While many theater groups take a pause for summer vacation, others keep busy in June and July. Highlights include the launch of a new season by the North Shore company Light Opera Works and a new version of a familiar story about a whale. “The Fantasticks“ June 6–14 It’s famous as the longest-running play in […]
One of the most striking and unusual things about the Goodman Theatre’s new production of “The Little Foxes,” a classic 1939 play by Lillian Hellman, is the music. An orchestral score, written for this staging by Richard Woodbury, swells for a minute or two at the beginning and end of each act—highly dramatic crescendos that […]
You don’t have to be a rabid Jane Austen fan—though I confess I am one—to love the world premiere musical “Sense and Sensibility” at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, directed by CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. CST commissioned the work by Tony Award-nominated composer Paul Gordon, who also provided book and lyrics as well as music. Gordon […]
I think I can speak for Evanston in general when I say how nice it is to have Bangers & Lace take over the space once occupied by The Keg, which had a long and notorious history in our fair city. Gone are the days of sticky floors, underage drinking and the smell of old […]
The Joffrey Ballet paid homage to the grace of the human form in its program titled “New Works,” which opened April 22 at Cadillac Palace Theatre and runs through May 3. Mainly unadorned, the shapes and sinews of the dozen dancers move with such complexity and in such configurations as to leave us breathless. There […]
When Betsy Simson, long-time owner of Jerry’s/Corner Cooks in Winnetka, sought to sell the business in the fall of 2014, Chef Steve Leviton stepped in. Having spent the past few decades cooking in the kitchens of Kiki’s Bistro in Chicago and Highland Park’s Exmoor Country Club, as well as management stints for various catering outfits, […]
From the first notes of “The Carousel Waltz” it is clear that this Rodgers & Hammerstein musical drama will not end happily. Harmonies like shards of glass scrape and slice through the lovely melody as the Lyric Opera of Chicago‘s production of “Carousel” comes to life on stage at the Civic Opera House. A wordless […]
Dining out is always a treat—whether you’re grabbing burgers in the neighborhood or celebrating a special occasion at one of greater Chicago’s world-class restaurants. The only problem is: There are so many good great Chicago dining options! Let Make It Better be your guide. We’ve vetted the best restaurants in so many categories—from kid-friendly to […]
Putting together a new musical is a big deal. It isn’t easy finding the right combination of words, melodies, characters and spectacle that will win over audiences. But three new musicals are hitting local stages in May, and hopes are high that they’ll leave us humming as we walk out the doors. “Sense and Sensibility“ […]
It’s been 24 years since The Marriott Theatre staged “Anything Goes,” the biggest musical comedy of the 1930s, and the revived production is a feat of fabulous choreography, beloved Cole Porter songs, and eccentric, entertaining characters. “Anything Goes” represented common “escapist entertainment” of the time, or entertainment that allowed the public to escape from the harsh […]
