2,260 stories from Chicago Theater Beat
It's delightful to watch James Sparling, as Sherlock Holmes, in action. And everything clicks here"from Ray Toler's period set to LaVisa Angela Williams' historical costumes to Laura J. Wil…
Good for Otto contains plenty of interesting moments and boasts much psychological cleverness. The weak narrative arc makes it less dramatically interesting than is should be, however. (read…
Twenty-five years after its Goodman Theatre premiere, the late Scott McPherson's dark comedy deftly explores the effects of impending loss, and the breaks and bonds of family. Shattered Glob…
As sumptuous as a wedding cake, Shakespeare veteran Barbara Gaines has put a new spin on this traditional crowd-pleaser. Mozart's enduring music creates the focal point around which Gaines h…
On its first national tour since winning last year's Tony Award for Best Musical, this is one of the smartest and freshest new musicals we've seen in a long time. Highly Recommended! (read …
It may be that the term *mixed bag* was never a more appropriate descriptor than for Remy Bumppo's production of Love and Information. Playwright Caryl Churchill provides the *bag* of dialog…
Punk Punk isn't perfect, but we appreciate its edginess and genuine effort to be different. Silly, raucous and more than a little nasty, Punk Punk isn't like anything else you'll see in the …
With Feathers and Teeth, we get an enervatingly familiar look at family dysfunction disguised as demonology, a quirkfest that dumbs an audience down as they realize how little's at stake. (r…
With Blood Brothers, Theo Ubique has given us a stunning and intimate production of this tragic but lovely parable. A deep understanding of the text coupled with a vocally gifted cast makes…
Though the first act stumbles, the entrance of the three youngest cast members at the beginning of the second act is a game-changer, opening "East of Eden" up to becom a slow burn of emotion…
This cauldron of campy comedy bubbles over with Handbag's patented brand of lovable skewering. My cheeks hurt from laughter by show's end. Highly Recommended. (read Clint May's entire revie…
Sucker Punch isn't always easy to watch: racism on display stings and cuts to the core. However, Victory Gardens' season opener needs to be watched, talked about and digested. Williams' play…
Shocking and smart, Disgraced has a compelling and cutting script. Not one second of the 85-minute running time goes to waste, thanks to Ayad Akhtar's stellar writing and Kimberly Senior's t…
Romantic and quirky, 'Miss Buncle' is a bemusing crowd-pleaser. Recommended. (read Clint May's entire review....)
Playwright Bruce Graham had the right idea for this World Premiere play about a burlesque and Broadway follies comedian struggling to remain relevant amid changing audience tastes in the lat…
This newly-revised Side Show, with added songs, characters and details of the twins' story " enjoying a stunning post-Broadway debut at Porchlight Music Theatre - is a beautiful, full-bodied…
The Tempest makes phenomenal use of the city's talent, and even though it's a visiting production, it's full of the raw power and rich emotion that defines the best of Chicago theater. Seize…
Not all August Wilson's dramas are created equal. Gem of the Ocean, a magnificent 150-minute mess, though lacking in parts, is still earnest to a fault, delivering vital parallels to the pre…
A feast for those who like their musicals meaty. Kudos to BoHo for bringing Dogfight to Chicago audiences. Highly Recommended! (read John Olson's entire review....)
Director Jason Gerace has perfectly balanced his actors into models of anguished antagonism, and they are as mesmerizing to watch as those old-time staged train wrecks. This production reit…
While its season opener, The Revel, is decidedly imperfect, the beautiful staging, stunning original music and phenomenal female-dominated cast make the production well worth watching. Recom…
Guardians runs a bit long, but is an unflinching, gripping look at our violence- and media-obsessed culture, and two individuals on different, but equally explosive, sides of it. Recommended…
Equal parts quietly profound and piercingly harmonious, American Idiot gives a theatrical taste of a seminal band. Enter, rock out and leave changed. Highly Recommended. (read Lauren Whalen'…
Charming and inventive, this Peter Pan pre-quel contains a mermaids-on-vaudeville specialty act that is straight up one of the single most hilarious numbers I have ever seen in some 40+ year…
The magnificence of this play lies in its stories, which celebrate the human spirit and remarkable ability to survive. Interrobang's Katrina is both extremely disturbing and incredibly touc…
