Spotlight on Reviews

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****  Oftentimes, despite our best efforts and idealistic intentions, things fall apart. We let our fellow man down repeatedly by acts of ignorance or physical violence committed against one another. When the victim of that destruction is a member of the animal kingdom, some may feel that the offense is even greater. These defenseless and harmless creatures, many of which are on the ever-growing list of endangered species, face a brutal future as many of them are approaching total extinction. Whether threatened by the ravages of climate change (the recent bushfires in Australia that saw the astounding fatality rate of and impact upon countless koalas, kangaroos and wallabies is just one example) or by basic and all-consuming human greed, animals in the wilderness today are living -- and trying to survive -- in an alarmingly hostile world. The story of one such animal, an elephant named Mlima, is the basis for Lynn Nottage's multi-faceted and haunting play "Mlima's Tale," which is receiving its Midwest premiere in a beautiful production by Griffin Theatre Company at the Raven Theatre.  4 SPOTLIGHTS

***RECOMMENDED*** One of the oddly pleasurable advantages of meeting a complete stranger for the very first time is the fact that it affords you the opportunity to completely reinvent yourself. A brand new identity. Casual encounter. Brief interlude. Whatever you may call it, this informal exchange of ideas or random and seemingly innocent conversation can be fun. After all, who wouldn't want to leave their dreary relationship or monotonous job behind them as they create an entirely fresh and different reality? This is exactly what happens when the female protagonist in Leslye Headland's "The Layover" finds herself seated next to an alluring gentleman on a flight. That initial contact leads these two characters down some very dark passages as it ultimately permanently alters the course of each of their lives forever.  3 SPOTLIGHTS

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Every once in a while, whether an average theatergoer or devoted patron, you are fortunate enough to discover something truly remarkable upon the stage. When all of the key elements -- script, acting, direction and design -- magically coalesce into an evening in the theater which stuns you with its immense power and delves deep within your heart and opens your mind with its staggering brilliance, well, then you know that you have witnessed something miraculous. One such production is "Kill Move Paradise" in its Chicago premiere at TimeLine Theatre Company. This is easily the most insightful, stimulating and essential play presented in Chicago thus far in 2020.  4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" is not the esteemed Russian composer's most popular opera. That distinction probably belongs to "Eugene Onegin" which had its premiere eleven years earlier. It is, however, a much more complex and challenging work which has not been presented by Lyric Opera of Chicago in twenty years. That initial performance, in 2000, was the first chance that local opera lovers got a chance to experience Tchaikovsky's late-career masterwork on Lyric's stage and also coincided with the inaugural season of Sir Andrew Davis as its music director. Fittingly, as Davis approaches the end of that tenure -- he will step down as music director at the conclusion of the 2020/2021 season -- he is once again on the podium to lead a brilliant and haunting new-to-Chicago production of "The Queen of Spades." 4 SPOTLIGHTS