162 stories by "John Olson"
There are many things one might expect to find in a church school basement—coffee, donuts, Sunday school materials—but not a full-scale production of a Broadway musical, and one which wa…
I'm thinking the greater gift of "American Idiot" is to introduce musical theater audiences to the songs of Green Day, rather than bringing rock lovers to Broadway.
We're reminded how theatre can educate, even on something as abstract as financial and accounting practices.
Headland says "Bachelorette" is her "gluttony" play among a cycle she's writing to dramatize the seven deadly sins, and there's gluttony in abundance here.
With the slow pace and quiet tone established by director Austin Pendleton, there's a stillness in the staging that contrasts starkly with the memories of war owned by Sarah and her romantic…
Fans of the current Oscar-nominated film Hugo will see similarities between that story and The Houdini Box, a world premiere musical with book and lyrics by Hannah Kohl, based on a short nov…
In this play by Ed Schmidt, a clandestine 1947 meeting is imagined between Jackie Robinson (the first African American to make baseball's major leagues), three African-American celebrities a…
Twyla's Tharp dance revue set to songs recorded by Frank Sinatra has been slimmed down for the road from two acts to one—at about 75 intermissionless minutes.
Johnson's take on the show makes a strong case for "La Cage" as being a much more substantial piece than may have been evident from the 2004 Broadway production and maybe even the original 1…
Though this is not as rich a play as one might hope for, the chance to hang out backstage with Shakespeare and Company, along with one of the leading figures in world history, is just about …
Under the direction of film composer/conductor David Newman, these orchestras have performed the score in sync with a screening of the film, with the film's recorded orchestral tracks electr…
It's a rare musical that focuses on the journey of a male character—and Memphis's Huey Calhoun is a true original.
he new team at The Mercury includes Executive Director Walter Stearns and Business Manager Eugene Dizon, who led Porchlight Music Theatre for well over a decade and are stage and musical dir…
"Assisted Living" is getting a fine first production from director Joe Jahraus and Profiles.
Taylor has written (or shall we say documented?) a wonderful character and fully inhabits her.
In Hershey Felder's new biographical one-man play, we see how young Leonard Bernstein—after being magnetically drawn to a relative's piano at a very early age—determinedly overcame the o…
Here's an idea for deterring crime. If fear of the legal system is not enough to do it, maybe a mandatory viewing of Martin McDonagh's latest play might be enough to scare young hoodlums str…
As a Halloween treat, the nearly three-year-old Underscore Theatre Company—who mostly produces original musicals—has put together a fun production of "The Rocky Horror Show."
There was a time when a business called "Grace's Diner" would actually be managed day-to-day by someone named Grace ... This Raven Theatre production captures that period beautifully, settin…
2011 is the year of "Follies," with the Kennedy Center's production of the Stephen Sondheim/James Goldman classic transferring to Broadway amidst critical acclaim and near sellout houses. In…
Broadway plays don't tour much ... not even Tony Award winners ... but at least Chicago is getting the chance to see a Broadway-quality production of 2010's Best Play winner, John Logan's "R…
There's something about the term "Pulitzer Prize" that suggests a certain weightiness. Yet, I'm happy to report that, while Bruce Norris's Pulitzer-winning "Clybourne Park" is weighty in ter…
They've mounted a slick, lively and satisfying production of the Sondheim revue "Putting It Together," which I believe has not been done in the area since Gary Griffin's 1997 production at t…
Following the success of the summer's The Homosexuals, a comedy-drama exploring various types of gay male relationships and friendships in the past decade, About Face Theatre (here in associ…
Viewing A Walk in the Woodsnow, in such a different era, maybe allows different themes to come forward in greater relief.
