Monday, February 13, 2012
Written by Jerome Kern (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics), Show Boat broke the mold when it premiered in 1927. Most Broadway shows at the time were frivolous trivialities wit…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 03:37PMFriday, February 10, 2012
Hey. I’ve an offer for you. Invest today in an idea I expect to have fully fleshed out in the future, and I’ll pay you back with this virtual stock made up of unicorn farts and f…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 03:34PMWednesday, February 8, 2012
>> Second City is getting ready for the grand opening of its new venue, UP Comedy Club, a “new hybrid performance venue with an eclectic blend of comedy.” The 300 seat sp…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 08:35AMMonday, February 6, 2012
There is one moment in William Osetek’s otherwise by-the-numbers production of Gypsy that gave me those rare theatrical chills. It’s during a crucial act two turning point when,…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 12:28PMFriday, February 3, 2012
“Everyone’s a little bit racist,” sing the puppets of Avenue Q. Then there’s sh*t white girls say to black girls. And what about anything comedienne Lisa Lampanelli s…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 10:48PMSaturday, January 28, 2012
Sharon D Clarke in “Ghost the Musical” While my primary purpose in London was work-related, I carved out some time for a two shows. Lucky for me, the TKTS booth was just a five …
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 10:07AMSunday, January 22, 2012
Pay grades, insurmountable credit card debt, recession, excessive consumerism, love. One of these things is not like the other. However, in Dennis Kelly’s efficient and horrific 90-min…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 04:53PMThursday, January 19, 2012
Remy Bumppo’s only halfway through their season, and newly appointed artistic director Timothy Douglas has suddenly called it quits, much to the surprise of the theatre company’s…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 08:01AMMonday, January 16, 2012
As we take our seats at the A Red Orchid Theatre’s production of Brett Neveu’s new play, Megacosm, a high-strung inventor (Larry Grimm) nervously twitches and blinks as he prepar…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 09:05PMSaturday, January 14, 2012
Death is a scary thing, and scary things make us vulnerable. And as any smart salesperson will tell you, a vulnerable person is the ideal customer. Anyone who’s dealt with a grief coun…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 11:43AMThursday, January 12, 2012
The freakish 50 degree January weather may be over, but things are just getting heated up at the Bank of America Theatre where Come Fly Away is playing through January 22. Sinatra. We know t…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 04:21PMWednesday, January 11, 2012
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that director Rob Marshall is reteaming with Disney for a film adaptation of Into the Woods, the classic Broadway musical written by Stephen Sondheim an…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 08:25AMFriday, January 6, 2012
I love doing the Chicago Theatre Off Book podcasts with my friend Katy Walsh and her partner in podcasting crime, Josh Volkers. This go round, Katy, Kris Vire (theatre editor of Time Out Chi…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 01:10PMThursday, January 5, 2012
Last year proved phenomenal for Chicago theater, with many outstanding productions capturing our hearts and minds (read my roundup of the best of 2011 Chicago theater), and 2012 promises to …
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 03:43PMWednesday, December 28, 2011
“Da-da-da-DUM! *snap, snap!* Da-da-da-DUM! *snap, snap!*” You know the tune. You know the characters. But you might be surprised by this charming (yes, charming!) and unexpected …
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 05:59PMMonday, December 26, 2011
Hollis Resnik in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “Follies” Why, yes! It’s yet *another* top 10 list! This year I was actually on top of shit and maintained an honest-to…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 09:50PMThursday, December 22, 2011
If there’s one reason to see the tour of La Cage Aux Folles, which is playing at the Bank of America Theatre through January 1, it’s for Christopher Sieber’s ovation-worthy…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 08:26AMTuesday, December 20, 2011
Four middle-aged men stand in the bottom of a giant pool bearing their souls (and their bodies) in a desperate attempt to win the affections of an etherial figure who watches from her plasma…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 06:34PMThursday, December 15, 2011
John Bolton and the company of “A Christmas Story: The Musical!” Photo by Carol Rosegg What is it about the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story, that captures our hearts? I know whenev…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 12:11PMTuesday, December 13, 2011
Photo credit: Jonny Stax Presents, Inc. I’ve written enough about Alien Queen that you should know what it’s about by now, right? That it’s a rock concert performance piece…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 05:32PMSaturday, December 10, 2011
Ned Lowenscroft (Steven Sutcliffe) spars with Queen Elizabeth (Diane D’Aquila) in Chicago Shakes’ “Elizabeth Rex.” Photo by Liz Lauren Queen Elizabeth is in a rare qu…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 10:03AMWednesday, December 7, 2011
A preface: this Branson-meets-Vegas spectacle gave me a headache. But the audience loved it. Of course. And, I’ll admit: it had its moments, mostly thanks to Mr. Osmond’s dis…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 05:30PMMonday, December 5, 2011
The cast from the 2010 production of The House Theatre of Chicago’s “The Nutcracker” About 10 minutes into The House Theatre of Chicago’s surprising production of The…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 03:16PMStef Tovar in Route 66′s production of “A Twist of Water.” While I hardly believe a production has to open in New York for it be validated, it’s exciting news (per Ch…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 07:28AMFriday, December 2, 2011
Linda Gillum and D’Wayne Taylor look on as Nicolas Gamboa hams it up in Remy Bumppo’s “Changes of Heart.” Photo by Johnny Knight Following Remy Bumppo’s visu…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 05:51PMThursday, December 1, 2011
“I’d say we’re a cross between the Sonny and Cher show meets the Muppets. On acid.” That’s how Scott Bradley, one-half of the creative genius behind The Scooty …
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 08:42AMWednesday, November 30, 2011
The cast of American Theater Company’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play” I dare you to find a more “awww”-inducing moment on any Chicago stage currently then when beloved C…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 04:16PMWednesday, November 23, 2011
Bryan Fenkhart and Felicia Boswell star in the national tour of “Memphis.” Photo credit: Paul Kolnik. Due to the holiday weekend, I sadly couldn’t make press opening of the…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 04:23PMTuesday, November 22, 2011
Check out my latest Chicago Like a Local blog post, giving a few recommendations for local holiday-themed shows. With enough productions of A Christmas Carol occurring in the city right now�…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 11:56AMMonday, November 21, 2011
What happens when you take the cult movies “Alien” and “Aliens” and combine then with the glorious rock music of Queen? You get Alien Queen: The Concert – a ge…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 04:02PMFriday, November 18, 2011
What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. At least, that’s what should have been the case for Matt (Dan Behrendt), Davis (Dereck Garner) and a mysterious redhead named Christina (S…
SOURCE: Chicago Theatre Addict at 08:35AM 
