Chicago Theater Reviews Page 3

Review: THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT at TimeLine Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - November 16, 2023

These days, truth is elusive — and Timeline Theatre’s THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT plays with that idea. It’s the age of endless fact-checking resources on the internet, but also the age of misinformation spread across TikTok, Reddit, and other social media. Wherein lies the truth? And what is accurate? S...

Review: BEAUTIFUL THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - November 16, 2023

The current production at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is Beautiful, the Carole King Musical. This is more than a jukebox musical. It tells the amazing story of one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century and how her story evolved. It begins with Carole’s June 1971 concert at Carnegi...

Review: POTUS at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - November 13, 2023

This is a fun, female-driven farce. It’s a good reminder that a lot of American politics seems to involve competent women cleaning up after incompetent men — and the play hits on that message well. It’s a crazy, raunchy good time that I enjoyed, but I don’t think it delivers sharply on deeper themes...

Review: BEETLEJUICE IS THE GHOST WITH THE MOST at Auditorium Theatre
by Misha Davenport - November 10, 2023

What did our critic think of BEETLEJUICE IS THE GHOST WITH THE MOST at Auditorium Theatre?...

Review: ASSASSINS at Theo
by Rachel Weinberg - November 07, 2023

Although it debuted off-Broadway more than thirty years ago, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s ASSASSINS remains a thrilling, bone chilling, brilliant, and immensely taut musical. Drawing on the United States history of successful and would-be presidential assassins, ASSASSINS is an astounding exp...

Review: COMPANY National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - November 02, 2023

This COMPANY is a touching portrait of one woman’s attempts to connect with her friends amid a bustling New York City, simultaneously a connecting and isolating place....

Review: THE MAGIC PARLOUR Presented by Goodman Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - October 30, 2023

If you like good old-fashioned magic, sleight of hand, and mind-reading tricks, Dennis Watkins’s THE MAGIC PARLOUR is the ticket. Watkins has been performing his one-man show since 2011, and it’s newly arrived in the former Petterino’s reception space, which has been transformed into the titular mag...

Review: BRIGADOON at Music Theater Works At The North Shore For The Performing Arts
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - October 23, 2023

?This is the premise of Brigadoon, the current production by Music Theater Works at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Lerner and Loewe’s 1947 musical about the mythical Scottish village is given new life by director and board member Sasha Gerritson. ...

Review: BRIGADOON at Music Theater Works At The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - October 22, 2023

What did our critic think of BRIGADOON at Music Theater Works At The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts?...

Review: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at Mercury Theater Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - October 22, 2023

Mercury’s YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is a Halloween treat with many classic musical comedy tricks....

Review: A WONDERFUL WORLD Presented by Broadway In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - October 15, 2023

World premiere musical A WONDERFUL WORLD has a wonderful lead in James Monrie Iglehart as Louis Armstrong. Iglehart embodies the acclaimed vocalist and trumpeter completely; he nails Armstrong’s signature raspy voice and vocals and larger-than-life presence, but he’s also a master at embodying the r...

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Copley Theatre
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - October 13, 2023

What did our critic think of WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Copley Theatre?...

Review: REVOLUTION AT A RED ORCHID THEATRE At A Red Orchid Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - October 09, 2023

Although the title may be bold, Brett Neveu’s world premiere REVOLUTION is a true “slice of life” play....

Review: AMERICAN PSYCHO: The Musical at Kokandy Productions
by Rachel Weinberg - October 01, 2023

Kokandy Productions’ Chicago premiere of AMERICAN PSYCHO: The Musical is a delectable, campy romp. Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham’s production is a mainly bloodless vision for the bloody tale of serial killer finance bro Patrick Bateman — and it’s an approach that works incredibly well...

Review: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at TimeLine Theatre Company/Broadway In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - September 29, 2023

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is a sweeping play that covers 164 years of history as it weaves together fact and fiction to chart the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers. The play’s title mirrors the ambition of the piece: It has a run-time of over three hours that unfolds in three acts — all performed by only th...

Review: THE NACIREMA SOCIETY at Goodman Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - September 27, 2023

It seems fitting that Goodman Theatre opens new Artistic Director Susan V. Booth’s inaugural season with THE NACIREMA SOCIETY, a play that’s about coming out to society. This Chicago premiere marks a continuation of Booth’s long-standing relationship with celebrated Black playwright Pearl Cleage. ...

Review: BAKED! THE MUSICAL at Theo Ubique
by Misha Davenport - September 27, 2023

What did our critic think of REVIEW: BAKED! THE MUSICAL at Theo Ubique?...

Review: SANCTUARY CITY at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - September 25, 2023

What did our critic think of SANCTUARY CITY at Steppenwolf Theatre Company? In Martyna Majok’s SANCTUARY CITY, two teenagers in Newark, New Jersey — named only B and G (presumably standing for Boy and Girl) — must contemplate the complexity of their simultaneous youthfulness and the need to make gro...

Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - September 20, 2023

The Addams Family is the current production at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights and runs through October 8. The musical, written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, is the first time the familiar characters created by Charles Addams ap...

Review: HAMILTON at James M. Nederlander Theatre
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - September 18, 2023

What did our critic think of Hamilton, currently running at the James M. Nederlander Theatre until December 30? Experience the incredible performances and storytelling that have captivated audiences worldwide....

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Paramount Theatre Aurora, IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - September 09, 2023

What did our critic think of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Paramount Theatre?...

Review: GYPSY A MUSICAL FABLE at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - August 31, 2023

What did our critic think of GYPSY A MUSICAL FABLE at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL?...

Review: THE PRODUCERS at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts, Skokie, IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - August 13, 2023

What did our critic think of THE PRODUCERS at North Shore Center For The Performing Arts, Skokie, IL?...

Review: MJ THE MUSICAL First National Tour Presented By Broadway In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - August 10, 2023

Is MJ a fun and entertaining musical that treats audiences to many of Michael Jackson’s iconic hits? Yes. Does MJ also demonstrate why bio jukebox musicals are tricky? Yes. In the musical, MJ emphatically tells fictional MTV reporter Rachel that he wants to be remembered for his music. But can the a...

Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - August 04, 2023

What did our critic think of NEXT TO NORMAL at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL? The production runs through September 3. This is the story of any suburban family dealing with bi-polar disorder, the consequences, the treatments and the after effects. ...