What's happening on the arts scene – on stage, in museums and at fairs and festivals
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Refresh your memory. How rock ‘n roll was changed by the guy with the big glasses from Lubbock, Texas is worth the trip back in time when taken there by the American Blues Theater’s “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.” “Buddy” tells the tale of singer/songwriter Buddy Holly and the Crickets through an … Continue reading “The Buddy Holly Story – How Rock Got Rollin’”
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED The first thing to know about the ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ production at Drury Lane Oakbrook is this isn’t the Sunday School version. Unlike the customary fare from the west suburban playhouse, it’s not even family-friendly entertainment. That’s because director Alan Souza has boldly re-imagined the beloved Old Testament tale as … Continue reading “‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ – a new and different kind of dream”
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED First a caveat, this critic loved Paramount’s 1954 movie and the musical’s theme’s of romance and military camaraderie and caring so was prepared to also love the show, now touring with a stellar cast of Broadway and tour veteran actors, singers and dancers. It didn’t disappoint. Instead, it seemed to this writer … Continue reading “‘White Christmas’ sings and dances into your heart”
It’s not too early to check out shows that are coming in 2017-18. Because Metropolitan Chicago is rich in theatre and entertainment choices, what is happening and where next season is divided into areas. Click northern suburbs season options for that section. City sections will be next. First, take a look at some of … Continue reading “Theatre scene shines in western suburbs”
If you go see ‘Ragtime,’ a Griffin production now at the Den Theatre through July 16, 2017, you won’t be viewing a Broadway spectacle (if you haven’t put it on your must see schedule do yourself a favor and take care of it now). Griffin’s ‘Ragtime’ is a minimalist production intimately performed in nearly … Continue reading “Music tells the story for Director Scott Weinstein”
Vanessa Severo is Frida Kahlo at Writers Theatre (Photos by Zach Rosing taken at Indiana Rep) 4 Stars You don’t often see costume changes right on stage against a backdrop of apparel hanging on clothes lines. But then, you don’t often see a highly charged, exceptional, one-person performance such as the one that opened in … Continue reading “Exceptional performance helps us know Frida Kahlo”
‘The Fantasticks’ 3 stars The second offering of a four-show series by MadKap Productions at the Skokie Theatre is “The Fantasticks,” a theatrical classic that holds the record as the longest running off-Broadway musical when it closed in 2002 after 17,162 performances over 42 years. The story is about innocence and experience. Matt (Graham … Continue reading “A lesson in love and experience”