Reviews Category
When the World Exploded
I Hate It Here – Steppenwolf Theatre
If asked, most of us will freely confess that last year was a total bomb. 2020 will always be remembered as the year of the pandemic, when COVID-19 infected and devastated the entire planet, closing down everything and forcing us to stay inside our own homes. It was deadly and frightening and, ultimately, made our lives extremely depressing. This was the year when the world exploded and everyone had to quarantine.
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Bwahaha!
Henchpeople – Theatre Above the Law
Everyone knows about the super villain. Their face on every television screen in the city, or maybe projected from a blimp, threatening the city with destruction unless their demands are met. But what about the little people? The ones who make the death ray so deadly? The ones who antagonize the sharks in the pool under the trap door? And this spandex body suit with floor-length cape won’t clean itself… Theatre Above the Law returns to live, in-person theatre with a show that explores the stories of those unsung anti-heroes: the henchpeople.
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Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
Martyrs’ – June 19, 2021, Jam Productions
October 2016 – Empire Polo Club in Indio California. I was one of the lucky ones that got tickets for this show which has come to be known as Desert Trip. A three-day concert – Night 1 Bob Dylan / the Rolling Stones. Night 2 –Paul McCartney / Neil Young with Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. Night 3 – The Who / Roger Waters. Quite an event to say the least. One of the acts that really stood out was Neil Young. It was my first introduction to Lukas Nelson and POTR. From quite a distance their sound was incredible, and I knew I was seeing something great.
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He Works Hard for the Money
Ride Share – Writers Theatre
In the third of three exceptionally fine virtual productions from Writers Theatre, this riveting, powerful one-man drama is the shining jewel on their crown. It’s a heartbreaking story told by Marcus, a 33-year-old African-American man, who’s just trying to make ends meet, earning a decent living and attempting to survive the hardships of the modern world. This 80-minute one-act, written by talented playwright Reginald Edmund, will captivate and hold your attention until the very last gut-wrenching moment.
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What Did You Do To My Script?
Dingleberries – Interrogbang Theatre
Interrobang Theatre Project aptly describes their Season 11, entitled Off the Record, as “what happens when the world stops and life becomes viral.” With the quarantine imposed upon us by Covid-19, all live theatre and musical performances were, of course, halted. Theatres discovered new ways to share their stories with audiences, usually offering tickets to viral productions on the internet.
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A Smash Triumph for Music Theater Works
Legends of the 50s and 60s: Greatest Hits – Music Theater Works
The joint is jumpin’ and rockin’ and rollin’ up in Skokie because a new era is about to begin. Maybe it’s because, after well over a year, this was (to my knowledge) the first live production in the Chicago area. Maybe it’s the fact that this entertaining pop musical revue features so many wonderful hit songs that spark youthful memories for the majority of the audience. Or maybe because this is simply a superbly talented cast performing their hearts out in a beautifully sung and professionally staged production. In any case, we heartily welcome back live theatre and exciting performances, as exemplified by this fantastic celebration of the past!
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We Are Out There! – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Next year Chicago Shakespeare gets lost in space, as they present a live production of an original, sci-fi musical. Based loosely upon the classic B-horror film of the 1950’s, “It Came From Outer Space,” this hilarious 45-minute prologue offers a taste of what we can expect from this world premiere musical comedy about extraterrestrial life arriving on earth. It’s a delightful sampler, professionally produced and absolutely tantalizing. After viewing this preview, audiences will be standing in line to see the full production in 2022!
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An Inherently Evil Act
Ohio State Murders – Goodman Theatre
A well-known author, Suzanne Alexander is revisiting the university she attended between 1949 and 1952. As one of the few African-American students during that turbulent time, Sue found campus life to be a lonely existence. She was forced into living a quiet, segregated, almost isolated life at Ohio State. Despite her appetite for reading classic literature and a gift for excellent writing, acknowledged by her English professor, Suzanne finds that declaring English as her major is met with derision and scorn.
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What Was Old Is New Again
The New Classics (A Virtual Broadway Cabaret) – Lyric Opera
Those of us who have been attending live theatre in Chicago long enough to remember The Civic Theatre, which was attached to the Lyric Opera House of Chicago such that they were both part of the same edifice, still quietly mourn the loss of that famous, intimate space through gritted teeth. We all understand that Lyric Opera needed more room backstage if they were going to retain their status as one of the greatest opera companies in the world, and as the world of stage production allowed for larger and more complex sets, there was simply not enough room to keep all the flying horses and swan boats behind the scenes. So, Lyric bought the smaller house, virtually gutted it, (a bit of the proscenium remains, a stark remembrance of one of Chicago’s most renown playhouses), and now the giant dragon-puppets have somewhere to graze between flights. We “get it.” We “understand.” And we grind our teeth.
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A Tour-de-force of Illusion
The Magic Parlor — Palmer House
Until it’s safe for the historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel to reopen its doors again, and it’s safe to return to live performances, Master Magician Dennis Watkins will be performing his shows live on Zoom. His appreciative audiences come from every age group and from all over the world. Each performance is slightly different because of the makeup of his audience and the choices and manipulations created by his interactive viewers. And that’s what makes this viral production so unusual and spectacular: Mr. Watkins has only so much control over his magic show; it’s primarily how each audience member reacts to his tour-de-force of illusion that makes each show so unique and memorable.
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