**** Recommended Drury Lane Theatre’s production, "Ain’t Misbehavin’", is a guaranteed good time. An incredibly talented cast, with the music of the onstage orchestra, makes for a toe-tapping revue celebrating the music of Fats Waller. "Ain’t Misbehavin’" is smooth, sexy and polished. I give it 4 Spotlights.
**** Highly Recommended I was a teen in the 60’s – graduated from high school in 1963, from Indiana University in 1967 – so Every Single Song in Marriott’s production of "Beehive: The 60’s Musical" brought memories. Director/Choreographer Deidre Goodwin called the show “a love letter to the music of the 60’s,” but it’s really a love letter to the female singers of the sixties – the early girl groups, Leslie Gore, Marianne Faithful, the Supremes, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Janis Joplin and more – who often didn’t get the headlines, but were just as good as the guys! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Steppenwolf Theatre’s latest production, "Little Bear Ridge Road", is an intimate family drama fraught with angst. Samuel D. Hunter’s exploration of the relationship – or lack thereof – of the last two members of the Fernsby family is both funny and poignant in large part due to the brilliant give-and-take between Laurie Metcalf and Micah Stock. My comment to my friend Nancy at the end - “Wow!” 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended Chicago Shakespeare’s summer show, "Corduroy", directed by Amber Mak, is the perfect show to introduce the small set to live theater. It’s as cute as it can be. It’s colorful, funny, physical, interactive – and it has Corduroy! My six-year-old grandniece, Maeve, loved it. 4 BIG Spotlights
** Somewhat Recommended I was disappointed in Black Ensemble’s new show, "The Salon", a show that never found its focus. The powerful musical numbers, although very well done, really need a better story. There’s a germ of a good play there but it’s lost in all the extra story lines which appear and disappear without explanation or exploration. Unfortunately I found myself zoning out a couple of time. 2 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended The new mainstage revue at The Second City, "The Devil Is In the Detours", is probably their funniest revue in a long time. In fact, it’s downright hilarious. Everywhere I looked, the folks in the audience were laughing – not polite little titters, either – I’m talking guffaws! The talented cast pokes fun at everything from corporate shirts to zombies while steering clear of politics. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended I really enjoyed Canterbury Summer Theatre’s second production of the season, "Love is a Many Splintered Thing", a musical montage of memories. Instead of dialogue, it’s all snippets of songs from the last forty years. explain and illustrate the characters’ feelings. It was fun to hear the music and quickly ‘name that tune’! 3 ½ Spotlights
*** Recommended Some viewers will find "The Kite Runner" heavy going. It’s a tense drama about sensitive and difficult subjects happening in a place most of us will never visit with customs we don’t understand. I was a bit disappointed because it didn’t quite measure up to my expectations. Most of the ensemble cast play multiple parts making it really difficult to figure out who they were and how they were relevant. It could have been a magnificent piece of work, but it wasn’t. The haunting music provided by Tabla Artist, Salar Nader was one of the best things in the show. 3 Spotlights
**** Recommended It’s summer, and that means Canterbury Summer Theatre is back with the 56th season, "Murder and More in 2024". Their opening show is a fast-moving comedy/drama, "The Lifespan of a Fact", an intense clash between two very strong personalities, an acclaimed writer and an intern fact-checker. This is a very well-done, solid production with a strong cast. 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended My friend Helen and I had a blast at "Love, Chaos and Dinner", the new summer production at Teatro ZinZanni. Take the best of cabaret, burlesque and cirque, 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 Teatro ZinZanni, where guests are invited to wear their own sequins and feathers! If you love the circus – or a good cabaret – this is the show for you! 4 BIG Spotlights
