Spotlight on Reviews

**** Highly Recommended  I missed seeing the Goodman Theatre’s annual intro to the holiday season, "A Christmas Carol," the last couple of years, so it was a definite joy to be back in that audience. Although the overall production remains the same, there are some changes – I loved Christopher Donahue in his first year as Scrooge and Kate Fry who stepped in as the Narrator.  A note: Austin Tichenor steps in as Scrooge at ten performances.  A Christmas Carol remains a holiday tradition for many families.  The Goodman lobby, festive with decorations and a sparkling holiday shopping area, adds zing to the holiday spirit.  Now in its 47th year, "A Christmas Carol" will put you in the holiday spirit with a fabulous cast, lavish sets and colorful period costumes. 4 Holiday Spotlights.

**** Recommended  "Falsettos," produced in Partnership with Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company, and directed by TimeLine co-founder and Associate Artistic Director, Nick Bowling, is an unusual musical in that it defies classification.  It’s about the angst-ridden lives of six New Yorkers, but it’s not annoying – at least most of the time.  It has funny bits, but it’s not a comedy.  It has really sad bits, but it’s not a tragedy. The entire script is sung, but it’s not an opera or even an operetta, it’s a musical soap opera. 4 Spotlights

This season’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” one of Wolfgang Mozart’s most beloved operas and a masterpiece of music and the joy of life and love, surpasses all of Lyric Opera’s past incarnations of the last several decades.

In this production, Barbara Gaines, the now-retired founder and longtime director of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, once more brings to Lyric her inimitable ability to imbue centuries-old characters with believable humanity and vibrancy – and make them feel like real people, despite the opera’s purposely contrived plot and the characters’ absurd hijinks.

**** Recommended  The Madison Square Garden Production of "Annie" playing at the Chicago Theatre is an absolute delight. The success of this production rests squarely on the shoulders of twelve-year-old Hazel Vogel, who is onstage virtually the entire play – a daunting prospect for many adults – but this girl is definitely up to the task!  Kevin, the dog who plays Sandy, is darling and very well trained. "Annie" is a perfect choice to introduce young people to live theater.  4 Spotlights