Chicagotheaterbeat

LATEST ARTICLES ( 2140 )

• Review: Nevermore (Black Button Eyes Productions)

  

  Creepy and cool Chicago premiere Edgar Allan Poe was an iconic American poet and writer, whose "The Telltale Heart" and "The Raven" are instantly familiar eve... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2018 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: BLKS (Steppenwolf Theatre)

  

  As delightful as it is provocative Review by Lauren Whalen Playwright and poet Aziza Barneswrote BLKS as "a self-portrait of me and my best friends in our... Read more

  Posted on 22 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Potted Potter (Broadway in Chicago, 2017)

  

  So delightfully funny your cheeks will hurt from smiling giggling Review by Lauren Whalen "Potted" means condensed. "Potter," at least in this case, means... Read more

  Posted on 17 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Red Velvet (Chicago Shakespeare Theater)

  

  Stellar leading man propels this beautifully done sad-but-true story Review by Lauren Whalen Ira Aldridge was ready to take over the world, one stage at a... Read more

  Posted on 12 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Beautiful (Broadway in Chicago, 2017)

  

  Carole King, and her music, lives on Lights! Action! Music! With that beginning, Carole King (local actress Sarah Bockel) takes us on a musical ride through... Read more

  Posted on 11 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Nutcracker (Joffrey Ballet, 2017)

  

  Joffrey gifts Chicago a homegrown holiday classic not to be missed Review by Lauren Whalen Last year, the Joffrey Ballet gifted Chicago with the phenomenal... Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Altar Boyz (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre)

  

  Fun and entertaining boy band parody Review by Lauren Whalen Boy bands: love them or hate them, a group of young men singing, dancing and inspiring new... Read more

  Posted on 05 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer (Hell in a Handbag Productions, 2017)

  

  Fun holiday fare for Chicago misfits Review by Lauren Whalen Hell in a Handbag Productions has staged Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer for over two decades now... Read more

  Posted on 04 December 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Fade (Teatro Vista and Victory Gardens Theater)

  

  Inspired by playwright's own experiences, 'Fade' is thought-provoking and darkly funny Review by Lauren Whalen It's not enough to have actors of color... Read more

  Posted on 30 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Tick, Tick…BOOM! (The Cuckoo’s Theater Project)

  

  Charming but inconsistent Review by Lauren Whalen According to Anthony Rapp's memoir, Jonathan Larson once said, "I'm the future of musical theater." This... Read more

  Posted on 29 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Wedding Band (The Artistic Home)

  

  Heart wrenching story of love in the face of bigotry The theater is small, thus the action and the words, oh yes the words, are close. It holds true for... Read more

  Posted on 25 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Othello (Invictus Theatre Company)

  

  Solid ensemble work lifts shaky but ambitious Invictus inaugural production Review by Lauren Whalen Othello is a difficult play, and hands-down my favorite... Read more

  Posted on 24 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Breath, Boom (Eclipse Theatre)

  

  Intense and compelling Review by Lauren Whalen Eclipse Theatre Company closes out its all Kia Corthron season with its strongest production all year.... Read more

  Posted on 17 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Lizzie (Firebrand Theatre)

  

  Review by Lauren Whalen At opening night of Lizzie , producer Harmony Francewelcomed the audience to the inaugural production of Chicago's first feminist... Read more

  Posted on 16 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Akeelah and the Bee (Adventure Stage Chicago)

  With Akeelah and the Bee, Adventure Stage Chicago has adapted the 2006 screenplay, relocating the story to the South Side of Chicago, adding Spanish... Read more

  Posted on 08 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Lysistrata Jones (Refuge Theatre Project)

  

  Low-stakes, problematic adaptation Review by Lauren Whalen Aristophanes' comedy serves as entertaining and feminist social commentary. Frustrated and deeply... Read more

  Posted on 08 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: School of Rock (Broadway in Chicago)

  

  This 'School' is pure family-friendly fun Review by Lauren Whalen Written by Mike White and starring Jack Black, Richard Linklater's 2003 film "School of... Read more

  Posted on 07 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Yasmina’s Necklace (Goodman Theatre)

  

  Quiet, compelling and ultimately unforgettable Review by Lauren Whalen Playwright Rohina Malik, a Montessori teacher and Skokie resident, has flourished unde... Read more

  Posted on 04 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Bobby Pin Girls (Nothing Without A Company)

  

  Sweet, well-acted and laugh-out-loud hilarious Review by Lauren Whalen Too often I've seen plays about young women that are stunningly inaccurate. Most of th... Read more

  Posted on 03 November 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Fun Home (Victory Gardens Theater)

  

  Intimate, ferocious 'Home' is as joyous as it is heart-wrenching Review by Catey Sullivan Toward the end of Fun Home , there's a song called "Edges of the... Read more

  Posted on 25 October 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA