This can’t be! I am in a small neighborhood theater (Citadel), seeing on a school stage, one of the best productions of “Annie”, that I have ever seen! I saw the original in NYC in 1977, the Chicago production, and at least two of the film versions and…this is right up there!
***RECOMMENDED*** There are not very many jukebox musicals that have an actual working jukebox on the stage. "Always...Patsy Cline," which was created by Ted Swindley in 1988, is an early example of what a jukebox musical can be, long before that term was even widely used and the concept of taking well-known songs by popular recording artists and forming a narrative to build around them seemed to dominate nearly every other musical that was opening on Broadway from early 2000 until the present day. Firebrand Theatre's current production of "Always...Patsy Cline" features a vintage Wurlitzer that fits perfectly into this very charming and intimate version of the true story of one of Patsy Cline's biggest fans which has 27 of her greatest hits interwoven throughout the course of the evening's entertainment. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** If you mention "The Nutcracker" to anyone they will more than likely have visions of sugar plum fairies dancing through their head or at least the iconic music of Tchaikovsky's famous "Suite" ringing in their ears. But for those of you who may want a slightly different interpretation than what the Joffrey Ballet is offering (or any other dance company, for that matter), you should head to the Chopin Theater -- and quickly. For the tenth consecutive year, the House Theatre of Chicago is offering their ballet-free version of this family-friendly holiday classic. If you've never seen it before, you will be surprised by how emotionally raw this work can be at times. If you have been fortunate to have seen it over the recent years that have turned this into an annual holiday gem for the House Theatre, a repeat visit is in order as this adaptation has been gently refined with some key changes in casting and technical execution. With a show that is this unique and special, here's hoping that it may run for at least another ten years or more. 4 Holiday SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** "I lost my soul because I didn't know its worth" laments the male protagonist in Raven Theatre's production of "Hoodoo Love." Written by Katori Hall and an off-Broadway hit from 2007, this drama with music tells the tale of an aspiring blues singer living in Depression-era Memphis and the great lengths that she will go to in order to achieve success as a performer but, more importantly, to ensnare the man that she loves and guarantee that he will settle down with her to raise a family. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** Pretty soon the artistic and executive directors of Porchlight Music Theatre may have to add a newly minted moniker to the list of credits printed in the Playbill that they distribute at each performance: casting by Divas Central Management. Last autumn, Porchlight presented a highly-lauded production of "Gypsy" starring E. Faye Butler -- a performance which saw a very busy Butler finally return to a Chicago stage after quite a lengthy absence. She was greeted with open arms by critics and Porchlight audiences alike and won a coveted Jeff Award for her efforts. Now the elusive local star returning to the stage is Hollis Resnik in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard," which is the first Webber show that Porchlight has ever produced as they enter their Silver Anniversary season. To keep the diva trend going, avid musical theatre lovers can only dream that next October Porchlight will launch their season with Paula Scrofano as Aurora in "Kiss of the Spider Woman". Or, how about Barbara E. Robertson in the title role of "Mame"? They both would be sensational. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** When life seems to be a constant struggle and every turn is met with heartache, finding a true friend to talk with to make yourself feel better can be a mighty big challenge. At those times, you are forced to examine nearly every detail of your situation and identify a singular passion which will successfully reconnect you to the land of the living and keep your unhappiness at bay. For the main character in the musical "A Man of No Importance" that joy can only be found while engaged in the theatrical arts -- specifically as a director presenting the works of his favorite playwright, Oscar Wilde, to entertain the Irish urbanites via the scrappy community theatre troupe known as the St. Imelda Players of which he's a long-standing member. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
**SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED** For the past 36 years, Raven Theatre has built a solid reputation by presenting season after season of well-balanced programming. Known primarily for producing classic works written by many of the legendary American playwrights, Raven has also mixed in amongst those heavy hitters' work some wonderful contemporary writer's plays to expose Chicago audiences to exciting new voices in the theatre world. However, recently-appointed Artistic Director Cody Estle, only in his second full season in command, has taken a slight misstep with "Sundown, Yellow Moon" by Rachel Bonds. 2 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** As most of the local theatre companies are premiering new works or presenting highly anticipated productions within the past several weeks in order to kick off what has become a very busy beginning to the new season, one solid and beloved company is actually concluding their 15th season with a lovely and quite moving production of the musical "Big Fish." BoHo Theatre, which has seen three of it past four shows heavily nominated for multiple Jeff Awards, can expect to add to that string of nominations in 2020 with several more for this poignant tale about holding on to your dreams and never letting go of the wondrous and magical perspective that childhood can impart upon our lives. 3 and 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** Just in time for a good-time Halloween haunting comes the newest show from those zany folks at Hell in a Handbag Productions, “The Facts of Life: Satan’s School for Girls.” This musical parody (book and lyrics by David Cerda and music by Cerda and Andrew Milliken) is loosely based upon the long-running 1980s sit-com. “The Facts of Life” was surprisingly NBC’s highest rated program during the early ‘80s and the wildly popular show, which featured multiple characters who were students at a private school for girls and the slightly dowdy but lovable matron who cared for them, inexplicably ran for eight seasons. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** Arthur Schnitzler would probably be truly shocked to learn that his 1897 play "La Ronde" has influenced multiple generations of artists who have created a nearly countless amount of theatrical and cinematic output which are based upon it. The simple concept of his legendary work documents 10 random individuals who meet and physically connect, starting with a whore and a soldier, for a casual sexual experience and then depart to engage with their next conquest. The soldier moves on to hook-up with a nurse, who in turn encounters a college boy and tends to his carnal desires and so on until we circle back to the whore at the conclusion. The idea has been utilized in nearly twenty films (the most famous being made in France and Germany in the 1950s and early '60s), a chamber opera as well as being the inspiration of Susan Stroman's Tony Award-winning 2000 musical "Contact." Four gay versions exist for the stage, with all of the characters played by male actors -- one of which, with a profanity-laced title -- played at Pride Films and Plays in 2018. Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre is carrying on the tradition by presenting Michael John LaChiusa's take on the subject with his 1993 musical version "Hello Again." 3 SPOTLIGHTS
