Spotlight on Reviews

"Into the Woods" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

***RECOMMENDED The mere prospect of mounting a production of "Into the Woods" may be nearly as daunting as some of the obstacles that the fairytale characters face once they have entered the foreboding forest in Stephen Sondheim's beloved musical. You need a very strong cast to make this particular show truly sing. After all, as famously parodied in the delightfully twisted show "Forbidden Broadway" in which those cast members lamented Sondheim's endlessly tricky rhyme schemes and demanding lyrics during the "Into the Words" number, not just anyone can pull this off. When it was announced that Kokandy Productions would be concluding their 2024 season with "Into the Woods," hopes were very high as this particular company has had much success with Sondheim's work in the past. 3 SPOTLIGHTS

Other Professional Theater Reviews

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"Some Like It Hot"

**** Highly Recommended "Some Like It Hot" is a big, old-fashioned Broadway musical straight out of the thirties and forties. It’s full of big band music and songs, big tap dance numbers, and beautiful people wearing stunning costumes. Some Like It Hot is also a farce, with rapid fire dialogue, mistaken identities, men dressing as women, insane chases, lots of doors and plenty of pratfalls. I loved every minute of this show! 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Primary Trust" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended I was moved to tears by Namir Smallwood’s tour de force performance in "Primary Trust." I didn’t know quite what to expect – given the whole imaginary friend thing – but as it turns out, the imaginary friend is more of a footnote because the play is actually about self-discovery and connection. Do not miss this poignant yet charming little play at the Goodman. It bumped some very prestigious plays to leap right into my top five plays of the year! 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS…STAGE VS SCREEN - Review by Bob Rubin For TSP News

“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.

Other Professional Theater Reviews

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"The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended Hell in a Handbag is one of my absolute favorite Chicago theater companies. Their unauthorized parodies of old black and white films and favorite TV shows, packed with double entendres, puns, running sight gags and bad wigs, never fail to make me laugh! This fall’s offering, "The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush," is a farce so ridiculous, it’s hysterically funny! If you need some laughter in your life, this is the show for you. I loved it and you will too. Kudos to playwright David Cerda, Hell in a Handbag’s Artistic Director. "The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush" is one of his best! 4 BIG Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Becky Nurse of Salem" - Review by Carol Moore

**** 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

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Ghost Writer 1989" - Review by Carol Moore

Over the years I’ve been to many a Halloween show at M & M Productions’ Center Stage Studio Theatre. This year, the show is "Ghost Writer 1989" written & directed by Mike and Melinda’s son, Jacob Reinhart who took the tired “teens in an isolated cabin” trope and added his own creative plot twists. Kudos! Don’t miss this show.

Community Reviews

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Leonora - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

***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.

Opera and Dance Reviews

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"Ironbound" - Review by Carol Moore

*** Recommended I have real mixed feelings about "Ironbound", the first production of Raven Theatre’s season. It was dark, dystopian and very intense, but really confusing. The story jumped back and forth in time leaving me wondering when was this, who is that person and why was he there. Darja (Lucy Carapetyan), the central character, is abrasive, aggressive and angry, making it difficult to empathize with her. The cast was spot on, however, especially Carapetyan who never left the stage! 3 Spotlights

Reviews by Carol Moore

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"Fidelio" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

****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

Opera and Dance Reviews

Read more about "Fidelio" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

"Into the Woods" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

"Some Like It Hot"

"Primary Trust" - Review by Carol Moore

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS…STAGE VS SCREEN - Review by Bob Rubin For TSP News

"The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of The Haunted Bush" - Review by Carol Moore

"Becky Nurse of Salem" - Review by Carol Moore

"Ghost Writer 1989" - Review by Carol Moore

Leonora - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

"Ironbound" - Review by Carol Moore

"Fidelio" - Review by Jeffrey Leibham

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