By Barry Reszel The title alone, Elf: the Broadway Musical, puts would-be patrons in one of three camps. Those in camp one typically love all things Christmas and, for sure, all things Buddy. They aspire to maintain the elfin diet (“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy
Archives for October 2015
Williams Street’s ‘Gypsy’ comes up roses with some thorns
By Betsy Wolfe The Williams Street Rep is serving up a chestnut from the golden age of theater, Gypsy, in its usual venue, Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake. This Styne, Sondheim, and Laurents classic came out in 1959, just two years after the emergence of memoirs from famous striptease artist, Gypsy Rose
‘Cyclone’ is Chicago Shakes’ latest visceral thrill ride
By Patrick O’Brien Where does one begin with a musical like Ride the Cyclone? Probably by starting with the bare facts. Developed and premiered in Canada by the troupe Atomic Vaudeville – written by members Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond – the musical concerns a motley crew of small-town teenage choir singers who are killed
Susan Stroman directs and choreographs Lyric’s ‘Widow’
Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the sparkling operetta The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár in a new-to-Chicago production directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman. Presented in English with projected titles, the production opens on Saturday, November 14 with 10 performances through Sunday, December 13. Performance dates are November 14, 17, 20,
No telling how far Underscore’s new, bold ‘Story’ goes
By Erin Fleming This is a story of a story. This is a ridiculously hysterical story about two office workers: Ben, who aspires to be a writer, and Maggie, who aspires to be an artist, who find their mundane, soul-crushing day interrupted by a persistent spam e-mail. Somehow, and it’s best not to worry too
