Monthly Archives: September 2022
The Witch is Back Again
Wicked – Broadway in Chicago
“She’s dead!” belts the ensemble in the opening moments of this spectacular hit show, which happens to be the 5th longest-running musical in Broadway history. But then the production flashes backward in time, spinning the enchanting story of how the girl with the emerald green skin grew to become the Wicked Witch of the West. This polished, professional production returns to Chicago, filled with flashy visuals and fantastic performances, haunting music and terrific choreography. This superb production is most definitely worth the trip to Oz, whether it’s your first visit or, like me, your fifth.
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Enlightenment Shining for All
Cabaret Zazou Presents Luminaire
In its world debut, a brand new production from Randolph Entertainment’s exciting Spiegeltent Zazou presentations, “Luminaire,” opens in Chicago with a fanfare of glittering, glossy opulence. A Luminaire is defined as someone wealthy in enlightenment and who shines that light brightly for all. And that’s precisely what this brilliant new production offers its audiences.
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Empathy and Honesty
St. Sebastian – Refracted Theatre Company
In a thought-provoking new work by playwright Andrew Kramer, New York’s Refracted Theatre Company bursts onto the Chicago scene as the Windy City’s newest stage company. In its mission statement, the theatre seeks, through its presentations, “to disrupt socially accepted narratives by telling the ‘other side of the story.’” It goes on to say that the plays it presents are centered upon empathy and humanity.
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It Takes a Woman
Hello Dolly – Marriott Theatre
“Isn’t the world full of wonderful things?” gushes Cornelius Hackl during his lovely, romantic ballad, “It Only Takes a Moment.” It’s this wide-eyed wonder and unbridled joie de vivre that Jerry Herman celebrates in this buoyant, bon bon of a musical. The story pays tribute to all the adventures we experience, both simple and great. It wallows in every wonderful moment that life has to offer. It’s also a tribute to the effervescence of love that makes the world go round.
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God, That’s Good!
Sweeney Todd – Kokandy Productions
Just in time for Halloween, Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a horrifying story of revenge and obsession, and set to the music of one of Broadway’s most magnificent scores. But for audiences already familiar with Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterpiece, director Derek Van Barham’s unpretentious new production may startle a bit—actually, in more ways than one. For this presentation, creatively staged in the downstairs Studio space of the Chopin Theatre, he’s removed most of the familiar visuals that’ve always been associated with practically every production since the musical opened on Broadway. Gone are the silver razors, the profusion of stage blood, all the elaborate costumes and wigs, the actual meat pies and ale, and the special barber’s chair that delivers Sweeney’s victims down below to Mrs. Lovett’s bakehouse oven.
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Don’t Feed the Plants!
Little Shop of Horrors – Citadel Theatre
Under the superb creative guidance of director Matthew Silar and musical director Isabella Isherwood, Citadel Theatre has a bonafide hit to open their 2022-23 season. This company recently produced several wonderful productions, including the Jeff Award nominated drama, “Outside Mullingar” and a terrific production of the musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” This new production confirms Citadel as one of Chicagoland’s finest theaters. In this current campy and impressively produced presentation, all the humor, satire and wit radiates from this cult classic. Audiences already familiar with the musical, as well as those who are new to its hilarious, sci-fi love story, will be singing the praises of this show-stopping production.
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Two for the Road
The Garbologists – Northlight Theatre
A pair of the most unlikely coworkers imaginable are forced to serve together on a cold morning in New York City. They are refuse collectors, or “garbologists,” a term one of the characters arrives at during a stop at a local bar. This theatrical version of a Buddy Film pairs Marlowe, a pretty, African-American, Ivy League-educated woman, on her first day on the job; and Danny, a Caucasian, blue-collar good-ol’ boy, who considers himself an expert at the job, having been a garbageman for nine years. Together these two for the road ride through the frozen streets of the city, picking up other people’s junk and discarded items, to be carted off to the trash heaps in New Jersey.
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The First First Lady’s Fever Dream
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington – Steppenwolf Theatre
When the audience walks into Steppenwolf’s main stage theatre, they see a gorgeous Southern mansion, a plantation surrounded by fields of cotton plants. As the lights change, the manor house disappears and we find ourselves in the bedroom of Martha Washington, the first First Lady of America. She’s lying in her bed writhing and moaning in pain. She’s also being tormented by surrealistic fever dreams. In the next 90 minutes, we will share Miz Martha’s suffering as she is confronted by her slaves who are reminding her of a truth that she refuses to admit. The country’s first President, her late husband, George Washington, left explicit orders in his will that, upon the death of his wife, all of his slaves would be freed. However, even on her deathbed, Miz Martha Washington refuses to bow to her husband’s wishes.
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A Comic Masterpiece
Arsenic and Old Lace – Court Theatre
Spinster Aunts Abby and Martha Brewster seem like the kind of neighbors anyone would be delighted to have in their neighborhood. These two sweet, generous, little old ladies would offer the roof over their heads to any poor soul who was alone in the world…plus a glass of homemade elderberry wine to toast their occasion. Of course, the wine is laced with arsenic, strychnine and just a pinch of cyanide, for good measure, but the recipe never comes up during the celebration.
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First Class Train Trip to Mystery
Murder on the Orient Express – Drury Lane Theatre
It’s 1934 and upon arriving at the elegant Tokatlian Hotel for a holiday, the world-famous detective, Hercule Poirot finds a telegram waiting for him. It instructs him to return immediately to London, taking the luxury train, the Orient Express, from Istanbul. Although the train is heavily booked for this time of year, Poirot runs into his old friend, Monsieur Bouc, who is a fellow Belgian and the Director the railway company. Bouc happily gives up his compartment to Poirot, so that the detective can immediately begin his journey in style.
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