Few musicals can claim as convoluted a backstory as Guys and Dolls. It’s songs were created before its story. Its plot grew out of a chance suggestion. And the person who ended up scripting its storyline had never written for Broadway before. Despite that, the acclaim the musical received in 1950 when it debuted on …
For the 55 years Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (AAADT) has been returning to the Auditorium to share its unique contributions to the arts community, audiences have consistently been captivated by its unerring commitment to dance excellence. Spanning that half century plus, AAADT has showcased the timeless resonance of works created by its founder, Alvin …
Wonder, surprise, incredulity, excitement, joy. Maybe a rush of adrenaline. They’re all the things you’d hope to find in a magician worth his or her salt. And in Look Closer with Joshua Jay at Rhapsody Theater, they’re not only all present, each shine like newly minted gold. But in this magic show, you’re also enthralled …
Look Closer at Rhapsody Gives New Luster to Magic’s Glow Read More »
Some things, no matter how wonderful, seem to only get better over time. Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC), with 61 years of formidable dance legacy under its belt, is still finding ways to make its art form more imaginative, more beautiful and increasingly relevant to our times. Unlimited, the company’s biannual concert performed at the Harris …
Giordano Dance Chicago Raises the Bar in Unlimited Read More »
Unless you’re English, just the term “choir of man” may sound a little perplexing. More than likely, your mind will race to spiritual or religious connotations rather than beer. But in the land of monarchs and cricket, there’s a tradition of men coming together to sing in choirs at their local pubs. That history became …
What does it mean to be extraordinary? After meeting Bill Wilson, a New York stockbroker in the late 1920s, neither he nor the life he leads rings as remarkable. That’s also true for Dr. Bob Smith, a career surgeon in Akron, Ohio during the same period. They’re both men pushing through life with a particularly …
Bill W. and Dr. Bob Chronicles the Birth of a Pivotal Movement Read More »
In 2006, right after seeing John Kolvenbach’s Love Song in London, Marti Lyons immediately bought the script in the theater’s lobby. Monday, after experiencing Remy Bumppo’s production of Mr. Kolvenbach’s beautifully expansive take on love at Theater Wit, we can understand why. This time around though, as Love Song’s Artistic Director, Lyons used the opportunity …
Remy Bumppo’s Love Song Takes a Fresh Look at What Makes the World Go ‘Round Read More »
Cirque du Soleil’s recent visit to the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates proves the entertainment colossus hasn’t the slightest interest in resting on its many well-deserved laurels. Quite to the contrary, Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL seems to be forging new paths in the organization’s pursuit of delivering sumptuous world class spectacle grounded in compelling theater …
CRYSTAL Moves Cirque du Soleil’s Excellence to the Ice Read More »
We’re probably not the only country where aging is seen as an ominous specter, something to be dreaded and even feared because of its proximity to consummate demise. Such perceptions may not be naïve, but they certainly are narrow and overlook our capacity to experience life’s fullness and wonder throughout all of its stages. Playwright …
WIPEOUT Proves the Compatibility of Fierceness and Aging Read More »
The act of living means that the present takes up most of our mental space. Pursuing careers, raising families and keeping up with the day to day doesn’t leave a lot of opportunity to look back and give adequate measure to what was. Black Ensemble Theater’s (BE) 2024 season opener, The Time Machine: A Tribute …