An Absolute Adult Delight

Poor People! The Parody Musical

Do I have a treat for you, especially if you’re an adult, liberal-minded Musical Theatre aficionado! Hell in a Handbag Productions, David Cerda’s wildly creative theatre company, is currently continuing its 22nd season. The company’s comprised of an ensemble of multitalented artists who are always challenging audiences and pushing the envelope. Well, consider the envelope pushed to the max. Often the company lampoons their favorite vintage films, classic television shows and even popular cult genres. But this sassy, salty new production parodies many of Broadway’s most treasured, time-honored musicals. Seemingly motivated by television’s “Schmigadoon!” HIAH’s tuneful satire is, quite simply, an absolute adult delight, and theatergoers will never look at these prototypical Broadway musicals the same.

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

A Comedy Within a Satire

The Thanksgiving Play

Four well-meaning people come together in the multipurpose room of an elementary school for a singular purpose: to create a politically correct play for children that tells the story of the First Thanksgiving. The earnest assembly acknowledges that trying to correct the mythology most Americans think of as the first harvest celebration won’t be easy. In the process, they also hope to focus the youngsters’ attention on Native American Heritage Month. The problem is that this quartet of eager theatre folks, who are just trying to do the right thing, are all White. No one has any real connection to the oppression that was experienced by Native Americans, both then and now.

An Evening of Pure Joy

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

From the very first moments of this incredible production, theatergoers will find themselves falling in love with Carole King. Actually, one of the reasons can be attributed to talented Tiffany Topol’s honest, layered and loving performance. She makes the audience believe that she’s the actual American singer, songwriter and musician, standing before us on the Paramount stage. Within the next two-and-a half hours, the artist shares with the audience all of the highs and lows of Carole King’s life. Because of Ms. Topol’s brilliant performance, along with her 25 gifted cast mates, this production is an evening of pure joy from start to finish!

Heaven Can Wait

Judgement Day

Meet Sammy Campo, a corrupt, self-serving, money-grubbing louse of a lawyer. While gloating about how his latest cutthroat scheme is going to make him even richer, Sammy suffers a sudden heart attack. While under the knife in the ER, Sammy has an out-of-body experience. An angel suddenly appears to him, who looks remarkably like Sister Margaret, his strict Catholic school teacher from many years ago. She severely admonishes Sammy for his decades of amoral behavior and provides a vivid preview of his eternity of unending torture in the fiery pits of hell. But it turns out that Heaven can wait. 

Finding Your Own Song

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Goodman Theatre’s latest production is a magnificent revival of August Wilson’s second, chronological installment of his extraordinary and ambitious American Century Cycle. This particular drama, set in 1911 Pittsburgh, is one of Wilson’s ten plays that chronicle the African-American experience, decade by decade. The Goodman was actually the first theatre in the country to present all ten of the Wilson Cycle plays, including the world premiere of two of the dramas. After the Goodman’s recent miraculous production of Mr. Wilson’s GEM OF THE OCEAN, set in 1904, we can only hope that soon audiences will be enjoying a remount of MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, the next play, chronologically-speaking, and set in the 1920’s at a Chicago recording studio.   

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.

Sunset Playhouse’s Jesus Christ Superstar Offers an Illuminated Interpretation of the Lloyd-Webber Classic Rock Opera

In a time of elevated conflict in the Middle East, it might feel difficult to get too excited about a musical so deeply connected to the region and its conflicts. And yet… By the third bar of “What’s the Buzz,” I was captivated, if not totally transported. In this rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar, Director Tommy Lueck deftly realizes the 70s rock opera, charming some truly stellar performances out of a remarkably diverse and capable cast– including Colton VonDeylen’s menacing Annas and a soaring solo from Nick Sweet’s Simon.

Hope and Healing

Jump

As the lights come up, through the whispy fog we discover a young woman walking on a bridge. She enjoys a draw from her vape pen. Then she throws it away into the dark waters below, only to have it magically reappear in her hand. This moment, like several other incidents in the play, happen over and over again. Very soon theatergoers realize that Charly Evon Simpson’s quirky one-act is set in a universe that’s rife in magical realism. The 90-minute drama, which is enjoying its Midwest Premiere, is a play about hope and healing and just plain being human. It’s told through a nonlinear storyline that’s filled with unexpected surprises and humor, as well as a deep river of sadness.