143 stories by "Bob [cta]"
Black Watch is the kind of show that shakes you to the core. Not only are the grim realities of war and sacrifice played out with brutal honesty, but Gareth Fry’s sound design authenti…
For no particular reason, other than to waste some time before I head off to Black Watch, here are some top-of-mind things that I think make theatre in this city is a thing of awesomeness: 1…
Ah, Patti LuPone — always one with a colorful quote. To add to this list, here’s what the Broadway diva had to say in a recent Q&A about Streisand starring in an on-again/off…
Mary Hollis Inboden reveals some personal truths from a painful past in “The Warriors.” “I Googled you,” says Jeff (Wes Needham) to Mary Hollis (Mary Hollis Inboden, …
The Blue Men encounter the latest tech craze. Fourteen years. That’s how long it’s been since I last saw the Chicago production of Blue Man Group — that enduring piece of m…
Dixie Longate: Tupperware lady. Who’d have thought that plastic kitchenware would provide such ample inspiration for the stage? Two seasons ago, I saw a sassy little show called Tupper…
Musical theatre is a risky undertaking. So many parts must seamlessly meld together in order to make a show sing, and one small crack can derail the entire operation. This is particularly th…
I simply wanted to see Miss Saigon herself, Lea Salonga, perform at The Venue. Instead, I left with a headache and heartburn. After last night’s nightmare of an experience, I’m f…
Get ready for some random: A storefront Light in the Piazza Theo Ubique announced that it will produce one of my absolute favorite shows in their 60-seat cafe setting. I’m confident th…
The claws come out in Goodman Theatre’s production of Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage.” The last Yasmina Reza play I saw I absolutely hated. So, when all my New York f…
But maybe being a robot isn’t such a bad thing if you’re in the cast of Sideshow Theatre Company’s Heddatron. They recently assisted a clever man by the name of Erik Schroe…
Since I just got done seeing Hair, which follows a tribe of hippies in Manhattan’s East Village, why not take a look at how things were transpiring on the other side of the Atlantic du…
Stumbled on this thanks to Steve Rettger, and it’s simply too awesome not to share. The dance-off gets brewing 2 minutes in with requisite tension build-up, and Ms. McKechnie kicks thi…
The dawning of an age: the national tour of “Hair” brings harmony and understanding to Chicago. A tribe of long-haired miscreants (read: hippies) has taken camp at the Oriental T…
As I recently Twittered, Brikenbrak Theatre Project has announced their second season, and it’s a doozy. The season kicks off with an intimate staging of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a…
This Chicago Theatre Addict took a trip to the Bluegrass State for a spell. Here’s how it played out. Quality time with the nephew: We had “standy time,” I sang him a few s…
It’s an art: Barbara Robertson belts one out for the working (wo)man. "Everyone should have something to point to Someway to be tall in the crowd Proud" Upon watching the newly re-work…
Just got word that Jim Caruso’s Cast Party — a popular New York City event that features both tried-and-true and up-and-coming talent — is coming to Chicago. On April 10, C…
Jessica Redish loves musical theatre. When talking about the art form, her speech speeds up to the point the mind reels — and I love it. Because, I, too, am a fan of the showtunes. But…
Her face says it all: Jane (Nina O’Keefe) stars as Hedda in the play-within-the-robot-play. On rare occasions do I leave a show not knowing what the hell I just saw, except fo…
There’s nothing outwardly remarkable about the family featured in Tyler Dean’s new play Run-of-the-Mill. Cynthia (Brit Cooper Robinson) is the tightly-wound wife and mother tryin…
Let’s pause all this theatre nonsense and discuss what seems to be all the chatter in the surrounding environs — at least from my vantage point. Which is my home office, since we…
Chris Jones reports that Gary Griffin will direct Stephen Sondheim’s Follies to kick off the 2011-12 season at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. This is Big News for me. Some thoughts befor…
As a companion piece to my last “what I’m looking forward to” post, here are some additional things — all new, original works — that have me all jazzed up: Milk…
Hamlet (Jack Sharkey) grieves over a fallen Gertrude (Meg Elliott). That deeply vengeful (yet slow-to-act) Hamlet has taken residence at Gunder Mansion on the corner of Sheridan and Granv…
