tells the story of little-remembered Ramon Novarro, in parallel with that of his close friend and former lover William Haines.

Not Without A Fight: A Review of “Relentless” at TimeLine Theatre by Brian Hieggelke

Though the characters in "Relentless" are educated and well-to-do, they are far from reserved in world view—their rage seethes, hidden only by the comfort of their surroundings and the dec…

Stage Top 5: February 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

February highlights.

Players 2022: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago by Brian Hieggelke

In the return of the Players 50 list, we tried to honor those who came back, who've already been putting shows on stages, while crossing our fingers that those we've not heard from are just …

Players of the Moment: Parisa Jalili and Jon Carr of The Second City by Brian Hieggelke

The Second City is back in operation with new out-of-town owners and new leadership here in Chicago. And while it might seem pretty much the same, the organization is in the midst of profoun…

Theater Top 5 of 2021 by Brian Hieggelke

Highlights of 2021

Stage Top 5: January 2022 by Brian Hieggelke

Theater comes roaring back from its holiday hangover.

Everything Is Beautiful: A Review of “8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s” at Theo Ubique by Brian Hieggelke

"8-Track: The Sounds of the '70s" is exactly what it sounds like, a fun, light musical revue that plumbs the breadth of a transformative decade in music.