There was no master plan. When the creators of the wildly successful musical Six came up with their concept to reintroduce the world to Henry the VIII’s many wives, their goal was simply to create a work that made women the centerpiece of the story and let them to flaunt their talent as if it …
Because so many variables can influence how it’s dispensed, lots of us question the true nature of justice. Where you live, how much money or education you have, what you look like and how you speak can all prove potent influences on verdicts. To see how the concept of justice looks around the world, Netherlands …
For years Eclipse Theater has steadfastly enriched and enlivened Chicago’s theater landscape each new artistic season by focusing on the plays of a single playwright. By providing audiences with a more complete understanding of a writer’s body of work, they can draw a deeper appreciation for his/her contributions to the culture and posterity. Last year’s …
Created from a Russian fairy tale and set to music by Tchaikovsky in the early 1890’s, the indispensable Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, wasn’t performed in the United States until 1944. Today, many consider it as much a part of the holiday season as a Christmas tree. Despite its unflagging popularity, the innocence and purity …
A & A Ballet’s Art Deco Nutcracker Finds Perfect Balance of Charm and Polish Read More »
Eclipse Theater ends its season of William Inge with perhaps the playwright’s barest and most personal work; a rework of his first professional play with autobiographical overtones. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs opens in tension and exists in struggle. It’s also a journey into the unknown that’s familiar to everyone; making it …
Rewards of Struggle Honored in Eclipse Inge Production Read More »
In a city of millions, holiday traditions can come in lots of flavors and formats. And for the past quarter century, the story of how Halloween Town’s Pumpkin King tried to steal Christmas from Santa has become a cherished staple all over the world, including our dense and complex city of wonder here in Chicago. …
Eye to eye theater, theater that allows audiences near absolute proximity to the performance is both seminal and thrilling. When it’s done as well as Upended Productions take on Louis Carroll’s childhood classic, Alice in Wonderland, it’s simply delightful. Upended’s Alice has been considerably sassed up and given so many creative spins that the …
As Artistic Director for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Glenn Edgerton often finds himself on the lookout for choreography that helps his company fill a particular niche. One that is different, diverse and unique. A longtime admirer of respected contemporary choreographer William Forsythe, Hubbard Street has extensively performed Forsythe’s pioneering vision of contemporary dance that integrates …
The human soul may have its own physiology. How else do you explain two people experiencing the same hardships and responding to them completely differently. One may succumb to the pressures of emotional or physical privation and either retreat from life or allow cynicism to lead them down a path of self-harm. The weight of …
David Cale’s Journey to the Light at the Goodman Read More »
Just on the western collar of Chicago, there’s a beautiful exercise in bravery being re-enacted just about every weekend this month. The one woman show, Big Giant Love, is part of a series the Madison Street Theatre in Oak Park is mounting this season showcasing the “power of one”. In these doubting quivery times, …