****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED****  Upon entering the Harris Theatre, you may have felt that you were actually in a large nightclub, with DJ Prince The Game Changer spinning from a large booth that sat at stage left. This 17-year-old turntablist had the capacity crowd on the main floor moving and grooving in their seats to some pretty impressive throw-back early 1990's beats (think Robin S and Crystal Waters) and mesmerized by some trippy visuals projected onto a large movie screen. The vibe was most definitely chill and not at all what you might expect for an event titled "XQ Super School Live", which is an emerging and flourishing network of "educators, students, families and other civic-minded people who are reimagining high school education in the United States" has partnered with Pop-Up Magazine to bring this well-organized and highly entertaining multimedia storytelling experience to Chicago for just one evening.  4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

**** Recommended **** Remember when you were growing up and your mother told you to always think before you did something or other because in some vague, unspecified way it could/would ruin the rest of your life?  In “The Firestorm”, one character did something stupid when he was young – and dumb – and it really does come back to haunt him.  How well would you handle something from your past?  As I watched his life unravel, I was really glad I’d listened to my mom.  “The Firestorm” presents an interesting and intriguing dilemma.  4 Spotlights

John Berry CBE and Anthony Lilley OBE for Scenario Two are delighted to announce a new production of the acclaimed Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza starring four-time Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Renée Fleming as Margaret Johnson, who embarks on a fateful trip to Florence with her daughter in the summer of 1953. Additional casting including Broadway and West End stars to be announced soon.

John Berry CBE and Anthony Lilley OBE for Scenario Two are delighted to announce a new production of the acclaimed Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza starring four-time Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Renée Fleming as Margaret Johnson, who embarks on a fateful trip to Florence with her daughter in the summer of 1953. Additional casting including Broadway and West End stars to be announced soon.

From the producers of The Lion King and Aladdin, Disney’s Frozen, the Tony®-nominated Best Musical, will play an exclusive 11-week premiere engagement at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) beginning October 21, 2020, with performances playing through January 3, 2021.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced that audiences are now able to purchase single tickets to Lyric’s premiere of the Broadway classic and new-to-Chicago production of 42nd Street.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced that audiences are now able to purchase single tickets to Lyric’s premiere of the Broadway classic and new-to-Chicago production of 42nd Street.

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce the First National Tour of Mean Girls—the record-breaking new musical comedy produced by Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman, and Paramount Pictures based on the hit film—will be coming to Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a limited 5-week engagement from December 25, 2019 to January 26, 2020.

Not Recommended * As my friend and I walked out of the theater after “The Ridiculous Darkness”, she commented that that was two hours she’d never get back. Sadly, that’s exactly how I felt. In the publicity blurbs, “The Ridiculous Darkness” is described as a German-written dark comedy. It was certainly dark, but I didn’t see any comedy. This production had no idea where it was going and it definitely didn’t have a clue where it had been. Don’t waste your time. 1/2 Spotlight

**** Recommended **** “A Number”, playing through June 9th in the Gillian Theatre (Writers Theatre’s smaller space) is one of the most interesting plays I’ve seen in a long time. Caryl Churchill has taken a provocative concept which might just become reality and turned it into an on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense-filled drama. 4 Spotlights