Flower children of 'Hair' live in the real world this time by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "Hair" at American Theater Company ★★★½ THEATER REVIEW: "Hair" at American Theater Company ★★★½ ... "Hair," the once-revolutionary …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 5:41pm on May 6, 2014☆⚑

In insightful 'Principal,' reading, writing and reality by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "Principal Principle" by Stage Left at Theater Wit ★★★½ THEATER REVIEW: "Principal Principle" by Stage Left at Theater Wit ★★★½ ...…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 4:09pm on May 5, 2014☆⚑

Irish musical 'Juno' comes with mixed blessings by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "Juno" at TimeLine Theatre ★★½ THEATER REVIEW: "Juno" at TimeLine Theatre ★★½ Sean O'Casey's dark, restless drama begins with the brutal shooti…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 2:54pm on May 4, 2014☆⚑

'Wizard of Oz': An unexpected rainbow lands in the Loop by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "The Wizard of Oz" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre ★★★ THEATER REVIEW: "The Wizard of Oz" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre ★★★ ... Danielle …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 3:46pm on May 2, 2014☆⚑

Puzzling over our picks, and those of the Tonys committee by Chris Jones

Complaining about awards — even those as lofty and financially crucial and historically significant as the Tony Awards — generally is a pointless exercise.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:09pm on May 2, 2014☆⚑

A new show from Jack Lemmon's biggest fan by Chris Jones

After lunch earlier this cloudy, rainy week, Chris Lemmon donned a pair of shades in the elevator.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 10:58am on May 1, 2014☆⚑

Porchlight over-achieves in 'How to Succeed' by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" by Porchlight Music Theatre ★★★ THEATER REVIEW: "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" by Po…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 6:33pm on April 30, 2014☆⚑

Despite the years, those profane puppets still lovable by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "Avenue Q" at the Mercury Theater ★★★ THEATER REVIEW: "Avenue Q" at the Mercury Theater ★★★ ... When I first saw "Avenue Q" in New York o…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 6:03pm on April 29, 2014☆⚑

Tony Award nominations 2014: A Very Bad Year for Serious Musicals by Chris Jones

In a wildly unpreditcable year for the Tony Awards, especially in the crucial catagory of new musicals, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," "Beautiful," "After Midnight," and "Aladdin,…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 8:30am on April 29, 2014☆⚑

This is 'Sound of Music' on a grand scale, with a lovely Maria by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "The Sound of Music" by the Lyric Opera In its second of four planned spring productions of classic musicals by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the Lyric Opera of …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 4:42pm on April 28, 2014☆⚑

Dense 'Garden' is in need of pruning by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "In the Garden" at the Lookingglass Theatre ★★½ THEATER REVIEW: "In the Garden" at the Lookingglass Theatre ★★½ ... Early on in Sara Gmitter's …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 5:09pm on April 27, 2014☆⚑

Harris is Hedwig — and retro-ad pitchman by Chris Jones

When American Airlines was looking for a spokesman for its new Airbus A321 service from New York to Los Angeles, a route greatly favored by captains of industry, Neil Patrick Harris was an o…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 5:43pm on April 25, 2014☆⚑

Teatro Vista's 'Bridge' makes connections by Chris Jones

THEATER REVIEW: "A View From the Bridge" by Teatro Vista ★★★ THEATER REVIEW: "A View From the Bridge" by Teatro Vista ★★★ ... Arthur Miller's "A View Fro…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 5:42pm on April 25, 2014☆⚑

Once again in hands of Alan Cumming's Emcee in 'Cabaret' by Chris Jones

BROADWAY REVIEW: "Cabaret" by the Roundabout Theatre BROADWAY REVIEW: Cabaret by the Roundabout Theatre ... Figuring little good was to come from keeping a proven production alone on the sh…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 5:32pm on April 24, 2014☆⚑

Goodman Theatre announces final show in 2014-15 season by Chris Jones

The Goodman Theatre has announced the final show in its 2014-15 mainstage season: it is to be a new production of the classic Amerian potboiler "The Little Foxes," written by Lillian Hellman…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 2:36pm on April 23, 2014☆⚑

Chicago Children's Theatre announces musicals by Chris Jones

Chicago Children's Theatre said Wednesday that it will premiere a new musical based on Leo Lionni's book "Frederick," the story of a poetically inclined fieldmouse with a penchant for storyt…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:22pm on April 23, 2014☆⚑

Neil Patrick Harris makes Hedwig a glorious rock star by Chris Jones

BROADWAY REVIEW: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" BROADWAY REVIEW: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" ... Born of the rubble of the Berlin Wall, Hedwig Schmidt surely would never have imagined her tir…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 2:46pm on April 22, 2014☆⚑

The nominees for the 2014 Non-Equity Jeff Awards are ... by Chris Jones

BoHo Theatre, still a relative newcomer to Chicago's non-Equity theater scene, scored the most nominations for the 2014 Non-Equity Jeff Awards, announced by the all-volunteer committee on Mo…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:05pm on April 21, 2014☆⚑

Steep dives again into world of family strife by Chris Jones

Over at Steep Theatre, they might consider installing a new sign above their Berwyn Avenue storefront. "Warning," it could say, "Brits in Pain Within."

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 4:03pm on April 21, 2014☆⚑

'Violet' exits the bus, then loses its way by Chris Jones

BROADWAY REVIEW: "Violet" at the American Airlines Theatre ... You can't help worrying about "Violet." Not just the smart girl with the scar who is at the heart of the tender and haunting li…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 6:26pm on April 20, 2014☆⚑

Daniel Radcliffe brings strength to role of 'Crippled Billy' by Chris Jones

BROADWAY REVIEW: "The Cripple of Inishmaan" at the Cort Theatre BROADWAY REVIEW: "The Cripple of Inishmaan" at the Cort Theatre ... Daniel Radcliffe's global celebrity wholly disappears ins…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 6:17pm on April 20, 2014☆⚑

Along with Colbert, the Chicago school of comedy on rise by Chris Jones

For some in Chicago, the anointing of Stephen Colbert as the successor to David Letterman this month was a watershed, greatly-to-be-savored moment of total establishment dominance by the Chi…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 3:32pm on April 18, 2014☆⚑

'Act One' isn't the show Hart would have written by Chris Jones

BROADWAY REVIEW: "Act One" in the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center BROADWAY REVIEW: "Act One" in the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center ... "Inevitably," wrote Moss Hart in …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 2:39pm on April 17, 2014☆⚑

Ray Shepardson, 1944 - 2014: 'Formerly of almost every theater in America' by Chris Jones

When Ray Shepardson called, and he called those in a position to influence the fate of old theaters frequently, he would announce himself with a tagline: "It's Ray Shepardson, formerly of al…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 6:48pm on April 16, 2014☆⚑

'Of Mice and Men,' and of Chris O'Dowd's Lennie by Chris Jones

BROADWAY REVIEW: 'Of Mice and Men' at the Longacre Theatre ... Many in the audience for "Of Mice and Men" are coming to see James Franco. But given director Anna D. Shapiro's long history wi…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 6:37pm on April 16, 2014☆⚑