All stories by Lauren Warnecke on BroadwayStars

Friday, October 28, 2022

Review: ‘Rite of Spring’ and ‘common ground[s]’ unearth beauty and tragedy, danced at the Harris on a stage of dirt by Lauren Warnecke

In a way, the evening is about cultural exchange, as dancers from 14 African nations perform a German choreographer’s dance about a Russian pagan ritual.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:25PM
Monday, October 17, 2022

From the brink of closure, Giordano Dance Chicago roars back for 60th season celebration at the Harris by Lauren Warnecke

This longtime Chicago company's fall program is specifically curated to highlight works from the past two decades.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Review: Joffrey Ballet’s fall opener ‘Beyond Borders’ has bold moves and an Arpino tribute by Lauren Warnecke

The theme is not about physical borders. Rather, the creative voices here are thought to be boundary-breakers.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:55PM
Friday, September 30, 2022

Review: Hubbard Street Dance opens the fall with new faces, fresh versatility and ‘Refraction’ by Lauren Warnecke

If you’re a Hubbard Street fan you’ll notice more new faces than familiar ones — just five of the 15 dancers on the roster have more than a season under their belt.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:10PM
Thursday, September 8, 2022

Dance for fall 2022: Ballet, out-of-town visitors and a milestone season for Seldoms, Hubbard Street and Giordano Dance by Lauren Warnecke

Kyiv City Ballet from Ukraine is coming to the Auditorium this fall, the Joffrey plans some stunning revivals and Giordano celebrates a big 60 years in Chicago.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Monday, August 22, 2022

‘Reclamation: Spirit of Black Dance in Chicago’ will be a Year of Dance event in Millennium Park you won’t want to miss by Lauren Warnecke

The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project will present a free night of dance with standout companies including Muntu Dance Theatre, Red Clay and Deeply Rooted.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Joffrey Ballet launches first-of-its-kind contemporary ballet training program by Lauren Warnecke

This fall, approximately 10 dancers will be the first cohort of contemporary ballet trainees with the Joffrey Ballet.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2022

In the Year of Chicago Dance, the city marks 30 years of Dancing for Life by Lauren Warnecke

Chicago Dancers United's Dance for Life is back at the Auditorium Theatre, raising money to help Chicago's dance community stay healthy.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:30AM
Sunday, July 3, 2022

Respect tradition, go forward: Tap dance in Chicago doesn’t want to stay still, and Rhythm World is the place to see it this summer by Lauren Warnecke

Chicago has long been a breeding ground for tap dance, and the city’s flagship summer festival, Rhythm World, is back.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Wednesday, June 8, 2022

‘Flamenco Passion’: Ensemble Español shows how Spain is the middle, not the beginning, of flamenco’s story by Lauren Warnecke

Ensemble Español is preparing for “Flamenco Passion,” part of a week-long Spanish dance and music festival.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Friday, June 3, 2022

With ‘Don Quixote’ at the Lyric, Joffrey makes good on a 2-year-old promise by Lauren Warnecke

It took a while to get here, but this wonderfully gaudy ballet is finally open and getting its due.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:00PM
Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Dance Top 10 for summer 2022: Joffrey to tap, flamenco to Dance for Life, and a few of our top picks are free by Lauren Warnecke

DanceAfrica returns, plus Rhythm World, Dance for Life and a new Joffrey ballet on Navy Pier.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Friday, May 13, 2022

South Chicago Dance Theatre will debut at the Harris: Ambition, grit and grace are this company’s special sauce by Lauren Warnecke

Kia Smith's South Chicago Dance Theatre celebrates its fifth anniversary with five world premieres at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:15AM
Thursday, April 28, 2022

Review: The Joffrey brings ‘Of Mice and Men’ to the ballet stage in a world premiere; plus Balanchine’s ‘Serenade’ by Lauren Warnecke

Both dating to the Great Depression, “Serenade” is still a curious overture for “Of Mice and Men,” British choreographer Cathy Marston’s story ballet based on the John Steinbeck no…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:00PM

‘How does this thing fly?’ For ‘Wired’ at the MCA, disability arts company creates a wheelchair aerial dance that touches on race, gender and by Lauren Warnecke

Throughout the piece, the dancers wrestle with this unwieldy, unforgiving object, their bodies enclosed by a tangle of wires and barbs.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 10:40AM
Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Troup Bingo of Circus Vazquez hails from Ukraine — one woman walked (and took trains and a taxi) to Poland in order to perform by Lauren Warnecke

Troup Bingo’s mantra is to leave the worries of the war outside the circus tent, focusing first on what is often a very dangerous job.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Joffrey Ballet will participate in nationwide Arpino Centennial, celebrating the choreographer who put Joffrey on the Chicago map by Lauren Warnecke

The dancer and choreographer who, even more than Robert Joffrey, was responsible for the role the Joffrey Ballet has in Chicago today will be the subject of a multi-year national celebration.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:01AM
Saturday, April 2, 2022

Review: Giordano Dance ‘Illuminates’ the Harris with sultry sex appeal, a beach vibe and Koresh’s cathartic ‘EXit4′ by Lauren Warnecke

“EXit4″ was so loved in the seasons following its premiere that it was nearly performed to death. But time and a new context reaffirm how good this piece really is.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:33AM
Monday, March 14, 2022

Joffrey Ballet’s ambitious 2022-23 season includes ‘Anna Karenina,’ Chicago premiere of ‘The Little Mermaid’ by Lauren Warnecke

The Joffrey Ballet has an ambitious season in store, returning to normal operations — and then some — for the 2022-23 season at the Lyric Opera House.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:15PM
Friday, March 4, 2022

Review: Hubbard Street Dance is back at the MCA and stronger than ever by Lauren Warnecke

Artistic director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell said her vision is focused on “reconnecting with Hubbard Street’s audiences.”

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:05PM
Thursday, March 3, 2022

Review: Alvin Ailey Dance is back in Chicago, a sign of life in more ways than one by Lauren Warnecke

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Chicago is like a phoenix rising from the ashes — then taking us to church with ‘Mass’ and ‘Revelations’

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:33PM
Friday, February 25, 2022

Review: ‘Creature’ is English National Ballet’s return to Chicago, a powerful story with echoes of ‘Frankenstein’ by Lauren Warnecke

Akram Khan’s new ballet features Jeffrey Cirio as the central character Creature. It is unclear if Creature is a man, a monster or some hybrid of the two.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:35PM
Thursday, February 3, 2022

Trinity Irish Dance Company is back and kicking after a pandemic absence — and the troupe on stage looks a little different by Lauren Warnecke

The Trinity Irish Dance Company officially formed in 1990. “This is still five years before ‘Riverdance,’” associate artistic director Chelsea Hoy said, crediting founder Mark Howard…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Friday, January 21, 2022

2022 will be the Year of Chicago Dance, with robust programs planned for summer by Lauren Warnecke

The Year of Chicago Dance will be new DCASE commissioner Erin Harkey’s first major project.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:43AM
Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Chicago comic Lisa Beasley turns her viral TikTok imitation of Lightfoot into a show for teachers at Laugh Factory by Lauren Warnecke

Bronzeville’s Lisa Beasley is riding the wave. Her raspy-voiced, disheveled impression as “Lory Litefoot” caught the eyes of Chicago last week and within hours Laugh Factory was on boa…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:25PM
Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Dance Top 10 in Chicago: Among the don’t-misses are Trinity Irish Dance, ‘Don Quixote’ and a return of the stunning English National Ballet by Lauren Warnecke

From visits from Alvin Ailey and the English National Ballet, to the homegrown talents of Hubbard Street, the Joffrey and Chicago Tap Theatre, don't miss these upcoming performances.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Dance Chicagoan of the Year: Ginger Farley of Chicago Dancemakers Forum has helped bring dance to a new level by Lauren Warnecke

Ginger Farley spent this year and her career supporting dance artists when and how they needed. She retires Dec. 31.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Top 10 moments for dance in Chicago in 2021: Live, on a screen and behind the scenes, Chicago dance forged ahead by Lauren Warnecke

Dancing in a pandemic brought digital delights, resilient ingenuity and bold returns to the stage.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Sunday, December 5, 2021

Review: Joffrey Ballet’s magical ‘Nutcracker’ is now at the Lyric and better than ever by Lauren Warnecke

Maybe it’s the post-lockdown malaise lifting, but Joffrey’s “Nutcracker” sparkles like never before: The colors seem brighter, the sets more immersive, the orchestrations richer, the…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:15PM
Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Hubbard Street’s ‘RE/TURN’ to live dance has something old, something new and Barton’s tour de force ‘Busk’ by Lauren Warnecke

Jermaine Maurice Spivey makes his Hubbard Street and Chicago debut with a world premiere, alongside "Jardí Tancat" by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato, and the Hubbard Street premiere of A…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 03:00PM
Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Holiday entertainment for 2021: Our Top 40 has all the shows and concerts, from ‘Nutcracker’ to Lil Nas X by Lauren Warnecke

Happy holidays! Live shows and events are back this year, and if you've missed celebrating — be it Scrooge or caroling at the Bean — we have a holiday list.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM

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