Chicago Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 16

BWW Review: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT at Shattered Globe Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - September 19, 2018

In true Dostoyevsky fashion, Shattered Globe Theatre's CRIME AND PUNISHMENT examines human depravity and the desperation that can drive people to appalling extremes. And the view is as bleak as a Siberian winter: under the direction of Louis Contey, the ensemble cast fills the intimate space at Thea...

BWW Review: THE GOAT OR WHO IS SYLVIA? at Interrobang Theatre Project
by Patrick Rybarczyk - September 14, 2018

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BWW Review: COMMUNION: An Evening of Magic
by Rachel Weinberg - September 14, 2018

The best way to frame Brett Schneider's solo show COMMUNION: An Evening of Magic, now playing at The Den Theatre, is with the following scenario: Open the book you're currently reading to a random page. Pick a word, any word on the page, and lock it into your mind's eye. Got it? So does Schneider. A...

BWW Review: LEGALLY BLONDE at Paramount Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - September 09, 2018

Paramount Theatre's production of LEGALLY BLONDE-THE MUSICAL lands the familiar tale of sorority-girl-turned-lawyer Elle Woods firmly in 2018, and it works well. Based on the 2001 movie, the musical premiered on Broadway in 2007, and, unlike some stage adaptations of beloved chick flicks, still reso...

BWW Review: A SHAYNA MAIDEL at Timeline Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - September 01, 2018

TimeLine Theatre Company's season premiere production of A SHAYNA MAIDEL is a beautiful, haunting, and necessary theater experience. Barbara Lebow's play reunites sisters Rose (Bri Sudia) and Lusia (Emily Berman) in 1946 New York City.  Though the play was written in 1984 and takes place in the midd...

BWW Review: ANYTHING GOES at Music Theater Works
by Emily McClanathan - August 20, 2018

In a charming take on Cole Porter's 1930s musical, Music Theater Works' ANYTHING GOES delivers lively big-band music, crowd-pleasing dance numbers, and a hearty dose of nostalgia. Directed by Rudy Hogenmiller and choreographed by Clayton Cross, a strong ensemble cast brings to life an eclectic assor...

BWW Review: PAMPLONA at Goodman Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - July 23, 2018

It is no small feat to create a believable portrait of a great artist that pays equal homage to their creative genius and their ordinary hopes, struggles, and failures. Playwright Jim McGrath does exactly this for Ernest Hemingway in PAMPLONA. Under Robert Falls' direction, renowned actor Stacy Keac...

BWW Review: MURDER FOR TWO at Marriott Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - July 19, 2018

It's difficult to remember the last show that made me laugh as much as the Marriott Theatre's MURDER FOR TWO. It was probably THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, which is currently reigning as the longest-running play on Broadway and soon to embark on a national tour. Murder mystery farces are clearly in fash...

BWW Review: Broadway In Chicago Presents THE COLOR PURPLE
by Rachel Weinberg - July 19, 2018

The touring production of John Doyle's 2016 Tony Award-winning revival THE COLOR PURPLE has landed at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre, where it will make hearts both soar and ache with the blaze of emotion it delivers. Doyle, a director best known for his stripped-down productions of American musicals,...

BWW Review: HEARTBREAK HOTEL at Broadway In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - July 17, 2018

In the new Elvis musical HEARTBREAK HOTEL, hearts are unfortunately not the only thing that's breaking at the Broadway Playhouse. This show, from MILLION DOLLAR QUARTER co-creator Floyd Mutrux (who also directs), serves up slice-and-dice theater. Watching the musical gave me a feeling of theatrical ...

BWW Review: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at Drury Lane Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - July 17, 2018

As the curtain rises on Drury Lane Theatre's production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, we view a striking image: the interior of a derelict Mississippi mansion, complete with crumbling masonry, mossy growths on the ceiling, and a none-too-sturdy grand staircase. Amid these ruins, each member of the dysfu...

BWW Review: Chicago Shakespeare Theater's PETER PAN Provides High-Flying Fun
by Rachel Weinberg - July 09, 2018

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's summer family musical PETER PAN is chock full of dazzling moments that will delight children and adults alike. With music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe with a new book by Elliot Davis (based upon the book by Willis Hall), this production captures all the...

BWW Review: THE VIEW UPSTAIRS at Circle Theatre
by Patrick Rybarczyk - July 09, 2018

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BWW Review: SUPPORT GROUP FOR MEN at Goodman Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - July 04, 2018

Ellen Fairey's SUPPORT GROUP FOR MEN, now in a world premiere at Goodman Theatre, finds that sweet spot between hilarious and gently critical of modern society. As might be presumed from the title, Fairey's play concerns a gathering of four Chicago men who come together on Thursday nights in an apar...

BWW Review: THE ROOMMATE at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - July 02, 2018

Jen Silverman's THE ROOMMATE, now playing in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, offers audiences a veritable master class in acting via Sandra Marquez and Ora Jones. Under the direction of Phylicia Rashad, Marquez and Jones have a touching and natural onstage rapport. The material of Silverman's play...

BWW Review: AVENUE Q at Mercury Theater Has Big Laughs and A Bigger Heart
by Rachel Weinberg - July 01, 2018

Whether you have seen AVENUE Q before and can mouth the lyrics to all the songs or if you have never experienced it, Mercury Theater's production is worth a visit. AVENUE Q will provide uproarious and NSFW laughs for days, but it also will touch your heart and provide a much-needed dose of theatrica...

BWW Review: Broadway-Bound THE CHER SHOW In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - June 29, 2018

The pre-Broadway engagement of THE CHER SHOW has made its way to Chicago in a blaze of colorful, over-the-top energy and replete with the artist's chart-topping hits. Three utterly talented women share the title role: Broadway veteran Stephanie J. Block as Star, Teal Wicks as Lady, and newcomer Mica...

BWW Review: GUARDS AT THE TAJ at Steppenwolf
by Rachel Weinberg - June 12, 2018

Steppenwolf's production reunites cast members Metwally and Moayed along with director Amy Morton. Together, these three artists collaborated with Joseph for the play's world premiere production at Atlantic Theatre in New York City in 2015. Accordingly, the present production is a unique and deeply ...

BWW Review: FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 2 & 3) at Goodman Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - June 09, 2018

In FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 2 & 3), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks draws on Homeric tradition to spin an epic of the American Civil War. Intended as the first three parts of nine, an episodic structure ties loosely together the narrative of Hero (Kamal Angelo Bol...

BWW Review: HAVING OUR SAY at Goodman Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - May 20, 2018

Goodman Theatre's revival of HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS' FIRST 100 YEARS feels less like an evening in the theater than time whiled away in the company of two delightful women. Based on the 1993 New York Times bestselling memoir of the same title, this play shares the oral history of Sadie a...

BWW Review: OUTSIDE MULLINGAR at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
by Emily McClanathan - May 07, 2018

Playwright John Patrick Shanley's OUTSIDE MULLINGAR fits neatly into the tradition of his Irish-American heritage; through unpretentious characters and witty dialogue, he spins a tale that explores universal themes of loneliness, longing, home, and family. Steve Scott directs this production by the ...

BWW Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Lyric Opera Of Chicago
by Emily McClanathan - April 30, 2018

If you've ever wanted to rock out in a historic opera house, look no further than JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Lyric Opera of Chicago. In a bold departure from the American classics typically staged during the spring 'Broadway at Lyric' series, Lyric presents the North American premiere of Regent's Par...

BWW Review: MEMPHIS at Porchlight Music Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - April 30, 2018

Hockadoo! Porchlight Music Theatre's MEMPHIS bursts onto the stage with joy and earnest energy. Under the direction of Daryl Brooks, this musical sheds light on timely historical issues while milking the show's sweetest, most exuberant moments for all they're worth....

BWW Review: THE MADRES at Teatro Vista
by Rachel Weinberg - April 28, 2018

Stephanie Allison Walker's play highlights a moment in Argentina's history, her portrait of the silencing of voices, the torture of loved ones, and the women who rose up against injustice finds complete alignment with the present moment....

BWW Review: OKLAHOMA! at Marriott Theatre
by Emily McClanathan - April 22, 2018

The Marriott Theatre marks the 75th anniversary of OKLAHOMA! with a production that celebrates the best of Rodgers and Hammerstein - delightful dance numbers, impressive vocals and eminently hummable tunes - while offering a fresh take on a beloved classic....