Judging from the crowd attending Shrek: The Musical at Skokie’s North Center for the Performing Arts, a certain green ogre has garnered an appeal well beyond those filling America’s grade schools. Based on Music Theater Works’ current treatment of the musical, it’s understandable why its attraction has grown so widely. Whether as an animated movie …
For purists, there’s only one version of a classic that’s worthy of widespread regard and admiration. Tchaikovsky’s 1892 lighter, more whimsical adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s short story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King may well fall in that category. In 1960, two musical titans and collaborators looked at Tchaikovsky’s masterful score, saw it in a …
Long noted for the excellence of its live dramatic work, Congo Square Theatre Company branched out and began offering digital content in 2020. Partly a response to the impact remote learning had on parents during Covid, the company brainstormed outlets for expressing rampant parental frustration during the epidemic. At the time, director Anthony Irons; the …
Web-series Delivers Humor From a Different Slant and Through a Different Voice Read More »
You don’t ordinarily think of this time of year as a period of discovery, but a concert of dance and music at Harold Washington Cultural Center recently changed that notion. Using the holidays to bring a wide assortment of tap artists together for a celebration of the season, Winter Wonderland delivered plenty of dance fire …
Worry, concern, indeed dread about the future may be at an all time high. From the flagging integrity of our institutions to the failing viability of the environment, the issues facing man and womankind threaten profound consequences. Chief among them center on the feasibility of our species continued existence. Caveman Play, a work presented by …
Bringing the joys of superlative music to appreciative audiences for over 100 years, Chicago’s Symphony Center has long been a place to enjoy wonder. During a recent visit to the landmark venue, that awe was delivered through the voices of the young. Uniting Voices Chicago (UVC), formerly the Chicago Children’s Choir, boasts a long history …
Sometimes the Best Part of the Season Arrives in Song Read More »
Few things are quite as gratifying as an unexpected thrill. Sitting down to this year’s production of Black Ensemble (BE) Theater’s The Other Cinderella certainly held the promise of quality entertainment. The theater company has been consistently delivering stellar musical productions for nearly fifty years. Using the power of music to recall milestones of Black …
An Ageless Beauty, The Other Cinderella Continues to Shine Read More »
In today’s charged socio-political climate, who we consider an immigrant often depends on perspective. Outlooks that are often weighted in judgment. But an immigrant is simply someone who’s living in a country other than the one they were born. That makes the 102 people who arrived on the Mayflower immigrants to a land that would …
A Rare and Remarkable Window into the Immigrant Experience Read More »