Stark Sands and Billy Porter next to some kinky boots Forget fancy names like Cyndi Lauper. If there’s a single compelling reason to see Kinky Boots, a lively new musical based on a 20…
The cast of “Trainspotting USA,” now playing at Theater Wit It’s difficult for me to get behind art that glorifies the illegal drug culture. It just seems like exploitative…
If history class were like the rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, I might have fared better in school. The 2011 off-Broadway musical by Michael Friedman (music and lyrics) and Alex T…
Ok — let’s get to the point(alism): Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Sunday in the Park with George is nothing short of a triumph. Sunday, which, in act one, is loosely based …
Sometimes you wake up to discover that the world has bestowed a rare gift to you. Something that gives you hope for the world at large. In this case, it’s a YouTube documentary series …
One of the most pee-your-pants funny nights I’ve spent in a theatre occurred last summer in a dusty space at the Chicago Dankhaus. The New Colony’s Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche,…
Goodman’s Sweet Bird of Youth is a fascinating mess. Forget the talented and stunning Diane Lane — David Cromer’s direction is the star. After all, his bewildering and dist…
Lusia Strus and Mariann Mayberry in Steppenwolf’s “Good People.” Now firmly in my 30s, its amazing the number of my friends who are living paycheck to paycheck — incl…
The cast of Red Tape’s “The Skriker,” playing through October 20. Forget haunted houses. The most chilling experience in Chicago at this moment is Red Tape Theatre’s …
Greg Caldwell, Jason Huysman and Chuck Spencer in Raven Theatre’s “The Big Knife.” Photo credit: Dean LaPrairie Billy Wilder took perhaps the first high-profile stab at the…
The cast of Rivendell’s “WRENS.” Photo by Michael Brosilow The bond that forms from close quarters is a unique and powerful phenomenon. People with whom you might otherwise…
A scene from Profiles Theatre’s “Sweet and Sad.” Photo: Michael Brosilow Growing up, family dinners were a quick moment of dutiful obligation. With two parents who worked i…
Bill Larkin as Edward Kleban in Porchlight Music Theatre’s “A Class Act.” Photo: Jeremy Rill Something about A Class Act, a small musical with a big heart, captured my emot…
Scene from “Once Upon A Rom Com: The Bill Pullman Story.” Ok. I’m going to attempt a new weekly series that rounds up the things I get in my box that I think sound cool, in…
At a recent blogger meet-up, I learned two things. One: If I hope to start making any real money blogging, I need to start a fashion blog. Pronto. Two: I guess I should probably gain a sense…
Tony Bozzuto and Tosha Fowler share a moment of passion in COR Theatre’s “Skin Tight.” Photo credit: Victoria Deiorio “And then my life flashed before my eyes.”…
Here’s the video tribute I put together for my late sister, which was shown at her memorial. It’s long, so be patient. I’m particularly proud of the conclusion (11:44 to th…
Kelly Yacono and Lisa Herceg in Babes with Blades’ “Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride.” Photo by Steven Townshend. Susan Swayne and the Bewildered Bride, an energetic m…
So, I woke up from a restless sleep early this morning, checked my phone and noticed that the 2012 Equity Jeff Awards had been announced. And my first impression was: wow. No Nathan Lane. Ye…
Christine Stulik and Halena Kays in The Hypocrites’ “The House of Usher” Welcome to the House of Usher, where not everything is as it seems and you may find yourself buried…
Chris Daley and Sarah Mayhan Tran in Redtwist Theatre’s “The Glass Menagerie.” Tennessee Williams’ deeply personal masterpiece, The Glass Menagerie, has, perhaps in s…
A few updates: Getting back in the swing: As you can see from my mini theatre calendar to the left of this post, I’ve got a full lineup over the next several days. Like most things in …
The cast of Steppenwolf Theatre’s “Three Sisters,” now playing through August 26. What is it about Steppenwolf’s production of Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters…
These past several weeks have been a doozy. Following this, Gerald and I got married (well, civil union-ed) this weekend. With that all done, I’m planning on getting back into the thea…
The cast of ChiShakes' "Beauty and the Beast." It's clear, based on yesterday's sold-out performance of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, that Chicago Shakespeare Theatre has a hit. From the mo…