In the seven counties comprising northeastern Illinois, including Chicago’s Cook County, there were slightly more than a million and a half residents over the age of 50 between 2018 and 2022. That data comes from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and offers pertinent insight. It acts as a useful measure of the number of …
The Unflinching Wisdom of Mike Royko Returns in One Man Show at the Chopin Read More »
The best things in life really can come in small packages and [title of show], a little musical about making a musical fits that bill to a tee. Now playing at PrideArts in Lakeview, the show originated nearly twenty ago when two friends got together to do something they always dreamed of but never mustered …
In an interview conducted when he was 78, in poor health and reflecting on his life, playwright and gay rights activist Larry Kramer sounded resigned and dissatisfied. Speaking with the New York Times, his former nemesis, he confided that “seeing things that are wrong” inspires him. He then immediately went on to explain that “it’s …
The Normal Heart at Redtwist Can Still Be Read as a Call to Action Read More »
Something about Carousel’s storyline is like sand running through your fingers. As hard as you try, you really can’t get a firm grasp of it. The basic outline isn’t complicated. A girl meets a guy. They marry. But unlike a lot of musicals, things don’t end as expected. Richard Rodgers composed the music and Oscar …
Music Theater Works Carousel a Beautiful Conundrum Read More »
Like West Side Story and the upcoming cinema release of Wicked, we’re far more accustomed to the entertainment industry turning theatrical productions into movies rather than the other way around. It’s even more unusual to see an epic fantasy adventure transformed into a musical. That effort was attempted in 2006 when promoters mounted an ambitious …
Lucid Theater’s current production of WELLS AND WELLES about an imagined meeting between legendary film pioneer, Orson Welles, and literary titan H.G. Wells, proves obscure moments in history can make for thoroughly compelling theater. The fame and notoriety of both men have faded significantly from contemporary memory. Most people can recall Orson Welles seized global …
The Fine Art of Self-Promotion at the Core of Lucid Theater’s WELLS AND WELLES Read More »
Katori Hall’s The Hot Wing King may be one of the most unexpected stories you could hope to find on the American stage right now. At the very top, it’s about two concepts highly esteemed around the world since time immemorial: family and friendship. It also delves into how one of them, friendship, can morph …
Love and Ingenuity Take The Hot Wing King to the Top Read More »
Overdue for one of those sudden unexpected bursts of laughter? Interested in meeting singularly engaging and original people? Open to a little amusing titillation? Be grateful that there’s a brand-new theater company in town who’s delivering all of those delights and more in their very first public performance. Creating change and expanding visibility don’t come …
New Theater Company Opens with a Delectable World Premier Read More »
You’d be hard pressed to overstate the importance of legacy. Often it represents a lifetime devoted to a dream, a purpose or an ideal. And just as often, especially in minority communities, legacy symbolizes achievement. In Black Ensemble Theater’s (BE) The Salon, writer and director Michelle Reneé Bester pays tribute to a mainstay and important …
The Salon Champions Culture from the Vantage Point of the Beauty Parlor Read More »
What do you get when you mix a healthy dose of infectious comedy with a whole lot of magic? The only conceivable answer is David Williamson, a wonderful entertainer and sleight of hand artist who in 2017 was named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts. Since launching his career in the …
Magic Show Steeped in Humor Delighting Fans at Rhapsody Read More »