Spotlight on Reviews

5 Stars! Very Highly Recommended!  The line outdoors should have been much longer on the opening night of Noël Coward’s comedy “Blithe Spirit” at the Skokie Theatre. But on a summer-like evening when there was so much competition for theatre dollars, many seats were left unfilled—when they shouldn’t have been! This was a stellar performance by the Eclectic Full Contact Theatre Company, featuring a brilliant and convincing cast who handled this classic farce sensationally! Witty, funny, and smart, this nearly three-hour play (including intermission) went by in the blink of an eye. What a delight it was! How we were all howling with laughter! And how great it was to laugh together with a live audience!

**** Recommended **** Somewhere Over the Border is Brian Quijada’s tribute to his mother and her journey from El Salvador to the United States.  Although I’m sure the trek was scary dangerous, Quijada takes a lighter approach, modeling his musical on The Wizard of Oz – consistently light-hearted but always determined and goal-oriented – even through the scary bits!  Quijada’s original music includes cumbia, Mexican mariachi boleros, American rock and hip hop styles – all played by a live band.  Kudos to Teatro Vista for a toe-tapping joyous show.  4 Spotlights

Four Stars! Highly Recommended!  “Grandma’s Jukebox” is a charm! The point of this cute story is that a grandmother’s legacy can live long beyond her death: not just in the characters’ memories of her but in how they subsequently choose to lead their lives. The genre of this show is what’s known as a “jukebox musical.” The songs within it are all popular hits that have been previously recorded by major artists; these are then recreated and assembled around a story, invented at a later date. Playwright and director Michelle Reneé Bester has done just this, using her own grandmother as her inspiration. The plot is centered on the concept of a (physical) jukebox as a means of tying the music, characters, and action together.

5 Stars! Very Highly Recommended!