September’s always one of the busiest months for theatergoing, as many stage companies come back from summer break. This year’s fall season is front-loaded with highly anticipated shows by some of the Chicago area’s most celebrated directors. Sweet Bird of Youth September 15 – October 28 | Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago | […]
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 […]
A two-woman show with Chicago musical-theater favorites E. Faye Butler and Susie McMonagle should be a slam-dunk. And while this staging of the new show “Black Pearl Sings” at Skokie’s Northlight Theatre is worthwhile, its problem is that Black Pearl (Butler) doesn’t sing enough. And neither does her co-star. This is a play with several […]
It’s the middle of winter; a perfect time to sit back in a dark room and watch a good yarn. Head out to local theaters and warm up with some crackling good stories, and maybe even some songs. Northlight Theatre’s “Black Pearl Sings!” January 13-February 19 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie 847-673-6300 northlight.org Northlight favorite E. Faye […]
The sprawling cast of characters in “Season’s Greetings” includes a dashing young novelist, who says his writing is “painfully witty or wittily painful—I forget which.” That’s also an apt description of what British playwright Alan Ayckbourn was aiming for with “Season’s Greetings”—a mix of humor and pathos. The play has plenty of both, and a […]
End of life issues punch us in the face in Northlight Theatre’s world premiere production of “The Outgoing Tide,” by Bruce Graham.
A most agreeable stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” opened March 19 at Northlight Theatre. The production is commendable for its fidelity to the text and spirit of this esteemed author’s first novel, which, though I should not be so bold as to mention it, was rebuffed many times before its publication in […]
Heidi Kettenring is best known for her role as Elphaba’s spoiled sister in the Chicago production of “Wicked”—but now, she’s playing a very different sister. The Evanston resident plays Elinor Dashwood in Northlight’s current world premiere of Jane Austen’s beloved “Sense and Sensibility.” As Elinor, who brings the “sense” to romantic Marianne’s “sensibility,” Kettenring had […]
To eat, or not to eat; that is the question.
Subscription packages to local theaters and music venues are a great deal The best gifts are the ones that keep on giving. For Evanston residents and newlyweds Marc and Emily Zarefsky, it was season tickets to the Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire. Gifted to the couple by Marc’s parents, who themselves have been season ticket holders […]
