**** Highly Recommended Drury Lane’s production of On Your Feet! The Story of Emelio and Gloria Estefan is just spectacular! It’s a toe-tapping, dance-in-your seat musical based on the life stories of international superstars Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Unlike the usual jukebox musical, On Your Feet is intelligent, emotional and very well-acted. I give it 4 BIG Spotlights.
**** Recommended "Stereophonic" is kind of a difficult play to review. First, it’s a drama with music, not a musical. I think a lot of people didn’t like it, since many of them left at intermission. Maybe they thought it was going to be a jukebox musical. Second, it has four acts, one intermission, and comes in at a whopping 3 hours long (give or take five minutes). Finally, it felt like a documentary, gritty and truthful. I’m recommending "Stereophonic," with a slight caveat – remember, creativity just doesn’t go in a straight line. 3 ½ Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Music Theater Works’ production of "Annie" was delightful. The show was even more enjoyable when I heard delighted laughter from my grand-niece Maeve, who just turned eight. Although I’ve seen many productions of this perennial holiday favorite, this is the first time I’ve been able to share the joy with a little girl. Maeve was definitely into the show, laughing at all the ‘little girl’ jokes. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - "Annie: is the perfect show to introduce young people to live theater. 4 Spotlights
Highly Recommended I really enjoyed "Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs A Christmas Carol, Blake Montgomery’s Jeffrey Award-winning one-man show. The genial Montgomery, wearing reindeer ears and a battle worn tail-coat, greeted and welcomed us as we claimed our seats, even offering candy canes before he began the program. 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended The Towle Theater’s production of Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas" is charming. Despite their space limitations, they managed to put together a complete show, tap dancing and all! I was humming along with Irving Berlin’s wonderful melodies. What can I say – I love Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas!" 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended I absolutely LOVED Chicago Shakespeare’s production of "Much Ado About Nothing." It’s fresh, frolicsome and very, very funny. As the title indicates, the characters are reacting – and over-reacting – to what they think they know about something that actually never happened. In his comedies Shakespeare often set up situations in which the supposedly ‘wise’ men are fools and the fools are wise men. It’s certainly true in "Much Ado about Nothing." 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Marti Lyons, Remy Bumppo’s Artistic Director, had a vision – a new look at Shakespeare’s most chauvinistic play. Her new adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew," now on stage at the Court Theatre, brings a modern, tongue-in-cheek twist to an old story. In addition to the outstanding cast of ten, I loved the staging, the costumes, the set – and the six silent shrews! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Drury Lane Theatre’s new production of "Sister Act," one of my favorite musicals, is terrific. Drury Lane productions always include talented actors, beautiful costumes and sets, and really, really good, dancing-in-your-seat music; "Sister Act" fits that criteria perfectly. Kudos to Director E. Faye Butler for ‘hitting it out of the park’! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Steppenwolf Theatre’s production of Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play, "Amadeus," is just about perfect. Of course, I thought that about the 1984 movie starring F. Murray Abraham, too. No kidding, when I took my family to see that film, we all thought it was wonderful. In fact, my then seven-year-old son fell in love with Mozart’s music, which turned out to be a life-long love. Steppenwolf’s production of this masterpiece of clashing personalities and court intrigue is magnificent. Kudos to Director Robert Falls in his Steppenwolf debut. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended Marriott Theatre’s holiday offering, "Million Dollar Quartet Christmas," combines the toe-tapping rock music of the original MDQ with favorite holiday tunes. Apparently, Colin Escott, who co-wrote the original, decided to ‘reimagine’ that 1956 jam session with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley into a jukebox Christmas. If you love old-fashioned rock n’ roll, you’ll be dancing in your seat…and…humming along with your favorite carol. 3 ½ Spotlights
