Spotlight on Reviews

**** Highly Recommended  I was kind of surprised when I read that the Copley Theatre was doing "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee".  It’s a sweet, silly, ultimately happy musical about a group of snarky fifth grade misfits competing for a trophy and the chance to go to the national Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.  Although it’s one of my favorites, it’s also a favorite show for community/high school theater groups – which means it’s been a tad overdone.  That said, the Copley’s high-energy production was terrific – definitely out-spelling the competition!  4 Spotlights

**** Recommended  The uber-talented Leslie Goddard has returned to Theatre at the Center for another of her one-woman shows, "Violet Jessup – Titanic Survivor".  In our celebrity-obsessed society, it seems most of the stories are about the wealthy and/or famous people who survived or didn’t survive the sinking.  This story is different and fascinating, since it’s from the perspective of a crew member. Hurry and grab a ticket, you only have a couple of days to catch Violet Jessup!  4 Spotlights

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED  While there is no denying that Puccini's "La Boheme" is one of -- if not the -- world's most beloved and popular operas, Lyric Opera of Chicago took a bit of an artistic gamble when they announced that they would be presenting "La Boheme" during their 2024/2025 season for an astounding ten performances. Just to give you some idea of how gargantuan that number of performances is, most individual operas presented by Lyric Opera each season are scheduled for no more than the standard five performances (sometimes that number can go as high as six if it is a specialized work or one that features a highly-coveted new rising star or one who is already established as a superstar in the international opera world). The risk on Lyric's part has paid off quite handsomely with this gorgeous production which feels as fresh and vital as it must have felt immediately upon its premiere in 1896. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

**** Highly Recommended  The Joffrey Ballet’s Grainger Academy’s Winning Works, presented annually at the Museum of Contemporary Art, is a performance I await with great anticipation. It’s a chance to see brand new pieces by new choreographers, all ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists, performed by up-and-coming dancers who get a chance to shine.  Each piece is preceded by a short video in which the choreographer explains his/her vision, while working with the dancers.  This year’s program was absolutely fabulous.  4 BIG Spotlights