Friday, 30 January 2026 11:26
Little Shop of Horrors at Marriott Theatre: Somewhere That’s Green
Written by CJ Burroughs
Back in simpler times, what seems like decades ago, during a global pandemic, I remember watching an NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring the Broadway cast of Little Shop of Horrors. In the middle of the string of incredible songs from the show, the songs’ composer Alan Menken sat down at…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 29 January 2026 11:23
Broadway in Chicago’s Stereophonic is Full of High-Stakes Drama and Emotional Performances
Written by Lauren Katz
“There’s a fine line between compromise and losing yourself.” So many of us have that story of a favorite band. A group brought together by a shared passion and realizes they have that special something that can make them huge. So often that passion takes a dramatic turn, and the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 28 January 2026 16:52
Beautifully Performed, This Outrageous 'Salome' Made Musical History
Written by Bill Esler
“Salome” is an opera with an amazing backstory, and comes to us at the Lyric Opera with a content advisory (“adult themes, brief nudity, and disturbing imagery”), especially novel considering this work was first mounted in 1905. No wonder, given the beheading and necrophilic kiss that are at the center…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
Monday, 26 January 2026 12:28
My Life As a Cowboy at Open Space Arts: A Yeehaw-Fueled Joyride
Sarz Maxwell
I WANNA BE A COWBOY is a song by Boys Don’t Cry (lovin’ that band name!). MY LIFE AS A COWBOY is a play by Hugo Timbrell playing its American premiere at Open Space Arts Theatre. Yippee yo ky yay! and similar assertions of glee and approval! Art is intersectional, and…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 26 January 2026 12:37
More than $1.76 million awarded to Chicago's small arts organizations and arts advocacy nonprofits from Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation in 2025, with 27 organizations receiving $30,000 or more
Written by Buzz Center Stage
The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation (GDDF) is pleased to announce it awarded more than $1.76 million in grants to 66 of Chicago's small arts organizations and arts advocacy organizations in 2025. Twenty-seven Chicago area arts organizations received multiyear grants of $30,000 or more. Additionally, GDDF granted $725,000 to the Arts Work…
Published in
Theatre Buzz
Tagged under
Thursday, 22 January 2026 18:37
Timeline Theatre’s Biting Production of EUREKA DAY Astounds and Intrigues
Written by Lauren Katz
Let’s face it – in today’s world, “vaccinations” are a hot-button topic. More than ever, anything around health has become highly politicized, and for some, can elicit a deeply emotional reaction. Therefore, consensus is even harder to come by, and for some, even entering the debate feels impossible. Despite all…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 22 January 2026 11:39
The Second City e.t.c. announces Improv Supernova
Written by Buzz Center Stage
The Second City e.t.c. is proud to announce its next hit show Improv Supernova, a fully improvised explosion of comedy starting January 22. While Second City is legendary for both razor-sharp sketch comedy and world-class improv, Improv Supernova is all about the latter: no pre-written material, no scripts, and no safety net. Fueled by audience suggestions and inspired…
Published in
Upcoming Theatre
Wednesday, 14 January 2026 14:31
Invictus Theatre Company announces its 2026 season
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Invictus Theatre Company, whose summer 2025 production of the two-part epic, ANGELS IN AMERICA, was named top Chicago theatre production of the year and "the best non-Equity production here since before the pandemic" by the CHICAGO TRIBUNE's Chris Jones, has announced programming for its 2026 season. All performances will be…
Published in
Upcoming Theatre
Saturday, 10 January 2026 13:21
Echoes in the Opera House: BrightSide's 'Phantom' A Concert Triumph
Written by Kimberly Katz
As a lifelong Phantom of the Opera devotee in every form it takes, I was genuinely delighted to see BrightSide Theatre tackling Phantom in Concert. As the title promises, this version reimagines Gaston Leroux’s classic novel as a sweeping musical experience. With actors reading from scripts accompanied by a full…
Published in
Theatre in Review
More...
Tuesday, 06 January 2026 14:15
Black Ensemble Theater announces plans for the 50th Anniversary Season
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Black Ensemble Theater celebrates 50 years of its mission-based theater with a full season of musicals and special events. The season opens with the return of one of its biggest national hits The Jackie Wilson Story, followed by Muddy Waters: The Hoochie Coochie Man, the celebration of You Can't Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music and the…
Published in
Upcoming Theatre
Monday, 22 December 2025 14:22
Kokandy Productions Announces 2026 Season
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Hot off their record-breaking runs of Jekyll & Hyde and Amélie the Musical, Kokandy Productions is back in 2026 with three full productions, including their first play with music. The season begins with the revolutionary "love-rock" musical HAIR, taking over the Chopin Theater Mainstage for an exhilarating summer of hope and fury. Splashes of tie dye…
Published in
Upcoming Theatre
Wednesday, 17 December 2025 13:01
Music Theater Works Announces International Recognized Drag Artist and "RuPaul's Drag Race's" Mrs. Kasha Davis as "Edna Turnblad" in its 2026 Production of HAIRSPRAY
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Producing Artistic Director Kyle Dougan-LeBlanc and Music Theater Works are proud to announce that Mrs. Kasha Davis will star as “Edna Turnblad” in the upcoming production of Hairspray, Dec. 17, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027, directed by Keely Vasquez, choreographed by Reneisha Jenkins and music directed by Linda Madonia, in the George Van Dusen Theatre, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts…
Published in
Upcoming Theatre
Tagged under
Monday, 15 December 2025 11:24
Review: Couch Penny Ensemble's 'Everybody' at Greenhouse Theater Center
Written by Maddie Burroughs
A quick disclaimer for this review: Couch Penny Ensemble's Everybody, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, is written with a caveat for anyone who dares to perform it. At the start of each performance, the actors are randomly assigned their roles by lottery, creating 120 possible cast combinations. In other words, the Everybody I…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
TimeLine Theatre announces cast & production team for world premiere THE BIRTH OF THE PILL
Written by Buzz Center StageA bold story about the controversial creation that reshaped women’s lives is the focus of The Birth of the Pill, a world premiere play launching TimeLine Theatre’s 30th Anniversary season in September. The Birth of the Pill —by playwright Jessica… -
Nothing Without a Company presents The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am - Five Performances across Chicago, August 21st-30th
Written by Buzz Center StageNothing Without a Company (NWaC) is proud to announce five performances of The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am. This is a solo performance, written and performed by award-winning storyteller Ada Cheng, which intimately…
-
Theater Wit presents the Chicago premiere of Adolescent Salvation, August 14-October 3
Written by Buzz Center StageOver the course of one night, through a haze of tequila, texting, and Taylor Swift, three teenagers banter, bicker, and push each other to the edge of danger — with consequences that could prove lethal. Theater Wit presents the Chicago…
-
Harris Theater Presents return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Aug. 28
Written by Buzz Center StageFollowing last year’s smashing sold-out engagement, the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance proudly presents the return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project in a one-night-only performance themed Dancing the Archive: Embodied Histories, Collective Power. As performed by ten extraordinary…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.