Spotlight on Reviews

I can’t think of enough adjectives/adverbs to describe Catch the Light, the exhilarating 60th anniversary performance by Giordano Dance Chicago.  I think exuberant, stylish, graceful, athletic, exciting, stunning, incredible and energetic are good choices too.  Really, I was in awe of the speed and athleticism on display.  The Giordano dancers are so strong, so talented, so creative, they absolutely blew me away! I gave them 4 BIG Spotlights.

**** Highly Recommended **** Mercury Theatre’s production of "Clue: Murder, Madness, Mystery and Mayhem" is pure entertainment – and absolutely hilarious!  Although it’s based on the popular board game, Clue is less a mystery and more a farce.  Like most farces, it features rapid dialogue, ridiculous situations, mistaken identities, pratfalls, multiple doors, sliding walls, and of course, the characters all have pseudonyms, assigned by their unknown host.  If you’re looking for some fun and laughter on your evening out, then Clue is the play for you!  4 Spotlights

*** Recommended ***  The Copley Theatre production of Bull: a love story is part of the 5th Annual Destinos, the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival showcasing Latino theater artists and companies from Chicago, the United States and Latin America.  Bull, written by Nancy Garcia Loza and directed by Laura Alcala Baker, is the first Destinos production at a suburban theater.  Bull is not your typical rom-com, but it is a love story nonetheless.  3 ½ Spotlights 

***RECOMMENDED***  The American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, who is the primary subject of "The Brightness of Light," was a very complex individual. This recent work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts (2012's "Silent Night") offers a rare glimpse into her most intimate and private thoughts, all presented in her own words. Interpreting all of O'Keeffe's text is the beloved American soprano Renee Fleming, who is currently in her twelfth year as Lyric Opera's creative consultant. Chicago audiences clearly adore Fleming and they turned out in droves to get the rare opportunity to hear her perform live in this glorious one-night only event.  3 SPOTLIGHTS