Chicago Theatre Review
Puppet Masters
Ariodante – Lyric Opera of Chicago
Ariodante, premiering this week at the Lyric, is story of a medieval Scottish prince and his betrothed, Ginevra. The Evil Duke (Are there any non-evil Dukes in opera?) is Ariodante’s rival for Ginevra’s hand. She spurns him, but since women weren’t really allowed opinions at this time, the Duke carries on, tricking Ariodante into believing Ginevra has been unfaithful. Ariodante is heartbroken and Ginevra faces execution for a sin she did not commit. The Duke now plans to intervene to save her, winning the King’s favor and her affections.
Read MoreAll Torn Up
I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart – Rivendell Theatre
Rivendell Theatre is giving Morgan Gould’s I Wanna F#!&ing Tear You Apart its Midwest premiere this month. The story centers on Samantha, a self-described fat woman and Leo, her gay best friend and roommate. They have been friends since college. Now roommates in New York, they are trying to jump-start writing careers in between bingeing reality television and fighting over who left an empty soda bottle in the refrigerator.
Read MoreA Whimsical Look at Anarchy
The Man Who Was Thursday – Lifeline Theatre
On a beautiful, sunny afternoon in the London suburb of Saffron Park, a poet named Lucian Gregory is discovered delivering an impassioned reading of one of his works to the gathered public. Among the crowd is Gabriel Syme, a gentleman who attempts to debate with Gregory that revolt is not the true meaning of poetry. Syme insists that, as opposed to revolution, the law is the real essence. Gabriel ends up accompanying Lucian to his underground anarchist meeting where Gregory hopes to be elected to their governing body.
Read MoreA Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
Mike Pence Sex Dream – First Floor Theatre
Following the 2016 election, two young men do their best to live their newly-wedded lives happily while coping with the frighteningly disastrous effects of the Trump presidency and administration. Ben is an excellent, compassionate elementary school teacher who cares for their students, but who also passionately wishes be a role model and make a difference. Ben, as a gay American, wants to show the school, and the world, that the Constitution has given them the unalienable right to be themselves. Thus, if Ben wants to wear a dress, there’s no reason for them to be challenged or ridiculed.
Read MoreAnd the Walls Came Tumbling Down
Act(s) of God – Lookingglass Theatre Company
A brand new original play, written by one of Chicago’s finest, most respected actors, and a Lookingglass Theatre company member, is a cause for celebration and demands an appreciative audience. Kareem Bandealy’s brilliant work as an actor has been seen by many and lauded by critics and audiences in productions all over Chicago. In his first attempt as playwright, Mr. Bandealy has embarked upon a new educational journey. His learning curve has expanded as he’s soaked up what it means to be on the other side of a production. This fledgling playwright has discovered, probably not unexpectedly that, in turning his script over to a director, a cast and a team of creative artists, it’s almost like sending your child off on his first day of kindergarten. But it’s the natural next step in the growth and nurturing of his young work, now in the hands of the theatre community.
Read MorePride and Prejudice
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde – Promethean Theatre Ensemble
One of the oldest maxims of the theater is that you can create drama by letting the audience know something the characters don’t, at least not yet. It’s what gives historical dramas their bite. We know what’s going to happen, but we aren’t bored as long we’re invested in the characters unknowingly marching to their doom. That truism is on full display in Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s restaging of it’s 2016 production of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.
Read MoreSuper Trouper
Mamma Mia! – Drury Lane
Artistic Director, William Osetek has staged a fresh and exciting new production of the 1999 smash hit musical, a show that became a cult classic for Baby Boomers twenty years ago, and is one of Broadway’s original juke box musicals. Taking almost two dozen hit tunes from the ABBA songbook, Drury Lane’s stage version makes audiences forget Chicago’s cold, snowy winter, as well as a rather disappointing 2008 film version. Here, live and on stage, is a great opportunity to enjoy a polished, professional production of how that musical is suppose to look and sound. And this production is not only pitch perfect but, decked out in shiny spandex, platform heels and a ton of glitter and glitz, it’s a feast for the eyes, as well.
Read MoreOrdinary People
Twilight Bowl – Goodman Theatre
Rebecca Gilman is a Chicago-based playwright who keeps close to her small town roots. She doesn’t write about lofty characters using elevated language. Her plays reflect the struggle of ordinary people who are trying to live the lives they want. Through such notable plays as “Luna Gale,” “Boy Gets Girl” and “Spinning Into Butter,” Ms. Gilman paints portraits of real folks, showing how, instead of being true to their own goals and aspirations, find themselves trying to meet everyone else’s expectations in life. This is the focus of her latest play, now enjoying its world premiere in Chicago.
Read MoreMystery Most Foul
An Inspector Calls – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Following an elegant family dinner at Arthur and Sybil Birling’s comfortable home in northern England, the arrival of a mysterious man is announced. He claims to be police Inspector Goole who inexplicably shares with them the sad news that Eva Smith, a young working-class woman, has tragically committed suicide. No one at the family gathering, including young Gerald Croft, who has just officially proposed to Arthur’s daughter Sheila, nor Arthur’s son Eric, recognize the young woman’s name. It then begs the question: why is the inspector involving this family in the unfortunate incident?
Read MoreThe Opera You Didn’t Know You Knew
La Traviata – Lyric Opera of Chicago
Before seeing the premiere of the Lyric’s new production of La Traviata at the Civic Opera House this weekend, I attended a preshow lecture about the history of the show. I learned that though it is now considered one of the finest operas ever written and a staple of many companies’ repertoires, it actually flopped on opening night amid composer Verdi’s battles with censors demanding edits and an opera house that wouldn’t cast the roles of its young lovers with actors who were…well…young. A couple of years later, some edits and better casting made the show the hit it has remained but, while I was listening to the lecture, I couldn’t help but think how hard it is to picture how classical works were received in their own time. They didn’t come into the world at stuffy or sophisticated pieces — they were the popular culture of their day, and inspired as much passion in their audiences as Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen do in ours. Fortunately for this show, once the curtain went up the gap was easy to bridge.
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