**** Highly Recommended Why revive "Sound of Music" for a national tour? Simply put – it’s one of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musicals, it’s family friendly, the love story is timeless and it’s the 65th anniversary of "The Sound of Music" on stage. This production is enchanting. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended The Q Brothers Collective – GQ, JQ, Jax and Pos – are back at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre with their unique take on Julius Caesar. "Rome Sweet Rome" is fresh, cheeky, fun and very original. Loved it! 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended TimeLine Theatre’s production of Sandra Delgado’s new play, "Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars," at Lookingglass Theatre, is really timely, since the central character, Clara, artfully played by Delgado herself, is part of the sandwich generation – and dealing with immigration. The story is poignant and thought-provoking. Since it’s set in an earlier, more friendly time, Clara has time to get a lawyer and plead her case in court. 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended "Revolution(s)" is a rock musical, combining punk, hip-hop and metal – with decibel levels to match – but it’s not a jukebox musical. Although there are some familiar tunes, most of the music is new. Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s play has an actual plot, even though it was a bit convoluted and therefore confusing to me what with two different timelines with somewhat parallel experiences. 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended When your entire life has imploded – for whatever the reason – can you go back? How do you put the pieces of your life back together? How do you adjust to the changes in people, places and situations that happened while you were gone? These questions are at the center of Shattered Globe Theatre’s gripping and thought-provoking new play, "Ugly Lies the Bone." 4 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended The audience was clearly ready and waiting for the much anticipated return of " Lion King," judging by the cheers that greeted the first notes sung by Rafiki the Mandrill (Mukelisiwe Goba). I could see expressions of sheer awe on people’s faces as animals – everything from giraffes to elephants to birds in the sky – walked up the aisles toward the stage. Everything about "The Lion King" is larger than life and because it’s a Disney production, everything is perfect! I give it 4 Spotlights.
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Perhaps the most famous double bill that exists within the operatic repertoire -- and, surprisingly, there are more than you might initially imagine -- has returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago. "Cavalleria rusticana" and "Pagliacci," often lovingly referred to as "Cav/Pag," are once again thrilling audiences with their compact storylines, richly melodious scores and morally conflicted characters who, undeterred by their individual fates, end up shining brightly from their rural Calabrian villages. One of the reasons why this production is so special is the fact that it features the Lyric debuts of two exciting new performers: mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina as Santuzza and tenor SeokJong Baek as Turiddu, the conflicted lovers at the heart of "Cavalleria rusticana." 4 SPOTLIGHTS
"Godspell" is currently livening up the stage at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie courtesy of Music Theatre Works.
Chicago Opera Theater Discovery Concert explores Shakespeare’s timeless tales through music, a lovely invitation to its upcoming “Falstaff” opera by Salieri in December
***RECOMMENDED*** For the casual audience member attending an operatic performance, it is usually not necessary to know much about a production's narrative beforehand. That's the job of the librettist. If you have a good librettist, the story unfolds in real-time, it beautifully complements the rhythm of the composer's score and it is easily understood. However, if the source material happens to be Shakespeare or Greek tragedy, perhaps, you may want to do a little bit of research ahead of time. No need to dig out your old Edith Hamilton edition of "Mythology" however, in order to appreciate the season-opener "Medea" at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Just peruse the synopsis in your program before the curtain rises. The first paragraph will grant you vital information that will fill in memory gaps to Medea's backstory while also helping to answer questions that have major significance on what is her motivation for ultimately devising such a sinister plan. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
