Led by the luminous Liz Chidester as Ray, the cast eeks out every morsel of emotion possible from this setting-driven slice of life.
Reviews
The musical theatre reviews featured here are written by reviewers, not critics. These impressions and opinions are from individuals passionate about musical theatre and represent, in most cases, one observation of one performance. The primary purpose in publishing reviews is to help patrons decide whether a production is a good use of their time and entertainment budget. Our reviewers are also encouraged to creatively shine a light on particularly good work done onstage and backstage, understanding that successful productions happen because of the work of many. Finally, ChicagolandMusicalTheatre's reviewers are asked to walk into a show expecting enjoyable entertainment—because that's the mindset of patrons who buy tickets to professional theatre.
Hell in a Handbag’s ‘Facts of Life’ parody offers a charming, campy, bizarre blend of genres
If timeliness is an element of comedy, then Hell in a Handbag’s The Facts of Life – Satan’s School for Girls should fall flat on its face. However, despite riffing on material that predates a good portion of the cast, what ensues is a rollicking, campy little piece of theatre that’s as charming as it is bizarre.
BoHo blows audience out of the water with August and Lippa’s ‘Big Fish’
A testament to the life-sustaining tradition of storytelling, BoHo’s production of Big Fish delineates the separation between what is “true” and what is “real.”
Would-be opera first timers take note, Lyric’s screwball ‘Barber of Seville’ delightfully overcomes accessibility issues
That said, if anyone reading this review has found themselves curious about opera, but held off on buying a ticket for any or all of the reasons above—now is your time. You are unlikely to have a better chance at a first opera than this production.
Metropolis goes for everything in resplendent production of classic ‘Anything Goes’
As a surviving artifact of a Broadway Gone By, what elevates Anything Goes above its peers of escapist fun is the curious timelessness of Porter’s witty, topical lyrics and infectious melodies.
