3-1/2 stars – bumped up to 4 stars! Porchlight Theatre’s “Cabaret” is fun and entertaining yet retains its dark underpinnings of things to come: having to do with the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany in the 1930s. With hummable music by Kander and Ebb and a remarkable book by Joe Masteroff, the singing, dancing, and acting in this show are terrific—and many elements are exceptional.
**** Highly Recommended **** Porchlight Music Theater’s deliciously decadent production of Cabaret is not to be missed! Cabaret was written by Kander and Ebb, who are famous for jazzy music with edgy, provocative lyrics. I can’t say enough about the cast. I thought Josh Walker was perfect as the Emcee, while Erica Stephan definitely has the voice for Sally Bowles. The costumes are sexy and sequined, the choreography energetic and suggestive. Kudos to Director Michael Weber and Assistant Director/Choreographer Brenda Didier! Porchlight pulled out all the stops for this show! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** Fans of the beloved TV show "The Golden Girls" will love "The Golden Gals Live!" While we were chatting at intermission, a friend – who’s a GG aficionado – told me that all the lines in Act I were taken directly from the show, but weren’t always in the same order. From a personal perspective, since I was only an occasional viewer, I can’t dispute that. I must say, however, that this cast has the characterizations down pat. This is a comedy that anyone – TV viewer or not – will enjoy. The cast is terrific and the laughs are real! 4 Spotlights
*** Recommended *** "The Icicle Picnic: Journey for the Sun", produced by Cabinet of Curiosities in the downstairs space at Chopin Theatre, was a charming and deliciously hokey space odyssey including live music, beatboxing, giant puppets, ridiculous talking appliances and some of the most talented and creative teens I’ve ever seen. 3 ½ Spotlights
5 Stars! Highly Recommended! Juicy and flavorful, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” is a treat! The acting is fantastic; the choreography is beautiful; the singing is excellent; and the music is fun and enlivening. The original Broadway musical came out in 1978, written by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson, with music and lyrics by Carol Hall. But this new production by the Theo Ubique company can boast of originality too: with both female and nonbinary characters playing the “working girls” and with lots of gender fluidity: men playing women’s roles, women playing men’s roles, etc., and doing so convincingly. Due to the marvelous trifecta of three talented women: director Landree Fleming, choreographer Jenna Schoppe, and music director Isabella Isherwood, this largely comedic show provides an enjoyable evening’s-worth of live theatre.
*** Recommended *** If you’ve read Louisa May Alcott’s "Little Women", you know that the March sisters, particularly Jo, spent their free time in the attic, so I loved that director Melanie Keller chose to set First Folio’s production of Heather Chrisler’s new adaptation of "Little Women" in the attic. On the whole I enjoyed the production, but sitting in the last row I had some difficulty hearing the cast at certain times. 3 Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** One of my favorite things post-Thanksgiving treats is the Towle Theater’s Fabulous 50’s Christmas. The show is modeled on the old Perry Como/Andy Williams Christmas specials our parents/grandparents watched in the 50s.
**** Highly Recommended **** Watching “Dear Evan Hansen” is a gut-wrenching experience. It’s like watching a train wreck – you know it’s coming so you just sit back and wait for the fall out. On the other hand, it’s a hauntingly beautiful musical about a troubled teen complete with redemption in the end. In case you haven’t figured it out, I thought it was magnificent, and I’ll even admit to a tear or two, too. 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** "A Magical Cirque Christmas" isn’t just magical, it’s enchanting, a perfect blend of holiday music, magical sleight of hand, awesome circus acts, amazing projections and dramatic lighting. The show is full of OMG moments – stunts that will have you on the edge of your seat! I have to say my favorite segment was the awesome light show – the entire theater was flooded with moving white lights – accompanying Audri Bartholomew’s rendition of classic carol, Silent Night. Truly marvelous! Hurry and get your tickets, "A Magical Cirque Christmas" is only in Chicago for a few more days. 4 BIG Spotlights
***** Highly Recommended ***** I’m a Jane Austen fan. I’ve read and reread all of her books, wry commentaries on the courtship rituals of the English gentry. The Bennett family, described so well in Pride and Prejudice, is dear to me. While I loved the first two installments in the Pemberley trilogy by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcom,"Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley" and "The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley", I think "Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley" is the best of the three. Everything is exactly as it should be – the costumes, the hairstyles, the setting, the accents – the feminist slant. Fresh and witty, Georgiana and Kitty fits right into Jane Austen’s world. 4 BIG Spotlights
