Spotlight on Reviews by Carol Moore

"The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is Holiday Magic - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** After seeing Lookingglass Theatre’s production of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” for the second time, I can say this holiday pantomime is special every time you see it. If you’re looking for a holiday outing for your family, this should be the show. Featuring five uber-talented artists, amazing puppets, talented musicians, fantastical costumes and more, “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” is completely charming. Mary Zimmerman’s interpretation of the Hans Christian Anderson story is done entirely in pantomime. I loved it! 4 BIG Holiday Spotlights

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A Young and Fresh "Romeo and Juliet" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** Turnabout, as they say, is fair play. Leonard Bernstein used the plot of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” for his musical, “West Side Story”. In setting their new production on an urban basketball court, Chicago Shakespeare borrowed the “West Side Story” feel for “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare’s drama about teen angst, murder and mayhem. This production is young, fresh and interesting. 4 Spotlights

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Fast-Moving "Do You Believe in Madness?" will keep You Laughing - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** The Second City continues to do what they do best, making people laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more, with their 108th Mainstage Revue, “Do You Believe in Madness?” The Second City formula – a revue filled with snarky commentary on the news of the day, silly sketches, music, improv, audience participation, even a little slapstick comedy – has been very successful over the years. In honor of a milestone birthday – The Second City turns sixty (60) on December 16th – they’ve put together the funniest revue I’ve seen in several years! 4 Spotlights

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The Kids steal the show in Marriott's "Oliver!" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** “Oliver!” is another of my favorite musicals. I’ve seen the show so many times I can almost recite the dialogue, not to mention the lyrics of most of the songs, but so what! The score is one great song after another starting with “Food, Glorious Food”. Some other favorites - “I'd Do Anything (for your)”, “Where is Love?”, “Consider Yourself (one of the family)”, “Who Will Buy”, and “As Long As He Needs Me”. The Marriott production is just plain terrific! Take your family, your kids/grandkids, they’ll love it! 4 BIG Spotlights

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Funky Fairy Tale - "The Other Cinderella" - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** You’ve been invited to a ball in the kingdom of Other, you and all the single girls. The prince is going to pick a bride! Is this another Cinderella story, you might ask? The answer would be no. This is “The Other Cinderella”, Jackie Taylor’s magical musical version of the fairy tale. Black Ensemble Theatre has staged “The Other Cinderella” many times, but I’d never seen it. It’s hard to believe it was written 43 years ago, it’s so fresh and funny. It had me laughing and/or dancing in my seat the whole show! 4 Spotlights

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"Kentucky" is a Quirky Play - Review by Carol Moore

*** Recommended *** “Kentucky” is a quirky little play about a very dysfunctional family. “Kentucky” is an odd, eccentric play. It’s funny until it’s not. It has music, but it’s not a musical. It’s a poignant story about going home, with a moral (if there is a moral) – no matter what you think you know, you can’t know – or decide - what’s best for someone else. 3 Spotlights

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"The Galaxy's Greatest Hits" Blew Me Away! - Review by Carol Moore

I had the marvelous opportunity recently to go to Symphony Center to see/hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) conducted by Benjamin Northey. Although I a receive a lot more invitations to plays than to concerts, I always try to accept the ones I do get. MSO commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, with “The Galaxy’s Greatest Hits”. In addition to glorious music, pictures from space were projected on a giant screen suspended above the orchestra. It was an ‘out-of-this-world’ experience! 4 BIG Spotlights

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"An Evening with C.S. Lewis" was Delightful - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** I really enjoyed “An Evening with C.S. Lewis”, more than I thought I would. A few years back I saw “C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert” starring Max Mason, and was bored stiff. Oh, no, another C.S. Lewis I thought. I’m happy to say David Payne’s C.S. Lewis was entirely different, more personal. His anecdotes were funny and quite delightful, his poems – or as he called them, little ditties – displayed a wry sense of humor. 3 ½ Spotlights

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John Leguizamo's "Latin History for Morons" - Review by Carol Moore

*** Recommended *** John Leguizamo’s “Latin History for Morons” is really, really funny, until it’s not, because, guess what? We’re the morons! When Leguizamo learned that his son’s history books completely ignored the contributions of Latins, he decided to do something about it. I actually did learn a few things over the course of the evening. 3 Spotlights

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"Sherlock's Last Case" a Mystery with a Twist - Review by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** I’ve never been a fan of the whole Sherlock Holmes thing, so I wasn’t all that excited about seeing “Sherlock’s Last Case”. I think I’ve always been a bit turned off by all that arrogant know-it-all behavior, so needless to say, a play called “Sherlock’s Last Case” wasn’t on my bucket list. Describe me as surprised, “Sherlock’s Last Case” is a quirky little mystery with a serious cliff hanger at intermission. Sherlock is just as arrogant as always, but Watson brings him back to earth – at least for a little while. 4 Spotlights

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