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.
**** Highly Recommended **** Towle Theater opens their 20th season with a one-woman show, Love, Linda (The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter), an absolute tour de force for star, LInda J. Wilczynski. Love, Linda is an autobiographical musical about Linda Lee Thomas who was married to Cole Porter for 35 years. This show is not to be missed! 4 Spotlights
*** 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.
My two sons, ages 4 and 2, my mom, and I went to see "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the Marriott Theatre on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 10:00 am. The play follows Charles Schulz’s famous “Peanuts” bunch. All of the actors did a great job. The performance lasted a little over an hour. My kids were entertained the whole time. The actors had colorful costumes and the music was great. The entire show came together nicely.
Although is was not easy to score a ticket to this sold-out production, I’m glad I did. Steel Magnolias is a play that has it all… fights, love, worries, birth, death, laughs, and tears.
**** Recommended **** The Goodman Theatre’s latest production, Toni Stone, is a great baseball story. If you have a baseball lover in the family, take them to see this unique play. This is a darn good story based on a real person, Toni Stone, the first woman to play professional baseball. Kudos to Director Ron OJ Parsons on a delightful story. Aside from the history, Toni Stone would be worth seeing for the baseball anecdotes alone! 4 Spotlights
**** Highly recommended **** If you love jazz, and jazz singers, you don’t want to miss Alexis J. Roston in "Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill" at Mercury Theater’s Venus Cabaret. Wearing a glamorous white gown, full-length gloves and pearls, Roston, backed by a fabulous trio, brings Billie Holiday to life. By the way, watch for the darling dog later in the show! Lady Day has found a home at Venus Cabaret! 4 Big Spotlights
**** Highly Recommended **** Drury Lane’s production of "A Chorus Line" is absolutely fabulous. "A Chorus Line," one of my favorite musicals, is unique in that it has no stars. Rather it pays homage to all the dancers competing for a spot in the chorus. This show Who’s who in the chorus? We never have a clue, they’re just names in a program – except in "A Chorus Line!" 4 Big Spotlights
***** Highly Recommended ***** Marriott Theatre’s "Big Fish", an old-fashioned feel-good musical about an American family, is imaginative, fantastical and an all- around good time. Spoiler warning – it can be a bit of a tear-jerker, too. Although I didn’t see the Tim Burton film, I did read Daniel Wallace’s book. I think the musical nails the feel of the book. I loved “Big Fish” and I give it 4 BIG Spotlights.
***RECOMMENDED*** It's not every day that you can say that you've attended the world premiere of an opera. When that opera happens to be created by multiple local artists and set on the South Side of Chicago during the summer of 2019, it is extremely exciting for all individuals involved. "The Factotum" was commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera. Chicagoland audiences, upon witnessing the conclusion of this fresh and insightful work, should leave the performance with a great sense of pride -- not only for our city -- but for all of the dedicated artists who assisted in bringing this opera to us. 3 AND 1/2 SPOTLIGHTS
