Lyric Opera of Chicago has a real winner in its new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The tragic heroine, Violetta Valery, is sung by Latvian soprano Marina Rebeka in a singularly impressive debut here. She sparkles, she shines, and her bright coloratura is as fresh and flexible after three hours as it is when […]
A holiday classic comes to life in the Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences’ new performance of “The Nutcracker.” The beloved tale has been transformed into a family-friendly musical comedy that is both sweet and sincere while also being laugh-out-loud funny. It’s the perfect entrée for young theatergoers who will fall in love with the classic […]
As another Chicago autumn morphs into winter, there’s a summer wind blowing through Lincolnshire for the second straight year. Chicagoland-based Summer Naomi Smart doesn’t simply portray “Mary Poppins” in Marriott Theatre’s current production of the family-favorite musical; she mutates into her. No doubt, on her off days Smart’s friends have to tell her, “Enough with […]
1999 was a big year for the muse. So 14 years later, it’s high time to update the pop culture images of Sharon Stone and Salma Hayek as mythology’s daughters of Zeus. Enter Dani De Waal. (And for effect, Ms. De Waal, please make your entrance from the audience, under spotlight.) Truth is, Stone and […]
Who says you need to be an actor to hit the stage?
Lately, when we have friends over for dinner or cocktails, our entertainment choices occasionally make our adult kids wince. Think YouTube videos. Ironically, the kids see this primitive sharing as old school. They have a point—I know we sound ridiculous yelling over each other, “Oh! Have you seen the one with the howling dog quieting […]
The Chicago Children’s Theatre is kicking off their 8th season with a charming new production of “A Year with Frog & Toad.” The Tony-nominated musical is based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved books that feature two lovable friends and their year-round adventures. Directed by Henry Godinez (currently a residence artist at the Goodman Theatre) the play […]
1999 was a big year for the muse. So 14 years later, it’s high time to update the pop culture images of Sharon Stone and Salma Hayek asmythology’s daughters of Zeus. Enter Dani De Waal. (And for effect, Ms. De Waal, please make your entrance from the audience, under spotlight.) Truth is, Stone and Hayek […]
“Madama Butterfly” opened at the Lyric Opera of Chicago Tuesday, Oct. 15, and it is a production the likes of which I have never seen. And like most opera fans, I rarely miss a chance to see Giacomo Puccini’s magnificent telling of this tragic tale. The curtain rises on the stage of the Civic Opera […]
The Lyric Opera of Chicago production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Otello” boasts a superior cast, even when one of the three main characters, Iago, was replaced by his understudy. South African tenor Johan Botha has the title role, Puerto Rican-born Ana Maria Martinez portrays Desdemona, and because bass-baritone Falk Struckmann could only complete the first act […]
