Author: Colin Douglas
A Stiff Upper Lip
The Cottage
Actress and Playwright Sandy Rustin, originally from nearby Glenview but currently living in New York City, is known for her plays and musicals. Recently she adapted the film “Mystic Pizza” into a stage musical; but, in my opinion, her greatest theatrical work is her hilarious stage adaptation of the cult film, “Clue.” Opening their 2024-25 season, Citadel has scored a win by becoming the first theatre in Illinois to present Sandy Rustin’s THE COTTAGE. The comedy was recently produced on Broadway, directed by “Seinfeld” comic actor, Jason Alexander, and featuring the star of “Will and Grace,” Eric McCormack.
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Cry About It
Never Better
There are topics that were once considered taboo or simply inappropriate for the stage. But times have definitely changed. Subjects that might have shocked early 20th century audiences have become almost commonplace today. Seeing people being baked into pies, humorous Nazis in over-the-top production numbers, singing and dancing pussycats competing for an afterlife and young Mormons preaching Joseph Smith’s religion to Africans are examples of how musicals have come a long way. 21st century musicals are a far cry from shows about turning a Cockney flower girl into a princess, farmers challenging the cowhands in song and dance or teaching the Siamese King’s children.
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Love and Literature
Light Switch
In this, only my second visit to the secret gem that is the intimate Open Space Arts theatre, I once again became impressed with the consistent high quality of this company. I’m not just talking about the talented casting of their shows, although that’s a big part of my admiration for this theatre. It’s also about the excellence of the scripts, the consistency of the direction and this company’s ability to present captivating productions in such a modest setting. The venue, which can become stuffy, is about the size of small studio apartment. Add to this a couple of annoying pillars that become challenging for both the actors and the audience. But the sparse scenic design for each production always works around these problems and provides just the right suggestion of locale to make each play work.
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The Horrors of War
Henry V
In a limited, four-week run, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre has revived and reimagined one of the Bard’s most popular history dramas. The company’s sensational new, eloquent and rousing production is as stirring as ever. For theatre scholars, this is William Shakespeare’s final chapter in his tetralogy of historical dramas, which includes “RICHARD II and “HENRY IV,” Parts one and two. It’s also noteworthy in that this play was the company’s premier production on the rooftop of Lincoln Park’s Red Lion Pub, back in 1986. Naturally, time has brought changes to one of Chicago’s finest professional theatrical companies, but the Theatre’s ability to share the dramatic power of Shakespeare has only become stronger.
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Wherever I Go, I Carry Your Glance
The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
There are a number of excellent plays and musicals in Chicago right now that examine the nature of art and look at the forces that inspire an artist to create. Well, add to that list playwright Daniel Jamieson’s gorgeous 85-minute play-with-music, now being given a lush production by Northlight Theatre. This is a breathtaking, lyrical biographical sketch of painter Marc Chagall and the love of his life, Bella Rosenfeld.
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Standing Up For the Little Guy
Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago
Mike Royko is a name known by anyone who grew in or around Chicago between the mid-1950’s into the late 1990’s. His name is synonymous with uncompromising journalism. Although he sadly left us in 1997, Mr. Royko is remembered today for being a tough and prolific reporter, a humorist and a man who always stood up for the little guy. Mike Royko was also a Pulitzer Prize-winner for Commentary, as the famed columnist for the Chicago Daily News. In this informative, very funny and sometimes poignant one-man performance, written and presented by Mitchell Bisschop, audiences will get to know the fellow called “The Toughest Man in Chicago.”
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A Tribute to a Great Leader
The Audience
Back in the 1980’s, British TV sported a popular political situation comedy. This hit show was titled “Yes, Prime Minister.” Set within the private offices of Jim Hacker, a fictional British cabinet member working at the made-up Department of Administrative Affairs, the show satirized the inner workings of the government. But another, more seriously biographical work of art would eventually come along that would examine the relationship between the Monarchy and several of Britain’s actual Prime Ministers.
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The Fantastic Two
The House of Ideas
City Lit proudly opens their 2024-25 season with their 150th production. It’s the long-awaited, entertaining third installment of Mark Pracht’s “Four-Color Trilogy.” The series of plays, which includes THE MARK OF KANE and THE INNOCENCE OF SEDUCTION, concludes with a story that describes the rise of Marvel Comics. The two-act play details the turbulent relationship between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Two behind the artistry of the comic book empire.
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Big Ass Rock
The Full Monty
It’s hard to believe that this musical, based upon a popular British film of the same name from the late 1990’s, is almost a quarter of a century old! The reason for its beloved reputation is partly due to the fact that the story couldn’t be more timely. It’s about six out of work, out of shape steel workers trying to find a way to make a living and still maintain some shred of dignity. The men looking self respect are husbands, sons, parents, bread winners and, quite simply men. The result is a Big Ass Rock of a musical filled with humor and pathos.
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The Chosen One
A Shadow Bright & Burning
Henrietta knows that she’s special. She possesses the magical power of fire. At the beginning of this complicated fantasy tale, Henrietta is invited to leave Yorkshire’s Brimthorn School for Girls and travel to London with the Royal Sorcerer, Master Agrippa. There she’ll be trained, along with other students, to also become one of Her Majesty’s Royal Sorcerers. Believed to be The Chosen One, the first female sorcerer in years, Henrietta trains with Agrippa to further develop and finesse her magic powers. This has to be accomplished quickly so that Henrietta can help the others defeat the bloodthirsty Ancients. Having been accidentally released from the Other World, the Seven Ancients are plotting to wage war and conquer all of Victorian England. But not if Henrietta and her magical friends have anything to say about it.
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