**** Highly Recommended I know it’s early but get yourself in the holiday mood with Marriott Theatre’s classy production of "Irving Berlin’s White Christmas." I guarantee you’ll be humming along with Irving Berlin’s wonderful melodies. You might even shed a nostalgic tear or two when the entire cast sings the title song. What can I say – I love "Irving Berlin’s White Christmas!" 4 BIG Spotlights
*** Recommended Steppenwolf’s production of Ngozi Anyanwu’s play, "Leroy and Lucy," left me adrift. Since it’s billed as a play with music, I thought I’d hear way more Delta Blues than I did. I thought I knew where it was going – the ‘sell your soul to the devil’ trope – but then it took a strange turn and I wasn’t sure what to think. I liked the staging but I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters. 2 ½ Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended There’s new revue at The Second City e.t.c., "Best Kept Secret: Tell Everyone" and it’s downright hilarious. Everywhere I looked, people were laughing. This cast brought the audience into the show from the first, and people loved it. In fact, a good sport from the audience drew as many laughs as any cast member! If laughter is contagious, we all caught the bug! 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended The Joffrey Ballet’s performance of "Atonement" was absolutely magnificent! Words just don’t do it justice! I thought Cathy Marston’s "Jane Eyre" was the ultimate in translating beloved stories into passionate dance experiences, but I was wrong. I was there when the Joffrey dancers brought Ian McEwan’s novel to life. The Joffrey dancers are the best – talented dancers, athletes and actors What an incredible experience! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended Looking for adventure with your Shakespeare? "Pericles" is definitely the show for you – a fantastical soap opera, chock full of adventure, comedy, tragedy and double-dealing. Escape into a world of kings & queens, shipwrecks, pirates, goddesses – even evil stepmothers – with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s "Pericles." Don’t miss this show! 4 Spotlights.
**** Recommended Remy Bumppo’s production of "Dear Elizabeth" is a unique and charming little play. It’s unique because the characters were real people, renowned American poets, Elzabeth Bishop (Leah Karper) and Robert “Cal” Lowell (Christopher Sheard). Apparently, playwright Sarah Ruhl ran across their letters and decided the content would make a play. Kudos to Director Christina Casano for this fascinating glimpse into the lives of two literary giants. 4 Spotlights
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Playwright August Wilson, famous for creating his "Century Cycle" of ten plays exploring and celebrating the African American experience, was quite clearly a very good listener. One can't help picturing him seated in one of his favorite diners or coffee shops located within the Hill District neighborhood of his native Pittsburgh, with his omnipresent yellow legal notepad in hand, eavesdropping on the conversations taking place around him and jotting down notes or nascent ideas for future projects. 4 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED The mere prospect of mounting a production of "Into the Woods" may be nearly as daunting as some of the obstacles that the fairytale characters face once they have entered the foreboding forest in Stephen Sondheim's beloved musical. You need a very strong cast to make this particular show truly sing. After all, as famously parodied in the delightfully twisted show "Forbidden Broadway" in which those cast members lamented Sondheim's endlessly tricky rhyme schemes and demanding lyrics during the "Into the Words" number, not just anyone can pull this off. When it was announced that Kokandy Productions would be concluding their 2024 season with "Into the Woods," hopes were very high as this particular company has had much success with Sondheim's work in the past. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
**** Highly Recommended "Some Like It Hot" is a big, old-fashioned Broadway musical straight out of the thirties and forties. It’s full of big band music and songs, big tap dance numbers, and beautiful people wearing stunning costumes. Some Like It Hot is also a farce, with rapid fire dialogue, mistaken identities, men dressing as women, insane chases, lots of doors and plenty of pratfalls. I loved every minute of this show! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended I was moved to tears by Namir Smallwood’s tour de force performance in "Primary Trust." I didn’t know quite what to expect – given the whole imaginary friend thing – but as it turns out, the imaginary friend is more of a footnote because the play is actually about self-discovery and connection. Do not miss this poignant yet charming little play at the Goodman. It bumped some very prestigious plays to leap right into my top five plays of the year! 4 BIG Spotlights
