Chicago Theatre Review

Author: Kevin Curran

The Power of Love

September 14, 2024 Comments Off on The Power of Love

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Writers Theatre has once again brought Chicago audiences a musical that’s both thrilling to the eye and ear, while remaining deeply and unbelievably moving. Harkening back to the theatre’s extraordinary musical productions of both INTO THE WOODS and ONCE, this show will be remembered for its sweeping, immersive spectacle contrasted with an intimate, almost personal love story. Exquisitely Directed and Choreographed by Katie Spelman (Choreographer of Broadway’s, THE NOTEBOOK) and sumptuously Musical Directed by Matt Deitchman (Musical Director for this company’s INTO THE WOODS), this talented creative team is remembered for making ONCE sparkle and explode with romance and spectacle on the Writers stage. Once again they have worked their magic. 

Read More

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

July 17, 2024 Comments Off on Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Any new production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell’s iconic exploration of gender and identity, has a steep hill to climb for me. I saw the phenomenal movie adaptation in college, the perfect time to have your mind blown by new ideas, and every production I’ve seen since, both local and national productions has been incredible. It’s a show that casts a long shadow in theater and the queer community, so anything less than an amazing production, at least for me, is going to feel like a let down. Happily, Haven Chicago’s new production delivers the goods.

Read More

Prelude to a Kiss

May 8, 2024 Comments Off on Prelude to a Kiss

Prelude to a Kiss is a play written by Craig Lucas, who also wrote the books for the musicals The Light in the Piazza and Paradise Square. The play premiered in 1988 and received a film adaptation in 1992 starring Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan. The story centers on Peter and Rita, who have fallen in love at first sight. At their wedding reception, an old man who none of them seem to know appears and asks the new bride for a kiss. She obliges and the two switch places in each other’s body. The story that follows explores that nature of love

Read More

Words, Words, Words

April 25, 2024 Comments Off on Words, Words, Words

Hamlet

Following an extended successful run in New York City, comedian Eddie Izzard is bringing her solo adaptation of Hamlet to Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Whether or not you are familiar with Shakespeare or with Eddie Izzard’s comedy, I can strongly recommend you see this unique production.

Read More

Sleeping with Beauty

November 22, 2023 Comments Off on Sleeping with Beauty

PrideArts is opening the holiday season with a queer pantomime by Tom Whalley, who wrote last year’s pantomime production, Jack Off the Beanstalk. For those unfamiliar with pantomime, it’s a very British form of theater, ordinarily aimed at children, full of songs and stock characters and a lot of audience participation in the form of call and response to the actors. PrideArts reimagines the format, and the story of Sleeping Beauty, for decidedly adult audiences.

Read More

Tommy, Can You Hear Me?

June 29, 2023 Comments Off on Tommy, Can You Hear Me?

The Who’s Tommy

The Who’s Tommy started life in 1969 as a concept album, was made into a 1975 movie, and was turned into a Broadway musical in 1992. It tells the story of young Tommy, traumatized by events in his childhood into near catatonia. The only thing that seems to reach him is a chance encounter with a pinball machine as a teenager. He’s a virtuoso and it changes the course of his life. The Broadway show was written by The Who’s Pete Townsend and co-author Des McAnuff. McAnuff comes to Chicago to direct Goodman’s amazing new production.

Read More

A Classic Returns to the Lyric

June 6, 2023 Comments Off on A Classic Returns to the Lyric

West Side Story

The Lyric Opera of Chicago is reviving West Side Story, last staged by them in 2019 at the Civic Opera House. I’m going to spoil the rest of the review by simply stating you should definitely get a ticket before the show closes on June 25th.

Read More

Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon

June 5, 2023 Comments Off on Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon

Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon

Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon is the story of two Asian American self-styled “renegades.” Bucking the high expectations of their families, they met at a dive bar a week ago and decided to get married. Now they need an equally impromptu honeymoon, starting with knocking over a gas station to get the money for one. Comic hijinks, of course, ensue.

Read More

Dance with the Devil

May 23, 2023 Comments Off on Dance with the Devil

The Crucible

Though it was written to skewer the McCarthy era red scares of 1950s, Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible is a timeless show. Set in Salem in 1692, the show uses the historical Salem Witch Trials to explore paranoia and suspicion, and the cost of holding to your principles. A group of teenage girls accuse a handful, then eventually hundreds of Salem residents of witchcraft, leading to hundreds of arrests and eventually, almost two dozen executions. Neighbors turn against each other as they begin to grapple with the reality that it may be safer to accuse their neighbor before he can accuse them.

Read More

A Trivial Comedy for Serious People

April 28, 2023 Comments Off on A Trivial Comedy for Serious People

The Importance of Being Earnest

I normally start a review with a brief, spoiler-free synopsis, but I don’t think I can do that this time. If you aren’t already familiar with Oscar Wilde’s classic farce, I think the fun will be in letting it unfold in front of you with no help from me. And whether you are familiar with the show or now, Theatre Above the Law’s new production, directed by TATL Aristic Director Tony Lawry, will be delightful way to spend an evening.

Read More