‘Hänsel un Gretel’ at Lyric Opera Gives Audiences A Lot To Chew On

Most people are familiar with the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’, with the sugary, enticing house and the evil witch who bakes children. But for the Christmas season, Chicago gets a special treat as Lyric Opera presents ‘Hänsel un Gretel’ as a coproduction with the Welsh National Opera.

The libretto was written at the very end of the nineteenth-century by Adelheid Wette, wife of opera composer Engelbert Humperdinck, as a Christmas present for her children. She asked him to write songs to go along with the story, and after many revisions, Humperdinck turned his work into a full opera, and it as first performed during the Christmas season in Weimar in 1893 conducted by Richard Strauss.

The Millionairess

A Hit from the Heart

‘The Rocky Horror Show’… A Theatrical One-Night Stand!

By Cat Wilson

If you are at all familiar with the original musical, or the 1975 film adaptation, you know that there is absolutely nothing like ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, music, book, and lyrics by Richard O’Brien. This is a show designed to have full audience participation where you are instructed to yell out certain responses to frequently repeated lines, hold a mustache up to your nose when the narrator speaks, or even throw items at the stage at certain times. If you are new, it definitely helps to go with a buddy who knows the drill, however you will also be provided with a guide, or you can always follow everyone around you.

Scent of Edna

By Kayland Smyth

LiveWire Chicago Theatre is starting off their 2012-2013 season with the Chicago premiere of THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE. This wildly funny story of love and dirty people was written by creator and writer of the new hit FOX sitcom New Girl and Heddatron Elizabeth Meriwether and directed by LiveWire member Krista D’Agostino.
THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE tells the story of Edna (Hilary Williams) a personal assistant who develops Ablutophobia, the fear of bathing. Struggling with her job and the unexpected loss of her brother, Buddy (Joel Ewing). She wages a furious and funny war against all things complacent, pampered and clean. As Edna’s smell starts to overwhelm her co-works, Beth (Krista Collins) and Wilson (Chris Zdenk), and many casual lovers, Drake, Blake and Jake (all played by Fred Geyer), the play raises the questions: is dirty living a political act? And is clean living even possible in these times of unrest.
There were a few things that I liked about this production. First, I liked the scenes that showed the interactions between Edna and Buddy. They showed that the two had a very tight and close bond, later giving a better understanding of the effect Buddy’s death had on Edna. And I found it interesting that the two siblings developed the same phobia due to similar causes. Second, I loved the character of Wilson, his crazy antics made for a great comedy release after intense scenes. I also loved the cast; I felt that they did a great job at bringing the characters to life. And lastly I like the use of the scrim (transparent stage curtain) where we could see Buddy working on his writing while sitting in Edna’s bathtub. It was something that quickly caught my eye and took me back to a theatre I took in college.
I would strongly recommend this play to the theatre goers who enjoy a good dramedy (drama and comedy).
THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE runs October 3, 2012 November 3, 2012 at Greenhouse Theatre Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago. Performances run Thursday through Saturday at 8:00p and Sundays at 3:00p. Tickets are $20 online at www.greenhousetheater.com.