** Somewhat recommended ** The premise of "Frankenstreisand" was intriguing – Barbra Streisand as a mad scientist determined to clone her dog – but the execution just didn’t measure up. In his post-opening speech, Hell in a Handbag Artistic Director David Cerda called it a fever-dream of a play. Some people loved the show, laughing at everything. I thought it was more like a bad acid trip. 2 Spotlights
***** Highly Recommended ****** After a long absence, "Wicked" is finally back in Chicago for a fourteen week run – and it’s about time! I loved this show so much I hired a limo and took my three sisters and a couple of my nieces to a performance. "Wicked" has everything a successful Broadway musical needs; colorful costumes, fantastical sets, entertaining music, clever lyrics, great choreography and two fabulous female stars. I love "Wicked", a fantastical tale about a pair of unlikely best friends, and I think you will too. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** Cabaret ZaZou’s "Luminaire" was an absolute blast!!!! Take the best of cabaret, comedy, cirque, and some terrific jazz, with artists from around the world, add about 50 pounds of sequins, shake it all up, add dinner and drinks served ringside, and that’s Luminaire. The cast and crew will be dressing up to the nines, the audience is invited to dress up to the ‘tens’. If you love a good cabaret – this is the show for you! 4 BIG Spotlights
** Somewhat Recommended ** The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington felt like a 60s acid trip – with real people chanting horrible, hurtful words, morphing into nightmarish specters in vicious, swirling colors threatening sanity. I know that slavery was evil, repugnant and a blot on our American history, but I still cringed at the level of torture portrayed on Steppenwolf’s stage. Honestly, I’d take the acid trip over this play. 2 Spotlights
**** Recommended **** Kudos to Ron OJ Parson and the Court Theatre for their fresh, funny, totally charming production of "Arsenic and Old Lace". In a way, Arsenic and Old Lace is a contradiction. It bounces between comedic farce and scary horror. As a viewer, you might find yourself laughing, then gasping, then laughing again. It’s Teddy running up the stairs yelling “Charge!” but it’s also Mortimer finding a body or Jonathan terrorizing his aunts. In the end, it’s so much fun! I loved this production and I know you will too. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended **** Paramount’s production of Dreamgirls was exactly what I expected to see – a big, spectacular, sparkly, sequined extravaganza. Set in the 60s, Dreamgirls is loosely modeled on the experiences and successes of the Supremes, minus Motown. Fans of 60s music will love this show. People were chair dancing all over the auditorium. Unfortunately, it was also loud, so loud that I couldn’t understand what the actors were saying. 3 1.2 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** From the cinematic opening to the final conclusion, Drury Lane’s "Murder on the Orient Express" is not to be missed! Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s iconic mystery is suitably dramatic, with just enough humor, and above all, true to the original. You don’t have to love mysteries to enjoy this show! I loved it! 4 BIG Spotlights
*** Recommended *** Black Ensemble Theatre’s latest production, "My Brother Langston" is a play with music, a tribute to poet and civil rights leader, Langston Hughes, written and directed by Rueben Echoles. Based on the title, I thought this would be a bio play about Hughes, but it’s much more autobiographical, with Hughes (brilliantly portrayed by actor Chris Taylor) telling his own story. The production struggles –his life story jumps willy-nilly from personal relationships to the Harlem Renaissance and back again, but the moments of his poetry shine brightly. 3 Spotlights
*** Recommended *** I used to love watching Disney’s Zorro on TV. I’ve enjoyed several movies about the swashbuckling hero, but Guy Williams is in retirement. There’s a new Zorro in town, "Zorro: The Musical"! A little darker than the Disney series, this Zorro is filled with drama, treachery, sword fights, flamenco-flavored music and choreography. I enjoyed the production but the dialogue is kind of weak and the scenic transitions were agonizingly slow. 3 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** TimeLine Theatre is known for their thoughtful, well-researched, intelligent plays based on real people, real history. In addition to meeting those criteria, "Campaigns, Inc.", a story about the very first political consulting firm – and its female founder – is poignant and surprisingly funny and so very relevant today! Guess what? Dirty tricks in politics have been around for a long time! Kudos to Director Nick Bowling, "Campaigns, Inc." is one of my top ten plays of 2022. 4 BIG Spotlights
