**** Recommended **** Unlike my husband, I’ve never been interested in books, movies or plays about the military. Honestly, I’ve always steered clear of them, so when I got the invitation to A Soldier’s Play, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. Obviously, I did go, and I’m so glad I did. A Soldier’s Play is one terrific play! It caught my attention immediately, and kept it! 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended **** It’s official, "The Book of Mormon" is just as funny the second time around! The show has lots of off-color jokes, one liners, pop culture references, and pratfalls. In fact, the show hadn’t even opened when some ministers were objecting to the off-color and/or offensive content. Bawdy content aside, The Book of Mormon, written by Trey Parker and Robin Lopez, the duo responsible for TV hit South Park, is a Tony-winning Broadway blockbuster musical, complete with a talented cast, sparkly costumes, snappy choreography, even a tap-dancing chorus line! I give The Book of Mormon 4 BIG Spotlights
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** If you are hesitant to explore contemporary operas because you fear that the music will be too atonal or discordant, then you need to hear the soaring and oft-times ethereal score of "Proximity." If you shy away from modern operatic productions because you feel that they have nothing of any importance to state or that they are out-of-touch with reality and are completely irrelevant, then you need to let the profound importance of "Proximity" wash over you. And if all of that isn't enough to engage you, the visually stunning stagecraft of "Proximity" alone is well worth the price of admission to this bold, daring and highly inventive new work. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS
**** Recommended **** Lookingglass Theatre’s production of "Villette", Sara Gmitter’s new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s 1853 novel, is a small, rather intimate story about a young woman without a family or means (money) must find a way to support herself when few opportunities were available to women. The enigmatic and self-contained Lucy Snowe (Mi Kang), a keen observer of human foibles, rarely revealed anything about herself. I remember saying that Mi Kang gave a tour de force performance in TimeLine’s production of
"The Chinese Lady" last year. It’s great to see her shine in a completely different kind of role. 3 ½ Spotlights
**** Recommended **** Hammond Community Theatre’s latest show is a totally macabre musical revue – and it’s hilarious! No kidding, "Madwomen’s Late-Nite Cabaret" will have you laughing from the very first song all the way to the finale. You will not believe how perfectly certain well-known songs certain maligned women’s lives/death scenes. This is a don't miss show!
*** Recommended *** I’m still not sure how I feel about Goodman Theatre’s production of "Layalina". On the one hand, the cast was superb and I loved the set! On the other hand, although I could figure out how the first act led into second, there were just too many unanswered questions. Layal is a complete mystery. What was she doing during the missing 17 years? Did she resent being forced to raise her siblings? How/why was she also raising Amin. Was he her cousin or her husband’s brother? 3 Spotlights
**** 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
*** Recommended *** Music Theatre Works production of "Avenue Q", an adults-only spoof of a well-known public TV children’s show, will have you laughing out loud. Set in a shabby, down-at-the-heels neighborhood where people, puppets and monsters alike can afford the rent, "Avenue Q" is not for the faint of heart. It’s charming, sweet, raunchy, profane and really, really funny. 3 ½ 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
*** Recommended *** If you’re planning on seeing TINA – THE TINA TURNER STORY you should know that it is not a juke box musical. There’s plenty of music, but it’s Broadway musical music, not Top 40 hits music. In other words, this is Tina Turner’s life story, and it’s very, very dark. That said, the audience was cheering at the opening night performance, the 200th performance. I thought the was too long, coming in at 2 hours, 45 minutes; the encore performance after the bows redeemed the show for me. 3 Spotlights
