Reviews by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** It felt so normal to walk into the Mainstage at Second City, even kind of surreal.  Everything looked the same, felt the same, and yet…There’s a parallel to our lives, everyone went through the last eighteen months together, yet completely apart.  So of course "Together at Last," the 109th Mainstage Revue, reflected the last eighteen months and the changes a pandemic has made in all our lives.  We’ve been serious long enough, we need some laughter and Together at Last definitely fills that need.  4 Spotlights 

**** Recommended **** When I think of the Court Theatre, I know I’ll see a well-staged, true-to-the-book production so I was surprised to learn I had ‘stage’ seating for The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice.  Needless to say I wasn’t expecting an avant-garde immersive experience but there it was, right in the middle of everything.  Although Othello is my least favorite of Shakespeare’s plays, what with Iago being a bottom-feeding sociopath, compelling performances from a stellar cast drew me right in.  Unfortunately, in abbreviating Othello to one act, certain key speeches explaining nefarious behaviors were omitted.  3 ½ Spotlights 

*** Recommended *** Windy City Playhouse has paired up with Rick Bayless (yes, that Rick Bayless) for a brand new immersive theater experience, "A Recipe for Disaster."  You might remember that Windy City had a very successful run with an immersive play, Southern Gothic.  "A Recipe for Disaster" was written by Rick Bayless, Carl Menninger and Amy Rubenstein and directed by David H. Bell.  While "A Recipe for Disaster"doesn’t reach to the "Southern Gothic" standard, it’s still pretty darn good.  Food and drink samplings are mostly delish.  Oh, and it’s a lot of fun!    3 Spotlights   

**** Recommended **** Although I’ve heard mariachi music around Mexican holidays, I know absolutely nothing about it, so “American Mariachi” was a learning experience as well as a sweet, schmaltzy family drama wrapped in mariachi music – with a healthy dose of girl power!  I really enjoyed this show and I think you will too!  4 Spotlights