*** Recommended "Yippee Ki Yay: The Parody Celebration of Die Hard" is the perfect show for someone who thinks that Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever made. Unfortunately, that is not me. I didn’t like the movie and don’t understand why people think it’s about Christmas. That said, Richard Marsh’s one-man re-telling of the film – all in rhyme – is quite clever. 3 Spotlights
**** Recommended "Falsettos," produced in Partnership with Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company, and directed by TimeLine co-founder and Associate Artistic Director, Nick Bowling, is an unusual musical in that it defies classification. It’s about the angst-ridden lives of six New Yorkers, but it’s not annoying – at least most of the time. It has funny bits, but it’s not a comedy. It has really sad bits, but it’s not a tragedy. The entire script is sung, but it’s not an opera or even an operetta, it’s a musical soap opera. 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Drury Lane Theater’s enchanting production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" might just be the best musical they’ve ever done – if not the best, then it’s in the top five! The sets and costumes are gorgeous, the puppets are incredible and then there’s Ursula! Everyone cheered when favorite characters entered or favorite songs began. Adults became kids again – everyone was enthralled. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended The Madison Square Garden Production of "Annie" playing at the Chicago Theatre is an absolute delight. The success of this production rests squarely on the shoulders of twelve-year-old Hazel Vogel, who is onstage virtually the entire play – a daunting prospect for many adults – but this girl is definitely up to the task! Kevin, the dog who plays Sandy, is darling and very well trained. "Annie" is a perfect choice to introduce young people to live theater. 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended When I heard about "Dog Man: The Musical," I had no clue. I knew it was a children’s show but that’s about it. So, I decided to invite my experts on all things kid, my niece Rebecca and her Review Crew – Winston and Maeve. Rebecca reported that the kids were excited to see "Dog Man." Even her former tween was excited – at least till he remembered he was a teen! The show is colorful and creative. In fact, it’s a blast! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended If you have a small princess in your family – daughter, niece, granddaughter – you should consider getting tickets to the Paramount Theatre’s production of "Frozen." This musical has everything you’d expect - fabulous voices, great choreography, lifelike puppets, gorgeous costumes, phenomenal sets and special effects. As each character/costume appeared for the first time, everyone in the audience cheered! It’s always a pleasure to see lots of young people – in this case, very young people – in the audience – they will become the next generation of theater-goers. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** 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
**** 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.
