Displaying items by tag: Chopin Theatre

Chicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, music, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer Theatre Guide, which showcases more than 100 productions; not just in Chicago's iconic theatre districts, but also across vibrant suburban communities. From Oak Park to Naperville, Glenview to Des Plaines, theatres across the region offer top-tier performances that make it easier than ever to experience the magic of live theatre close to home.

For additional details about this summer's performances and the Summer Theatre Guide visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Many summer shows will also be available at HotTix.org, Chicago's local, discounted ticketing service.

The following is a selection of notable work playing in Chicago this Summer, organized by location.

A selection of productions playing in theatres located Downtown are:

Brokeback Mountain

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

May 28 – June 28, 2026

When Ennis and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, all their certainties of life change forever as they flounder in unexpected emotional waters. This intense tale of a hidden love spans 20 years and is interwoven with soulful, original Country Western songs, performed live onstage.

Eugene Onegin

The Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House

June 4 – 14, 2026

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian society, this cautionary tale follows the enigmatic and aloof aristocrat after his fateful encounter with the earnest Tatiana. Richly layered and deeply human, Eugene Onegin explores the fragility of the human heart and how unspoken words can shape destinies.

Untitled Vampire Play

Lookingglass Theatre Company

June 4-July 12, 2026

This romantic-comedy-meets-horror-story world premiere by Kevin Douglas explores love, commitment, codependency...and, of course, vampires.

Champions of Magic

Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building

June 6 – July 5, 2026

The production that critics have described as 'the most spectacular show,' 'two hours of mind-twisting, logic-defying entertainment' and 'the summer blockbuster of magic shows.'

SUFFS

Broadway In Chicago at CIBC Theatre

June 7– 19, 2026

Direct from Broadway comes the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning musical Suffs about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote.

Kinky Boots

Broadway In Chicago at the James M. Nederlander Theatre

June 9 - 21, 2026

Kinky Boots follows the journey of two people with nothing in common—or so they think. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn a shoe factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized.

Iceboy!

Goodman Theatre

June 20 – July 26, 2026

Broadway's brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm, is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring Eugene O'Neill and challenging his legendary mother for center stage.

A Musical Tribute to John Williams & Steven Spielberg

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 23, 2026

Celebrate the legendary collaboration between composer John Williams and filmmaker Steven Spielberg. From Jurassic Park and Jaws to Indiana Jones and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the scores born of this 50-year creative partnership have captured imaginations around the world.

Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

June 25 – 27, 2026

Embark on an epic adventure to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: A New Hope! Experience the iconic film like never before as CSO performs John Williams' legendary Oscar-winning score live.

& Juliet

Broadway in Chicago at Auditorium Theatre

July 22 - August 2, 2026

Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there's life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.

Theatres are located in almost every neighborhood in Chicago.  A selection of productions playing throughout Chicago are:

Always...Patsy Cline

American Blues Theater

Playing through June 13, 2026

This musical play, complete with down home country humor and big-heart ed emotion, includes hits "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," "Sweet Dreams," "Walkin' After Midnight" and more!

LOKI-The End of the World Tour

Lifeline Theatre

Playing through June 13, 2026

In this World Premiere musical, Loki arrives at Asgard, bringing chaos, comedy, and three monstrous (maybe) children. In an us vs. them world, can we envision a new mythology?

The Targeted

A Red Orchid Theatre at Chopin Theatre

Playing through June 14, 2026

Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance, and harassment by global intergovernmental powers.

OCTET

Raven Theatre Company

Playing through June 14, 2026

Hailed by the New York Times as "the most original and topical musical of the year" for its 2019 Off Broadway premiere, this inventive and acutely relevant piece reflects the perils of the digital age.

Antigone

Promethean Theatre Ensemble at The Den Theatre

May 31 - June 27, 2026

A timely production of the classic WW2 era adaptation made all the more relevant by recent local and national events.

Catch As Catch Can

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

June 4 - July 12, 2026

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere—featuring an all-ensemble cast—must be witnessed to be believed.

As You Like It

Midsommer Flight

June 26 – August 2, 2026

Free outdoor performances of Shakespeare's As You Like It will be presented outdoors in six Chicago Parks District parks – Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, Gross Park, Nichols Park, Kelvyn Park, Winnemac Park, and Touhy Park. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming.

Hair

Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre

July 2 - September 13, 2026

Exploring ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace, Hair remains relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Marble
Gift Theatre at Copernicus Center

August 2 – August 30, 2026

Marble follows two married couples, Ben and Catherine, and their friends Art and Anne, whose comfortable lives begin to splinter after a shared dream triggers suspicion and desire.

A surreal and haunting exploration of two couples whose lives collide through shared dreams, this production anchors the company's homecoming to the neighborhood where it was founded.

Productions playing in the suburbs of Chicago include:

Nunsense
Drury Lane Theatre

June 10 – August 2, 2026

Get ready to laugh the summer away with nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken. This beloved revue, directed by E. Faye Butler, will have you in stitches as the five sisters stage a variety show fundraiser filled with outrageous musical numbers and zany comedy. 

A Little Night Music

Marriott Theatre

Playing June 17 – August 9, 2026

Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her. Amid a flurry of jealousy and suspicion, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises. Stephen Sondheim's witty, brilliant masterpiece.

Leopoldstadt

Writers Theatre

June 4 - July 19, 2026

At the dawn of the 20th century, Vienna is the heart of European culture. While an extended family gathers in the elegant Merz home for the holidays, two brothers-in-law passionately debate their conflicting visions for the future of their family and the Jewish people–a tension that will echo through the generations that follow.

The Producers

BrightSide Theatre at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall

June 12 – 28, 2026

Mel Brooks' outrageous musical comedy about two schemers trying to stage the biggest Broadway flop of all time—only to accidentally create a smash hit!

The Last Five Years

Oil Lamp Theater

June 6 - July 5, 2026

This widely beloved show takes audiences on the romantic rollercoaster of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in...and out of love over the last five years.

BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical

Highland Park Players at McGrath Family Performing Arts

July 17 – 26, 2026

Before she was hit-maker Carole King—she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. 

For a comprehensive list of Chicago productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com. Available discounted tickets will be listed at HotTix.org.

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 6 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago's theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com.

The League of Chicago Theatres' Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

The Oscars might be over, but this “Best Actress” is just getting started. Welcome to the weird world of the Grelley Duvall Show, or Alex Grelle. His unique approach to cabaret has amassed quite a fanbase over the years. Suffice it to say, there’s nothing else quite like it. In two acts, Grelle and his team blend his favorite female performances with highly choreographed musical numbers set to toe-tappin’ hits performed by a live band. 

Directed by Kasey Foster, “Best Actress” tells the origin story of the Grelley Duvall Show and what inspired a young Alex Grelle and his creative partner Jesse Morgan Young. Their obsessive knowledge of pop culture as seen through the lens of queer millennials is unmatched. They throw anything from a given day on cable TV in the 1990s into the blender and it’s up to the audience to keep up. The irreverent humor, costumes, and slickly produced video segments add up to an evening of hilarious deep cuts and surprise cameos.

To be honest, not all experimental cabaret style theatre is good. Rest assured Best Actress is not that. Rather it’s a 2-hour musical extravaganza with solid gold choreography by Erin Kilmurray and Kasey Alfonso and a kick-ass band led by (and featuring the vocals of) Aunt Kelly. Alex Grelle is a certified triple threat: he can sing, he can dance and he can kick. The team he’s assembled for this production has made something really special for anyone really, but especially for the pop culture obsessed, vintage shopping community.

Joining Grelle onstage is a powerhouse ensemble - Kara Brody, Madigan Burke, Lolly Extract, Darling Shear, Patrick Stengle, and Mary Williamson - plus a handful of puppets that feel like characters in their own right. And make no mistake: Grelle isn’t the only one throwing kicks. This cast matches his energy beat for beat, putting on quite a show. Again, Killmurray and Alfonso’s choreography is killer.

Grelley Duvall Best Actress is one of those shows it’s almost best to not know much about going in. It’s also one of those shows that should just run open-ended for a while, because once you see it, you’ll be trying to explain to people for weeks what exactly it was. 

Through April 12 at the Chopin Theatre. 1543 W Division St. 773-278-1500

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

I like theatre that’s deep, thoughtful, angsty. There’s much to be said for a play providing undemanding escape, but I prefer to challenge my mind, to make me think. And THE LOWER DEPTHS, as adapted by Grayson Kennedy for Gwydion Theatre Company, certainly did that. Don’t see this alone – you’ll want to talk about it afterward. And do not forget to take your Prozac!

The play is the second in Gwydion Theatre's "Season of Class", exploring classism in society. THE LOWER DEPTHS, written in 1902, explores themes of truth vs. illusion, hope vs. despair, through characters like a thief, a prostitute, and an alcoholic actor in a dreary flophouse on the Volga. The central conflict emerges with the arrival of a mysterious tramp who offers hope through stories and advice. However, hope cannot long survive the lodgers’ perpetually bewailing their travails and vicissitudes.

I was initially anxious about how such a large cast (13!) could operate in the confined space of Chopin Theatre. I personally love Chicago’s singular streetfront theatres, boasting perhaps 50 seats and 200-300 square feet of stage space. See, I like to be immersed in the players’ pheromone cloud, perhaps even bespattered with various bodily fluids.

Y’know, reading back over that, it doesn’t sound very inviting, but trust me on this. And trust Chicago as well – Gwydion is oner of the myriad smaller companies that showcase the multitude of superlative actors in this town. In decades of attending these storefront venues I’ve seen plays I didn’t like, I’ve been critical of some production decisions, but very seldom are the actors themselves disappointing. We are very fortunate here in Chicago. I only wish I could believe these professionals are earning paychecks commensurate with their skill.

Where was I? Oh yes, big cast; and I find myself unable to single out the players of individual characters. I always try in these reviews to praise each actor on their individual performance but between their sheer numbers and the peculiarities of Russian names I can but name the cast and beg the actors’ forgiveness:

Alex Levy (Vaska Pepel); Katherine Schwartz (Vasilisa Karpovna); Matt Mitchell (Mikahil Kostilyoff); Brynn Aaronson (Natasha Karpovna); Tommy Thams (Andrei Mitritch Kleshtch); Hannah Freund (Anna Kleshtch); Christopher Meister (Abram Medviedeff);Bryan Breau (The Baron); Evan Bradford (The Actor); John Nicholson (Satine); Howard Raik (Luka); Maddie Hillock (Kvashnya); Abraham Deitz-Green (Alyoshka); Maya Moreau (Swing); Grayson Kennedy  (Swing).

If I’m totally honest (and I owe this stellar troupe that much), even as it was playing, I couldn’t keep track of which character was who. To my relief, this did not interfere with my appreciation of the play and the performances, as it is actually in keeping with the theme of the play. THE LOWER DEPTHS tends to undermine the individuality of the characters: they are emulsified into a slurry of Poor People, faceless and nameless. In this THE LOWER DEPTHS mirrors the attitudes of our Administration: they’re po’ folks, not actual people with real needs and feelings.

Adapted by Maxim Gorky, he was more interested in the characters than in creating a formal plot. There’s no linear sense to the situations portrayed – a woman is dying; the landlord is heartless; everyone’s having an affair with someone – but these are only separate instances in their overall wretchedness. Tellingly, none of them acknowledge any kinship in their tribulations; no one ever says, ‘yeah, I know what that’s like’ or ‘something like that happened to me once’. Thus, while society depersonalizes them, each isolates themself within the siloes of their personal experiences.

Luka, an elderly tramp, arrives with a philosophy of consolation and a better life. Reactions to this message - this theme of harsh truth versus the comforting lie - pervades the play and divides the inhabitants into opposing camps of the hopeful and the realists. Most of them choose to deceive themselves rather than acknowledge the bleak reality of their condition, leading inevitably to violence and death.

Oi! I’m supposed to be encouraging you to see this play, but you’d need to be, like me, a real angst enthusiast to be attracted by my description! But if you do like exploring the depths of desolation; the frequency of forlornness; the drama of dreariness … then THE LOWER DEPTHS is the play for you!

The production team included its artistic directors Tommy Thams and Grayson Kennedy and was drawn largely from Gwidion company members. Scenic Designer Hayley Wellenfeldt and Morgan Kinglsey created a monochromatic and versatile set with Lighting Designer Sam Bessler effectively defining scenes and characters. Costume Designers Cindy Moon and Grace Weir differentiated the subtle differences between, say, the actor and the Baron. Sound Designer Rick Reid sourced authentic Russian period music while Stage Manager Katie Espinoza pulled it all together and put it out there fluidly.

The Lower Depths is the first time in Russian literature that society’s outcasts took center stage in a drama. In claiming importance and humanity for a class that Gorky described as “ex-people” and “creatures who were once men,” he moved Russian drama into the political and social arena that would lead to revolution. May that purpose prevail in our own trying times!

THE LOWER DEPTHS plays at Chopin Theatre through February 28 - https://chopintheatre.com/.

RECOMMENDED

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

‘Jekyll & Hyde’ returns to Chicago for the first time in over 15 years. Kokandy Productions follows their recent hit ‘Amelie’ with a much-anticipated revival of the 90s cult horror pop opera. Director Derek Van Barham brings his stylish vision to life with a cast of scary good voices.

Kokandy Productions has long established themselves as a theatre company that specializes in “misfit toys” musicals. In that regard ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ seems like a perfect show for their distinct niche. Though the original Broadway production was by all accounts a hit and ran for almost four years, critics were divided. Originally produced in Houston in 1990, it would take 7 years and a national tour before it would open on Broadway. The original Broadway production is perhaps most notable for casting David Hasselhoff in its final run.

‘Jekyll & Hyde’ has since become a fan favorite among those with an affinity for shows like ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Sweeney Todd’. Van Barham thankfully lifts the source material out of the gauche 1990s-style of overblown period piece musicals. Instead, his version is entirely contemporary with thrilling lighting and steam punk costuming.

One reason ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ isn’t revived often is that you need a really good cast of singers as this show is mostly sung-through. Kokandy’s cast is stacked with amazing vocalists starting with David Moreland in the dual role of Jekyll and Hyde. His powerful voice sways naturally between the darkness of Hyde and the fading goodness of Jekyll. It’s also a rare experience for a press night audience to hold for close to a minute for applause, but Ava Lane Stovall as wayward Lucy is this production’s secret weapon. Her stirring rendition of ‘Someone Like You’ brings Act I to a standstill of roaring applause. Throughout the show Ava Lane Stovall’s incredible voice brings the tragic character of Lucy to life in vivid detail. Her name may not be in the title, but with a voice like that, this is certainly a Justice-for-Lucy production.

Fans of 1990s era musicals are well aware of the cringy costumes and over-the-top staging that often overshadowed quality. ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ is surely a product of its time. Perhaps better off forgotten in some ways. However, Derek Van Barham treats this show like it’s brand new. Kokandy’s ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ can’t necessarily hide the meaninglessness of its lyrics, but it puts so much gloss on the production that lyrics feel incidental. This is a show about incredible voices and stylish staging.

Lighting design by G “Max” Maxin IV is genuinely striking. Faces are bathed in deep reds and cool blues, casting eerie shadows about the Chopin Theatre. The tightly drawn set by designer Sotirios Livaditis captures all the soaring voices and beautiful harmonies with such simplicity proving less is often more.

Halloween season is drawing to a close, but Kokandy’s ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ is here for the winter. Their near-perfect production breathes new life into a show many know but few have seen. If you missed out on this Blockbuster in the 90s, now is your chance to see an elevated revival. Go now or risk waiting another 15 years.

Extended through January 10th at Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre. 1543 W Division St. 773-278-1500

If you are familiar with the Marx Brother 1933 film “Duck Soup,” it is probably from clips of some of the timeless schtik delivered by the erudite punster Groucho, the womanizing “Italian” Chico, the mute Harpo and the straight man in the bunch, handsome brother Zeppo.

So when I first heard The Conspirators was going to adapt this seemingly light-hearted confection to its stage at Stars & Garters (formerly Otherworld Theater), it didn’t sound like a fit—not based on their more hard-hitting satires of the past. Were they retreating from a world grown too contentious? But having read up on it, then viewed the film recently—which as a whole remains laughworthy—I learned that “Duck Soup” delivers serious social commentary, a send-up of fascism and authoritarianism—so topical in its day, and today for that matter. And so it does indeed fit right into The Conspirators’ sweet spot.

The Clark Street troupe’s stock in trade is theater that perceptive audiences willing to scratch through the surface will find speaks bitingly of the times. The pill is made easier to swallow because it’s delivered in a unique farcical performance mode, known as The Style (more on that later). It has you laughing at its silliness even as the baleful messages hit home. That makes “Duck Soup” perfect grist for the script mill of Sid Feldman, founder of The Conspirators with director Wm. Bullion. Both are in the final phases of casting and adapting the film for an October 30 opening.

Past productions are a good indicator of where The Conspirators take aim. Shows are often hung loosely on the bones of works by 20th century modernist playwrights. Dario Fo’s “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” became the 2019 “Accidental Death of a Black Motorist.” Brecht’s “The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui” (1941) is hinted at by the similarly named “The Resistible Rise of Herr Helmut Drumpf” (2016). Its follow up, “The Deckchairs,” finds an iceberg denier elected captain of an already sinking ship (subtitle: “Make the Titanic Great Again.”) And then there was the latest production, adapting Macbeth from William Shakespeare to Chicago vernacular for “Chicago Cop Macbeth.” 

A circle of hell in “Commedia Divina: It’s Worse Than That”

Other works include “Commedia Divina: It’s Worse Than That,” a riff on "Dante’s Divine Comedy," or the 19th century “The Epidemic,” an obscure political farce by French writer Octave Mirbeau, adapted as a Covid19 parallel in “The Ineptidemic.” The Conspirators’ shows are hilarious satires, laughworthy regardless of one’s political orientation. But they also point up some heavy-duty dramaturgy at play. Bullion and Feldman are deeply knowledgeable theatrical professionals at work on serious artistic expression.

If there is a challenge for audiences watching The Conspirators productions, it lies in adapting ourselves to their performance method, known as The Style. They are the only company in Chicago using it (it originated with actor Tim Robbins at The Actors Gang in Los Angeles; Robbins was a schoolmate of Bullion’s), and it can take some moments to get used to it. For one thing, actors are heavily made up, in thick white greasepaint with dark exaggerated brows, lines and mouth drawn in.

"The Deckchairs, or Make the Titanic Great Again"

The lighting is starkly bright. Delivery is exaggerated, in quick bursts. A stage-side drummer punctuates the lines. And sets are minimalist. There is no dramatic naturalism to be found, quite a departure from Steppenwolf or Goodman or any of Chicago’s storefront stages.

Most arresting is the acting method. No individualized background story is developed in the minds of the actors to inform their expression of character. Instead, just four emotions are allowed, usually delivered full throttle: happiness, sadness, anger and fear. All these elements are the foundation of the version of The Style employed by The Conspirators, introduced to Chicago by a player from LA’s The Actors Gang, Chicago’s John Cusack, for the now defunct New Crime Theater.

The Evanston Connection
“Sid and I both come from Evanston, which is kind of important,” says Bullion. “The high school theater program was really advanced - right next to Northwestern.” Bullion went on to study theater at UCLA, in the same program as actor Tim Robbins who, along with Cynthia Ettinger, originated The Style 40 years ago. Robbins founded The Actors Gang, which describes The Style as rooted in “Théâtre du Soleil, Grotowski, Viewpoints, punk rock and popular culture.” It is still used and taught at Robbins’ Culver City stage near Los Angeles, currently presenting “Topsy Turvy” through September 27, written and directed by Robbins.

The history of The Style corresponds to Bullion’s and Feldman’s backgrounds. Feldman went to school in Evanston with Cusack. After his time with The Actors Gang, Cusack started Chicago’s New Crime Theater in the 1990s as a local platform for productions in The Style.

Feldman ended up connecting with Cusack at New Crime. “I was always a business guy,” Feldman says. When a producer at New Crime melted down during a production of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” its co-directors Cusack and Steve Pink then tapped Feldman to step in at the Chopin Theater, in 1991. (Jeremy Piven was in the cast.)

“It was just a monster of a show to produce,” Feldman says. “And Steve told me I had to come over, and I found the producer in a fetal position, rocking in a corner, it was just too big of a show, she just couldn’t handle it. So I got in through that end, and as I was watching their workshops in The Style, I realized what storefront theater was missing.” Feldman felt drawn to change it.

“Billy [Bullion] and I did a few plays together in the late 90s,” says Feldman. “That’s when we got together. Then we broke up, I started writing screenplays and I went to LA.” Feldman spent the winter months each year on the West Coast during this period. “I had some minor success and I did some rewrites for people who needed help.”

"Accidental Death of a Black Motorist"

Bullion meanwhile was in Chicago, “living the storefront life,” he says. “I had a company called Sliced Bread Productions, and I was doing Brecht, Richard III, two Charles Ludlam plays—farce—wacky, statement making shows.”

Bullion and Feldman had first met up in the subculture music scene in Chicago, but eventually their paths crossed again in theater as well.

Feldman eventually soured on the movie business when one of his scripts, all of them written on spec, finally was made into a movie that he didn’t get paid for.

“That was the turning point,” says Feldman. “The producer never gave me a contract, he stole my possession, he never gave me a dime, I tried suing him for years.” When Feldman returned to Chicago, he and Bullion decided to do some shows together.

“We did Sternheim's "The Underpants" and Friedrich Dürrenmatt's “The Physicists." Bullion had been directing and acting in Chicago. “I was in “Hizzoner Daley the First” for about four years [at Prop Theater] and by the time that was ending we were finding our way back together. During the run-up to the 2016 election Feldman asked Bullion, "Why don’t we put on some workshops and try to put on a show?”

When Bullion, who had also been directing for Babes with Blades in 2014, received a script by Aaron Adair for “L’imbecile” — a gender reversal of “Rigoletto,” he immediately thought of an approach. “There was only one way this play can possibly be done, and that was in The Style,” Bullion says. Soon after The Conspirators was formed.

“So he brought me in and I taught them The Style,” Feldman says.“The plays I had done with New Crime were all in The Style. A lot of our terminology comes from them. Tim Robbins has gone to a more softened version of The Style for major productions at The Actors Gang. At The Conspirators, we have kept it pure, we have actually made it more pure in some ways. It’s a living beast with us; we’re always changing it.”

Because there is no ready cadre of actors schooled in The Style to cast for its shows, The Conspirators have taken to running free workshops, training actors in the technique. From these workshops, it casts its shows.

As Feldman explains, “In college you study to learn who the character is, you study the background and the backstory - and you let that form how you deliver the monologues.
“This is what I teach them,” says Feldman. “I tell them to come in with a one to two minute monologue, with nothing, and in our workshops we only use four emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, and anger - all extremes. There’s no jealousy (“No bemusement” Bullion says.) You come in with a monologue, with nothing prepared - and I just randomly shout out what your next state is, in which you have to deliver the next line or two, in that state. And it always works, no matter what the character is, no matter what the words are. It always works if you commit to it.” This departure from all the character building methods most actors have been trained to can be mind blowing for performers.

“We all say it’s not real, it’s not realistic,” says Bullion, who will direct “Duck Soup.” ”But what makes the style work is the absolute sincerity, and the absolute commitment to real emotion. And that is what gives a harmonic. I don’t want someone ‘acting’ mad. I want the real emotion.”

Feldman notes, “If you pretend to be angry, you can see it immediately. And that exercise is the most important one that gets them to be real actors. This confidence to make choices that other people might not make.”

Outlandish as this approach might sound, it is firmly rooted in deeply established performance traditions, beginning with 16th century commedia dell arte, which used masked archetypal characters and a mix of script and improvisation. This has cropped up on Chicago stages in a variety productions, including Court Theatre’s 2016 “One Man, Two Guvnors” 
In The Conspirator’s adaptation for The Style, heavy make-up along with an abrupt, exaggerated delivery recalls the stylized performance of Japan’s Kabuki. But there is more to it than that.

Promoting the training workshops to actors, The Conspirators describe The Style’s combination of classic commedia dell’arte, kabuki, and sprinkles of Ariane Mnouchkine via actor Tim Robbins’ The Actors’ Gang, “a soupçon of clown” along with the aesthetic of actor John Cusack's New Crime Productions, with influences of “Bugs Bunny and punk rock.”

“One of the things Billy and I talked about before we did “Chicago Cop Macbeth” was not only how people treat Shakespeare too preciously, but also too linearly. As though every single monologue has one point to it. What we see is that people grow during these monologues. People are trying to outwit the other characters to get what they want. Sometimes it’s sarcasm. Our style punches that up. When you compare it to the recent Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, that was a snoozer. By putting it in the style we’re giving people not just entertainment to watch, but I think it breaks the story down better and makes it more understandable.”

Bullion agrees. “It’s accessible. Because you are laughing along with this meta reality we are creating, because you are laughing along with the cast, you are with them.” To attract contemporary audiences, Feldman believes more radical approaches to theater are called for.

“I would argue, and this is going to be controversial, people are not interested in realism in the theater. When you give them reality in the theater they go to sleep. Young playwrights will give me something, and I’ll say, ‘This is boring.’ And they’ll say, ‘Yeh, but it’s real.’ Nobody wants to watch me get ready to go to bed. That’s real too. Give me something outrageous.”

How this will play out in ”Duck Soup” will be known soon enough. We’ll meet Groucho’s character Rufus T. Firefly, just appointed dictator of Freedonia, who in the film lets us know,. “If you think this country's bad off now, just wait till I get through with it!” What can be said is we can expect the unexpected from The Conspirators’ version opening October 30 at Stars & Garters (formerly Otherworld Theater).

Earlier this summer, The New York Times asked its readers to submit their lists of the top 100 films of the 21st century. Scrolling through social media, it was clear the 2001 French film ‘Amélie’ was a millennial fan favorite. A whimsical rollick through Montmartre seems like ripe fodder for a musical these days so it’s no surprise the film was adapted for the stage in 2017. While not exactly a huge hit during its original New York run, Kokandy Productions sets the record straight with their Chicago debut.

If you took French in high school or college during the early 00s, chances are you’re familiar with the quirky character famously played by Audrey Tautou. With a show like this, your production can only be as good as your Amélie. Aurora Penepacker brings the character to life in a charmingly familiar way but with her a voice that is altogether unique and powerful. Amélie might be timid, but in this version her voice is anything but. Her romantic counterpart Nino is played with bittersweet sincerity by Joe Gionvannetti. Their chemistry is undeniable.

By now there is growing fatigue of Broadway musicals adapted from beloved films. A big reason is that often the music feels somewhat secondary, but Daniel Messeé’s whimsical score stirs up all the same kinds of emotions the movie does without oversimplifying the plot. The songs are woven into the plot and take the audience even deeper into Amélie’s rich inner world. A lively cast of actors and musicians provide just the right ambiance to feel whisked away to Paris for the evening.

The world of ‘Amélie’ at the Chopin Theatre is a very beautiful one. Kokandy Productions has the perfect space for director Derek Van Barham’s vision for this show. Nestled in the basement theater, Amélie’ is staged in a way that makes audiences feel as if they’re sitting in the cafe where Amélie works. Those who have been to the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park will recall their “cottage core” aesthetic rich with antiques and shabby-chic furniture. Van Barham’s staging makes for an immersive experience that also really serves the emotional tone of the show.

With ‘Amélie’ Kokandy Productions proves again what makes Chicago such a thriving non-equity theatre scene. Creativity and talent intersect with their revival. There’s a world in which an ‘Amélie’ musical could be the cringiest thing to ever trod the boards, but instead Van Burham goes for something more authentic. His version has found a refreshing balance of the artful and the wistful. Haven’t seen ‘Amélie’ the film? No problem. The script by renowned playwright Craig Lucas is a succinct retelling without subtitles. If you’re feeling a little nostalgic for the twee early 00s, ‘Amélie’ is a lovely stroll down memory lane. 

Through September 28 at Kokandy Productions at The Chopin Theatre. 1543 W Division St. 773-278-1500

*Extended through October 19th!

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/! 

I’ll admit it: I knew little about “Into the Woods” before seeing the new production at Chicago’s Chopin Theatre. I’m not particularly fond of the composer, Stephen Sondheim. I’d bailed early watching the 2014 film with Meryl Streep. So I challenged myself to find out why it is so popular. And now I know: it’s really good.

At a venue like Chopin Theatre, in the intimate downstairs theater, you’ll have a chance to appreciate the dark humor of the book by James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Sondheim. No doubt you will come away as I did, experiencing the power mined from a most creative mash-up of four familiar fairy tales, and very much liking its dark, funny humor. 

Lapine and Sondheim tap four classic fairy tales—Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella—building a cast of characters that for the first time meet each other. And we discover on stage they have a lot in common. 

Among the cast are two princes, Shea Hopkins as Cinderella’s Prince and Jonathan Allsop as Rapunzel’s Prince, who bond in their shared quests. Princessy figures Cinderella (Madison Kauffman) and Rapunzel (Ismael Garcia) share the spotlight. And then there are the younger innocent players, Little Red (aka Riding Hood, Anna Selbert) and Jack (Kevin Parra) of Beanstalk fame. Both get into trouble for not following their mothers’ orders.

And of course we see those mean-spirited characters, The Witch (Stephanie Stockstill) who entrapped Rapunzel in that stairless tower and Cinderella’s Stepmother (Emily Goldberg)—though these two don’t really connect. 

Bits of the classic stories are recounted, but “Into the Woods” faces us squarely with the shadowy parts. Yes Rapunzel let down her long hair for that prince and they fell in love. But there is more in Grimm’s Fairy Tales (I reread them all after seeing the show): The Witch cuts off Rapunzel’s hair, banishes her to wander a wasteland, and tricks the Prince into climbing up. He falls into a thornbush and pierces his eyes. Another element I hadn’t recalled until my rereading of Rapunzel: a couple aiming to have a child are the origins of the long-haired beauty’s predicament. (This couple seems to be drawn from the original tale, in which the husband surrenders Rapunzel to compensate The Witch for his theft from her garden.) In the play, that husband becomes The Baker (Kevin Webb) who with The Baker's Wife (Sonia Goldberg) goes on a quest in order to have a child. 

Sondheim and Lapine take these stories into uncharted territory in Act 2 as the characters suffer retributions unleashed for their selfish acts. As originally told, after Jack sells a cow for those magic beans, he climbs into the Giant’s lair and robs him, then kills the Giant as he pursues him down the beanstalk. The play adds a riff to that tale: the Giant’s widow (Honey West) chases Jack and wreaks havoc in the kingdom in her pursuit of justice. 

The stories are woven together into a cohesive whole guided by Narrator, played so remarkably well by August Forman, who doubles as Mysterious Man. It is the strength of Forman’s performance that makes the many moving parts fit together; they are onstage continuously and tirelessly. It’s truly remarkable to behold. 

Kokandy Productions’ show, directed and tightly choreographed by Derek Van Barham, meets the demands of this funny and inventive book by Lapine, with music and lyrics by Sondheim. Entrances and action are timed with exacting precision. 

A pair of grand pianos are center stage, with keyboardists Ariana Miles and Evelyn Ryan replacing full orchestration, and fully integrated to the action around them. Kudos to these two for their exemplary artistry. 

What’s not to like in “Into the Woods”? Just one thing: that Wolf? His ears are way too round and small. 

At its 1986 Broadway debut, “Into the Woods” was seen by many as an allegory for the havoc wreaked by the early AIDS crisis. It’s easy to see why during Act 2. Sondheim has demurred from that interpretation, and now nearly 50 years later, there is nothing explicitly alluding to AIDS. Our contemporary climate crisis fits aptly into interpretations of the play now. And that is a tribute to the work’s timeless character, and longstanding appeal.

“Into the Woods” runs through December 22, 2024 at The Chopin Theatre in Chicago. 

I look forward to every Hell and a Handbag production - because I know they’re always a great time. The company’s spot-on takes on adored characters, from those in the Golden Girls to Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, always blend high camp humor with a warm, heartfelt touch. 

In Handbag’s latest offering, the world premiere of The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush, we get a brilliant mash up of beloved characters from the Golden Girls and Scooby Doo. Does it work? It absolutely does. This new comedy, penned by the immensely talented David Cerda, and directed and choreographed with flair by Frankie Leo Bennett is one of the team’s best yet.

The adventure kicks off when Rose spots a leafy, brush-covered monster—dubbed the “haunted bush”—lurking around the complex where she, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia live. "The haunted bush"... you can already imagine the fun to be had with that one. As the monster sightings increase and the girl’s fear escalates, Rose calls in her nephew, Fred, and his Skooby Don't Gang of crime solvers to investigate. And just like that, these two worlds collide in a side-splitting adventure, which only gets wilder when Nancy Drew joins the team. Yes, the famous girl detective, Nancy Drew! As with any Handbag production, the laughs in this comedy-mystery are as outrageous as they are plentiful. Packed with cartoonish chase scenes, snappy one-liners, well-timed slapstick and a hefty dose of innuendo-driven humor, this new production at Chopin Theatre’s mainstage is a hilariously bold comedy with all the right twists and turns.

Tyler Anthony Smith as Fred in The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush 

This cast is packed with all your favorite Handbag stars. The Golden Girls are back! Yay! Ed Jones shines as the naive but loveable Rose Nyland, while Grant Drager is a tour de force as flirty Blanche Devereaux, delivering one witty remark after another. David Cerda reprises his role as Dorothy Zbornak, commanding the stage with every line and Sophia Petrillo is wonderfully portrayed with grit and sass by Ryan Oates. Dorothy’s ex, Stan is riotously played by Scott Sawa, drawing several big laughs while also interacting with the audience throughout the show for Golden Girls trivia, with the winners (everyone who plays) getting to reach in and choose a prize from the mystery bag. I won a Handbag magnet! Woot!

The Skooby gang is also superbly cast, led by Tyler Anthony Smith as Fred. Smith absolutely crushes the role and delivers one funny scene after another from the moment we are greeted by his ass as Rose opens the door to welcome her nephew. Elizabeth Lesinski is delightful as Daffy while Caitlin Jackson is just perfect as Velva, the two heavily crushing on each other throughout the play. The gang is rounded out well with stellar performances from both Ben Meneses as Skooby and Josh Kemper as Skaggy, cracking voice and all. Michael S. Miller is funny in his dual roles as Miles and Rita Claxton and Danne W. Taylor gets some hearty laughs in taking on the role of Nancy Drew, especially in a love scene that no one could have seen coming. But all is possible in the Handbag multi-verse.

Handbag’s talented cast has perfected the art of camp humor, skillfully addressing and laughing at the subjects of sexuality, while also evoking compassion —all within a familiar, friendly, and entertaining environment.

While the cast is exceptional, the creative team also does a tremendous job in putting together a set that brings the audience into the center of the mystery. Marcus Klein (Scenic Design), Liz Cooper (Lighting Design) and Danny Rockett (Sound Design) team up to deliver a visual and audio experience that uniquely pulls in each and every audience member while Sydney Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig design) and Madeline Felauer (Costume Design) seamlessly bring the characters to life.

(left to right) Caitlin Jackson as Velva and Elizabeth Lesinksi as Daffy in The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush

For those Chicagoans lucky enough to have been watching Handbag productions for the last 22 years, going to one of their shows is like being at a party with a bunch of your best old friends. With this show, it’s a place to sing the Golden Girls theme song, laugh at bawdy jokes, and just let your heart breathe free for a while, even though it seems like chaos and unfriendliness are raging all around the globe. 

I highly recommend this final production of Hell in a Handbag’s 22nd season for audiences who want to have a good hard laugh, a nice drink and a solid night of fun, hilarious entertainment.

The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush is being performed at Chopin Theatre through November 3rd. For tickets and/or more show information, click HERE.

Mike Royko is a seminal influence on—and expression of—Chicago culture. Even today, if many locals might not know who Royko was, millions across the country do—his column was syndicated in 600 newspapers. The Pulitzer prize-winning columnist published non-stop for 30 years, starting at the now defunct Chicago Daily News, moving to its surviving sibling Chicago Sun-Times, and finally going to the Chicago Tribune to escape working for Rupert Murdoch when the media titan acquired the morning tabloid.

Royko’s columns were both fearless in tackling those in power, and immensely funny. So is “Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago,” the excellent one-man show now playing at Chopin Theatre. “Royko” is the brainchild of writer and performer Mitchell Bisschop, whose script artfully draws from the spectrum of Royko’s work. Those columns were serious and wry, courageous and, occasionally, sentimental, but the subtext remained throughout—calling out injustice, and for righting wrongs, especially from the powerful and politically connected.

While Royko’s own words power much of the script, for Bisschop, building a dramatic storyline, and selecting from so much material, was probably the greatest challenge. And he has succeeded in spades. As a performer, Bisschop captures Royko the man, and we have no trouble buying in. While there isn’t much movement on the stage—we see Royko at his desk, and at the tavern—he was a writer and talker first.

Some of the scenes include multimedia production: split screen projections and videos from original source, or recreated with Bisschop playing Royko on camera in moments that wouldn’t have been captured. Or reading from his own writing, like the scene early on in which Royko questioned why Frank Sinatra was getting 24-hour Chicago police guards while in town, even as ordinary citizens fended for themselves on streets and subways.

Never one for understatement, Royko also cited Sinatra’s mob ties, said he punched an elderly drunk, and claimed Sinatra wore a toupee. That May 1976 column earned Royko an angry retort from Sinatra, which came in that period’s equivalent of a flaming post: a letter to the editor. Sinatra told Royko his sources were wrong, called him a pimp, and offered a $100,000 if he could prove he punched an elderly drunk. Sinatra also challenged Royko to pull his wig off.

A Chicago high school graduate with Polish and Ukrainian parents, Royko was funny, irreverent, and always remained a self-empowered voice for the average Joe on the street. Royko was a burr under the saddle of Mayor Richard J. Daley, who barred him from the City Hall pressroom. Royko’s best-selling 1971 book on Daley, “Boss,” was also banned at certain retailers in the city, but remains the definitive exploration of the Chicago democratic political machine at its time. Royko’s notoriety in the political class may be one reason we saw a packed house opening night, which included Royko’s son Sam, who ran for alderman last cycle, and former Illinois governor Pat Quinn, among numerous political influencers and forces. 

Royko wrote in a sophisticated yet colloquial style that embodied Chicago argot, the same language that succeeding generations of immigrants adopt as the influences of their native tongues dissipate. That speech is parodied on Saturday Night Live during the heyday of Dan Akroyd and John Belushi - “Da Bears” - the latter is a nephew of Royko. Like other journalists, Royko hung out at the Billy Goat Tavern, the subterranean Wacker Drive burger joint also made famous by Belushi.

Bisschop includes many key Royko-isms—his love of 16-inch softball; the fictional Slats Grobnik, an earthy tavern-dweller that voiced bald remarks even Royko dared not speak— and his ineffable characterizations of the Chicago political scene. Royko suggested Chicago change its motto from Urbs in horto (city in a garden) to “Where’s mine?” He noted the steadfast loyalty of Chicago politicians. “When someone takes a bribe here, they stay bought.”

At times he could soar, and Bisschop includes Royko’s column after the assassination of Martin Luther King, and exploration of the responsibility we all carry for harboring or passively assenting to the sentiments that led to the shooting. Another, about a woman running a dry cleaning shop that doubles as a neighborhood hangout, and is threatened by a national chain, is truly moving.

Royko’s influence was strongly felt by comedians and producers at a local humor factory, Second City, the Wells Street institution. That list includes Bisschop, and also Beth Kligerman, a producer of this Royko show who for 25 years was casting director and producer at Second City. (Also producing is actress Lecy Goranson, a Chicago-native and well-known for her role as the daughter Becky on the “Roseanne” TV series.)

Compared with other one-man shows, “Royko” has a tendency to be static. Bischopp perhaps could move around the stage a bit more. Some technical matters need adjustment. When we hear the other side of a phone conversation, the amplification overpowers the non-amplified Royko. Overall, director Steve Scott (more than 25 years with Goodman) elicits a strong performance from Bisschop, and blends the multimedia elements well into the production.

Highly recommended, “Royko: The Toughest Man In Chicago” runs through September 29, 2024 at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago.

Something special has been afoot at Chopin Theatre for the past few weeks: the world premiere of “Turret,” written and directed by Levi Holliday. Created as a vehicle for two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon, the production by A Red Orchid Theatre (Shannon is a founding member) has turned into so much more, signaling to the Chicago theater community what it takes to produce a sell-out show that generates infinite buzz as it progresses toward the end of its run, extended to June 22 to accommodate the crowds.

In fact, in anticipation of Shannon’s star-power draw, A Red Orchid Theatre decamped from its tiny digs on Wells street for the more capacious, historic Chopin Theater building at Milwaukee and Division. Still, that was not enough. Discounts, rush tickets, and the like fell by the wayside and would find people crowding the lobby in the hopes of snagging a seat.
Shannon ends his run on June 16 - and he is epically good in the role of Green, the mentor and master of Rabbit (Travis A. Knight). The audience will come for Shannon, but Knight really steals the show in this post-apocalyptic tale of two men sequestered in a vault, and the evolution of their relationship.

The story has some big reveals that tie-up the plot lines at the end - but leave some questions open-ended, too. As compelling as the story line is, the staging (Scenic Design by Grant Sabin); lighting (Mike Durst); and sound design (Jeffrey Levin, sound designer and composer) is as constantly powerful as the dialog. Work by Movement Director Drew Vidal and Fight Director Paul Deziel (assisted by Wes Daniel) may lead you to ask, “Is this a dry run for a film?” It’s that good.

“Turret” is that rare type of show that had me saying, “I love this” within 60 seconds of the curtain. Lawrence Grimm, who makes a brief but scintillating appearance as the third character, Birdy, is also understudy to Shannon, and will take on the lead role of Green when Shannon departs.

How to get a ticket? I live just six blocks from the theater, so I stopped over 10 minutes before curtain to buy that rare commodity - a ticket resold because its owner had not claimed their seat. There were just a few available that night.

While Shannon as Green turns in a truly excellent performance, so does Grimm as Birdy and I would urge you to see him when he takes on the role of Green for the extended run. The surprise here is Knight, who is on stage constantly as Rabbit, a voluble and expressive personality that is the antithesis of the terse Green. It is Rabbit that playwright Hollaway uses to make the dynamic of his relationship with his mentor Green accessible.

For me, the play is an exploration of the relationship of a father figure with a son. And Rabbit at a certain point begins to exert his will, defying Green to explore whether there are other survivors, and what might be left of the world. “I don’t want to be a pollywog anymore.”

The complexity of this relationship, when the son naturally matures and asserts his individuation and personhood separate from the father, was the essence of the story for me. Yet as this happens, the father suffers his own setbacks, becomes vulnerable, and Rabbit must rise to the role of caregiver and nurturer. Just like real life. “Turret” has been extended through June 22 at The Chopin Theatre and comes highly recommended.