2,003 stories by "Scotty Zacher"
Chris Hainsworth new adaptation of James Leo Herlihy's novel *Midnight Cowboy* has grand scope but fizzles trying to create the appropriate atmosphere for the action. (read Clint May's entir…
Nobody sets out to put on a gawdawful show, or so the old adage insists. But sometimes that just seems highly improbable. So it is with Irish Theatre of Chicago's *In a Little World of Our O…
NightBlue Performing Arts' interpretation of the new stage version of *Mary Poppins* has a handful of strong performances and the best of intentions, but comes across as amateurish in more w…
Directed by James Beaudry, *Heathers the Musical* wears out its welcome within the first few scenes. The show has an inconsistent tone throughout as its very young ensemble veers uneasily be…
Raven Theatre's *The Old Friends* received its world premiere in 2013, but had probably lost its relevance decades prior. Though there are some expcellent performances accented by a great s…
With James Still's one-man drama *Looking Over the President's Shoulder*, American Blues Theater offers the audience a rich, compelling first-person access to Alonzo Fields' historic stint i…
What makes Filter Theatre's Twelfth Night such a ripping good time on the whole is the cast's antic energy level, the sound party the band brings to the stage and the performances Sean Holme…
Quest Theatre Ensemble's All the World's a Stage feels like a first draft - its heart is in the right place, but its piece are scattered and its actors too raw. (read Lauren Whalen's entire …
The engaging cast and the heartfelt songs of Broadway in Chicago's "If/Then" will give you your money's worth for a good evening out, and reassure you that the musical theater form can addre…
The true treasure here? That would be the Mary-Arrchie Theatre's American Buffalo production itself. It's down and dirty and fascinating from start to finish. And it is a grand sendoff for a…
This this production of Glass Menagerie has its cracks, the show remains magnificent. After experiencing Director Hans Fleischmann's vision of this celebrated play, one would have a difficul…
Muse of Fire, by Playwright Jacob Rosenberg, concerns itself with the a man trying to keep humanity alive in hell (a.k.a. Auschwitz) in the form of humor. Guy F. Wicke plays Georg, the direc…
With a beautifully lyrical score and a talented cast, Filament Theatre's Pinocchio-A Folk Musical is a perfect way to introduce young audiences to live theater. Recommended! (read John Olson…
The Other Theatre Company aims to explore the epistolary tradition of letter writing through a new lens in its world premiere of Other Letters. Boiled down to two chairs, two tables and two …
Otherworld Theatre's Messina 3004 is ambitious, colorful, energetic, athletic, sexy, and manages to achieve all of this in a brisk 90 minutes. You don't need to love Shakespearean comedies t…
Refuge Theatre Project is a company to watch - not even two seasons in, and their performers are strong, their ideas fresh, and their enthusiasm plentiful. High Fidelity is an indie delight.…
This is a company that really enjoys both playing with Shakespeare and throwing gender roles out the window. Upsetting the norm is part of the mission. Fifty Shades is a delightful romp that…
The brainchild of Striding Lion Performance Group, this Doctor Faustus takes the age old tale and infuses details new, old and extremely physical. It's part theater, part physical workout, a…
William Inge's *A Loss of Roses* has old-school characteristics, but carries a quiet resonance that's still very appealing. Raven Theatre's production boasts strong direction, production val…
In true Monty Python spirit, The 39 Steps takes an overly serious Alfred Hitchcock film, underscores its classic absurdity, then adds in numerous ridiculous elements and a few pop culture re…
Sister Act will never be lauded as particularly profound, or even intelligent. It's a goofy tale involving Vegas-style nuns. But by God, we're going to come right out and say it: Sister Act…
For all of The Neo-Futurists production's problems, the world premiere Pop Waits is, in the end, supremely innovate, and maintains high energy throughout, with very physical performances fro…
Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons at Northlight Theatre is a valuable play for giving voice to the survivors that have been neglected and urging compassion, but it's a frustrating one in t…
This darker and edgier interpretation of Cabaret took Sam Mendes from artistic directorship of a small London non-profit fringe theater to worldwide acclaim on Broadway and Hollywood. This t…
Flaws and all, there's an urgency and a joyous, subversive spirit throughout King Lear. Directed by the adapter, the actors are ferociously committed to the raw physicality of the piece. The…
