The Blue Man Group returns - Review by Carol Moore
Blue Man Group which has returned to the Briar Street Theatre stage after more than 18 months.
“School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play” - Review by Carol Moore
*** 3 ½ Spotlights I can’t describe how good it felt to be back in a theater after soooo long. Then, to see a delicious play like “School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play”, just wow! No Kidding, “School Girls” is a funny, poignant, thought-provoking play about teen angst. Don’t miss it – at the Goodman Theatre through Aug 29th
"The Tempest" - Well Done and Fun to Watch!
*** Recommended *** I was honored and privileged to be in the audience for the first live, in-person professional theater production in the Chicago area since 2019 (although I have seen several professional summer stock productions in Indiana). The Oak Park Festival Theatre production of “The Tempest” was well done and fun to watch. 3 Spotlights
"Ordinary Days" - Review by Carol Moore
3 ½ Spotlights for Canterbury Theatre’ third musical of the season, “Ordinary Days”
"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!" - Review by Carol Moore
The Canterbury Summer Theatre production of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change!” is a terrific musical for these hot summer days/nights.
“8-Track: The Sounds of the 70s” - Review by Carol Moore
The first musical of the 2021 season at Canterbury Summer Theatre is a high-energy jukebox musical, “8-Track: The Sounds of the 70s”.
"Roan @ the Gates" - Review by Carol Moore
*** Recommended *** Decisions, decisions, decisions! Why do people make decisions? They make them for lots of reasons, both personally and professionally. They probably have the best intentions, they might think about possible outcomes, but they’re positive everything will come out the way they expected. The elephant in the room – all those unforeseen consequences. A decision and its ultimately devastating consequences proves to be the crux of the story in “Roan @ the Gates”, American Blues Theater’s intense new production. 3 ½ Spotlights
"The Times Are Racing" - Review by Carol Moore
**** Highly Recommended **** I’m having a hard time finding the right words to describe the Joffrey Ballet’s most recent engagement, “The Times Are Racing”. Combining two elegant pieces, “Commedia” and “Bliss”, set to the music of Igor Stravinsky, with a staccato pas de deux, “Mono Lisa”, a comedic slice of life, “The Sofa” and the title piece, which I’ve seen described as a ballet in sneakers, made for an evening of brilliant, artistic, intense, athletic, physical, comedic, minimalist, contemporary and cutting edge ballet. As always, the Joffrey dancers execute the most complicated choreography with flawless technique while a live orchestra adds depth to the experience. “The Times Are Racing” is quite literally a celebration of the human body. 4 BIG Spotlights
"An American in Paris" is a Must-See - Review by Carol Moore
**** Highly Recommended **** “An American in Paris” is a romantic, graceful yet athletic celebration in dance set to the glorious music of George Gershwin. ‘Amazing’ was the word I heard over and over in the Drury Lane lobby after the show. “An American in Paris” is in my top five favorite musicals, so I had really expectations. I’m happy to say that the absolutely exquisite Drury Lane exceeded my expectations. They nailed it! 4 BIG Spotlights
"Bug" will Creep You Out! - Review by Carol Moore
*** Recommended *** Here’s my dilemma, I saw a play that totally creeped me out – and yet, it was incredibly well-acted. Who knew that Tracy Letts’ 1996 tragi-comedy; “Bug”, which literally made my skin crawl, is a cult classic. Although it played a couple of Chicago’s small stages back in the day, I’d never seen it. Unfortunately, I could see the unfortunate end coming almost from the beginning. So, if you want to scare yourself silly, then this is the play for you. 3 Spotlights