Joyce Piven and her late husband, Byrne Piven, began telling stories 40 years ago at their eponymous theater. Creating a distinctive theatrical style, they started with a show based on some of Anton Chekhov’s stories. Evanston’s small but influential Piven Theatre is now celebrating its 40th anniversary with show aptly titled “Encores.” It isn’t a […]
It’s hard to watch “the nicest kids in town” without reflecting on the iconic “American Bandstand’s” place in the nation’s history. And the death of Dick Clark just days before Drury Lane’s opening of the musical, “Hairspray,” makes it darn near impossible. That’s mostly a good thing. With introspection evident in the opening night crowd, […]
With May comes celebration of the hardest job on the planet—motherhood. What better way to say thank you to the woman who facilitated one’s worldly existence than the gift of live theatre? These Chicagoland offerings deserve to be included among this May’s flowers. MARRIOTT LINCOLNSHIRE THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES “JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT” […]
“The March” is about war, but Frank Galati’s stage adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel doesn’t feel like a battle. Gunshots ring out a few times, and bodies spill blood on the Steppenwolf Theatre’s stage. But this Civil War drama is more about the the moments of fearful anxiety before the bullets fly, and the quiet […]
The press release is spot on. “The Marriott Theatre (in Lincolnshire) presents A TREASURE CHEST OF ALL-STARS in, ‘The Pirates of Penzance’” through June 10. Led by hometown-boy-back-from-Broadway-success Kevin Earley as the Pirate King and Broadway-credentialed Omar Lopez-Cepero as Frederic, a massive ensemble of regional and local stars energetically swashbuckles its way through the W.S. […]
If you had told me 22 years ago, back when I was managing Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, that in 2012 I would be writing a theatre review of Chef Rick Bayless starring in a Tony-winning theater production, I would have laughed. Sure, Rick is a fantastic chef. But can he act? Can he dance? Can […]
Lifeline Theatre’s new production, “Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed” is chock-full of family fun. The musical play, adapted from Mo Willem’s best-selling picture book uses quirky wit and humor to explore the importance of individuality and tolerance. Adapted for stage by Robert Zauzlaric, the story features Nathaniel Niemi as Wilbur, a naked mole rat who […]
No one merely watches, attends or patronizes musicals produced by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. Instead, audiences experience performance at the 50-ish-seat Rogers Park No Exit Café. The company’s 35th show since forming in 1997, the critically-acclaimed, Goodman Theatre-rooted, “The Light in the Piazza,” delivers this experiential component brightly. Key themes, coming-of-age and maternal protection, are […]
Visiting Ten Chimneys, the Wisconsin summer estate of American stage legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, is like taking a step back into a more sophisticated time. The Genesee Depot home bursts with mementos of their long dual careers, when they starred in the then-scandalous “Design for Living” – Noel Coward’s ménage a trois comedy […]
Undoubtedly, the year’s greatest assembly of stage talent and best legs converge at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre this St. Patrick’s Day week. “Riverdance,” the 18-year-old Irish dancing global phenomenon, says goodbye to Chicago with performances through March 18. The final U.S. tour of the original company closes June 17. To all observers, the talent of this […]
