Reviews Category
A Holiday Reality Show
America’s Best Outcast Toy – Pride Film & Plays
A delightfully original new holiday musical is debuting in the Buena neighborhood and is both nostalgic and current, at the same time. The shift in television entertainment from sitcoms and dramas to reality shows inspired this spunky musical spectacular. With a brilliant book and lyrics by Larry Todd Cousineau and a catchy score by Cindy O’Connor (the team that wrote the Jeff Recommended “All That He Was”), savvy theatergoers have a brand new holiday alternative available to them, premiering this year at Pride Films and Plays.
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You Can Chris-My-Ass-Miss!
Q Brothers Christmas Carol – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
The amount of sheer energy overflowing from this production, coupled with its flash and fleetness, along with the abundant entertainment value and cleverness of the script and songs, makes for a joyful evening at the theatre. This is one holiday production that could easily be enjoyed at any time of the year. And while the show might be aimed at younger theatergoers, savvy audiences of all ages will delight in the imaginative retelling of a familiar story.
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You Gotta Have Friends
Bette: Xmas at the Continental Baths – Hell in a Handbag
Wrap that towel around you, settle back with a stiff one and get ready to enjoy The Divine Miss M, at her holiday best. Once again it’s the early 1970’s, and we’re at Manhattan’s popular gay bathhouse where Bette Midler, portrayed at Mary’s Attic by the incomparably talented Caitlin Jackson, came to prominence. Ms. Jackson, her tumbler filled with vodka, is cheerfully serving up an hour of some of Ms. Midler’s best, most beloved tunes. She also treats the audience to a few of Bette Midler’s bawdy Sophie Tucker jokes. The show is all wrapped up in a colorfully festive holiday setting, courtesy of Jeremy Hollis; and Ms. Jackson’s wigs, courtesy of Keith Ryan, self-designed costumes, assisted by the talent of David Cerda, complete the period look.
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Naughty and Nice
The Golden Girls: The Lost EpisodesThe Holiday Edition, Vol. 2 – Hell in a Handbag
Deck the halls and Come, all ye faithful, they’re back! But face it, how could they possibly stay away? It’s Christmas, and those merry matrons of Miami—Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia—have returned to Mary’s Attic in another holiday special. Multitalented playwright, costumer, actor and Hell in a Handbag Artistic Director, David Cerda, has once again crafted another delightfully dishy drag parody of the iconic 1980’s NBC sitcom. Due to their well-deserve popularity and bawdy, R-rated humor, these naughty but nice comedies have become a holiday staple in Chicago.
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Foxy, Fun and Filled with Music
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins – Strawdog Theatre Company
Adapted from Eric Kimmel’s beloved holiday picture book, which earned the 1990 Caldecott Honor Award, this 60-minute holiday play is back for another Hanukkah season at Strawdog Theatre. The family entertainment was written by ensemble member Michael Daily and features spirited ethnic music and lyrics, by Jacob Combs. The story theatre production is presented almost totally in-the-round and without an intermission. In it, a troupe of six players, all of whom portray an array of characters and play a variety of musical instruments, pack up their belongings and take their act on the road.
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A New Deal for Christmas
Annie – Citadel Theatre
Leapin’ lizards! Citadel Theatre is presenting a colorful, animated, peppy present for theatergoers to enjoy, just in time for the holidays. Robert D. Estrin returns to Lake Forest to direct this fresh, thoroughly heartwarming, family-friendly revival of the 1977 multi Tony Award-winning hit musical. He’s assisted by Jake Ganzer with his almost athletic, distinctive choreography, that enhances each song. The catchy score, filled with addictive, hummable songs by the incomparable Charles Strouse, features Martin Charnin’s clever lyrics and a strong book by Thomas Meehan.
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The Trill Of A Donizetti Beheading
The Three Queens – Lyric Opera of Chicago
Patrons of Lyric Opera enjoy world-class productions in a stunning atmosphere. The repertoire is chosen to excite the palate of both the aficionado and the uninitiated. The designers, directors, and conductors are working at the top of their game, and the singers are the best in the world. Interviews with Lyric’s returning stars always have one common denominator: They say that every time they return, they feel like they’re coming home. Our City of Big Shoulders is as cosmopolitan as any other, but we’re also blessed with that midwestern enthusiasm that causes us to spontaneously open our hearts to those who come into our kind of town and raise the level of art and culture.
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A Musical as Entertaining as the Dickens
A Christmas Carol – BrightSide Theatre
Charles Dickens’ famous 1854 cautionary novella about the old English miser who learns to love Christmas now has more variations than there are flavors of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. However, for audiences who enjoy their Scrooge a little less serious and traditional, and with a bit more color and spectacle to spice up their holiday, this delightful musical version will certainly hit the spot.
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Secrets and Lies
The First Deep Breath – Victory Gardens
Twenty-first century Renaissance man, Lee Edward Colston II wears a great many hats. This native of Philadelphia is an actor, playwright, director, writing and acting coach and author. Incorporating the experiences from all of these jobs, Colston brings a wealth of personal knowledge and observations to his work. Mr. Colston’s latest full-length play is set in his hometown. It’s an epic length contemporary drama about an African-American family, each member harboring so many problems to overcome and secrets to be revealed that the story takes three hours and forty-five minutes to tell. The result is a mixture of jaw-dropping, overwhelming highs and lows, but one thing is certain: the audience is never bored.
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A Holiday Extravaganza With Heart
A Christmas Carol – Goodman Theatre
Can anyone believe that this is the 42nd production of a wonderful show that’s become a Goodman Theatre holiday tradition? And this story is, after all, what Christmas is all about. Chicagoans are so fortunate to have Mr. Scrooge back for another holiday season. This production is the Grandaddy of all holiday stories, and what every other presentation of “A Christmas Carol” aspires to be. And, as always, it is sensational! It’s eloquent, heartwarming and a feast for the eye, ear and soul. The themes from Charles Dickens’ novella, and the lesson he imparts, aren’t diluted by raucous musical numbers, cartoonish elfin characters or dancing turkey boys. This is the ultimate production of a beloved story, and it would certainly have made the Victorian author proud.
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