Lyric’s canceled productions of “42nd Street” and “Blue” are now slated to run in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Meanwhile, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is partnering with WFMT on a series beginning next week.
Stories by Hedy Weiss
How Chicago’s Storefront Theaters Are Facing the Coronavirus Crisis
Because Chicago is the storefront theater capital of this country, it’s worth looking at the situation now facing some of these small companies and how they are trying to deal with the global pandemic.
A Smashing Lookingglass Premiere Captures Complex Chemistry Between Cabrini-Green and Jane Byrne
Lookingglass Theatre’s dazzlingly performed world premiere production is a theatrical and sociological gem of a work that should catapult its writer-director, ensemble member J. Nicole Brooks, to genuine fame.
Dance is the Name of the Game on Chicago Stages as Alvin Ailey Company Leads the Way
Chicago’s dance card is full to bursting. And one of the city’s most beloved “visitors” – the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – is now drawing its usual huge crowds to the Auditorium Theatre.
TUTA Heightens the Shock Value in ‘Hedda Gabler’ With Blasts of Music
When it comes to revivals of Henrik Ibsen’s plays in this era of neo-feminism, “A Doll’s House” attracts the most attention. But it is the title character in “Hedda Gabler” who takes the cake. And in this new production, she has never been more compelling and convincing.
Days and Nights of Classical Musical Magic at Symphony Center
Many of the concerts at Symphony Center are one-time-only events for which Orchestra Hall’s 2,500 seats are nearly sold out. But attention must be paid to the hours of remarkable music-making brought to the stage. Here are a few recent cases in point.
Scintillating ‘Book of Moron’ Intellectually Invigorating in an Era of Catastrophic Dumbing Down
In 90 uninterrupted minutes of altogether irresistible satire, Robert Dubac – an actor, writer, comedian and grand master of sleight-of-hand (and mind) – ingeniously nails the current regrettable state of the nation and the world at large.
‘Mlima’s Tale’ Traces Global Trail of Destruction of a Grand, Endangered Creature
Lynn Nottage’s 2018 play about the savage slaughter and potential decimation of Africa’s “big tusk” elephant population, and the illicit trade in ivory that drives it, is a stunning piece of work – equal parts poetry, ritual and an anatomy of corruption.
CSO Infuses Beethoven Classics With New Energy and Captures Ophelia’s Descent Into Madness
What Maestro Riccardo Muti and the orchestra have made continually clear throughout this year of celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth is how thrillingly modern the composer’s work can feel.
Joffrey Announces Big Plans for 2020-21 Season in New Home at Lyric Opera
A coming change of venue for the Joffrey Ballet is a major shift, and its initial opening season will be of great importance, especially since it also will mark the 25th anniversary of the Joffrey as a formidable Chicago cultural institution.
Classical Technique Meets Contemporary Mindset in Joffrey Ballet’s Fast-Moving Mixed Bill
Throughout its history, the Joffrey Ballet’s dancers have been renowned for their ability to create characters as well as to put their superb technical skills to work. They also are capable of carrying over their acting ability to contemporary “plotless” works.
Musical Version of ‘Emma’ Taps Into Enduring Allure of Jane Austen
The flaws and fancies, and triumphs and comeuppances of Jane Austen’s characters continue to ring true two centuries after the publication of her books. The latest proof can be found in this utterly charming production at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Lyric Opera Announces 2020-2021 Season of Classics, New Works and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
The formidable full schedule will feature 10 major productions, eight of which will be “new to Chicago.” The season also will mark the grand finale of Sir Andrew Davis’ tenure as music director of the Lyric Opera.
Chicago Opera Theater’s World Premiere of ‘Freedom Ride’ a Triumph of Art and History
In its airtight, fervent, emotionally riveting 90 minutes, “Freedom Ride” vividly captures a pivotal moment in American history and the civil rights movement of the early 1960s in the most sophisticated yet accessible way.
The Music Speaks for Itself in the CSO’s Riveting Concert Version of ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’
The true magnificence of Mascagni’s 1890 opera – now focused entirely on the beauty of the music and the truthfulness of the singers, and stripped of the distractions of scenery, melodramatic acting and all the rest – was a great revelation.
Elusive Identities at the Center of 2 Whodunits Separated by Many Decades
Agatha Christie’s play, “The Mousetrap,” is now receiving a wonderfully entertaining revival at Court Theatre, while Northlight Theatre is presenting the world premiere of Steven Dietz’s “How a Boy Falls,” a compelling whodunit with very dark overtones.
Paul Lewis and CSO in Astonishing Performances of 2 Beethoven Piano Concertos
Fresh off a grueling but much heralded European tour, the CSO has returned to the Symphony Center stage with Sir Andrew Davis.
Porchlight Sets the Stage on Fire With Duke Ellington Revue ‘Sophisticated Ladies’
This knockout revival could easily be airlifted onto a New York stage without a single alteration. Come and see it if you can.
Revisiting the Power and Pain of ‘Top Girls’ in Bristling Remy Bumppo Production
The all-female cast of Caryl Churchill’s play made a statement from the very start, and now, the eight bravura actresses in the current cast turn in a collection of blistering performances that suggest the intentional irony of using the word “girls” (rather than “women”) in the title.
Swept Away by a Hurricane of Love and Betrayal in ‘Once on This Island’
The show is full of exuberant dancing and performances by strong actor-singers, but the crucial intimacy of its storytelling too often gets lost in the carnival atmosphere that has been generated to give this 90-minute gem a Broadway gloss.
In ‘Juliet,’ A Mother and Her Children in Time of Extreme Political Distress
At once haunting, sad and beautiful, Andras Visky’s “Juliet” – now in production by Theatre Y – is a work of both real life and pure poetry.
Hershey Felder to Make Goodman Debut With Portrait of French Composer Claude Debussy
The multitalented actor, pianist (and yes, composer in his own right) brings the eighth installment in his renowned “Great Composers Series” to Chicago in June and simultaneously makes his Goodman Theatre debut.
‘Whisper House’ a Haunting Musical About Love, Loneliness, Betrayal and War
The stylishly macabre, morally challenging show by Duncan Sheik (of “Spring Awakening” fame) and Kyle Jarrow is now receiving its Chicago premiere by Black Button Eyes Productions.
‘Dance Nation’ and ‘Mean Girls’ Offer Sad Portrait of Adolescent Girls
If you were to consider the dominant feelings expressed by the adolescent girls in these two shows, the obvious conclusion would be that for all the talk, the feminist movement of the past five decades has failed to reach a whole generation or two of girls.
CSO in a Dazzling Triumvirate of Works by Stravinsky, Dvorak and Adams
Talk about ending the year with a bang. Just a few weeks before the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is to embark on a whirlwind tour of Europe, the orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Edo de Waart, is performing an altogether thrilling program.
