*** Recommended *** I’m still not sure how I feel about “Act(s) of God”, playing at Lookingglass Theatre through April 7th. It’s a very strange play – sort of futuristic, sort of dystopian, sort of religious cultish, sort of family angst-y, sort of funny, with a whole lot of ‘woo-woo’ thrown in the mix. Somehow, it just didn’t feel finished, but since it is Kareem Bandealy’s first play, I’ll cut him some slack. 3 Spotlights

*** Recommended *** Some people may find Towle Theater’s “Swing State” heavy going. Forget about the title, this musical is not about elections. It’s about two people who would probably never meet under normal circumstances. It’s about bigotry, intolerance and loss. It’s very well acted, but a lot of the content is uncomfortable to hear/see. It should get people thinking. 3 Spotlights

**** Recommended **** Drury Lane’s production of “Mamma Mia” is 2 ½ hours of pure joy! As jukebox musicals go, this is one of the best. It’s got toe-tapping, seat-dancing great music and a plot that’s just a little bit squee! You’ll be singing along to ABBA favorites like “Honey, Honey”, “Dancing Queen”, “Money, Money, Money”, “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme”, “Knowing You, Knowing Me” and more. I loved it! 4 Spotlights

**** Highly Recommended **** As an aficionado of suspense stories, both written and staged, I have to say that The National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of “An Inspector Calls” is one of the best. It kept my attention riveted on the stage for the entire hour and 45 minutes! Everything from the fog swirling about the stage to the boys playing in the road to the Birling’s glass house (perhaps as in the old adage about people in glass houses) combined to set the mood. The suspense will hold your attention, but the subtexts will keep you thinking long after you’ve gone home. 4 BIG Spotlights

**** Highly Recommended **** Theatre at the Center’s “Million Dollar Quartet” will have you dancing in your seat! On December 4, 1956, Johnny Cash (Tommy Malouf), Jerry Lee Lewis (Michael Kurowski), Carl Perkins (Zachary Stevenson) and Elvis Presley (Zach Sorrow) did a little jammin’ at Sun Records Studio in Memphis on December 4, 1956. “Million Dollar Quartet” is based on the events of that night. Rock and roll lovers, get your tickets now! This show might be the best I’ve seen. 4 BIG Spotlights

**** Highly Recommended **** The Joffrey Ballet’s “Anna Karenina” was quite simply, exquisite. That anyone could condense 864 pages of moody, broody and depressed Russians indulging in inexplicable and/or incomprehensible behavior into a 2½ hour ballet is awe-inspiring. Of course it took a pair of Russians to capture all that passion, all that angst, and a third to write the libretto. By the way, “Anna Karenina” is a co-production with the Australian Ballet. C’est magnifique! 4 BIG Spotlights

**** Recommended **** I am always in awe when I see one of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s “Short Shakespeare!” performances. The very idea that someone can abridge one of Shakespeare’s complicated plots into 75 minutes is mind-boggling. That said, “Short Shakespeare! Macbeth” is an intense immersion into a dark world of greed and ambition. Although geared to younger audiences, Marti Lyons’ original adaptation doesn’t lose a thing in the translation. This is dynamite! 4 Spotlights

**** Recommended **** Last year, in the Teatro Vista production of Stephanie Alison Walker’s gripping drama, “The Madres”, we watched a mother’s desperate search for her daughter, one of Argentina’s disappeared. This winter, Teatro Vista brings us the sequel, “The Abuelas”, an equally gripping drama about a modern and very successful young woman living in Chicago, whose DNA leads us right back to that mother. 4 Spotlights

**** Recommended **** Watching “Dear Evan Hansen” is a gut-wrenching experience. It’s like watching a train wreck – you know it’s coming so you just sit back and wait for the fall out. On the other hand, it’s a hauntingly beautiful musical about a troubled teen complete with redemption in the end. By the way, the actor who plays Evan Hansen, Ben Levi Ross, has a gorgeous voice! In case you haven’t figured it out, I thought it was magnificent, and I’ll even admit to a tear or two, too. 4 BIG Spotlights

**** Recommended **** Sometimes, after reading a really good book or seeing a really good play, I wonder what happened to the characters after the story ended. Apparently playwright Lucas Hnath liked to speculate about that same topic. Evidently his curiosity led him into writing “A Doll’s House, Part 2”, a sequel to Ibsen’s classic play, “A Doll’s House”. Fifteen years after she left her husband and children, Nora has returned. “A Doll’s House, Part 2” is both funny and insightful as it takes on the pitfalls and complexities of relationships. 4 Spotlights