All stories by Scotty Zacher on BroadwayStars

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Review: Why Do You Always Wear Black? (Organic Theater) by Scotty Zacher

                       Why Do You Always      Wear Black?   Based…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:35PM
Sunday, February 4, 2018

Review: Nice Girl (Raven Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

                       Nice Girl Written by Melissa Ross Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark (map…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:53PM
Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Review: Nevermore (Black Button Eyes Productions) by Scotty Zacher

                       Nevermore   Book/Music/Lyrics by Jonathan Christenson at Edge …

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 12:42AM
Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Review: Lysistrata Jones (Refuge Theatre Project) by Scotty Zacher

Spike Lee’s recent film Chiraq adapted Lysistrata to Chicago's South Side, replacing an epic Greek war with equally epic gang violence. The stakes in Lysistrata Jones? Basketball. More spe…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:36AM
Thursday, August 3, 2017

Review: The Food Show (The Neo-Futurists) by Scotty Zacher

                   The Food Show  Created by Dan Kerr-Hobert, Caitlin Stainken Metropolitan Brewing,…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:33PM
Monday, May 22, 2017

Review: Not About Nightingales (Raven Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Based on real events, Not About Nightingales is Tennessee Williams’ gut-wrenching account of events at a Philadelphia prison in 1937 when prisoners mounted a hunger strike in hopes of brin…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:18PM
Sunday, April 23, 2017

Review: King of the Yees (Goodman Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

In making her persona the star of her world premiere drama King of the Yees, playwright Lauren Yee has created a meta-format to explore her relationship with her father. This genre-melding i…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:06AM
Monday, January 30, 2017

Review: Prelude to a Kiss (The Comrades) by Scotty Zacher

The Comrades' Prelude to a Kiss is acted with resonance and skill, along with lots of laughs, and clever use of popular music along the way. Aptly directed by artistic director Derek Bertel…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:24PM
Sunday, January 22, 2017

SNL takes on Chicago the Musical: “Roxie” becomes “Conway”, as in Kellyanne Conway by Scotty Zacher

In Saturday Night Live's parody of Chicago the Musical’s “Roxie”, Kellyanne Conway (played by Kate McKinnon) reveals the real reason she joined Donald Trump's campaign. Hilarious!

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:54PM
Sunday, January 15, 2017

Review: What of the Night? (Cor Theatre & Stage Left Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize when it first premiered in 1990, Cuban-American playwright María Irene Fornés’s What of the Night? is an important, but rarely produced, work of unconventi…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:33PM
Monday, January 9, 2017

Chicago’s Best Theater of 2016 by Scotty Zacher

         See our picks below the fold                Chicago’s best theater of 2016 (in alpha…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 02:36PM
Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Top 10 Chicago Productions of 2016 by Scotty Zacher

Another year, another 12 months of great theater! 2016 blessed the Windy City with inspired new works and riveting revivals from a wide range of companies – from the largest equity houses …

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:36PM
Saturday, December 17, 2016

Review: The Winter’s Tale (Cheek by Jowl, Chicago Shakespeare) by Scotty Zacher

Of all the plays Shakespeare wrote, The Winter’s Tale is one of the most problematic. Directed by Declan Donnellan at Chicago Shakespeare, Cheek By Jowl’s highly conceptual staging of th…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:12PM
Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Christmas Theaters offer up stocking-full of holiday shows in 2016! by Scotty Zacher

The Chicago theater community will again produce a wide array of holiday plays, musicals, ballets and comedies in 2016, all to put you in a festive mood. Find the entire list of holiday off…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 08:24PM
Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Review: Annie (Broadway in Chicago, 2016) by Scotty Zacher

"Annie" the musical is a lovely, glorious, filled-with-happiness evening. If the tour is coming to your city, be sure you don’t miss out on this feel-good, family-friendly production. High…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 03:36PM
Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Review: East Texas Hot Links (Writers Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Eugene Lee's *East Texas Hot Links* is a Brutal, lyrical play that immediately hits you on a visceral level. With a superb design and masterful direction, Writers Theatre has created a must…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:02PM
Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Review: Saturn Returns (The Neo-Futurists) by Scotty Zacher

With *Saturn Returns*, Tif Harrison and company present a thoughtful, comprehensive look at the major life changes of one’s late twenties. If only the show weren’t bogged down by superfl…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:48PM
Friday, October 28, 2016

Review: Red Velvet (Raven Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Strong cast tell fascinating story of the first black actor to play Othello that contains strong parallels to today. Recommended. (read Duan Barnes' entire review....)

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 02:12AM
Tuesday, October 18, 2016

2016 Equity Jeff Awards Announced by Scotty Zacher

Check out Chicago theater's 2016 Equity Jeff Awards. Big winners include Chicago Shakespeare's *The Tempest*, Porchlight Music Theatre's *Dreamgirls*, Paramount Theatre's *West Side Story*,…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 04:08PM

2016 Equity Jeff Awards Announced by Scotty Zacher

Now in its 48th Equity season, the Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theatre artists annually since it was established in 1968.  The Jeff Awards Committee judged the opening nig…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 03:09AM
Saturday, October 15, 2016

Review: Merge (The New Colony) by Scotty Zacher

The New Colony's world-premiere *Merge* makes a promising first impression as the audience is immediately transported into a 1970’s arcade game, complete with neon tones, lights and the te…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:58PM
Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Review: Apartment 3A (Windy City Playhouse) by Scotty Zacher

Windy City Playhouse's "Apartment 3A" by Jeff Daniels, directed by Ron OJ Parsons is an off-kilter romantic comedy with a touch of the surreal. Recommended! (read Duane Barnes' entire review…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:21PM
Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Review: The Burials (Steppenwolf for Young Adults) by Scotty Zacher

Written and directed by female powerhouses Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss respectively, The Burials updates Sophocles’ Antigone with strong grace and an even stronger anti-gun credo. Smar…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 06:49PM
Sunday, October 9, 2016

Review: Visiting Edna (Steppenwolf Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

With Playwright David Rabe's poetic world-premiere, Steppenwolf Theatre and director Anna D. Shapiro have created a thoughtful world-premiere with a stellar cast that explores end-of-life is…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 10:02PM
Thursday, October 6, 2016

Review: Man in the Ring (Court Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Court Theatre's Man in the Ring, by Michael Cristofer, dances and spars at the intersection of violence and love, two things that are inextricably twined in Emile Griffith’s world. It’s …

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:15PM
Saturday, October 1, 2016

Review: Miss Holmes (Lifeline Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Lifeline Theatre's world-premiere Miss Holmes, by Christopher M. Walsh, is a refreshing female-driven portrayal of the classic detective. Katie McLean Hainsworth and Mandy Walsh are wily, ma…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:09PM

Review: The Happiest Place on Earth (Sideshow Theatre, Greenhouse Theater) by Scotty Zacher

Sideshow Theatre's *The Happiest Place on Earth*, written and performed by Philip Dawkins for Greenhouse Theater's Solo Celebration! series, is an essential theatrical experience, a twisted …

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 05:08PM

Review: I Do Today (The Other Theatre Company, Greenhouse Theater) by Scotty Zacher

I Do Today is a loving and lighthearted collaboration of playwright Sarah Myers, director Jacob Harvey and solo actor (and Other Theatre Company artistic director) Carin Silkaitis, who is ut…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 03:58PM
Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Review: Hand to God (Victory Gardens Theater) by Scotty Zacher

Victory Garden Theater's Hand to God, though gloriously gruesome and wildly over the top, is at its heart a probing study on how one deals with grief, faith, temptation and the daily struggl…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 07:03PM
Sunday, September 25, 2016

Review: Wonderful Town (Goodman Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

Mary Zimmerman deftly directs a lavish revival of Leonard Bernstein’s classic musical, featuring a company of more than 40 actors and musicians. If you’re looking for larger-than-life st…

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 09:16PM
Thursday, September 22, 2016

Review: Amour (Black Button Eyes Productions) by Scotty Zacher

Adapted from the Frebcg short story Le Passe-Muraille by Marcel Ayme, this Tony Award-nominated musical is a Chicago premiere. And with Amour, Black Button Eyes Productions and Director Ed …

SOURCE: Chicago Theater Beat at 11:21PM

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