I’ve heard “Amazing Grace” countless times, and not once have I thought, “This is definitely heading to Broadway.” However, the story behind the song feels like it belongs on stage in Chicago and, eventually, New York. One major reason for the success of Broadway in Chicago’s “Amazing Grace” is Josh Young, who received a 2014 […]
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 […]
“Book of Mormon” = Book of Awesome. And … that’s what I posted on Facebook after seeing the Chicago production of the Tony Award-winning musical, in town through June 2. Taking the show in with a friend, she asked afterward exactly how I was going to write about it, and this is what I said: […]
The biggest question for Broadway in Chicago following its triumphant opening of the five-time Tony-awarded play, “War Horse,” is: why only three weeks? The moniker “theatrical magic,” bestowed by the New York Times on 2011 Tony’s Best Play is perfect. If this production at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre doesn’t satisfy critics who clamor for “fresh” […]
My face still hurts from laughing so much. “Potted Potter” is the perfect choice for an afternoon or evening of family fun at the theater this season—and in the perfect location. On stage at the Broadway Playhouse, you can shop ‘til you drop along the Mag Mile and Water Tower Place, then hit the theater […]
This show is going to win a Tony or two … or three or four. “Kinky Boots,” currently in its pre-Broadway run downtown at the Bank of America Theatre, is a tour de force de fun. Its stars are Stark Sands as Charlie Price, the son of a shoemaker, and Billy Porter as Lola, the […]
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 […]
If you’re looking for a theatrical night of introspection and quiet anguish, “Bring It On” is probably not going to deepen your existential wonderings. But if you’re looking for an energetic, funny and witty musical—and yes, there are cheerleaders—you’ll love “Bring It On.” Loosely based on the 2000 movie, this Broadway-bound musical uses high school […]
“South Pacific” is a real treat—especially in this national tour rendition, based on the 2008 Tony Award-winning production at Lincoln Center. Strong cast members with wonderful voices tell the romantic story of two couples on a tropical island during World War II and the challenges that wartime brings them. Baritone Marcelo Guzzo, who has performed […]
My love of Green Day peaked in middle school, and I probably would have loved “American Idiot” in my angsty, grungy tween and teen years. It’s really more of a rock concert than a musical. But, I’m not in middle school anymore, so I longed for the usual anchors of a theatrical show—a plot, character […]
