Chicagotheaterbeat

LATEST ARTICLES ( 2140 )

• Review: My Fair Lady (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

  

  A gorgeous gift to the ears Review by Catey Sullivan There's no denying that My Fair Lady is a sonic masterpiece. For a gloriously full-throated, lushly... Read more

  Posted on 03 May 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: 3C (A Red Orchid Theatre)

  

  A satire as funny as it is troubling Review by Catey Sullivan Anyone who had a functioning television set during the late 1970s will recognize the musical... Read more

  Posted on 02 May 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Aladdin (Broadway in Chicago)

  

  No expense spared for irresistible production Review by Catey Sullivan Not for nothing does the touring production of Aladdin have 30tons worth of lighting... Read more

  Posted on 30 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Queen (Victory Gardens Theater)

  

  World premiere makes bee ecology science both fascinating, provocative Review by Catey Sullivan Unlike most of us humans, bees leave the world a better... Read more

  Posted on 27 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Marry Me a Little (Porchlight Music Theatre)

  

  An epic journey of emotion and music Review by Catey Sullivan Ladies and gents, give it up for Bethany Thomasand Austin Cook. If there's a more ferociously... Read more

  Posted on 24 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Most Happy Fella (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre)

  

  Though beautifully sung and staged, this 'Fella' has not aged well Review by Catey Sullivan Look, I get it: When The Most Happy Fella debuted in 1956, the... Read more

  Posted on 19 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Linda Vista (Steppenwolf Theatre)

  

  Lots of laughs and super-smart dialogue in new Letts work Review by Catey Sullivan Here's the good news about Linda Vista . There's lots of laughs and... Read more

  Posted on 19 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Mystery of Love and Sex (Writers Theatre)

  

  Good direction can't overcome abundant millennial navel-gazing Review by Catey Sullivan Be forewarned: Despite the title, you won't leave The Mystery of... Read more

  Posted on 19 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: King of the Yees (Goodman Theatre)

  

  Yee quest scratches the surface rather than digging deep Review by Catey Sullivan In making her persona the star of her drama , playwright Lauren Yee has... Read more

  Posted on 18 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Odysseo by Cavalia

  

  Breathtaking and hypnotic from start to finish Review by Catey Sullivan The most expensive live theater show in Chicago right now? That would be Cavalia's... Read more

  Posted on 18 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Born Yesterday (Remy Bumppo Theatre)

  

  Talented cast tell tale of knowledge overcoming ignorance Review by Catey Sullivan After a rather uneventful first act, Born Yesterday picks up the steam... Read more

  Posted on 15 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Wiz (Kokandy Productions)

  

  Ease on down the road to this entertaining production Review by Catey Sullivan The timing is weird: The Wiz hasn't been seen in Chicago for years, but the... Read more

  Posted on 14 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Beyond Caring (Lookingglass Theatre)

  

  An absolutely riveting must-see piece of theater Review by Catey Sullivan It's been over a century since Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle," the seminal,... Read more

  Posted on 08 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: In to America (Griffin Theatre)

  

  Stunning and vibrant world premiere Hours after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, I sat in a writing workshop wondering exactly what I was doing there on... Read more

  Posted on 03 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Destiny of Desire (Goodman Theatre)

  

  A highly entertaining hybrid world of telenovela and reality Review by Catey Sullivan With Destiny of Desire , playwright Karen Zacariasmight have invented... Read more

  Posted on 02 April 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Hard Problem (Court Theatre)

  

  Sleek and smart, Stoppard creates a banquet of food for thought Review by Catey Sullivan About halfway through Tom Stoppard's 2006 drama , there's a scene... Read more

  Posted on 30 March 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Truth and Reconciliation (Sideshow Theatre)

  

  Incredibly ambitious, intense and timely In my review of Phantom Pain, I observed how many more Chicago theater companies are ready and willing to tackle toug... Read more

  Posted on 27 March 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Auditorium Theatre, 2017)

  

  Flawless and otherworldly Review by Lauren Whalen It's difficult to review Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater without stopping over-the-top adjectives and... Read more

  Posted on 24 March 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: Circus 1903 (Broadway in Chicago)

  

  Despite verbose ringmaster, kids will be dazzled Review by Catey Sullivan In the world of Circus 1903 , Teddy Roosevelt is president, the Wright Brothers hav... Read more

  Posted on 22 March 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA

• Review: The Source (Route 66 Theatre)

  

  Timely and suspenseful world premiere We live in an increasingly paranoid society. As I write this, Donald Trump has accused former President Barack Obama of... Read more

  Posted on 22 March 2017 CULTURE, THEATRE & OPERA