Thursday, 01 September 2022 15:16
GIRLFRIEND at the PRIDEARTS THEATRE “IN A WORD: SWEET”
Sarz Maxwell
Sweet is the best word for GIRLFRIEND for several reasons. First, it showcases the songs of Matthew Sweet, and the book is by Todd Almond, to get another flavor in the mix. ‘Sweet’ also describes the era that GIRLFRIEND is set in – 1990’s: pre-9/11; before cell phones and PDAs;…
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Theatre in Review
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With MY BROTHER LANGSTON, Black Ensemble Theatre continues its 2022 Season of Excellence: The Season of Healings. This third of four world premiere musicals showcase the power of music to heal. Jackie Taylor, BET’s Founder & CEO, says: “… through these outstanding plays, the spirit of the music, the hope…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 14 August 2022 13:10
CAMPAIGNS, INC: the Origin of Fake News, circa 1934 at TimeLine Theatre
Sarz Maxwell
Smear tactics are nothing new in politics; Octavian became Emperor of Rome by distributing coins printed with negative slogans against Mark Anthony. The printing press provided a more easily reproduceable vehicle for misinformation, with the written material later reinforced by manipulated (long before Photoshop!) photographs. And now, of course, we…
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Theatre in Review
Midsommer Flight is a not-for-profit company that believes ‘Shared Joy and Flights of Fancy’ are for everyone, and that ‘BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, gender-diverse and body-diverse people are integral to our community.’ They are therefore the perfect troupe for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and last night was a midsummer night to…
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Theatre in Review
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Saturday, 23 July 2022 10:31
Review: 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' at Mercury Theater
Written by CJ Burroughs
Arriving at the quaint Mercury Theater—a century-old nickelodeon turned comfy neighborhood cabaret—for Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the excitement of the other theatergoers coming and going, outside near the Music Box Theater and inside the Mercury’s cabaret room sipping their drinks, hinted at the show I was about to see.…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 25 July 2022 10:23
'The Kramer Project' at Center on Halsted - Highly Recommended
Sarz Maxwell
When George W Bush won his second term in November 2004 Larry Kramer delivered the watershed speech The Tragedy of Today’s Gays, a speech that was “the most difficult I’ve ever had to give”. Director David Zak worked with Kramer adapting the speech for theatrical performance, continuing after Kramer’s death…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 23 July 2022 18:02
'Jesus Christ Superstar' at Cadillac Palace and Jenna Rubaii's Magnificent Mary
Written by Ken Payne
I doubt I’m alone when I say that Jesus Christ Superstar is one of the greatest musical productions of all time. It’s easy to love. It has all the elements that make a potent stage experience from marvelous music to compelling leads to an engaging storyline to explosive dance numbers.…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 17 July 2022 10:34
There’s No Place Like Marriott Theatre’s 'Wizard of Oz'
Written by CJ Burroughs
You’ve got to give Marriott Theatre credit for always swinging for the fences. Just this past year, I’ve seen them put on The Sound of Music and West Side Story, two shows that any audience will know as well as the cast. But that’s because these beloved shows are beloved…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 17 July 2022 10:27
American Blues swings for the 'Fences' and hits a home run
Written by Wesley David
I’ve often said despite the larger houses producing August Wilson plays, they tend to work better in intimate spaces. After all, Mr. Wilsons’ inspiration came from intimate settings. He would write in bars, cafes, restaurants, and other places where his characters would be right in his face. He would often…
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Theatre in Review
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Monday, 11 July 2022 16:31
Review: 'The Playboy of the Western World' at City Lit Theater
Written by John Accrocco
Sometimes a play or a piece of music has such an effect on audiences that they can’t control themselves. Just as the premiere of Stravinky’s ‘Rite of Spring’ caused a stampede among patrons, John Millington Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ incited a riot in its 1907 Dublin debut.…
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Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 05 July 2022 18:19
Sit up, pay attention: 'Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes'
Written by Wesley David
Let me begin by saying, this was one helluva 90 minutes in Chicago theatre. We enter the theatre to the sound of a combination of Jazz, trap music and hip-hop. There is a sign reading “This is not history”. On stage, the set, a French street with boarded up storefronts…
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Theatre in Review
You know what they say: The only cure for homosexuality is to issue him a Screen Actor’s Guild card. Tommy on Top takes this old saw a step further: Tommy Miller (Ryan Cason), closeted Hollywood hunk, has been nominated for an Oscar. Super-swish boyfriend George (Patrick Gosney) and vodka-swigging sister…
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Theatre in Review
There’s nothing new about Antigone. Sophocles wrote it in 440BC, and we all read it (under duress) in high school, my most vivid memory of which is Mrs. Thatcher printing ‘ANTIGONE’ on the chalkboard, and Patrick Tyrrell sneaking up to print ‘P’ at the beginning. Recent adaptations have used Antigone…
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Theatre in Review
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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…
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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…
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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…
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