***RECOMMENDED*** No one does fairy tales (pun intended) as well as PrideArts.
And no one does adult adaptations of children's fairy tales better than Tom Whalley. After a very successful run of Whalley's "Jack Off the Beanstalk" in December of 2022, PrideArts is once again presenting a holiday version of one of Whalley's very British pantomime interpretations with the hilarious "Sleeping with Beauty." 3 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED "Power is the only fact."
No, this is not some sound bite from a certain politician who is seeking re-election but rather one of the many rantings of a former king of England nearing the end of his reign. In James Goldman's "The Lion in Winter," currently at Court Theatre, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. Director Ron OJ Parson and his assured ensemble have clearly done a comprehensively thorough textual analysis of Goldman's witty yet sardonic script, which translates to a highly entertaining bit of fun. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED "Wise Guys: The First Christmas Story" is a new comedy at The Factory Theater which is a bit difficult to categorize, which is one of its many charms. Playwright Chase Wheaton-Werle's script is equal parts history lesson and an examination of multiple religious beliefs plus an adventure tale combined with a regal quest for the divine. If you simply can't stomach the idea of seeing one more Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy or dread the spirits that will visit grumpy old miser Ebenezer Scrooge, then "Wise Guys" is just the holiday show for you. Definitely not a sugary-sweet confection a la "White Christmas" but this is, obviously, the quintessential origin story of why people celebrate Christmas in the first place. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
**** Recommended Being at my peak in the 60’s, and given this review assignment, Citadel Theatre's "She Loves Me," the first thing that popped into my head was the Beatles’ song, “She Loves You, Yeh, Yeh, Yeh”. This musical has nothing to do with that, exactly. Well, maybe a little. The Beatles’ song is about a gentleman lacking in self-confidence, being assured that the woman of his dreams does, in fact, love him.
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** You may just about have felt the earth move under your feet if you were in the audience at Marriott Theatre's opening night performance of The sustained ovation during the curtain call -- and subsequent audience sing-along -- was certainly justified as this is one of the best versions of this popular show that you may get to witness. Powerful voices and very strong acting lift this story of one particular artist's journey of self-discovery that leads to personal triumph and female empowerment. You may not know Carole King's story, but you will definitely recognize many --if not most -- of the songs that she composed. 4 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED The title of The Second City e.t.c.'s 47th revue may be a bit misleading for some. "Oh, the Places You'll Glow!" is not an adaptation nor a parody of the final work of the late, great children's author Dr. Seuss. Aside from a clever, but seusical, rhyming voice-over delivered as the house lights are dimmed at the top of the show regarding the usual message to turn off all cell phones and unwrap candy, this show has more in common with Ken Kesey or Timothy Leary than with Dr. Seuss himself. What you will discover. as one of the places you'll go, is a prismatic and rainbow-hued trip through a variegated wonderland more commonly known as America in the year 2023. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
*** RECOMMENDED If the recent snowfall on Halloween caught you unprepared for the impending chilly season that lies ahead and has you dreaming of escaping to warmer climes, then Chicago Shakespeare Theater's "Twelfth Night" is just the ticket that you need to solve your winter woes and warm your heart at the same time. Director Tyrone Phillips, a self-proclaimed "born-and-raised Chicagoan" and a first-generation Jamaican American, has chosen to move the play's setting, Illyria, more than 5,000 miles west from the Adriatic Sea to a location in the Caribbean. The resulting comedy -- while pared down and slightly abridged -- is funny, sunny, breezy and luxuriant. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Phone rings, door chimes, in comes..."Company." Chicago has swung the door wide open and graciously welcomed in this magnificent production of Stephen Sondheim's 1970 musical comedy that took Broadway by storm in 2022. This revival, brilliantly directed by Marianne Elliott, caused a fair share of raised eyebrows due to the fact that Elliott -- with Sondheim's permission, of course -- did some gender-swapping among several roles within the cast. But not to worry. This "Company" is slick, sassy, sophisticated and splendidly spectacular. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS
I just saw Agetha Christie’s murder mystery, “The Mousetrap” at Citadel Theatre. It is the longest running (premiered 1952) stage play ever! It is old but… it was new, at this theater.
***** Highly Recommended ***** We attended Elephant and Piggie’s “We are in a Play” on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 10:00 am at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois. My mom, 5-year old, 3-year old, and I enjoyed the play very much. The play follows many of the Elephant and Piggie adventures found in the book series by Mo Willems. My kids read and flip through the books at home, so they knew exactly who the characters were on stage; they were so excited to see Elephant and Piggie “in person”.
