A South African Musical Myth

Lindiwe – Steppenwolf Theatre

Ever since Paul Simon’s much loved and greatly lauded “Graceland,” a record album, released in 1986, the South African musical group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been enjoyed by thousands of fans. Their velvety harmonics, gentle rhythmic choreography and a cappella performances are, ironically, both stimulating and soothing to the ear. The group has recorded over seventy albums and has earned five Grammy Awards. Called “South Africa’s Ambassadors to the World” by Nelson Mandela, this wonderful group of nine singers have a gorgeous sound that’s unmistakable.

A Rediscovered Dramatic Gem

Rutherford and Son – TimeLine Theatre

Male chauvinism isn’t a new attitude. It has, unfortunately, been around everywhere for centuries. And still, despite a great deal of resistance and all manner of women’s movements and protestations, it’s still with us. Examples of male dominance are prevalent in the literary world, especially when it was revealed that, in the past, most female authors were forced to write under a male pseudonym in order to have their works published. Even when a woman managed to publish her writing under her own name, it was often dismissed and not taken seriously.

Upstairs/Downstairs

The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley – Northlight Theatre

Some may call this delightful, new holiday period play, co-written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, a sequel to their popular “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” a wonderful, lighthearted holiday comic-drama that premiered at Northlight Theatre during their 2016-17 season. But it’s not really. It’s more of a companion piece, much in the same vein as Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy, “The Norman Conquests.” Both depict the same main characters over the course of a couple of days, with each play set in a different part of the house. Like Ayckbourn’s trio of plays, Gunderson and Melcon’s two installments about the Bennets, inspired by Jane Austen’s romantic Regency Era classic, take place during the very same Christmas holiday. 

A Modern Twist on a Holiday Classic

The Nutcracker – The House Theatre

Ten years have passed since The House Theatre of Chicago first presented their original, contemporary version of E. T. A. Hoffman’s classic story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” Whenever theatergoers hear that iconic title, forever associated with Christmas, they envision fairies and a toy that comes to life to bravely battle a Mouse King to rescue a little girl named Clara. They imagine a dazzling spectacle, a lavishly-produced ballet, featuring dozens of lithe, magnificently skilled dancers. They picture lush, imaginative costumes and a story set in a magical fantasyland of snowflakes and flowers. 

“Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them” with Eclipse Theatre Company

To conclude their 2019 season of Christopher Durang’s work, Eclipse Theatre Company chose Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them, a political comedy that examined the line between jumping to conclusions and dormantly not checking what is hidden in the closet. Even though this text tended to ramble and meander more than Durang’s other works, it sharply poked and prodded our minds about whether the USA’s enemies lie in nations across the sea or in the behaviors of those we share a house and a name with. With direction by Steve Scott, Eclipse has again succeeded in delivering a comedy with relevant issues, presented in an accessible way.

Don Giovanni Returns to the Lyric

Don Giovanni – Lyric Opera of Chicago

The classic opera, last performed at the Lyric in their 2014/15 season, returns to Chicago this fall.

Conversation and Combat

The Niceties – Writers Theatre

As the lights rise on an office at an upscale, Ivy League university, we discover junior college student Zoe Reed, a smart, articulate African-American student, in the middle of a conversation with her history instructor, Professor Janine Bosko. The appointment appears to be going affably enough, as Ms. Bosko takes a fine comb to her student’s research paper. She humorously points out that Zoe has left a comma out of a sentence, but then continues to pick apart and denigrate most of her student’s work. The kindly conversation gradually turns combative, as an abundance  of less than politically correct phrases innocently tumble from Janine’s mouth. Soon a war of words and ideas breaks out between student and teacher, further fueled by the fact that Ms. Bosko is an entitled, Caucasian Baby Boomer and Ms. Reed is a proud, African-American Millennial. 

Free Skate

Rink Life – Lucky Plush Productions

With a name like Rink Life, you’d be forgiven for expecting the show to include roller skates and an upbeat pop soundtrack. When the first pair shuffles onto the floor at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre barefoot and providing their own accompaniment a capella, you may also be forgiven for wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into. But in stripping away those obvious trappings, Lucky Plush’s new show manages to focus on what really matters and the result is a lovely evening that combines the joy of movement and the quiet importance of connection.

A Dickens of a Great Production

Oliver – Marriott Theatre

Filling the Marriott Lincolnshire stage with the largest cast ever assembled at that venue, more than 35 talented triple-threats, from children to adults, entertain, amaze and bring down the house with an entertaining musical classic and a lesson about love. Nick Bowling’s much-welcome production of Lionel Bart’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic, Oliver Twist, is dark, often tragic but also filled with surprising moments of comedy and glorious music. Mr. Bowling, who’s one of Chicago’s premiere directors, has fashioned a true family-friendly production for the holidays that has so much more to offer than just a large cast.

A Contemporary Take

Romeo and Juliet – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

In a cleverly orchestrated, lightning-paced production of the Bard’s most popular love story, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre not only sometimes involves the audience in its production but it  has updated the play, setting it in the near future during the upcoming hot Summer of 2020. The look and sound of this production is a more contemporary take on the familiar tragedy about two feuding families. In this version, the death of the two star-crossed lovers, whose untimely demise ultimately reconciles their kin, looks more like “West Side Story” than an Elizabethan drama, albeit without the gorgeous songs and jazzy, finger-snapping dances.