An interesting spin on the Christmas classic, it's certainly worth seeing during the holidays. But a good script doesn't always guarantee a good production, and in this presentation NightBl…
Despite the script's imperfections, Red Theatre's production of Sidney Michaels' theatrical biopic brings the wit and passion of the Welsh poet to vibrant life. Dylan is a fascinating if fla…
Is it a fairytale, a folktale or a muzical? Yes. Playwright Emily Schwartz has concocted a play-full original - the plot is layered but not overly complicated, the characters whimsical wit…
A remount of Court Theatre's universally praised one-man show from two years ago, An Iliad returns to provide an enthralling, contemporary interpretation of Homer's opus. For those who miss…
La Traviata is beautifully sung and well-executed, jam-packed with some of the most beloved arias ever written. Although this classic is a sure thing, it suffers from living in the mammoth s…
This new adaptation of Christmas Carol has an intriguing premise but loses too much of the original. And with Christmas carols interspersed throughouth (and not enough character development…
With their re-imagined, hyper-creative Nutcracker, The House Theatre has found its perfect annual gift to the theatre-going public. As a new uncle myself, I can't wait to bring my own niece …
A cunningly raucous holiday romp, Mikado's circus backdrop nicely enlivens the pell-mell proceedings, with the supposedly restless audience moving about like gawkers under the imaginary canv…
Strongly acted and visually intersting, Paulus' main weakness lies in its script, which never quite hits the mark, running nearly two hours, when 90 minutes could clearly tell the story. Sti…
Though one might expect a sweeping saga that serves as a history lesson, what we find instead is a Motown drama with solid-gold performances - a very specific yet illuminating story about a …
Even with the considerable talents of a creative team and cast that are among Chicago's finest artists, this script is not worth the time and money of these companies or their audiences. The…
It is rare, particularly in the world of theater, to find shows that are quite genuinely *fun for the whole family*. A mix of over-the-top humor, physical comedy and meta-jokes, ensures that…
The title definitlely sums it up - a cast of five throws out rapid fire Jewish-flavored jokes at the audience, on such topics as sex, marriage, money, doctor's visits, old age, retirement, a…
In Conor McPherson's deeply moving 3-person play, the seemingly unassociated men are joined by a common yearning. McPherson renders that yearning gorgeously, capturing all the sadness and jo…
Even 20 years after it first debuted, Hellcab still offers audiences a very different kind of holiday show. Rather than being overly sentimental, it's realistic and relatable. Its familiarit…
File this one in the Underwhelming drawer. With his 70-minute Elegy, playwright Ron Hirsen explores the tragic legacy of the Holocaust from the distance of the 1970s. Unfortunately, the wor…
Parsifal is a huge commitment that comes with a huge reward. As much as audience members may murmur their discomfort at the marathon, we all jumped to our feet in unison at the spectacular …
With all its intriguing moral questions for our city, this is an admirable effort and one that ought to be of interest to those interested in the rough and tumble scene of Chicago politics. …
Street Justice: Condition Red doesn't try to present itself as anything more than an action comedy romp poking fun at both Hollywood movie conventions and itself. Because the production does…
While touring companies are frequently known for going stale, Wicked remains surprisingly fresh, injecting new energy by allowing the performers to make the roles their own. Kudos to directo…
Archly coy to a fault, Playwright Calamity West's work depicts a gratuitously hostile fiction-writing workshop at an American university in 1946 where it symbolically snows a lot. Festering…
Though not as raucous as it could be, Joel Kim Booster's black comedy holds an interesting dramatic undercurrent, a desire for truth under artifices that are not the sole domain of celebrity…
The Normal Heart is set in the early 1980's, but it's far from dated. On the contrary, this play is essential. As the lights came up and I wiped away the tears, I reflected on the play's cor…
Marriott's overall take on the crowd-pleasing Disney musical definitely does not add up to a jolly holiday. Directed by Gary Griffin, the show is all but thoroughly derailed by a barrage of …
No question, however nonsensical the kids' tales may seem, the Barrel of Monkeys and their guest artists treat them as faithfully as gospel and make them merry where they might otherwise see…