11,648 stories from Chicago Tribune
This year felt like a loud reminder that culture often points out where we are and what is worth fighting for.
Chicago acting always deserves extra recognition; here were my favorite performances in theaters in the city and suburbs in the past year.
Fans of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" still will have fun, but Theo Ubique Theatre has done far better.
What would the great American artist Jean-Michele Basquiat have achieved, how famous would he now be, had he not died of a heroin overdose in 1988 at the age of 27?
In a year of Chicago theater's recovery, he directed hit after hit, and he's a reigning authority on the work of August Wilson. That's all just for starters.
The results of his efforts are not simply an organization spared by the pandemic, but one that emerged stronger than ever, revitalized and ready for the next 60 years.
"Almost Famous," a stage adaptation of the acclaimed 2000 film about a teenager who travels with a rock band while endeavoring to become a music journalist, will close on Broadway on Jan. 8 …
It has been the annual December tradition for Tribune critics and writers to mark the places and people and things that have departed.
This remains an important musical because of the originality of its thought, the strength of its score and its ability to hit such a chord with audiences.
Vichet Chum's world premiere is one of several recent plays looking at the struggles of immigrants trying to reconcile their past with their American present.
In life, as God and Sondheim understand, we roll along whether or not we choose to do so merrily.
The new musical roars along with its fleet-footed dancers and singers speeding so fast that it feels as if someone has lit a fuse.
If cirque is your thing, it may be best to wait for "Cirque Dreams Holidaze" or go see the terrific Cabaret ZaZou instead.
She plays the alter-ego of the brilliant Adrienne Kennedy, a 91-year-old Black playwright finally on Broadway.
Chicago's Anthony Norman leads the musical on tour. He once told his agent he didn't feel right for the role, but in the audition, "something just clicked."
Was 2022 a normal year in Chicago theater? That depends, but there were some tremendous plays and musicals.
Highlights include Pina Bausch's "Rite of Spring" and Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo in "common ground[s]."
In an era when many plays lack the kind of structure guaranteed to please an audience, "Georgiana & Kitty" is the very model of a well-made play.
I vividly remember watching the piece in 2020 on my laptop in my kitchen, wishing for a family Christmas with then-absent members.
The Goodman Theatre's "Arts in Action: Home for the Holidays" free event coincides with its 45th production of "A Christmas Carol."
The touring cast of the show is expected to include Montego Glover as the Witch, Stephanie J. Block as the Baker's Wife.
To appease concerned residents, the design now includes more green space and road connections to ease traffic congestion.
In Larry Yando's hands, it's Scrooge's transformation from hardhearted miser into "as good a friend … and as good a man, as the good old city knew" that makes makes this a classic.
On paper, the 2003 holiday movie comedy starring Will Ferrell seems like a great candidate for a screen-to-stage adaptation.
What do jukebox shows like "Beautiful Noise" hope to give us? Immortality. For a night.
