The tribe at the center of “Tribes” is an argumentative English family, a bunch of Brits who are prone to shouting matches and cruel taunts. Except, that is, for Billy, one of three adult children in this combative clan. Billy has been deaf since birth, and the rest of the family often ignores him as […]
This time of year, it’s all about two things: lists and radar. Make those lists, check them twice, click here to see how Santa handles wind and snow and ice. It’s a familiar drill, and it’s made a whole lot more enjoyable with a seasonal trip to Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Director L. Walter Stearns and […]
You can get by with a lot when you blame the champagne. That’s the message of “Die Fledermaus,” Johann Strauss, Jr.’s romp through Vienna in 1870, which opened December 10 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Adele, a parlor maid, borrows a dress from her mistress’s closet to wear to a party given by Russian Prince […]
How’s this for impressive credentials: a 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, an Honorary OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and numerous Joseph Jefferson awards. But when Barbara Gaines first started the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) in 1986, she had no idea that she would be sitting firmly atop the theater world nearly […]
Fans of radio plays are in luck this season with American Blues Theater’s new production, “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” The radio play within a play tells the heartwarming story of George Bailey and his relationship with the folks from Bedford Falls. Making this show unique is the way in which the story […]
Opera is a terrific entertainment for all ages. Brilliant vocalism is the centerpiece, of course—opera is famous for its solo and ensemble singing—but it also incorporates thrilling choral and orchestral music, plus the visual stimulation of fabulous scenery and costumes, and the theatrical excitement of great acting, dancing, even sword-fighting. It’s all performed live, almost […]
Despite all the religious language in Richard Wagner’s final opera, “Parsifal” is about sex, or the renunciation thereof.
In the 1960s, brand loyalists boasted how far they’d walk to satisfy their greatest craving. This November, Aurora’s Paramount Theatre queries Chicagoland’s musical theater community: How far will fans drive to see a flawless performance of a perfect musical theater production? Paramount’s “Miss Saigon” is all that and a bag of chips. It should not […]
It must be December: The Chicago-area’s stages are crowded with sugarplum fairies, Scrooges and a Macy’s store elf named Crumpet. Christmas shows dominate the month, but some theaters are offering intriguing plays without any overt holiday theme. Just think of it as their gift to those of us who need an occasional break from the […]
Despite all the religious language in Richard Wagner’s final opera, “Parsifal” is about sex, or the renunciation thereof. Act One of the Lyric Opera‘s nearly five-hour production at the Civic Opera House opens in the Monastery of the Holy Grail with monks assigned to guard the chalice, which legend says is the cup Jesus used […]
