Chicagotheaterbeat

LATEST ARTICLES ( 2140 )

• Review: Annie Get Your Gun (Light Opera Works)

  

  Cleverly mounted, fast-paced, and plucky as its success story, Light Opera Works’ Annie Get Your Gun is a happy contest between spectacle and sentiment. Read more

  Posted on 22 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Shipwreck! An Entertainment (Redtwist Theatre)

  

  This is a fine production with nuance and excellent pacing. There are acrobatics as well as slapstick in this entertainment. There is also a deep moral to the... Read more

  Posted on 22 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Christmas Sanity Break: 5 Year-old Claire Signs Her Christmas Concert for Her...

  

  The only thing cuter than kindergartners singing in a holiday concert is this video of five-year-old Claire Koch going into full ASL-mode so that her... Read more

  Posted on 20 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Winter Pageant (Redmoon Theatre, 2013)

  

  Even with the delightful and not inconsiderable talents of the many youth-oriented amateur dance troupes and The San Andreas Fault providing live music, the... Read more

  Posted on 18 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Little Prince (Lookingglass Theatre and The Actors Gymnasium)

  

  With an adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic tale, Lookingglass joins the melange of Chicago holiday theater fare. The only problem? Read more

  Posted on 17 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Chicago Shakespeare)

  

  With snow falling on the Courtyard Theater stage and a cast that includes many of Chicago Shakes’ best-loved and most talented regulars, The Merry Wives of... Read more

  Posted on 17 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Tribes (Steppenwolf Theatre)

  

  While Raine’s themes are intriguing and the acting outstanding, I’m not certain how fair a review I’ll be able to provide of this script, thanks to the... Read more

  Posted on 16 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of of the Christmas Goose (Raven Theatre)

  

  Adding to the show's musical cheer are carols and favorites that punctuate the action, performed by the jazzy 11-member ensemble and sometimes sung by the... Read more

  Posted on 15 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Die Fledermaus (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

  

  Fresh from the San Francisco Opera, Johann Strauss Jr.’s ever-green masterpiece is the most inebriating operetta ever written. Read more

  Posted on 14 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: We Three Lizas (About Face Theatre, 2013)

  

  With Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, this is frequently a delightful spectacle for the eye and ear, and the devoted cast knows how to pitch their kitsch betwee... Read more

  Posted on 14 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: It’s a Wonderful Life-The Radio Play (American Theater Company, 2013)

  

  Even if you know the plot inside-and-out, this production is still a delightful holiday treat for the season. - even moreso rof anyone who (for whatever... Read more

  Posted on 13 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Nutcracker (Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, 2013)

  

  More than any other ballet, The Nutcracker is uniquely personal to each audience member. The Joffrey Ballet’s always-stellar production is an ideal place to... Read more

  Posted on 12 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: A Christmas Carol: a Black and White Silent Play (Silent Theatre)

  

  Silent Theatre's version of A Christmas Carol jaunts along at an 80-minute clip that holds the attention of a modern audience throughout. Read more

  Posted on 11 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Great Expectations (Strawdog Theatre)

  

  The actors in this epic Dickens classic give the roles a fine, classically toned reading worthy of Masterpiece Theater, and are to be commended for their work. Read more

  Posted on 09 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Elemeno Pea (Redtwist Theatre)

  

  Out of all dramatic forms, satire demands the most thought and effort. Elemeno Pea is either too preoccupied with trying to squeeze in different tones or too... Read more

  Posted on 09 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Seafarer (Seanachai Theatre)

  

  Amongst the drinking and merry-making on this Dublin Christmas Eve, Playwright Conor McPherson yanks the rug out. He drops an otherworldly twist into this... Read more

  Posted on 09 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Christmas Schooner (Mercury Theater, 2013)

  

  An invaluable contributor to Chicago's Yuletide joy, The Christmas Schooner has, within a generation, become a holiday addiction for the Windy City. Read more

  Posted on 05 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Detective Partner Hero Villain (Strawdog Theatre)

  

  Billed as a “psychological superhero-noir,” we certainly are waxed philosophical for its 70-minute duration. This is no fast-paced action piece. Read more

  Posted on 05 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Elf the Musical (Broadway in Chicago)

  

  Between the imaginative visual designs and the talented, hard-working cast of 20, is by no means a cheap-looking show, fully embodying the feel of a... Read more

  Posted on 01 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: It’s a Wonderful Life, Live in Chicago! (American Blues Theater, 2013)

  

  American Blues Theater continues its anachronistic ode to one of the great American tales. With their rich cast of voice actors and a live Foley sound set, we'r... Read more

  Posted on 01 December 2013 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA