OH, I'VE GOT PLENTY OF SUTTON Rounding out Hobby Center's trio of Beyond Broadway Series concerts following Adrienne Warren, Sutton Foster descended on a rather enthusiastic crowd Friday eve…
Now playing at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, the absolute crown jewel of the theater known simply as Hamilton. This artistic cultural phenomenon is non-stop, high-energy, fro…
Now playing at The Hobby Center in Houston is the national tour of the absolute crown jewel of the theater known simply as Hamilton. This artistic cultural phenomenon is non-stop high-energy…
ADRIENNE WARREN IS, INDEED, SIMPLY THE BEST The second of a three Beyond Broadway concert series was headlined by Tony-winner Adrienne Warren. I have followed Warren since 2016 when I saw he…
STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE SET TO A POP BEAT After a few weather-related delays, Houston was introduced to the toe-tapping fun that is the national tour of & Juliet at The Hobby Center. Blendi…
A SHUCKING DELIGHT The Broadway tour of Shucked by Robert Horn will be cracking up audiences in Chicago's CIBC Theatre through January 19th before it continues on its national tour. If you l…
PAWFECT FOR THE KIDDIES I have often felt that anything that gets children exposed to live theatrical productions is such a gift. A staged show can have such an enormous impact on both creat…
NOT QUITE THE GREATEST STAR The opening moments of this retelling of the Fanny Brice story has the main character sitting backstage as "ghosts" of former performers circle about her. The rea…
DYNAMIC DOZEN DELIVERS Turning the backdrop of one of America's darkest days into a lively and highly entertaining musical, the creators of Come From Away successfully navigated turning terr…
HAIRSPRAY: HIGH-STEPPIN' AND HIGH HAIR IN HOUSTON Returning to the Broadway at the Hobby Center series for one week only, the high-stepping, toe-tapping, raucous romp good time known as Hair…
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER JUST GETS BETTERER AND BETTERER After two Covid-19 delays, Lookingglass Alice is once again high-flying and adored at the Lookingglass Theatre, whose glorious and …
HARRIED HAPPENINGS AT NAVY PIER A rarely produced dark comedy from the annals of William Shakespeare's folio is ushering in springtime at Navy Pier. All's Well That Ends Well might not ha…
CLASSICAL BLACK MUSIC MATTERS One of the really fantastic aspects of being a critic is discovering "new to me" talent. Being in the Chicago Arts scenes, it is next to impossible to see every…
UNDERSTATED PATHOS As timely now as it was when the original play was written over 150 years ago, Spring Awakening is now rocking the stage at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. This edgy…
HIGH FLYING ADORED Equal parts sassy and sexy, the latest version of the Teatro ZinZanni, aptly titled Wishes & Dreams, is bringing much needed fun back downtown to The Loop. Se…
FAMILY FUN WITH A LATIN FLAIR Just in time for spring, the Chicago Children's Theatre is back in bloom. Returning to live, in-person productions, Carmela Full of Wishes is a charming t…
SPECTACULAR! SPECTACULAR! If a high-kicking, visually spellbinding, toe-tapping night out is what you love in entertainment, have I got just the show for you. Even though the original openin…
TOE-TAPPING TUNES MAKE THE SHOW Dust off the Mylar balloons and wrist corsages Chicago, you only have one week to attend The Prom as part of its national tour. No smelly gymnasium o…
SPRING IN BLOOM WITH JOYCE DiDONATO Spreading a message of harmony, love and environmental consciousness through opera, American lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano, Joyce DiDonato, triumphantly …
HAYES'S HARRIED HIT "It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." The incomparable Oscar Levant is the subject of the latest premiere …
A WINNING WINNIE Just in time to join in the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the beloved children's character, the Mercury Theater is making a bold and comm…
WIZARDRY ABOUNDS One of the real hidden gems in the Windy City's entertainment scene is the Chicago Magic Lounge. This stunning Art Deco theater is home to one of the most luxurious bars in …
BOW DOWN TO THE QUEENS OF SIX The second hottest fire to burn through Chicago since 1871 was last night, center stage at the CIBC Theatre, and is now playing there for the next four months b…
COMPLEX AND POWERFUL, RELENTLESS LIVES UP TO ITS TITLE After Timeline Theatre Company's near sold-out run during the winter, The Goodman Theatre is restaging playwright Tyla Abercrumbie's fe…
ODE TO LOVE It is not everyday that Tony Award-winning chanteuses drop by to entertain in the Windy City, so it was with great anticipation that Renée Elise Goldsberry took to the Auditoriu…