Chicago Theater Reviews

Review: THE HOUSE OF IDEAS at City Lit Theater
by Zac Thriffiley - September 04, 2024

THE HOUSE OF IDEAS provides an entertaining history of Marvel’s precipitous rise to pop cultural supremacy that nicely captures the collaborative spirit of Kirby and Lee’s frequently tumultuous partnership. But more casual fans of the brand may find themselves lost in the play’s more intricate plot ...

Review: THE FULL MONTY at Paramount Theatre Aurora, IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - September 01, 2024

“Desperate times take desperate measures”. These words are spoken by one of the out of work steel workers in Buffalo. That is exactly what happens in the Full Monty, currently playing at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora through October 6.  ...

Review: THE NORMAL HEART at Redtwist Theatre
by Zac Thriffiley - August 29, 2024

Redtwist’s THE NORMAL HEART is frequently an emotionally affecting piece, thanks to the powerfully palpable talents of its principal cast. However, some uneven performances and an occasionally murky directorial vision prevent the production’s themes and message from beating forth as forcefully as on...

Review: 1776 at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - August 29, 2024

 In this political year, it seems very appropriate that the new production at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone’s musical 1776, the background story of the days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence....

Review: BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL National Tour
by Rachel Weinberg - August 15, 2024

= BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL is a fun and faithful adaptation of the 1985 film — but it’s overly long and generically scored. With music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard (Silvestri composed the film’s original score) and book by Bob Gale, the musical has a typical pop Broadway sco...

Review: CAROUSEL at Music Theater Works At The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - August 11, 2024

What did our critic think of CAROUSEL at Music Theater Works At The North Shore Center For The Performing Arts?...

Review: ALICE BY HEART at Kokandy Productions
by Rachel Weinberg - August 04, 2024

While Kokandy Productions’ ALICE BY HEART has some lovely performances, the musical itself is far less imaginative than its ALICE IN WONDERLAND-inspired title suggests. ...

Review: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - August 02, 2024

t tells the story of how he became Peter Pan and provides the backstory of Peter and his forever nemesis Captain Hook. I believe that kids under the age of 13 probably won’t understand the story. The script is geared to adults and has some groan worthy (purposely written) lines. The cast of 16 under...

Review: LES MISERABLES at Uptown Music Theater At Deerfield Performing Arts Center
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - July 29, 2024

See what our critic thought of LES MISERABLES at Uptown Music Theater at Deerfield Performing Arts Center....

Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
by Rachel Weinberg - July 29, 2024

I think LOTR die-hards will appreciate the world-building and the visual spectacle of this production, but the material needs editing and more focus and refinement on key moments and characters....

Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at Stolp Island Theatre Aurora
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - July 21, 2024

What did our critic think of Million Dollar Quartet at Stolp Island Theatre?...

Review: MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL at Goodman Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - July 09, 2024

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL is a sprawling, messy musical that weaves together the threads of several characters in 1980s Savannah, Georgia. Composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown draws on a variety of different musical styles, while Taylor Mac’s book scenes present a series of vignettes f...

Review: AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' at Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - July 03, 2024

That is one of the songs written by Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller. Ain’t Misbehavin’, the musical review of his music, is the current production at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. Originally performed on Broadway in 1978, this was not a typical musical even though it won the Tony for best new ...

Review: THE HOT WING KING at Writers Theatre
by Zac Thriffiley - July 02, 2024

Writers Theatre’s latest production is an impressive commitment to craft and community that invites audiences to reflect on questions of masculinity, race, and responsibility that stimulate the brain while tickling the funny bone....

Review: BEEHIVE: THE 60'S MUSICAL at Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - June 27, 2024

Beehive: The 60's Musical, the current production at Marriott Theatre, brings the decade of the 1960’s and the female musical artists to eye popping, foot stamping, hand clapping and colorful life! This 90 minute (no intermission) trip back in time is simply enjoyable. Interspersed with dialogue ref...

Review: LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - June 24, 2024

In LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD, Samuel D. Hunter has accomplished a rare and magical feat: He’s given us a play that’s mundane and profound at the same time. With Joe Mantello directing, Steppenwolf’s ensemble of Laurie Metcalf, Micah Stock, John Drea, and Meighan Gerachis make the play yet more fascinat...

Review: The Second City's 112th Mainstage Revue
by Rachel Weinberg - June 14, 2024

The Second City’s 112th Mainstage Revue, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETOURS, promises “weird, sexy comedy” in its opening moments. This ensemble definitely hits on the weird and occasionally hits on the funny. ...

Review: THE KITE RUNNER Presented By Broadway In Chicago
by Zac Thriffiley - June 14, 2024

Fans of the novel may be enthralled at seeing the characters and events of THE KITE RUNNER brought to life before their eyes, largely through moving performances and clever stagecraft. But this dramatization feels unsatisfying, an adaptation that ultimately fails to convince audiences that it is nec...

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at BrightSide Theatre
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - June 08, 2024

What did our critic think of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at BrightSide Theatre?...

Review: SIX THE MUSICAL National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - June 06, 2024

The SIX queendom is back in Chicago for a third visit...and this latest group of queens still magnificently bring the house down with Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s clever book and fantastic pop Broadway-style songs. ...

Review: DEATH BECOMES HER at Cadillac Palace
by Misha Davenport - May 20, 2024

Move over Witches of Oz. There’s a new pair of Broadway-Bound divas looking to stage a wicked fight for supremacy eight shows a week. And you better best believe the stage becomes her, er, them....

Review: ON THE 20TH CENTURY at Blank Theatre
by Zac Thriffiley - May 16, 2024

Blank Theatre’s ON THE 20TH CENTURY makes for a delightful ride through a farcical facsimile of Broadway’s Silver Age, if one can accommodate a few bumps along the way....

Review: TURRET at A Red Orchid Theatre
by Rachel Weinberg - May 13, 2024

Levi Holloway’s dystopian play TURRET introduces audiences to an intimate bunker in a post-apocalyptic world. And notably, the play marks Michael Shannon’s return to A Red Orchid. Shannon plays Green, who presides over this mysterious bunker in which he’s holding captive his trainee, Rabbit (Travis ...

Review: THE THANKSGIVING PLAY at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
by Rachel Weinberg - May 06, 2024

In THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, four actors’ road to creating an elementary school Thanksgiving performance is paved with good intentions. But good intentions aren’t enough to save them from their “white savior” complexes. ...

Review: BEAUTIFUL THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Paramount Theatre Aurora, IL
by Tina St. Angelo Wetzel - May 06, 2024

The earth moved. The current production at the Paramount Theatre is Beautiful, the Carole King Musical. This is more than a jukebox musical. It tells the amazing story of one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and how her story evolved. ...