Chicago Theatre Review
Band On the Run
Last Hermanos – A Red Orchid Theatre
Miguel and Julio are two estranged brothers who’ve been reunited while on the run, trying to reach the Mexican border. This is America, set in the distant future, and there’s an ongoing war raging on between Caucasians and the Latinx population. Danger and terror are everywhere and it especially lurks in the darkness and between the shadows. Trust is a fragile commodity, even between family members, and most definitely between members of the two cultures.
Read MoreNo Fairy Tale Romance
All’s Well That Ends Well – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Helen, for some inexplicable reason, is in love with Bertram. For over two hours he calls her names, spurns her affection and even goes so far as to tell Helen she’s inferior and far below him. Then Bertram runs off to France where he’ll be under the tutelage of the French King and become an officer in their army. Helen’s determined to have her fairy tale happily-ever-after ending, so she confesses her love to Bertram’s mother, the Countess of Rossillion, and begs her to give Helen her blessing and send her off to France, as well.
Read MoreThe Word of Your Body
Spring Awakening – Porchlight Music Theatre
In late 19th century Germany adults ruled their children with an iron hand while turning their backs on how teenagers coped with the puzzlement of puberty. Victorian society repressed their sexuality and, in particular, ignored the physical and emotional changes taking place within their kids. But questions about where babies come from, the strange changes occurring in their bodies and the unfamiliar feelings and desires surging through their minds continue to preoccupy the adolescents, even today. The characters in this musical simply explode, bursting with angst and yearning. Their songs are plaintive and mournful, or filled with fury and frustration, and danced with turbulent energy to a contemporary, folk-rock score that contrasts significantly with the the composed and cool turn-of-the-century book scenes.
Read MoreAn Episodic and Doomed Voyage
Middle Passage – Lifeline Theatre
Returning to the Lifeline Theatre for its 39th season, after the pandemic shut down the world, is like coming home again to old friends. This is a special place where adaptations of great literature for both young and old comes alive. For Lifeline’s reopening we resume our 2020 voyage on their much-acclaimed production about a dark chapter in American history. Winning the 1990 National Book Award for Fiction, Dr. Charles R. Johnson’s novel is a sprawling, two-and-a-half hour dramatic saga about a young man, a freed African-American, who comes to understand firsthand the horrors of the slave trade. Co-adapted for Lifeline Theatre by Ilesa Duncan and David Barr III, this maritime adventure is a tale of self-discovery and growth, detailing a young African-American’s journey toward maturity.
Read MoreA Finely Stitched Production
Intimate Apparel – Northlight Theatre
It’s 1905 in Lower Manhattan, and a shy African-American woman named Esther is busy working at her sewing machine. In the background we hear the muted strains of ragtime coming from downstairs, where a party is in progress. But Esther doesn’t have time for parties or an interest in dancing the cakewalk. She’s a plain, hardworking, lonely, middle-age woman, who’s been living the past 18 years in Mrs. Dickson’s boarding house for women. Barely making ends meet, Esther designs and creates exquisite, finely stitched undergarments for ladies of all races and social standings. The corsets and camisoles are made from the delicate silks and satins that Esther purchases from kindly Mr. Marks, an Hasidic fabric merchant, with whom she has a close business relation and friendship.
Read MoreMarriage, Meal, Mirth and Murder
My Big Fat Italian Wedding Murder
Have you ever attended a wedding and the reception that followed and desperately wished for something a little more—shall we say, exciting—to happen? Well, wish no more. In this immersive, audience-participatory, broadly comic production, the audience members are the wedding guests, cast as friends and relatives of the newlyweds. It’s a humdinger of an event that offers a marriage, a meal, mirth and a murder—all in one festive, fun-filled evening.
Read MoreA New Seasonal Kitchen & Steakhouse
Amy Morton’s Stolp Island Social
Tucked next to The Paramount Theater, this wonderful, spacious new addition to the Aurora culinary scene offers something for everyone. There are full-bodied adult beverages, delicious lunch and dinner options and scrumptious, diet-busting desserts. The restaurant is open Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4:30; Fridays and Saturdays at 5:00; Sundays at 11:00. On the days when there’s a matinee at the Paramount, the restaurant be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11:30.
Read MoreNothin’ But a Good Time
Rock of Ages – Paramount Theatre
It’s official! “Here I Go Again,” and you can quote me, but this spirited, hilarious, high-powered jukebox musical, the finale to Paramount’s 10th season of Broadway shows, is “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” The incomparable Amber Mak has exuberantly directed and jubilantly co-choreographed this energetic and enjoyable production (assisted by Sara Reinecke, Annie Jo Fischer and Charlie Ward). It’s a musical that cleverly masquerades as a nostalgic, over-the-top heavy metal rock concert. The production is basically another boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back-again story. But, set on LA’s Sunset Strip during the mid-80’s, the best part of the show is that it strings together no less than 28 favorite musical classics from that era.
Read MoreTruth, Beauty, Freedom and Love
Moulin Rouge! The Musical – Broadway in Chicago
Once upon a time there was an American in Paris, searching for truth, beauty, freedom and love. He was a young, aspiring composer named Christian, and he was trying to find himself. It was a special time, during the Belle Epoch era, at the turn of the century. He looked up and suddenly, gleaming in the night of the Montmartre Quarter, like a Red Mill, there appeared the Moulin Rouge. In this cabaret, filled with talented, but boldly brassy performers, Harold Zidler, the club’s flamboyant emcee, promises the audience a place “where all your dreams come true.” Then, there she was, arriving on a swing high above the stage: the Sparkling Diamond of the Moulin Rouge, the beautiful and talented Satine.
Read MoreInfused With Spectacle and Wonder
The Sound of Music – Marriott Theatre
On the heels of the Marriott’s highly recommended production of “West Side Story,” eight-time Jeff Award-winner, Nick Bowling returns to guide and lend his creative touch to a new production of what has become Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most popular musical. This beloved family story is magnificently realized and brilliantly performed in a way that makes Marriott’s imaginative production feel fresh and new. It fills the arena stage with glorious music and honest, three-dimensional performances, as well as some spectacular sights and sounds. This fictionalized biographical story will no doubt be familiar to audiences due to the popularity of the beloved 1965 film. But the splendor found in the movie’s sweeping Austrian vistas and Julie Andrews’ dazzling portrayal of Maria von Trapp are fully matched here in this live, heartfelt production.
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