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.    

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.  

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.

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. 

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.

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.

And I’m Telling You

Dreamgirls – Paramount Theatre

And I’m Telling You

It’s here, at long last. The pandemic finally seems to be under control and it’s the eagerly anticipated opening of another Paramount Theatre season, it’s 11th, believe it or not. So fasten your seat belts for the first production of what is, without question, one of the most enticing and energetic seasons of musical theatre to hit the Windy City in years.

Sharing Your Soul With the World

Chagall in School – Grippo Stage Company

Following the October Revolution of 1917, the famous Jewish modernist avant-garde artist Marc Chagall made some life-changing discoveries. He saw that the new regime had turned the Russian Empire upside down, much like his whimsical paintings. He was now considered part of the aesthetic arm of the revolution, having combined Cubism, Symbolism and Fauvism into his own unique style of art. So Chagall was offered the position of commissar of visual arts for the whole country, but, wanting something less political, he accepted this position instead for his own village of Vitebsk. 

Villains Beware—She’s Back!

Miss Holmes Returns – Lifeline Theatre

Amidst the swirling fog and dark shadows of Victorian London, the game is afoot and crimes are being committed once more. And who better to root out the villains, particularly when Scotland Yard’s Inspector Lestrade and the police are all baffled, but none other than Sherlock Holmes. Following the success six years ago of his wonderful, pre-pandemic production of “Miss Holmes,” Christopher M. Walsh has written a brilliant sequel to his first dramatic foray into the Holmes canon. 

A Heartless, Bloody Path to Become King

Richard III – Babes with Blades

A somber young man sits alone, bemoaning this “winter of our discontent,” criticizing and scorning his brother’s accession to the throne. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, sees himself as the only true and rightful King of England, not his brother Edward IV. In fact, as Richard festers inside, he’s already begun plotting to insure that his rise to power will happen unimpeded by enemies, friends or family. Richard confesses that he’s “determined to prove a villain” as he schemes to have his brother Clarence, next in line for the crown, conducted to the Tower of London. But this is only the beginning of Richard’s heartless, bloody path to become the King.