Charting the Stars

Silent Sky

Gazing up into the rural Wisconsin sky, Henrietta Leavitt longed to know more about the stars, the planets and the entire universe. Not only did she succeed in her desire for enlightenment, but she became an early pioneer in the study of astronomy. In fact, filled with a passion for learning, Miss Leavitt was the one of the first women to be recognized in a male-dominated field dedicated to charting the stars.

Welcome to Nowhere

The Band’s Visit

Try to imagine this situation. As part of a small musical ensemble, you’ve traveled many miles to play a concert in a tiny remote town. There’s danger in the air because of the political tension and social unrest that’s occurred over decades. You’re limited in your command of the language and, because of your nationality, you’re looked upon with suspicion. Then you suddenly learn that, because of a miscommunication, you’re actually in the wrong town! To make matters worse, it’s a desert village from which there’s no bus for at least another 24 hours. You and your band are tired, hungry and irritable from a long day of travel and waiting around. Then, to make matters worse, you learn there’s not even a hotel where you can stay. What to do?

Electricity

Billy Elliot

Now that my tears of joy have dried let the cheering begin! This enticing, inspirational and truly impressive celebration of being true to yourself and following your dreams, especially when those aspirations are blocked by family, friends, finances and a  fear of failure, has returned to Chicagoland in a magnificent, Broadway calibre production. The show roars into the Paramount Theatre and brings hope and a feeling that anything one strives to accomplish in life is possible. It’s a musical that’s filled with “Electricity,” like so many of the performances, songs and, choreographed numbers in this production. Once word gets out about how fabulous this production is, Chicagoans will be flocking to the far west suburbs to spend an afternoon or evening with Billy Elliot.

Pressing On

Girl From the North Country

The National Tour of this jukebox musical has arrived in Chicago for a two-week run. However, be warned: this isn’t a conventional musical, jukebox or otherwise. It’s structured more like a concert of 19 songs from the Bob Dylan catalog that are performed between the spoken words. The book was written and the musical directed by award-winning Irish playwright, Connor McPherson. Best known for works like “The Weir,” “The Seafarer” and “The Night Alive,” this sad, sometimes somber musical is constructed in a similar fashion. It’s features a unique, loose storyline that unfolds through a few short scenes and several long monologues.

Only You Can Control Your Future

brother sister cyborg space

This World Premiere one-act, now playing at Raven Theatre, is a distillation of all the reports and warnings that scientists have offered the world community for years about global warming. Former vice president Al Gore expressed a certain optimism when he said that humans have the tools to still repair the damage to the environment before it’s too late. But we’ve run out of time. The climate is definitely changed, despite denials by certain ignorant Right Wing politicians who seem to have their heads in the sand. The data is clear. Temperatures are rising at an alarming rate. The earth’s ecosystems are shifting in a costly, life-threatening and global way. The world, as we once knew it, is sick and dying. 

A Familiar Tale Told Again

a home what howls

(or the house what was ravine)

The works of Mexican-American playwright Matthew Paul Olmos focus primarily on stories about creating space for marginalized communities. In this world premiere production, performed in-the-round, the audience focuses on a smart, young Latina woman named Soledad Vargas. She’s a community leader and activist who’s relocated from the rural California countryside to the urban jungle. At the top of the play, Soledad is prepping for an organized protest against the continued urban expansion in the Golden State. She can see that the progress of this expansion hasn’t been thought through very clearly. It doesn’t take into account the displacement of her family, neighbors and loved ones. Even the animals and plants of the rural area are in jeopardy of losing their habitats.

From Concept Album to Concert Presentation

Chess

Modeled on the Soviet Union’s authoritarian state, author George Orwell wrote his classic cautionary dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 35 years prior to that future date. Little did the author know how prophetic his story would be. Also set in 1984, at the height of the Cold War era, “Chess” is a cult musical about a high stakes chess tournament between two grandmasters. The show’s also a metaphor for the tension-filled political climate of that decade. Depicting a chess tournament between a Russian and an American, the musical becomes an allegory for the political manipulation between these two nations. Indeed, references to strategic moves and how two players try to outsmart and second guess their opponent makes the comparison between the game and the politics obvious.   

Savage and Sanguine

Richard III

Shakespeare described the hunchbacked anti-hero of his tragedy, generally called a history play, as “rudely stamped.” It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power, and the short reign of terror, of King Richard III of England. While the role of Richard, Duke of Gloucester has almost always been played by a talented male actor, Artistic Director Edward Hall’s new breathtaking, eye-popping production breaks with tradition by casting an accomplished actress, a Tony Award nominee, in the title role.

Unfiltered Voices

Notes From the Field

On an almost bare stage, three unquestionably gifted actresses bring to life the words of 19 individuals. These people, both men and women, young and not-so-young, are the subjects of documentary playwright, Anna Deavere Smith’s latest work. Created from the actual text of more than 250 interviews, the unfiltered voices of educators, inmates, students, the clergy, civil rights activists and even a highly respected politician explore America’s school-to-prison pipeline.