2,260 stories from Chicago Theater Beat
It's obvious that director Jeffrey Clark Stokes is passionate about this work. However, a passion for the source material only goes so far. Though intentions may have been pure, the end pro…
With fantastic writing, robust direction and brilliant acting, The Qualms is an intense 90-minute journey that's personal, hilarious and ultimately rewarding. (read Lauren Whalen's entire re…
This summer production is a loving, faithful adaptation of the classic story so delightful that adults will find themselves nostalgically back in Zuckerman's barn, and children will adore th…
This 67-year-old Scottish family tragedy hasn't been seen in this country since 1983. Its return is more than overdue, given its own non-negotiable worth and Griffin Theatre's piledriving r…
All in all, as social commentary, Dead Man's Cell Phone brings no epiphanies. As a fun night out, however, it succeeds. Recommended. (read more of Joy Campbell's review...)
This Godspell is well worth the ticket price and trip to the suburbs. I left with my heart warmed and my whole being energized. If Director Matt Rafterty had let the source material speak fo…
The exceptional performances in this Artistic Home production alone make the show wholly worthwhile, but the material itself has a lot going for it as well. Absurdist humor, vibrant characte…
William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin's hilarious musical ode to the endearing magic of words is a Chicago favorite, and Scott Calcagno's latest big budget/big scale production at Drury Lane is n…
Goodman's Brigadoon marks the first major revival of the classic musical in more than three decades. Lush production values, beautiful orchestrations and a surprising amount of gravity eleva…
David Zellnik's new production scores a lot of laughs through parodying a children's theater troupe, but then it falls apart in the second half. The actors play a big part in the developmen…
Playwright Dorothy Fortenberry, whose work has been seen in some prestigious regional theaters, has overreached in this play, cramming in too many ideas and failing to fully develop the intr…
What Death of the Maiden lacks in dramatic electricity or specificity, it makes up for in the depth of its pensive profundity. Maiden, especially with Sandra Oh's haunting performance, goes …
Writers Theatre's world premiere musical is all very neat and clean, with precise direction from Michael Halberstam and Doug Peck, but the production doesn't have much impact. Theater patron…
Directed by Eric Burgher, Profiles Theatre's production hits all the right hilarious and heartbreaking notes, thanks in large part to the tiny but dynamic cast. The result is a 90-minute pla…
Composer Adam Guettel works in a variety of genres from gospel and hymns through folk-styled melodies and traditional musical theater. The cast are all stunningly good dramatic singers. The …
4th of July can be a fun time for the entire family, but that doesn't mean that everything will go smoothly, especially when taking family photos. Here's some examples: Ignore the smok…
The slice-of-life story structure is entertaining, and sometimes so outrageous that it can only be true. Director Adam Webster keeps the pace quick so the lines don't feel set up, allowing t…
Cirque du Soleil has created a megawatt concert reenactment of Michael Jackson that is packed with dance, acrobatics, heart-stopping aerial choreography and live music. This is a jamming con…
Chicago Tap Theatre crowns their three-show season with this grand blowout at the Athenaeum Theatre's vast mainstage. Unleashing smiles and applause, this show definitely makes one look forw…
There's no denying the soaring magnificence of the score Sting has penned for The Last Ship, his Broadway-bound, operatic tale of a prodigal shipbuilder's son and a dying shipyard. There's a…
Red Bull Flying Bach is a nonstop 70-minute thrill ride of physicality, a tangibly electric ball of energy, a seamless blend of pure classic and edgy modern. (read more...)
Theatre Momentum's production springs from a compelling inspiration in theory, and there's good chemistry among the troupe as they riff off each other with a well-honed naturalism. However, …
With a fearless cast, sharp staging by Rachel Edwards Harvith, and meticulous musical direction by Kory Danielson, Kokandy delivers a chilling production that lingers in the memory long afte…
Director David Belew keeps the pace frantic and gets his actors to commit to the roles fully, but Simon's script fails to fully bring us into these characters. Still, Eclectic Theatre should…
If you are a fan of Freud or Mahler, or want to see some cool staging, you might derive some pleasure from What to Listen For. Also, the relationship between Margaret and the librarian is s…
