**** Recommended **** Turnabout, as they say, is fair play. Leonard Bernstein used the plot of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” for his musical, “West Side Story”. In setting their new production on an urban basketball court, Chicago Shakespeare borrowed the “West Side Story” feel for “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare’s drama about teen angst, murder and mayhem. This production is young, fresh and interesting. 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended **** The Second City continues to do what they do best, making people laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more, with their 108th Mainstage Revue, “Do You Believe in Madness?” The Second City formula – a revue filled with snarky commentary on the news of the day, silly sketches, music, improv, audience participation, even a little slapstick comedy – has been very successful over the years. In honor of a milestone birthday – The Second City turns sixty (60) on December 16th – they’ve put together the funniest revue I’ve seen in several years! 4 Spotlights
***RECOMMENDED*** "I lost my soul because I didn't know its worth" laments the male protagonist in Raven Theatre's production of "Hoodoo Love." Written by Katori Hall and an off-Broadway hit from 2007, this drama with music tells the tale of an aspiring blues singer living in Depression-era Memphis and the great lengths that she will go to in order to achieve success as a performer but, more importantly, to ensnare the man that she loves and guarantee that he will settle down with her to raise a family. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
**** Highly Recommended **** “Oliver!” is another of my favorite musicals. I’ve seen the show so many times I can almost recite the dialogue, not to mention the lyrics of most of the songs, but so what! The score is one great song after another starting with “Food, Glorious Food”. Some other favorites - “I'd Do Anything (for your)”, “Where is Love?”, “Consider Yourself (one of the family)”, “Who Will Buy”, and “As Long As He Needs Me”. The Marriott production is just plain terrific! Take your family, your kids/grandkids, they’ll love it! 4 BIG Spotlights
**** Recommended **** You’ve been invited to a ball in the kingdom of Other, you and all the single girls. The prince is going to pick a bride! Is this another Cinderella story, you might ask? The answer would be no. This is “The Other Cinderella”, Jackie Taylor’s magical musical version of the fairy tale. Black Ensemble Theatre has staged “The Other Cinderella” many times, but I’d never seen it. It’s hard to believe it was written 43 years ago, it’s so fresh and funny. It had me laughing and/or dancing in my seat the whole show! 4 Spotlights
Whiting audiences are loving Marian Theatre Guild’s production of “9 to 5: The Musical”. The story is hilarious while Dolly Parton’s cheerful score is guaranteed to lift your spirits. If you’ve ever dreamed about vengeance against a hellacious boss, and you’re looking for an enjoyable evening, you can’t miss with “9 to 5.” 2 Spotlights
I really enjoyed the Beatniks’ production of “Communicating Doors”, a time-traveling comedy/murder mystery with a rather complicated plot. people are jumping through time – but the talented cast handled it well - and with credible British accents! 3 Spotlights
****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** In 1989, Lyric Opera of Chicago launched an artistic initiative that came to be known as "Toward the 21st Century," wherein the company was committed to presenting at least one 20th-century opera, whether American or European, each season for an entire decade. For the most part, that trend has continued well beyond that initial period, carrying over into the new millennium. Now, as a means to attract new audience members. Lyric Opera is offering performances that are sung in English (with projected English supertitles), Lyric has also refocused that objective to bring more contemporary operas to the mainstage. Perhaps the most internationally well-known of these modern works, since it has been produced by 70 different companies worldwide, is "Dead Man Walking," which had its world premiere in 2000 at San Francisco Opera and makes its long-awaited Chicago premiere here. 4 BIG SPOTLIGHTS
***RECOMMENDED*** Pretty soon the artistic and executive directors of Porchlight Music Theatre may have to add a newly minted moniker to the list of credits printed in the Playbill that they distribute at each performance: casting by Divas Central Management. Last autumn, Porchlight presented a highly-lauded production of "Gypsy" starring E. Faye Butler -- a performance which saw a very busy Butler finally return to a Chicago stage after quite a lengthy absence. She was greeted with open arms by critics and Porchlight audiences alike and won a coveted Jeff Award for her efforts. Now the elusive local star returning to the stage is Hollis Resnik in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard," which is the first Webber show that Porchlight has ever produced as they enter their Silver Anniversary season. To keep the diva trend going, avid musical theatre lovers can only dream that next October Porchlight will launch their season with Paula Scrofano as Aurora in "Kiss of the Spider Woman". Or, how about Barbara E. Robertson in the title role of "Mame"? They both would be sensational. 3 SPOTLIGHTS
FOOTLIGHT’S COMEDY IS REDHOT - I was invited to see the final dress rehearsal of Footlight Players current production of Neil Simon’s wonderful play, THE LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS. This was the late great playwright’s favorite of all his works, and I don’t remember having a more enjoyable evening,
