By Anna DeNoia Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is charming entertainment for Holly know-it-all’s and novices alike. In Arlington Heights’ Metropolis’ current production, Travis Shanahan is a terrific look and sound alike for the young star, and his boyish charm shines through as he gives the audience more and more reasons to root for their
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.
Our lips are sealed no more—Kokandy’s delightful ‘Head Over Heels’ smashes gender norms, beat by beat
By Ian Rigg There are likely some who’d doubt that a farcical jukebox musical of Go-Gos tunes would be a progressive work pushing Broadway representation forward. Pay no mind to what they say (it doesn’t matter anyway!) Kokandy Productions’ explicitly queer, effortlessly entertaining take on Head Over Heels has got the beat. In a silly
Circle around to Black Button Eyes’ ‘Ghost Quartet’ for a hauntingly bizarre delight
As the actors shift and shimmy through so many different lives, they also spend time with the audience as themselves, dropping back into their own bodies and calling each other by name. There isn’t so much a fourth-wall up at Stage 773 as there is a fourth-window
Marriott’s ‘Junie B. Jones: the Musical’ is an illustration of just how children’s theater should be
The songs, almost all fast-paced and brief, keep the audience engaged as they watch the actors work their magic in the Marriott’s famous theater in the round.
American Blues’ terrific cast delivers the emotion needed from ‘The Spitfire Grill’
The Spitfire Grill,on the other hand, feels authentic from begging to end, with something to say about human connections and appreciating the beauty all around of us.
