Author: Colin Douglas
Baring It All for Bucks
The Full Monty–by Theo Unique
Baring It All for Bucks
The sad state of how unemployment impacts the life of the average Joe provides the conflict in many recent stories. Whether set in Sheffield, England, where the original film takes place, or Buffalo, NY, the setting for this musical version, joblessness not only results in poverty, but causes depression and issues of self-respect.
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A Terrifying Ghost Story
The Woman in Black–at the Royal George Theatre
A Terrifying Ghost Story
Onto a nearly empty stage walks Arthur Kipps, an elderly English gentleman, holding a bound script in his shaking hands.
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Reindeer Games and Jazz Hands
SnowGirls—The Musical–by Hell in a Handbag
Reindeer Games and Jazz Hands
Derek Van Barham’s high-stepping holiday parody of the erotic cult film, “Showgirls,” with spritely music by David Cerda, follows the career of a pretty, if somewhat naive and overly ambitious reindeer named Snowmi Malone (nicely played by HiaH newcomer, Harper Leander).
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No Elf on a Shelf
The Santaland Diaries–at the Goodman Theatre
No Elf on the Shelf
Not everyone looks upon the holiday season with the same unbridled joy and delight as movies, musicals and television specials would have you believe is in everyone’s hearts. Even that crabby old Victorian curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge, eventually found Christmas to be a season of joy and renewal. But ask someone who’s worked in the public sector during the holidays, especially in retail or hospitality, and suffered the indignities and downright rudeness of people at their worst, and you will understand how some folks look at Christmas in an entirely different light.
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Murder at Haversham Manor
The Play That Goes Wrong–at the Oriental Palace Theatre
Murder at Haversham Manor
Two warnings accompany this review. The first is to bring along an oxygen tank when you attend this show, because you’re going to laugh until you hyperventilate. This is, without any doubt, the funniest comedy, with more laughs per minute, than any other play, since “Noises Off.”
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Getting the Best of the Bogeyman
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins–at Strawdog Theatre
Getting the Best of the Bogeymen
Presented like a holiday vaudeville show aimed at younger audiences, this lively, laughter-provoking entertainment is actually a play-within-a-play.
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Learning to Be True to Yourself
Book of Merman–by Flying Elephant Productions
Learning to Be True to Yourself
With the phenomenal success of Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez’s cleverly written, irreverent and infectious musical comedy, “The Book of Mormon,” it was inevitable that someone would eventually write a parody of this mega popular Broadway show.
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The Grandaddy of Holiday Stories
A Christmas Carol–at the Goodman Theatre
The Grandaddy of Holiday Stories
And, as it has been for the past 40 years, this show is everything. It’s what Christmas is all about, and we are so lucky to have it back in Chicago for another holiday season.
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Twice as Nice
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat–by Citadel Theatre
Twice As Nice
If you think you already know this show from seeing the countless productions of it that have already played in the Chicago area, a terrific holiday offering from Citadel may just possibly surprise you.
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Go, Go, Go, Go!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat–at BrightSide Theatre
Go, Go, Go, Go!
If you think you already know this much-produced family musical, the current production at BrightSide Theatre may just surprise you.
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