Chicagotheaterbeat
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Chicago Theater Beat
http://chicagotheaterbeat.com/
Largest theater site east of Broadway. With a team of ten writers, we review over 500 productions a year, plus numerous articles and videos.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 2140 )
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REVIEW: Big Gay Pudding (White Rainbows)
Reviewed by Paige Listerud I'm unfamiliar with White Rainbows' previous comedy reviews White Rainbows (2009) and In Gaga We Trust (2010), but their material fo... Read more
Posted on 07 January 2020 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Evil Dead the Musical (Black Button Eyes Productions)
A bloody fun time, from first note to last splash of blood Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Parody is a tricky beast and requires appealing to two audiences:... Read more
Posted on 05 February 2019 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: La Ruta (Steppenwolf Theatre)
Heartwrenching world premiere both devastating and glorious Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Missing White Woman Syndrome is real. The aforementioned is a... Read more
Posted on 29 December 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Into the Woods (Music Theater Works)
An all-star cast makes this a 'Woods' to remember Into the Woods , with its easily summarized and broadly appealing concept (well-known fairy tale characters... Read more
Posted on 28 December 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: The Winter Wolf (Otherworld Theatre)
Sweet and wistful world premiere Review by Lauren Emily Whalen At a certain age, one starts to realize that their loved ones won't be around forever. It's a... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox (Emerald City Theatre)
Elegant design and talented cast alleviate frenetic adaptation Review by Lauren Emily Whalen It's not every performance that begins with two children in a... Read more
Posted on 18 December 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A Die Hard Musical Parody (Yippee...
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should How does anyone write a Die Hard parody without the air vent? The 1988 action thriller is full of iconic moments... Read more
Posted on 12 December 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: The Nutcracker (Joffrey Ballet, 2018)
Familiar holiday classic bursting with Chicago-centric charm, beauty Review by Lauren Emily Whalen The Nutcracker : a phrase that means many things to many... Read more
Posted on 06 December 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Familiar (Steppenwolf Theatre)
A must-see testament to the complex beauty of family Review by Lauren Emily Whalen There's no other word to describe Familiar , but warm. The family comedy... Read more
Posted on 29 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Peter Pan (Bros Do Prose)
Review by Lauren Emily Whalen No question about it: Peter Pan has staying power. The J.M. Barrie classic has been adapted countless times, in every... Read more
Posted on 27 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: HeLa (Sideshow Theatre and Greenhouse Productions)
World-premiere 'HeLa' is well-intentioned but uneven Review by Lauren Emily Whalen In 1951, Henrietta Lacks became immortal. Her cells, which later became... Read more
Posted on 26 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Lookingglass Theatre)
Mary Zimmerman works her magic to create a new holiday classic Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Mary Zimmerman, it's good to have you back. The Steadfast Tin... Read more
Posted on 24 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: The Woman in Black (Royal George Theatre)
Spooky, escapist holiday fun Review by Lauren Emily Whalen In 1983, 's novel took the UK by storm. The gothic ghost story, in which a young lawyer dodges... Read more
Posted on 24 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Rightlynd (Victory Gardens Theater)
Ike Holter premiere is predictable but solid Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Ike Holter is on a white-hot streak. The Chicago playwright's just opened in New... Read more
Posted on 22 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Ghosts (Redtwist Theatre)
Classic tale gone anticlimactic Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts has been controversial from day one. The play was first staged in Chicag... Read more
Posted on 16 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Plainclothes (Broken Nose Theatre)
Darkly hilarious world premiere Review by Lauren Emily Whalen For three years, playwright Spenser Davis worked in loss prevention for a Mag Mile department... Read more
Posted on 15 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Master Class (TimeLine Theatre)
Uncompromising, brilliant and fiercely passionate Review by Johanna Dalton Master Class depicts the controversial career of opera star Maria Callas through... Read more
Posted on 13 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Love’s Labour’s Lost (Invictus Theatre)
Funny and sweet, but a bit over the top Review by Lauren Emily Whalen As a play, Love's Labour's Lost is simply delightful. In many ways it's a classic... Read more
Posted on 11 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: This Bitter Earth (About Face Theatre)
Compassionate and devastating Chicago premiere Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Mikael Burke is a director to watch. With the startlingly funny Hooded, or... Read more
Posted on 09 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA -
Review: Scientific Method (Rivendell Theatre)
Death by a thousand cuts Review by Lauren Emily Whalen Sexism is, most often, death by a thousand cuts. The egregious examples - e.g. every Me Too example... Read more
Posted on 03 November 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA