Spotlight on Reviews

**** Highly Recommended **** Chicago Shakespeare’s production of The Comedy of Errors is Barbara Gaines last gift to Chicago audiences – and it’s a great one!  I can’t think of anything I’d change. Gaines collaborated with Second City’s Ron West to update and reprise their 2008 version – putting Shakespeare’s shortest play literally inside another play.  The result is hilarious – with a ton of sight gags, slapstick and pratfalls.  Shakespeare lover or not, I think everyone will enjoy The Comedy of Errors!  A must-see!  4 BIG Spotlights

****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Ask anyone that you may know, whether they are an avid patron of the arts, merely possess a casual interest in classical music or have never attended a theatrical production in their lifetime, to name an opera -- any opera -- chances are extremely high that they will mention Carmen, Georges Bizet's 1875 work is so universally beloved that even non-opera fans will be familiar with much of its iconic score. Carmen is one of the top three operas that are presented by opera companies, both large and small, throughout the world each year. With its popularity notwithstanding and many feeling that it may be presented much too frequently, some may shy away from seeing yet another production of Carmen.   However, the current offering at Lyric Opera of Chicago, featuring two stellar leads and one sensational soprano in her Lyric debut, is not-to-be-missed.  4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS

I would say that this is highly recommended and go see it but, “The Christians” is over.  Based, however, on this as well as the quality of all the other Citadel productions, don’t miss their next one, “Airness”, plying April 21 to May 21.   I, for one, will be there opening night.  “The Christians” was a lesson learned about preconceived opinions.

*** Recommended ***  Court Theatre's production of Fen is very dirty - and no, I don't mean raunchy, I mean dirty, really really dirty.  If you sit in the first two rows (as I did), you need to wear a mask because there are clouds of dust arising from the stage.  Why, you might ask.  All I can say is that Fen is set in/on a farm (that used to be part of a marshy area that was drained and recleaimed - i.e.