Summer in Chicago is short (July, August, occasionally September) but oh, so sweet. The Hampton Social aims to make the feeling last all year long – and largely succeeds. From the moment you step inside (and even before, walking beneath the twinkling strands of white linen globe lights on your way to the door), you […]
“The Marriage of Figaro” is all about sex, and Director Barbara Gaines doesn’t let us forget it. In a new production at Lyric Opera of Chicago, which opened Sept. 26 at the Civic Opera House, she gives everything from adolescent longings to le droit du seigneur a humorous touch. Gaines is founder and artistic director of Chicago […]
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a rocket, and you’ll swear you saw one during The Marriott Theatre‘s “October Sky,” recently extended through Oct. 18. Just like the helicopter that didn’t land in the theater’s 2008 production of “Les Miserables,” the magical stagecraft so often evident at the theater in the round on Milwaukee Avenue […]
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, opens at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre Sept. 29. The hilarious musical follows Monty Navarro, who sets out to eliminate the eight relatives who stand between him and the family fortune. And don’t forget about his fiancée and mistress. Make It […]
“Treasure Island” is one of those stories that has seeped into our culture. The way we picture pirates – those eye patches, peg legs, parrots and treasure maps – can be traced back to Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1888 novel. The book has been turned into dozens of plays, movies and cartoons, and now it’s getting […]
This month brings two musical productions about teens to our local stages – along with a bio of Richard Pryor, an octogenarian struggling with her memory and a revue of classic movie songs. “Hollywood’s Greatest Song Hits” Oct. 2 – 11 Singers from the North Shore group Light Opera Works give voice to the most […]
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The world has changed dramatically for people with disabilities since the landmark legislation was passed in 1990. Today, access continues to expand for people with all kinds of special needs. The newest group seeing doors open for them? People on the autism spectrum. […]
In 1988, Frank Galati’s adaptation of “The Grapes of Wrath” hit the Steppenwolf Theatre Company stage before going on to win two Tony Awards. Now, Steppenwolf once again turns to Galati and a John Steinbeck classic to open their 40th anniversary season. Make It Better spoke with Galati about “East of Eden,” being reunited with […]
One of this summer’s oddest suburban dramas has ended peacefully: After a few months at odds with the City of Glencoe’s liquor licensing process, Cibo Trattoria has finally been granted their license, and their full bar is now open. For a while there was uncertainty about whether they would remain open; it’s hard to compete […]
The fall season gets into full swing with some promising premieres. “East of Eden” Sept. 17 – Nov. 15 Back in 1988, “The Grapes of Wrath” became one of Steppenwolf’s most successful shows ever. Frank Galati, who wrote the script for that groundbreaking Tony Award winner, is now adapting another classic book by John Steinbeck, […]
