Spotlight on Reviews

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a smorgasbord of genres.   It is sci-fi, drama, horror, romance and comedy supported by rousing classic pop rock music.  

**** Recommended  Shattered Globe Theatre’s production of "Becky Nurse of Salem" is a play that grew on me.  I didn’t think I liked it, but the more I thought about it, the more it intrigued me. Playwright Sarah Ruhl always seems to pick an interesting topic for her plays, and then takes the story in a really unexpected direction. In this case, Ruhl uses a real person, Rebecca Nurse, a hard-of-hearing, 71-year-old mother of nine, who was hung as a witch in 1692, as a starting point for a modern tale about an outspoken woman with modern problems.  4 Spotlights

***RECOMMENDED***  You certainly have to hand it to the clever folks at Chicago Opera Theater, especially their forward-thinking General Director Lawrence Edelson, for perfectly timing the North American premiere of the rarely seen Ferdinando Paer opera "Leonora." Edelson, who also serves as the stage director of this production, has waited many years for the chance to present this obscure work to Chicago audiences. When it was announced that Lyric Opera of Chicago would be presenting Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio," during their 2024/2025 season, Edelson knew that his company needed to act fast to prepare for their own version of the same story.

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****  Ludwig van Beethoven composed only one opera during his lifetime. That work was first performed at Theater an der Wien in Vienna in 1805. Beethoven, who wasn't completely satisfied with his efforts, did some major revisions and wrote several different versions for the overture of the same opera that, by 1814, became what we know today as "Fidelio." Lyric Opera of Chicago first presented "Fidelio" in November of 1961, which was the seventh season of the company's existence. It has now been over two decades since "Fidelio" has been staged at Lyric. Which makes this moment, and this particular production, the perfect time to acquaint yourself with Beethoven's only opera. 4 SPOTLIGHTS