2,260 stories from Chicago Theater Beat
There's no question but that Slowgirl is exceedingly well acted, with Rae Gray and William Petersen ably digging deep into Greg Pierce's story of two people running from, and ultimately faci…
Coupled with a wryly acidic look at the differences between the generations and the sexes, Eclipse has brought us a finely balanced work of commentary and comedy. Recommended. (read more...)
While it has the potential to be a more interesting character study, especially if it involved more of Joseph Cornell's family, by trying to squeeze in too many details about Cornell's life …
Though faithful in some details, Mojada seems like a telenovella that departs from the concentrated crisis of 5th century Athens' drama by failing to show how dependent Jason is on Medea or …
The Ghost Men execute a solid concept quite well. Ghost Dad is a fun and unique take on Shakespeare's Hamlet that is well worth the minimal time investment. (read more...)
This play has an inherently captivating premise, but the motives underlying the characters' actions need to be explored and espoused in more detail. An edit to the script, with an aim to tig…
Federico Garcia Lorca is a perfect choice for Pursuit's brand of eclectic mingling, with his freewheeling mixture of prose and poetry, naturalism and symbolism that harken back to Greek trag…
Shrek the Musical is this year's summer show for young audiences, but to view this as a scaled-down version for kids would be a mistake. It's a full-blown, gorgeously designed production tha…
*ROOMS: a rock romance* is a fun-loving, flirtatious frolic. It's the perfect way to jam out while falling in love. (read more...)
New Dances 2013 contains several standout pieces. "It Rains There in the Reverence" is a showcase of strong balances, exquisite extensions and lovely developpés. The dance that follows, "Re…
It's been called the "country's best Renaissance Faire" and that's definitely true. This very game festival aims to catch and cover medieval times as the renaissance town of Bristol is colo…
Mock those tight trousers and carefully manscaped plumage all you want - the music that comes out of the Australian Bee Gees is fantastic, and a worthy tribute to the real Bee Gees. (read mo…
A thoroughly enjoyable show, Arc Theatre's Twelfth Night is a production I highly recommend going to see. This show gives you the chance (for free!) to see wonderful performances, a deft exe…
Dreams differed and dissipated into disillusion take center stage in Second City e.t.c.'s latest revue, a hit-and-miss production that is pocked with some outrageously funny scenes but on ba…
Simpatico Written by Sam Shepard Directed by Dado A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells …
Spirited but inevitably unfocused, Jonathan Berry's staging of this world premiere cryptic drama talks much about secrets, but they are barely divulged. And, as nothing is fully resolved in…
So many details take up too much time in the 2 hour play that the mind is left reeling. The show collapses under the burden of superfuous material 90 minutes in and limps for another 30. If…
Scott Woldman's narrative isn't without a few gaping plot holes, but his dialogue contains passages that will remain lodged in your brain long after the final blackout. Moreover, in director…
This is a wonderfully energetic, uplifting, adrenaline rush that everybody can enjoy. The showmanship of these performers is impressive. Physical feats aside, they engage the audience with t…
Successful magic is both art and science, and in terms of both, Dennis Watkins, as Harry Houdini, should win the Nobel Prize. The House Theatre is one of Chicago's most groundbreaking compan…
Pierre Corneille's The Liar is a delightfully frivolous bauble of a play, as witty as it is silly. Writers' Theatre's staging of this arguably unnecessary farce is absolutely worth seeing. T…
Artistic enough for adults and comprehensible and entertaining enough for kids, Jungle Book is a lovely piece and a solid retelling of the Kipling stories. Mary Zimmerman's adaptation is eas…
Hilarious and heartfelt, Hedwig is an indelible character, and Ryan Lanning is a marvel to watch and hear. Not only will this music stick with you days after the performance, but so too will…
This is a solid, hour-long charmer, deftly and imaginatively retold to delight even the surliest toddler: Emerald City Theatre's Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat celebrates the title character'…
Though there's no doubting for a stage minute the sincerity of everything on this busy stage, you're still left with a well-worn formula of foreign-family-moves-to-America culture shock. Th…
