Although the professional theater hasn’t reopened since Covid, there are small signs of life at Theatre at the Center. "Christmas from the Farm with Phil Potempa" is a laid-back, welcome to the holidays, filled with stories, music and laughter. Although it’s kind of corny, I had a lot of fun.
**** Highly Recommended Mel Brooks’ hilarious musical, "Young Frankenstein", has returned to Chicago. You can catch the kids from Transylvania cavorting on the stage at Mercury Theater Chicago through December 31st. If the 1974 movie starring Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle made you laugh, you’ll love the musical adaptation. You don’t want to miss this production, it’s hilarious, in large part because Sean Fortunato is brilliant as the young doc. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended I was charmed by the Music Theater Works production of "Brigadoon", one of my favorite musicals – which, by the way, has one of the best scores ever written. The MTW cast were definitely able to carry a tune, although only a couple managed a Scottish brogue. The choreography was enthusiastic and energetic, while the sword dance was quite good. Although the men wore kilts, the women’s flower-trimmed dresses looked more appropriate for "Camelot" than "Brigadoon". I really enjoyed this production. 3 ½ Spotlights
*** Recommended Do you believe in ghosts? In honor of spooky stories month (October), Theater Wit brings us "Household Spirits", a gripping ghost story that takes place around an entirely different holiday – Christmas. Although "Household Spirits" starts out as a relatively simple, almost light-hearted haunting, it quickly progresses into something much darker. In the end, I can almost guarantee it will send a shiver or two up your spine! 3 ½ Spotlights
**** Recommended My bad! When I read the pre-show press release for "A Wonderful World, A New Musical about the Life and Loves of Louis Armstrong", I overlooked this key phrase – as told by the women in his life. Although I didn’t expect a jukebox musical, I did think the musical would actually be about Satchmo! Instead, I saw a musical divided into four chapters paralleling his career but defined by his four wives. I was disappointed because I wanted to know more about him, not them. "A Wonderful World" is a good musical but it just didn’t pop for me. 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended LUCHA TEOTL was a total blast! I laughed so much my face hurt – it was that much fun! Let me set the stage so you can visualize – people making signs to cheer on their favorites; pre-show mariachi music; a wrestling ring – and why call it a ring when it’s square, but I digress – in the center of the Goodman’s Owen Theatre: and wrestlers bouncing off the ropes. Sheer craziness and it totally worked! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended Is "What the Constitution Means to Me" a civics lesson disguised as a play? Could be! Playwright Heidi Schreck might be one of the few people who’ve actually read the Constitution. In fact, she not only read it, she memorized parts of it, and now she’s written a charming play more or less about the Constitution. Audiences at the Copley Theater are now enjoying that play. Cory Goodrich, who plays Schreck, brings her own warmth and charm to the part. 4 Spotlights
*** Recommended "Sanctuary City", an angst-filled drama, was just not my cup of tea. I really didn’t like the stop-action staging, on an empty stage, often repeating the same line of dialogue over and over again in different areas on the stage. I found it distracting, making it difficult to concentrate on what the actors were saying, which meant I didn’t/couldn’t empathize with them. I ended up thinking B was whiny, G was mean. 3 Spotlights
**** Recommended As we were driving to Writers Theatre in Glencoe to see "Eurydice", my friend Crista and I discussed and dissected Sarah Ruhl’s plays. Crista tended not to like them, I liked more than I disliked. We both had questions about her version of Eurydice, wondering how the addition of Eurydice’s father would fit into the Greek legend. In fact, I think Eurydice’s interaction with her father added emotion, pathos if you will, to a harsh legend. Unfortunately, it’s rather slow-moving, so I zoned out once or twice. 3 ½ Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended TimeLine Theatre is well known for selecting thoughtful, intelligent and well-researched plays about real people, real history. "The Lehman Trilogy" fits that criteria to a T. There are just three actors in this gripping story – but they are incredible as they play the three Lehman brothers – and every other character in the story. I was kind of dreading sitting through a three-hour show, but once they started, I never noticed! Really exceptional show! 4 BIG Spotlights
