Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.1.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Newcity Stage Theater, Dance, Comedy and Performance in Chicago ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.newcitystage.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Dance Top 5: July 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/28/dance-top-5-july-2023/) - Dance abounds this summer, lots of it free and outdoors. - [Stage Top 5: July 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/29/stage-top-5-july-2023/) - Shakespeare outdoors, or Pinter and more in the theater. - [Woke Up: A Review of "Don't Quit Your Daydream" at The Second City Mainstage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/27/woke-up-a-review-of-dont-quit-your-daydream-at-the-second-city-mainstage/) - "Don't Quit Your Daydream" is one of the most consistently funny shows—maybe the funniest—I've ever seen on The Second City's stage. - [Youth Ages, But Ignorance Lasts Forever: A Review of “Passing Strange” at Theo Ubique](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/26/youth-ages-but-ignorance-lasts-forever-a-review-of-passing-strange-at-theo-ubique/) - The story centers on the teen-to-young adult journey of a man called Youth, an aspiring musician who journeys from the U.S. to Europe in search of identity, stewarded by a fourth-wall breaking Narrator and availed with sporadic check-ins by his Mother. - [The Rhythm of Life: A Preview of "Joffrey for All Celebration" in Millennium Park](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/21/a-preview-of-joffrey-for-all-celebration-in-millennium-park/) - As part of its larger effort to make dance accessible to a wider audience, the Joffrey Ballet is putting on a free, one-day performance at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park this Sunday. “Joffrey for All Celebration” is the first time the renowned company will serve up an evening-length performance gratis. The program is a - [Wild World Traveler: A Preview of Maddy Smith at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/21/wild-world-traveler-a-preview-of-maddy-smith-at-zanies/) - Maddy Smith has circled the world opening for superstar comic Bert Kreischer, but she takes center stage headlining at Zanies - [Party Like It’s 2008: A Review of “Obama-ology” at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/15/party-like-its-2008-a-review-of-obama-ology-at-the-noyes-cultural-arts-center/) - The Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre presents a poignant and often funny depiction of a volunteer discovering himself during the 2008 presidential campaign. - [Sunshine On a Cloudy Day: A Review of "Real Housewives of Motown" at Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/14/sunshine-on-a-cloudy-day-a-review-of-real-housewives-of-motown-at-black-ensemble-theater/) - This show aims to portray the struggles of some of the wives (and eventually ex-wives) of Motown superstars. - [Spring Eternal: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble Finds Renewal in The Wasteland](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/03/spring-eternal-chicago-danztheatre-ensemble-finds-renewal-in-the-wasteland/) - For Ellyzabeth Adler, founder and artistic director, T.S. Eliot’s heap of broken images is a longtime literary favorite and the source material for the first dance theater piece she created for her company twenty-one years ago. Adler restages CDE’s “The Wasteland”—timely for the anniversary of a poem that permanently scattered shards of language into our collective consciousness one hundred years ago. - [Can't Get it Out of My Head: A Review of “Personality—The Lloyd Price Musical” at the Studebaker Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/20/cant-get-it-out-of-my-head-a-review-of-personality-the-lloyd-price-musical-at-the-studebaker-theater/) - “Personality” is based on the life of famed singer, Lloyd Price, one of those names that you may not have heard of, but with whose music you are no doubt familiar. - [Comedian Nick Thune Travels Between Eras in “Never Always”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/16/comedian-nick-thune-travels-between-eras-in-never-always/) - Twenty years of comedy will come together for Nick Thune's "three-parter" special at the Den Theatre. - ["The Birth of the Pill" Shows Contraception's Inception](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/16/the-birth-of-a-pill-and-contraceptions-inception/) - The adaptation of Jonathan Eig's book on the pill's invention struggles to express the complexity of a topic suited for a documentary. - ["Come From Away" on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of 9/11](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/14/marriott-theatres-come-from-away-on-the-twenty-fifth-anniversary-of-9-11/) - Marriott Theatre's beautiful and highly relevant production celebrates the heroic efforts of everyday citizens who welcome and help heal those devastated by national events. - [Rock Around With “Buddy” at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/11/rock-around-with-buddy-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - Joey Chelius resurrects the hitmaker and teen heartthrob in “The Buddy Holly Story.” - ["The Man Who Fell With the Rain" Sells an Angel for Parts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/10/the-man-who-fell-with-the-rain-sells-an-angel-for-parts/) - Trap Door Theatre puts on a simple yet powerful play based on a short story by magical realist master Gabriel García Márquez that makes one wonder if there's anything humans won't exploit. - [Geoff Bennett on the Cultural Zeitgeist of Black Sitcoms](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/09/geoff-bennett-and-the-cultural-zeitgeist-of-black-sitcoms/) - Ahead of an appearance at Printers Row Lit Fest, the author and PBS Newshour co-anchor discusses his new book on the history of Black comedy in America, "Black Out Loud." - [City Lit's "Shane" Brings the Western Novel to the Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/03/shane-brings-the-western-to-the-stage/) - Mark Pracht's adaptation of the 1949 book rewrites masculinity in a Western setting, with a phenomenal performance by lead Michael B. Woods. - [The Teenagers in "Adolescent Salvation" Are Not Just Kids](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/31/the-teenagers-in-adolescent-salvation-are-not-just-kids/) - The Chicago premiere of Tim Venable's play starts as a Zoomer screwball and ends as an indictment of the way adults fail to protect their children. - [Lyric Opera’s Sunday in the Park Showcases Selections From the Upcoming Season](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/28/lyric-operas-sunday-in-the-park-showcases-selections-from-the-upcoming-season/) - On Sunday evening, the opera company performed selections from five of the six staged operas that will make up its 2026-27 season, among other works. - [Jackalope's Living Newspaper Festival Brings Today's Headlines to the Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/27/jackalopes-living-newspaper-festival-brings-todays-headlines-to-the-stage/) - Jackalope's seventeenth edition of the festival turned five recent news stories into short plays, accompanied by filmed commentary from two news anchors. - [Siblings Struggle To Connect in “Sisters” at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/26/siblings-struggle-to-connect-in-sisters/) - The production, which shows the relationship between a human woman and her AI sister over decades, does little to push any conversation of this technology forward. - [Grelley Duvall Recreates the Story of Sigourney Weaver’s Character in “Alien”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/26/grelley-duvall-recreates-the-story-of-sigourney-weavers-character-in-alien/) - At the Empty Bottle, drag, puppetry, acting, singing and dancing combine to make "Ripley" an ultimate work of art. - [Broadway in Chicago’s Millennium Park Summer Concert Previews Their 2026-27 Season](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/19/broadway-in-chicagos-millennium-park-summer-concert-previews-their-2026-27-season/) - The evening of performances gave Chicago audiences a sampling of the productions that will appear on the company's stages in the year to come. - [Understanding Rage: Haas' "The Anger Project" Comes to Bim Bom Studios](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/18/understanding-rage-haas-the-anger-project-comes-to-bim-bom-studios/) - “I start with anger because it’s the most taboo.” - [Let Composers Rock](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/17/let-composers-rock/) - Instrumental Theatre Company introduces the Chicago Theatre Composers Club. - [“Sunday in the Park With George” Shares the Downsides of the Art Life](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/08/sunday-in-the-park-with-george-shares-the-downsides-of-the-art-life/) - Kokandy's intimate staging focuses less on the grandeur of Seurat’s pointillist magnum opus and more on the cerebral tortures of being an artist. - [Kokandy’s Musicals for Now](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/09/kokandys-musicals-for-now/) - Chicago’s storefront company on the meaning of success. - [Can’t-Miss Chicago Dance Moments: Fall 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/11/cant-miss-chicago-dance-moments-fall-2026/) - Rare and first-time visits by internationally renown companies land one night in the windy city. - [“Theater of the Mind" Is an Interactive Trip Through a Memory Palace](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/30/theater-of-the-mind-is-an-interactive-trip-through-a-memory-palace/) - David Byrne and Mala Goankar's show explores the science of perception, taking audience members through experiments involving sight, vision and taste, while telling a story of a life from its end to the beginning. - [Into the Dark World of John Neumeier's "Liliom" with the Joffrey Ballet](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/08/into-the-dark-world-of-john-neumeiers-liliom-with-the-joffrey-ballet/) - This fall, the Joffrey brings a dark tale envisioned by Neumeier to these shores. “Liliom,” the source material for the musical “Carousel,” runs September 17-27 at the Lyric Opera House. - [Comedian Kellye Howard Doesn’t Mess Around With MS](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/14/kellye-howard-doesnt-mess-around-with-ms/) - Howard's nonprofit helps people with multiple sclerosis find a way to laugh through the pain and live for today. - [It Was a Pleasure To Burn](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/12/it-was-a-pleasure-to-burn/) - Non:op’s "Inventory of Lost Books" immerses itself in design and abstraction. - [Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Honors Legacy Bearers in Dancing the Archive at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/11/chicago-black-dance-legacy-project-honors-legacy-bearers-in-dancing-the-archive-at-the-harris-theater/) - "We’ve been through this before. We've been through erasure. We’re asking the legacy bearers how they got through it." - [Broadway in Chicago’s “The Notebook” Shows Love Through the Ages](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/10/broadway-in-chicagos-the-notebook-shows-love-through-the-ages/) - Bring a tissue to this retelling of a modern classic at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, which adds details that greatly expand the experience. - [Gift Theatre’s “Marble” Starts Strong Before Going Cold and Hard](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/07/gift-theatres-marble-starts-strong-before-going-cold-and-hard/) - Endings are never easy, but rarely does a play that begins so well move so decisively in the wrong direction as does Marina Carr’s 2009 work, an Irish dramedy that’s almost salvaged by a quartet of powerful performances. - ["yo ho." Is a Queer Love Story Set on the High Seas](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/06/yo-ho-is-a-queer-love-story-on-the-high-seas/) - The world premiere from Babes With Blades Theatre Company is a comic twist on the fabled romance between the noted pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny. - [The Windy City Comedy Fest Is a Lollapalooza for Laughs](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/05/the-windy-city-comedy-fest-is-a-lollapalooza-for-laughs/) - Comedy-lovers will revel in this four-day festival founded by Ariel Julie, featuring more than twenty shows across nine of the city’s most iconic comedy venues. - [Can’t-Miss Chicago Stage Moments: Fall 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/04/cant-miss-chicago-stage-moments-fall-2026/) - TimeLine begins its first full season at its new home, Kokandy brings "Jekyll & Hyde" to a bigger stage and more. - [Dance Top 5: September 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/25/dance-top-5-september-2026/) - Trisha Brown Dance Company celebrates choreographer Merce Cunningham's collaborations with artist Robert Rauschenberg, plus four other dance productions not to miss. - [How “The Birth of the Pill” Moved From a History Book to the Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/02/how-the-birth-of-the-pill-moved-from-a-history-book-to-the-stage/) - Chicago author Jonathan Eig discusses “The Birth of the Pill” with Jessica Huang, who adapted his book into a play staging its world premiere this month at TimeLine. - [Motivations to Obey](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/09/01/motivations-to-obey/) - Ginger Krebs brings “Protected By Invisible Fence” to the MCA. - [Stage Top 5: September 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/24/stage-top-5-september-2026/) - Big shows hit big stages as the fall theater season kicks off. - [Music Theater Works Captures the Majestic Scope of "West Side Story"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/20/music-theater-works-captures-the-majestic-scope-of-west-side-story/) - This production of Leonard Bernstein’s classic goes big in every way, featuring tremendous singers and actors, fabulous costumes, explosive choreography and a nimble twenty-two-piece orchestra. - [Stand-Up Won't Let Go of Dwayne Kennedy](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/03/stand-up-wont-let-go-of-dwayne-kennedy/) - The Chicago comedy legend on winning an Emmy and growing up in the city's stand-up scene. - [“Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares,” A Show Starring One of Broadway’s Favorite Leading Ladies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/30/laura-benanti-nobody-cares-a-show-starring-one-of-broadways-favorite-leading-ladies/) - Benanti bridges the gap between Broadway and stand-up in this playful one-woman show. - [“The American Project” Translates Hard-Won Truth into Heartfelt Beauty](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/29/the-american-project-translates-hard-won-truth-into-heartfelt-beauty/) - Presented by the youth and community-focused Albany Park Theater Center, the production is completely sold out for good reason: this is drama that glows red hot with passion and authenticity. - [American Players Theatre's Wondrous "As You Like It," Staged in the Woods](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/24/american-players-theatres-wondrous-as-you-like-it-staged-in-the-woods/) - In Shakespeare's comedy, the characters go to the forest and become more fully human. The same thing happens when you see theater in the woods at Spring Green, Wisconsin. - ["Hair" Is More Relevant Than Ever](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/22/hair-is-more-relevant-than-ever/) - Kokandy Productions revives the "tribal love-rock musical" at Chopin Theatre. - [Annie Franklin Weaves Fluidity and Attack with Chicago Dance Crash in "Six Ways to Fall"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/21/annie-franklin-weaves-fluidity-and-attack-with-chicago-dance-crash-in-six-ways-to-fall/) - In Franklin's new piece, little chapters explore various ways people experience vulnerability, relating to physical, emotional, social, relational and existential challenges, and to identity. - ["The Matchmaker" Is the Play That Became "Hello, Dolly!"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/20/the-matchmaker-is-the-play-that-became-hello-dolly/) - On stage at American Players Theatre, Wisconsin native Thornton Wilder's play is an old-fashioned but well-made farce that was later adapted into the 1964 Broadway hit. - [The Long and Lively Life of "Dance For Life," Where Dancers Help Dancers](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/08/04/dancers-helping-dancers-the-long-and-lively-life-of-dance-for-life/) - The annual benefit to alleviate the cost of medical care for folks in Chicago’s dance community, now in its thirty-fifth year, was born during the height of the AIDS epidemic. - [Irene Hsiao's "Guardians of the Earth and Sky" Offers a Garden of Delights](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/14/irene-hsiaos-guardians-of-the-earth-and-sky-offers-a-garden-of-delights/) - Now in its third year, Hsiao's walking outdoor performance in Chicago Parks is a summertime must for all ages. - [“Safe Landing: Coyote Embrace” Is Caught Between Genres](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/16/safe-landing-coyote-embrace-is-caught-between-genres/) - Authentic Chicago Ensemble production spans everything from coyote-masked interpretive dance to a thriller with hitmen, trapping itself in too many conflicting choices. - [Too Much Farce, Not Enough Force in This Version of “The Importance of Being Earnest”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/15/too-much-farce-not-enough-force-in-this-version-of-the-importance-of-being-earnest/) - Sight gags go Wilde in No Dogs in the Kitchen Theatre Company’s revival of the classic comedy, overwhelming the play’s trenchant commentary on Victorian social mores. - [“Suffs” Offers Sustenance to Keep Marching for Gender Equality](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/15/suffs-offers-sustenance-to-keep-marching-for-gender-equality/) - Broadway in Chicago's musical on the suffragist movement makes feminism sing. - ["Hamlet" Plays Under the Oak Park Skies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/10/hamlet-plays-under-the-oak-park-skies/) - The Oak Park Festival Theatre's take on Shakespeare's classic, directed by Peter G. Andersen, is a blend of modernization and appreciation. - [Gwydion Reclaims the Risk-Taking Heritage of Chicago Storefront Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/17/youth-movement-gwydion-reclaims-the-risk-taking-heritage-of-chicago-storefront-theater/) - These recent transplants represent a new generation of theater artists who have chosen this city based on its reputation as a place open to brash, bright young thespians willing to do their own thing on their own terms. - [In a Room Full of Empty Chairs, a Couple Grapples With Nothingness](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/13/in-a-room-full-of-empty-chairs-a-couple-grapples-with-nothingness/) - The Eugène Ionesco play, on stage at American Players Theatre, is philosophically bleak, but with a comedic vaudeville feeling. - [Stage Top 5: July/August 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/09/stage-top-5-july-august-2026/) - These two months in theater have all the touchstones of a great summer season, like music, parks and old Western novels. - [Isn’t It Rich To Experience Sondheim in the Round?](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/08/isnt-it-rich-to-experience-sondheim-in-the-round/) - The Marriott Theatre's "A Little Night Music" is an optimistic operetta. - [Exercises in Trust: "between us and everyone here" at the Neo-Futurists](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/07/exercises-in-trust-between-us-and-everyone-here-at-the-neo-futurists/) - Come to understand dance as a series of actions—actions that sit closer to everyday experience than you may have thought. - [“Iceboy!” Keeps Things Cool at the Goodman](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/07/06/iceboy-keeps-things-cool-at-the-goodman/) - Goodman concludes their centennial with a star-studded musical comedy headlining real-life couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. - [“Water for Elephants” Refreshingly Quenches the Urge to Run Off to the Circus](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/26/water-for-elephants-refreshingly-quenches-the-urge-to-run-off-to-the-circus/) - The musical adaptation presented by Broadway in Chicago is a spectacle of movement. - [Couch Penny Ensemble’s Solid “An Oak Tree” Plays With Our Mind While Stirring Our Feelings](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/25/couch-penny-ensembles-solid-an-oak-tree-plays-with-our-mind-while-stirring-our-feelings/) - Tim Crouch’s 2006 melancholic memory play about loss and healing features two outstanding performances, one of them unrehearsed. - [Comedy and Catechism in “Nunsense” at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/24/comedy-and-catechism-in-nunsense-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - A dark comedy that runs on nostalgic references to pop culture and growing up Catholic. - [Dance Top 5: July/August 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/23/dance-top-5-july-august-2026/) - It's the best time of year in Chicago with free, outdoor dance. - [The Invisible Costumes of "Catch as Catch Can"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/22/the-invisible-costumes-of-catch-as-catch-can/) - In this production at Steppenwolf Theatre, three gifted ensemble members transition between genders and ages to tell a family story in a new way. - [The Opera Festival of Chicago Pairs "La Boheme" with a Rarer Paris-Set Masterwork](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/18/the-opera-festival-of-chicago-pairs-la-boheme-with-a-rarer-paris-set-masterwork/) - Sasha Gerritson, the festival's general director, shares their plans for the summer season, titled "Bohemian Tragedy," and discusses the strategy behind it. - [“Leopoldstadt” Is Writers Theatre’s Largest Production in Its History](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/17/leopoldstadt-is-writers-theatres-largest-production-in-its-history/) - The final play written by Tom Stoppard is a sweeping saga that follows a Jewish family in Vienna across generations. - ["Brokeback Mountain" Brings Queer Intimacy to a Grand Wyoming Setting](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/15/brokeback-mountain-brings-queer-intimacy-to-a-grand-wyoming-setting/) - Chicago Shakespeare Theater stages the U.S. premiere of Ashley Robinson’s adaptation, presenting Annie Proulx’s love story as a play with music. - [An “Antigone” That Doesn't Reach Its Tragic Potential](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/11/an-antigone-that-doesnt-reach-its-tragic-potential/) - Tonal inconsistencies in Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s production of Jean Anouilh’s adaptation weaken the play’s powerful and relevant message. - [Faust Meets First Base in “Damn Yankees” at Theo Ubique](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/10/faust-meets-first-base-in-damn-yankees-at-theo-ubique/) - This twentieth-century version of a deal-with-the-devil knocks it out of the park. - [After the Boys of Summer Have Gone: The Joffrey Ballet's "Eugene Onegin" Plumbs Depths of Feeling](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/09/after-the-boys-of-summer-have-gone-the-joffrey-ballets-eugene-onegin-plumbs-depths-of-feeling/) - Possokhov’s ballet brings nuanced emotions to the stage in a fully realized marriage of dance, music and visual design. - [In a Dog-Eat-Dog World, It’s Not Easy Being Human](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/03/in-a-dog-eat-dog-world-its-not-easy-being-human/) - Ego Death Theatre Collective’s sure-handed production of “A Dog’s House” shows the impact of a pet’s violent death on the owners’ relationships. - [In “Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play,” Life Imitates Art (Imitating Life)](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/06/05/in-andy-warhol-presents-the-cocaine-play-life-imitates-art-imitating-life/) - Jackalope Theatre presents Terry Guest’s twisted tale of artistic ambition and vengeance set during the Pop Art era. - [Dance Top 5: June 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/26/dance-top-5-june-2026/) - June's dance highlights - [Stage Top 5: June 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/29/stage-top-5-june-2026/) - Inventive theater keeps coming as the summer begins. - [“Gee’s Bend” Tells the Story of a Southern Quilting Town During Jim Crow](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/28/gees-bend-tells-the-story-of-a-southern-quilting-town-during-jim-crow/) - Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre builds a stunning production around an incomplete story. - [Camping with Conspiracy Theorists at A Red Orchid](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/22/camping-with-conspiracy-theorists-at-a-red-orchid/) - In “The Targeted,” a new play by Hanna Kime, conspiracy theorists gather at a rustic retreat for a meeting of the “Solidarity and Truth Summit.” - [Meet One of Literature’s Most Famous Murderers in “Crime and Punishment”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/15/meet-one-of-literatures-most-famous-murderers-in-crime-and-punishment/) - TUTA Theatre's abbreviated twenty-first-century adaptation of Dostoevsky’s novel is a visually striking dive into the mind of a madman. - [The Conspirators Adapt Moliere’s “Tartuffe” With a Neo-Commedia Style](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/21/the-conspirators-adapt-molieres-tartuffe-with-a-neo-commedia-style/) - The Style combines mime-ish facepaint, frequent confrontation with the audience and musical accompaniment of each movement. - [“An Enemy of the People” Tells Inconvenient Truths](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/20/an-enemy-of-the-people-tells-inconvenient-truths/) - TimeLine Theatre christens its new Uptown building with the Henrik Ibsen work, adapted by Amy Herzog in 2024, about a doctor whose alarming discovery makes him a town pariah. - [From Dance to Circus: A Riotous Journey with Physical Theater Festival](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/27/from-dance-to-circus-a-riotous-journey-with-physical-theater-festival/) - The annual festival brings many performance types under its umbrella. - [The Next Generation of Dance Artists Bloom in "Persistent Spring"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/19/the-next-generation-of-dance-artists-bloom-in-persistent-spring/) - “These Gen Z artists have a lot to say. And they’re really funny." - [A Last, Less Elaborate Look at a Reimagined "Les Misérables"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/19/a-last-less-elaborate-look-at-a-reimagined-les-miserables/) - The twenty-fifth anniversary reimagining of the musical, now running for over a decade, makes its final stop in Chicago with its current two-week run. - [“South Pacific” Captures the Magic and Mystery of Paradise](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/18/south-pacific-captures-the-magic-and-mystery-of-paradise/) - The classic musical at Paramount Theatre abounds with lush scenery, colorful costumes, rich orchestral music and enchanting melodies. - [In This “Covenant,” Thrills Will Have You Say “Jesus, Don’t Do That!”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/15/in-this-covenant-thrills-will-have-you-say-jesus-dont-do-that/) - Goodman Theatre’s gothic thriller delivers us from and unto evil. - [The Music Is Memorable in “Always … Patsy Cline,” the Framing Story Not So Much](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/14/the-music-is-memorable-in-always-patsy-cline-the-framing-story-not-so-much/) - Liz Chidester gives a terrific star turn as the country music legend, but the American Blues Theater production of this warhorse jukebox musical keeps us at arm’s length from Patsy as a person. - [In "Octet," Music Slays the Online Beast](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/12/in-octet-music-slays-the-online-beast/) - Dave Malloy's wondrous musical at Raven Theatre follows eight people in group therapy for internet addiction who use a cappella singing for healing. - [“Scaramouche” Is a Swashbuckling Good Time](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/13/scaramouche-is-a-swashbuckling-good-time/) - The musical version of the classic novel makes its world debut at City Lit Theater, a comedy-adventure-romance mixed with dueling and song. - [The Evolution of Chicago Danztheatre's “Architecture of Memory”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/05/where-hope-lies-the-evolution-of-chicago-danztheatres-architecture-of-memory/) - In conversation with Ellyzabeth Adler on the evening-length work, premiering at Chicago Danztheatre’s space in Andersonville's Ebenezer Lutheran Church this month. - [A Theater That Focuses on Stories From the Past Makes a Future in Uptown](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/06/timeline-a-theater-that-focuses-on-stories-from-the-past-makes-a-future-in-uptown/) - Elizabeth Auman discusses TimeLine Theatre Company's new home, built for performance, and the journey that led them there. - [“Fault” Is in the Scars: Battling Couple Comedy Crackles and Cracks](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/30/fault-is-in-the-scars-battling-couple-comedy-crackles-and-cracks/) - Jason Alexander directs this world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, a “marital combat” play with tightly wound action that takes repeated shots at the intimate lives of its coupled characters. - [“The Angel Next Door” Is the Silly Fun You Didn’t Know You Needed](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/29/the-angel-next-door-is-the-silly-fun-you-didnt-know-you-needed/) - Northlight Theatre closes their season and their time in Skokie with this hilarious and zany production. - [Stage Top 5: May 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/05/01/stage-top-5-may-2026/) - A major new theater makes its debut, and music makes its way into spring productions. - [Dance Top 5: May 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/28/dance-top-5-may-2025-2/) - May dance highlights - ["Job" Is a Terreur de Force](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/22/terreur-de-force-job-at-writers-theatre/) - Writers Theatre's production stars Rae Gray as a Big Tech employee undergoing an evaluation with a therapist played by Christopher Donahue. - [Leslie Cuyjet Probes the Value of Black Lives — and Deaths — in "For All Your Life" at the MCA](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/21/leslie-cuyjet-skewers-corporatization-in-for-all-your-life-at-the-mca/) - "Leslie uses her own body—quite bravely—to narrate the horror (and horrific normalization) of human commodification." - ["Windfall" Begs the Question: What Is the Cost of a Life?](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/27/windfall-begs-the-question-what-is-the-cost-of-a-life/) - Tarell Alvin McCraney’s world premiere at Steppenwolf examines the aftermath of a police killing. - [A Splashy and Sentimental CliffsNotes “Great Gatsby”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/24/a-splashy-and-sentimental-cliff-notes-great-gatsby/) - “The Great Gatsby: A New Musical” is here for a short run at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre. - [Ghostlight Ensemble’s “The Dover Road,” Staged at the Glessner House, Is a Bittersweet Trip to the Past](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/23/ghostlight-ensembles-the-dover-road-staged-at-the-glessner-house-is-a-bittersweet-trip-to-the-past/) - A.A. Milne’s 1921 comedy of romantic disillusionment has its moments but doesn’t quite jell. - [Citadel Theatre's "Ruthless!” Lovingly Eviscerates Classic Musicals](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/22/citadel-theatres-ruthless-lovingly-eviscerates-classic-musicals/) - Joel Paley's story of a sociopathic child star serves as a meta critique of the musical theater genre. - [Drury Lane Theatre Stages a Mid-Century "Father of the Bride"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/20/drury-lane-theatres-father-of-the-bride/) - More mid-century than modern, this production takes its cues from Caroline Francke's original stage adaptation, set in a 1950s suburban milieu that predates the beloved Steve Martin film. - [Lyric’s John Mangum and Enrique Mazzola Discuss the 2026-27 Opera Season](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/17/lyrics-john-magnum-and-enrique-mazzola-discuss-the-2026-27-opera-season/) - Mangum, the Lyric's general director, president and CEO, and Mazzola, the Lyric's music director, discuss what's in store for the opera company in the year ahead. - [Oil Lamp's "Poor Behavior" Is an Honest Look at the Pitfalls of Marriage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/15/oil-lamps-poor-behavior-is-an-honest-look-at-the-pitfalls-of-marriage/) - Like marriage itself, the play is not for the faint of heart, but is a journey well worth undertaking. - [In Extremis: Para.Mar Dance Theatre Explores The Many Faces Women Wear in "Mujeres"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/14/in-extremis-para-mar-dance-theatre-explores-the-many-faces-women-wear-in-mujeres/) - Long championing the creative power of Latina women, the company's evening-length work is inspired by Chilean poet, journalist and diplomat Gabriela Mistral. - [Shakespeare's Raucous Farce Is Filled with Puns, Pratfalls and Pleasures](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/13/shakespeares-raucous-farce-is-filled-with-puns-pratfalls-and-pleasures/) - Chicago Shakespeare Theater stages "The Merry Wives of Windsor," a comedy that is produced less often than others in the Bard's canon, but worth catching. - [Goodman Stages a Magnificent Production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” by August Wilson](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/10/goodman-stages-a-magnificent-production-of-ma-raineys-black-bottom-by-august-wilson/) - In Wilson's 1982 play, the playwright imagined a recording session for prolific early-blues recording artist Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and her band in Chicago in 1927. - [“The Sugar Wife” Questions the Morality of Capitalism](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/09/the-sugar-wife-questions-the-morality-of-capitalism/) - The Artistic Home stages the U.S. premiere of Elizabeth Kuti’s play set in 1850 Dublin. - [In Her Story Theater's "The Official Biography," Opposing Writers Debate Truth and Fiction](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/06/in-her-story-theaters-the-official-biography-opposing-writers-debate-truth-and-fiction/) - Gary Houston and Shelby Marie Edwards star as two leads who develop an improbable intellectual chemistry in this play by Kurt McGinnis Brown. - [Mohanad Elshieky’s Comedy Journey Brings Him to the Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/03/mohanad-elshiekys-comedy-journey-brings-him-to-the-den-theatre/) - Elshieky discusses the trajectory of his comedy career, from his early days podcasting in Libya to making his break on "Conan." - [La Femme Dance Festival Puts Black Women Choreographers Center Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/24/la-femme-dance-festival-puts-black-women-choreographers-center-stage/) - Through the Festival and year-round at Red Clay's studio, Vershawn Sanders-Ward celebrates and nurtures the creativity of Black female artists. - [“The Official Biography” Tells a Story About Storytelling](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/23/the-official-biography-tells-a-story-about-storytelling/) - A pure product of Chicago’s collaborative theater culture, this new play from Her Story Theater digs deep into the nature of art and truth. - ["White Rooster" Is a Spectacle Without Poetic Flight](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/20/over-staged-underwritten-white-rooster-is-nothing-to-crow-about/) - Lookingglass Theatre’s spectacle-heavy play is nice to look at, but offers viewers too little to chew on. - ["The Drowsy Chaperone" Is A Balm in Giddy Act](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/19/the-drowsy-chaperone-at-theo-ubique-is-balm-in-giddy-act/) - Theo Ubique turns small-scale staging into a big-hearted musical escape, where director L. Walter Stearns immerses the audience in the world of the Man in Chair’s imagination. - [Round and About: The Driehaus Dance of Brendan Fernandes](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/08/round-and-about-the-driehaus-dance-of-brendan-fernandes/) - Fernandes’ practice encompasses just about any medium you can name—dance, sculpture and design, textiles and fashion, photography and film—and is often in conversation with the spaces that contain it. - [avery r. young's Afro-Surrealist Opera, “safronia,” Is A Story of the Great Migration](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/08/afro-surrealist-opera-avery-r-young-style-a-story-of-the-great-migration-safronia-draws-from-gospel-blues-funk-and-soul-and-poetry/) - The West Side native and interdisciplinary artist is taking on a new challenge—acting and singing in his own production that draws from gospel hymns, blues, funk and poetry. - [Hedwig Dances Performs “Nexus,” a Trio of New Work Featuring Objects](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/07/bright-and-shiny-objects-hedwig-dances-performs-nexus-a-trio-of-new-work/) - Three pieces will premiere in Hedwig’s program, which incorporate objects to reveal how human bodies are conversant with and transformed by the designed world. - [Stage Top 5: April 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/04/01/stage-top-5-april-2026/) - avery r. young’s Afro-surrealist opera, two Jazz Age tales and a new play by Tarell Alvin McCraney are among April’s top productions to see. - [Dance Top 5: April 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/31/dance-top-5-april-2026/) - April dance is in full bloom. - ["Hamilton" Producer Jeffrey Seller Turns to Chicago After Kennedy Center Withdrawal](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/25/a-hamilton-redemption-after-kennedy-center-withdrawal-producer-jeffrey-seller-turns-to-chicago/) - The producer discusses his Broadway career, from the tragic origins of "Rent" to the tragedy in D.C. that led to this spring's "Hamilton" production in Chicago. - [Comedian Jimmy Pardo Returns to His Chicago Roots](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/16/jimmy-pardo-returns-to-his-chicago-roots/) - The quick-witted host of the podcast “Never Not Funny,” Pardo brings his improvised stand-up to Zanies Rosemont for a special matinee show. - [Through the Roof: Grelley Duvall Goes for the Statuette with Best Actress](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/17/through-the-roof-grelley-duvall-goes-for-the-statuette-with-best-actress/) - Full-spectrum emotionally gratifying theater, signed and sealed in a love letter to pop culture. - [Reimagined “Butterfly” Leaves Sumptuous Score Intact but Turns Reality on Its Head](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/18/reimagined-butterfly-leaves-sumptuous-score-intact-but-turns-reality-on-its-head/) - Matthew Ozawa’s multidimensional staging of “Butterfly” that premiered at Cincinnati Opera in 2023 is now being presented at his home company of Lyric Opera, where he is chief artistic director. - [City Lit’s “Changing Channels” Finds Comedy in the Shadow of the Blacklist](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/12/city-lits-changing-channels-finds-comedy-in-the-shadow-of-the-blacklist/) - John Reeger’s witty new play set during the golden age of television follows a variety-show performer forced to choose between career success and political conscience. - [“Two Sisters and a Piano” Hits the Right Notes](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/13/two-sisters-and-a-piano-hits-the-right-notes/) - Writers Theatre presents a tale about the struggle for liberty and love amidst political oppression. - ["The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" Shows Our Lives Are What We Make Them](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/11/the-brief-wondrous-life-of-oscar-wao-shows-our-lives-are-what-we-make-them/) - The Goodman Theatre's production is an enchanting exploration of the self, by way of Oscar’s life and his Dominican American family’s fukú (curse) connected to the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina. - ["Hamilton" Still Brings Hope in America's Age of Caligula](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/09/hamilton-still-brings-hope-in-americas-age-of-caligula/) - The production moved its planned spring run to Chicago after Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center. It's a tonic in a troubled time. - [“The Shape of the Bones” Has Promise but Needs To Be Fleshed Out](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/06/the-shape-of-the-bones-has-promise-but-needs-to-be-fleshed-out/) - Playwright Spencer Huffman’s religious drama—and New Theatre Project’s first production in a conventional theater space—boasts some excellent performances in a story that doesn’t quite satisfy. - [The Seldoms' Postponed "Floe" About Climate Change Premieres in a Hotter World](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/03/the-seldoms-postponed-floe-about-climate-change-premieres-in-a-hotter-world/) - There is clear urgency and a call to action in Carrie Hanson’s piece, which is even more relevant now, six years after its making. - [“The Play That Goes Wrong” Does Everything Right](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/02/the-play-that-goes-wrong-does-everything-right/) - Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's new production pays homage to comedies of the early twentieth century. - [“Kubrickian” Teeters Between Cosmic Drama and Spacey Oddity](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/27/kubrickian-teeters-between-cosmic-drama-and-spacey-oddity/) - Factory Theater’s overlong production has its moments, but it struggles to pull us into its sci-fi scenario. - ["Bernadette, The Musical" Blessedly Asks More Questions Than It Answers](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/26/bernadette-the-musical-blessedly-asks-more-questions-than-it-answers/) - The Athenaeum Center's audience included priests, nuns of various orders, and even the Pope's brother for this tale of a nineteenth-century French peasant girl who claimed to have visions of “a beautiful lady” in a grotto. - [Kurt Weill's "Der Silbersee" Gets Its Chicago Premiere Nearly a Century Later](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/25/kurt-weills-chicago-premiere-of-der-silbersee-arrives-nearly-a-century-late/) - Chicago Opera Theater is staging the opera that premiered in Germany in 1933 before being banned by the Nazi party. - [In the Social Media Era, “Dear Evan Hansen” Matters More Than Ever](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/25/in-the-social-media-era-dear-evan-hansen-matters-more-than-ever/) - Paramount Theatre stages the Tony-winning musical that explores teen loneliness, social platforms and the lies we tell to survive. - ["Top Girls" and Living in a Man’s World](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/23/top-girls-and-living-in-a-mans-world/) - Raven Theatre presents Caryl Churchill's 1982 play about women across time and space united by one reality. - [Court Theatre Stages August Strindberg's Famous Study of Class and Gender](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/20/court-theatre-stages-august-strindbergs-famous-study-of-class-and-gender/) - A noisy start and a murky finish are among the choices that obscure "Miss Julie"'s timely relevance for a divided America. - [“Come Back, Little Sheba” Merits a Return Engagement](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/19/come-back-little-sheba-merits-a-return-engagement/) - American Blues Theater’s intensely intimate revival shows that William Inge’s 1950 family drama still packs a wallop. - [Porchlight Music Theatre Celebrates Irish American Saga in Sorrow & Song](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/18/porchlight-music-theatre-celebrates-irish-american-saga-in-sorrow-song/) - What makes “Irish” work is that no matter how sad things may get, there is always an aura of celebration in the production. - [The Royal Shakespeare Company's “Hamnet” Shows How Grief Inspires Art](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/18/the-royal-shakespeare-companys-hamnet-shows-how-grief-inspires-art/) - The lead character in this U.S. premiere at Chicago Shakes is not the playwright, but his wife, Agnes. The play is about her union with the Bard and the family they create, as well as Will’s attempt to resurrect a beloved lost child through his art. - [The Science Behind “Theater of the Mind”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/03/04/am-i-right-or-am-i-wrong-the-science-behind-david-byrnes-theater-of-the-mind/) - David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar's immersive theater project combines neuroscience experiments, art and storytelling. - [“The Dance of Death” at Steppenwolf Is an Expressionist Painting](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/11/the-dance-of-death-at-steppenwolf-is-an-expressionist-painting/) - Conor McPherson's adaptation of August Strindberg's play conveys something true about human relationships—that love and hate are both forms of intimacy, and often intertwined. - [Trinity Irish Dance Company Brings Rhythm and Roots to the Auditorium](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/17/trinity-irish-dance-company-brings-rhythm-and-roots-to-the-auditorium/) - Trinity founder Mark Howard challenges tap dancer Michelle Dorrance to "create a piece that’s a rhythmic tour de force, that is difficult, that could not be performed by any other company in the world." - [Get Ready to Rumble With the Greasers and the Socs in “The Outsiders”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/16/get-ready-to-rumble-with-the-outsiders-at-cadillac-palace-theatre/) - Broadway In Chicago presents this Tony Award-winning musical based on the classic book and film. The production is both a nostalgic trip for existing fans and a powerful introduction for a new generation. - [“Holiday” Blends the Past and Present at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/13/holiday-blends-the-past-and-present-at-goodman-theatre/) - The play is primarily a family drama, webbing together the relationships of the fabulously wealthy Seton family with those who pass in and out of their lives on New York City’s Upper East Side. - [A Spirited Bio-Jukebox Musical Ignites the Stage at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/12/a-spirited-bio-jukebox-musical-ignites-the-stage-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - “On Your Feet” tracks the lives and music of Grammy Award-winning husband-and-wife team Emilio and Gloria Estefan. - [Redtwist Theatre’s “Confederates” Tells Two Stories Across Two Different Eras](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/09/redtwist-theatres-confederates-doesnt-quite-bridge-its-two-stories/) - “Confederates” has powerful themes and performances that anchor a drama but struggles to unify its dual narratives. - [Practiced Grace: The Journey of Joffrey Dancer Olivia Duryea](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/10/practiced-grace-the-journey-of-joffrey-dancer-olivia-duryea/) - I am on my way to watch a rehearsal for The Joffrey Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” as part of my preparation to talk to Duryea, a company dancer. I had met Olivia nearly a decade prior when she first arrived at The Joffrey Ballet. At the time, I was a fledgling dancer, and Olivia, some years my senior, was on the precipice of beginning a full artistic career. - [Solid Singing Takes Lyric’s "Così" Beyond Buffoonery](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/06/solid-singing-takes-lyrics-cosi-beyond-buffoonery/) - Lyric’s production transports the Da Ponte-Mozart opera to a 1930s seaside resort, where the colors, costumes, scenery and approach are overstated. - [A Short and Sweet "Hamlet" at Chicago Shakes](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/06/a-short-and-sweet-hamlet-at-chicago-shakes/) - This variation of Shakespeare’s tragic tale of the Danish prince tells his story in a brisk seventy-five-minute rendition, where Hamlet feels much more alone. - [Don’t Feed the Plant at This "Little Shop of Horrors"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/05/dont-feed-the-plant-at-this-little-shop-of-horrors/) - Marriott Theatre’s 2026 season kicks off with a pitch-perfect production of the beloved cult classic. - [Stage Top 5: February/March 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/04/stage-top-5-february-march-2026/) - Movies and the stage meet in Chicago theaters this late winter. - [Milestones: The Joffrey Ballet Celebrates Seventy with a Tribute to American Dance](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/03/milestones-the-joffrey-ballet-celebrates-seventy-with-a-tribute-to-american-dance/) - The spring program honors American choreographers; appropriate for a ballet company that made its name touring the United States while pushing the boundaries of classicism in dance. Newcity spoke with Joffrey artistic director Ashley Wheater about the program. - [The Triumphs of Music and Tribulations of Fame in “Stereophonic”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/02/02/the-triumphs-of-music-and-tribulations-of-fame-in-stereophonic/) - Broadway In Chicago presents a show that blurs the line between musical and play, featuring songs by Will Butler, a former member of Arcade Fire. - [A Long Marriage: Jeff Perry on Steppenwolf Theatre’s Fiftieth Anniversary and His Return for “The Dance of Death”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/28/a-long-marriage-jeff-perry-on-steppenwolf-theatres-fiftieth-anniversary-and-his-return-for-the-dance-of-death/) - “The Dance of Death” serves as a middle point of the fiftieth-anniversary season and is “a strain of work Steppenwolf has always been drawn to”—turn-of-the-century dramas which “feel absolutely contemporary.” It seems a natural choice for the anniversary season—representative of Steppenwolf’s past and future productions. - [“Birds of North America” Takes Flight at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/30/birds-of-north-america-takes-flight-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - Anna Ouyang Moench’s father-daughter drama unfolds through birdwatching and climate anxiety. - [Something Wilde: An Explosive “Salome” at the Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/29/something-wilde-an-explosive-salome-at-the-lyric-opera/) - This is the North American premiere of David McVicar’s production of the opera, inspired by the Pier Paolo Pasolini film “Salò” and set in a grey world reminiscent of fascist Italy under Mussolini and Edward Gorey drawings. - [“Green Corridors” Tells the Story of Ukrainian Displacement in a World Gone Mad](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/26/green-corridors-tells-the-story-of-ukrainian-displacement-in-a-world-gone-mad/) - Trap Door Theatre presents Ukrainian playwright Natalka Vorozhbyt’s uncompromising take on Russia’s ongoing brutalization of Ukraine as seen through the experiences of a group of refugees in Vienna. - [Dinner and a Show with the Chicago Mob](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/23/dinner-and-a-show-with-the-chicago-mob/) - Behind the scenes of Nitti's Supper Club presents “Who Killed Eddie O’Hare? A True Crime History Mystery Musical” at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse. - [Dance Top 5: February/March 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/27/dance-top-5-february-march-2026-2/) - Dance highlights in the months ahead - [“Magic Is People” Is Just Short of Enchanting](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/21/magic-is-people-is-just-short-of-enchanting/) - Justin Purcell’s sleight-of-hand act at the Chicago Magic Lounge rates higher on skill than charm. - [Players 50 2026: The Institutions](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/14/players-50-2026-the-institutions/) - Is Chicago theater back? That was the sentiment at photographer Joe Mazza’s studio. Inside, this year’s Players, from theaters small and large, aired a spirit of optimism. - [A New Phantom Stalks the Streets of Naperville in BrightSide's “Phantom in Concert"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/15/a-new-phantom-stalks-the-streets-of-naperville-in-brightsides-phantom-in-concert/) - In between songs, the actors engage in dialogues and soliloquies that flesh out the narrative, which delves deeper into the backstory of the Phantom than the Lloyd Webber version. - [Players 50 2026: The Producers and Places](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/14/players-50-2026-the-producers-and-places/) - Is Chicago theater back? That was the sentiment at photographer Joe Mazza’s studio. Inside, this year’s Players, from theaters small and large, aired a spirit of optimism. - [Players 50 2026: The Rising Stars and Storefront Stalwarts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/14/players-50-2026-the-rising-stars-and-storefront-stalwarts/) - Is Chicago theater back? That was the sentiment at photographer Joe Mazza’s studio. Inside, this year’s Players, from theaters small and large, aired a spirit of optimism. - [Players 50 2026: The Advocates and Changemakers](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/14/players-50-2026-the-advocates-and-changemakers/) - Is Chicago theater back? That was the sentiment at photographer Joe Mazza’s studio. Inside, this year’s Players, from theaters small and large, aired a spirit of optimism. - [Players 50 2026: The Music Makers](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/14/players-50-2026-the-music-makers/) - Is Chicago theater back? That was the sentiment at photographer Joe Mazza’s studio. Inside, this year’s Players, from theaters small and large, aired a spirit of optimism. - [Players 2026: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/14/players-2026-the-fifty-people-who-really-perform-for-chicago/) - Is Chicago theater back? That was the sentiment at photographer Joe Mazza’s studio. Inside, this year’s Players, from theaters small and large, aired a spirit of optimism. - [The Complexity of the Human Experience Expressed Through The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/13/the-complexity-of-the-human-experience-expressed-through-the-chicago-international-puppet-theater-festival/) - The largest puppet theater festival in North America returns to warm up crowds with a vast array of artistry from around the globe, including an adaptation of Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness." - [Remasking a Classic: Isaiah Bailey Refreshes "Phantom" for New National Tour](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/08/remasking-a-classic-isaiah-bailey-refreshes-phantom-for-new-national-tour/) - Isaiah Bailey brings power, humanity and personal truth to the North American tour of “The Phantom of the Opera.” - [For Robert Falls, "Holiday" Is a New Kind of Work](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/07/the-freelancer-for-robert-falls-holiday-is-a-new-kind-of-work/) - Robert Falls may have stepped down as artistic director at the Goodman Theatre three years ago, but suddenly he’s everywhere on the Chicago theater scene. He directed a critically acclaimed production of “Amadeus” at the Steppenwolf Theatre and this winter is directing the comedy “Holiday” at the Goodman. - [Full Nelson: The Singular Intensity of Michael Shannon](https://www.newcitystage.com/2013/07/02/full-nelson-the-singular-intensity-of-michael-shannon/) - No matter what we do in life, what we accomplish, it's always those early days, the times when we struggled and fought and laughed and cried, it's those days that never leave us. - [One Dance Recommendation: Martha Graham Dance Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/06/dance-one-recommendation-martha-graham-dance-company/) - A one-night stop in the Windy City. - [Make Room Beside the Muppets for “Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/19/make-room-beside-the-muppets-for-manual-cinemas-christmas-carol/) - The work of this world-class company at Studebaker Theater is required viewing. - [City Lit Brings Sherlock Holmes to a Victorian Christmas Party](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/18/city-lit-brings-sherlock-holmes-to-a-victorian-christmas-party/) - “Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns” is a happy combination of witty dialogue, lovely Victorian costumes and four-part harmony Christmas caroling, with a touch of Gilbert & Sullivan. - [Review: Fuerza Bruta: Look Up](https://www.newcitystage.com/2010/06/01/review-fuerza-bruta-look-up/) - RECOMMENDED There are no seats for "Fuerza Bruta: Look Up"; you'll spend the entire sixty-five minutes standing on the stage of the Auditorium Theatre. Actually, you'll spend most of the time jumping, cheering and dancing along with the joyous cast of this truly spectacular event, leaving the theater in a state of euphoria, wanting more. - [Drury Lane's “Sister Act” Brings the Whoopi Goldberg-Led 1992 Movie to the Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/17/drury-lane-theatres-sister-act-lifts-voices-and-spirits/) - Chicago theater mainstay E. Faye Butler has directed a joyous “Sister Act” musical that’ll keep you smiling all the way back home. - [TUTA Theatre Packs Life’s Pains and Pleasures into One “Long Christmas Dinner”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/12/tuta-theatre-packs-lifes-pains-and-pleasures-into-one-long-christmas-dinner/) - Here’s hoping that Thornton Wilder’s quietly powerful one-acter from 1931 develops into a Chicago holiday tradition. - [The Charismatic Charles Dickens Comes to Life](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/11/charles-dickens-comes-to-life-at-clownshow/) - Blake Montgomery wins the audience over as Charles Dickens in this one-person play, where the celebrated author diverts from his 172nd annual reading of "A Christmas Carol" to throw a holiday party instead. - [Stage Top 5: January 2026](https://www.newcitystage.com/2026/01/02/stage-top-5-january-2026/) - Just when you thought the holidays were over, Philip Barry’s classic romantic comedy comes into view. - [Northlight’s “Gaslight” Turns One Husband’s Manipulation Into a Victorian Detective Caper](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/10/northlights-gaslight-is-stylishly-creepy-and-triumphantly-feminist/) - If you feel like a little malice for the holiday season, catch the triumphantly feminist drama that coined a term prevalent in modern politics. - [Maximalism and Magic at the Joffrey Ballet's "The Nutcracker"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/09/maximalism-and-magic-at-the-joffrey-ballets-the-nutcracker-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - The Chicago-centric version of the holiday classic, set the winter before the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, turns ten. - [Manual Cinema Share Their Favorite Puppets From Their New Christmas Classic](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/08/manual-cinema-share-their-favorite-puppets-from-their-new-christmas-classic/) - Manual Cinema’s adaptation of Dickens’ Victorian ghost story sees a reluctant Chicago aunt recreating her late husband’s annual Christmas Carol puppet show for their family. We asked the team about their favorite puppets from this new Christmas classic. - [“Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley” Returns to the World of Jane Austen](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/04/georgiana-and-kitty-christmas-at-pemberley-is-a-fitting-conclusion-to-popular-trilogy/) - Buffalo Theatre Ensemble's play, set during the 1815 Christmas season at the Pemberley estate in England, addresses feminist issues of equality and agency. - [Goodman's “Christmas Carol" Imparts Holiday Lessons in Humanity](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/03/goodmans-christmas-carol-imparts-holiday-lessons-in-humanity/) - The forty-eighth annual "Christmas Carol" returns to Goodman with a stellar cast that will rejuvenate your holiday spirit. - [From the Humane Laboratory: Mad Shak Presents the Third and Final Chapter of “Ex/Body”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/02/from-the-humane-laboratory-mad-shak-presents-the-third-and-final-chapter-of-ex-body/) - “This piece is being made in the midst of deep questions with the ensemble about where do we go from here? What do we do with the coexistence of these feelings of the desire to be seen? The desire to hide?" - [What Should Modern Theaters Do with Shakespeare’s Nasty Shrew?](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/12/01/what-should-modern-theaters-do-with-shakespeares-nasty-shrew/) - Court Theatre’s production of “The Taming of the Shrew” lacks good answers to this bothersome question. - [Chicago Shakes' "Much Ado About Nothing" Revives the Spirit of Classic 1940s Romantic Comedies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/26/chicago-shakes-much-ado-about-nothing-wins-over-the-crowd/) - Selina Cadell’s production of the screwball comedy delivers solid Shakespeare—clear and easy to understand without dilution. - [Dance Top 5: December 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/25/dance-top-5-december-2025/) - A new evening-length holiday show by South Chicago Dance Theatre founder and director Kia S. Smith is aimed at fostering a sense of audience connection. - [Smashing Genres: Billy Corgan Gets Artsy at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/24/smashing-genres-billy-corgan-gets-artsy-at-lyric-opera/) - Billed as “A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness,” Friday night was not your typical night at the opera. - [Marimba and Mic Drops: A Review of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/19/marimba-and-mic-drops-a-review-of-hubbard-street-dance-chicago-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - The skill of the company is on full display in a stacked program of mic-drop numbers, old and new. - [A Fresh Meeting of Mozart and Salieri as Robert Falls Meets Steppenwolf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/20/a-fresh-meeting-of-mozart-and-salieri-as-robert-falls-meets-steppenwolf/) - The legendary Chicago theater maker, most known for his work at Goodman Theatre, directs a contemporary and understated version of Peter Shaffer’s "Amadeus." - [A Dream Begins for Real as Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” Takes Us Back](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/17/a-dream-begins-for-real-as-alicia-keys-hells-kitchen-takes-us-back/) - Keys' songs are masterful fusions of music and poetry, performed in a breakout performance by Maya Drake. - [Stage Top 5: December 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/21/stage-top-5-december-2025/) - Your month in theatergoing might be committed to annual traditions, but here are a few cases for making time for new work, too. - [Ghostlight Ensemble Theatre Co.'s New Play Considers the Morality of Justice and Violence](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/13/ghostlight-theatre-ensembles-angry-fags-questions-the-morality-of-justice-and-violence/) - Topher Payne's work is about two young gay men who must decide how far they will go to combat their oppression. - [Writers Theatre Transforms Shakespeare's “As You Like It” Into A Foot-Tapping Musical](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/14/as-you-like-it-goes-foot-tapping-musical-at-writers-theatre/) - The musical version of the Bard of Avon's pastoral comedy is fun, but Shakespeare is the crust of this pie, not the filling. - [Opening This Week: April 3-9, 2017](https://www.newcitystage.com/2017/04/03/opening-this-week-april-3-9-2017/) - Monday "Smokey and the Bandit: The Musical" at MCL Chicago. Take a musical journey back to the seventies, when mustaches were big, high-speed chases were just around every corner and Burt Reynolds was king. Fridays and Saturdays through April 29. For tickets and more information visit mclchicago.com "Babe-alon" at Steppenwolf Theatre Company's LookOut Series. A comedic vocal trio bringing - [The Devil Doesn’t Get His Due in Trap Door Theatre’s Satanic Literary Satire](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/12/the-devil-doesnt-get-his-due-in-trap-door-theatres-satanic-literary-satire/) - “A Devil Comes to Town” is a bold but ultimately undramatic experiment in storytelling strategy. - [“The House That Will Not Stand” Shows One New Orleans Family’s Struggle for Freedom](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/10/a-familys-struggle-for-freedom-in-invictus-theatres-the-house-that-will-not-stand/) - Invictus Theatre Company addresses the psychological ramifications of slavery in this gripping drama. - [Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre’s “The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience” Is a Touching Tribute to Two Towering Intellectuals](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/07/fleetwood-jourdain-theatre-brings-fire-with-the-baldwin-giovanni-experience/) - The historic 1971 discussion between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni is enhanced with song, dance and spoken word poetry. - [This Is the Moment for Kokandy’s "Jekyll & Hyde"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/06/this-is-the-moment-for-kokandys-jekyll-hyde/) - Jaw-dropping vocals breathe life into a melodramatic cult favorite. - [Lyric Opera Revives “Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci” in a Double Bill of Italian Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/05/lyric-opera-revives-cavalleria-rusticana-pagliacci-in-a-double-bill-of-italian-opera/) - The classic Elijah Moshinsky stagings of Mascagni and Leoncavallo’s works follows the opera's season-opening mounting of Cherubini’s "Medea." - [The Conspirators Stage Marx Brothers Classic "Duck Soup" at the New Stars and Garters Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/05/the-conspirators-stage-marx-brothers-classic-duck-soup-at-the-new-stars-and-garters-theater/) - The talented cast works in a neo-commedia mode of performance called "The Style," delivering a fast-paced, riotous production. - [Stage Top 5: November 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/03/stage-top-5-november-2025/) - From Mozart to the Marx Brothers, November is a vibrant month for Chicago theater. - [Leading the Way: Chanel DaSilva, the First Black Woman to Choreograph for Joffrey Mainstage, Celebrates Chicago in Her Latest](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/03/leading-the-way-chanel-dasilva-the-first-black-woman-to-choreograph-for-joffrey-mainstage-celebrates-chicago-in-her-latest/) - "Wabash & You" is based on DaSilva’s own brief but memorable romance that began during her third stay in Chicago, beneath the shadow of the El. - [Parental Indiscretion: Chicago Repertory Ballet Takes Shakespeare Out of Time in "The Capulets"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/11/04/parental-indiscretion-chicago-repertory-ballet-takes-shakespeare-out-of-time-in-the-capulets/) - Wade Schaaf's spinoff of "Romeo and Juliet" follows Lord and Lady Capulet, carrying on clandestine affairs of their own. - [New Theatre Project’s “Blackbird” Is a Harrowing Flight Into Darkness](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/31/new-theatre-projects-blackbird-is-a-harrowing-flight-into-darkness/) - The company's latest factory-set show explores the long-term effects of sexual trauma. - [Music Theater Works Brings the Gospel of St. Matthew to a Coffee Shop](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/30/godspell-sings-all-good-gifts-with-all-the-modern-twists/) - This “Godspell” doesn’t shy away from modern politics and leans left. - [Stage Top 5: January 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/06/stage-top-5-january-2025/) - Chekhov comes to a factory floor, plus four other shows not to miss this January. - [“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Brings the Pelvic Thrust to Naperville](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/29/rocky-horror-picture-show-live-is-out-of-this-world/) - BrightSide Theatre restages the cult classic musical in a production directed by Jeffrey Cass. - [312 Comedy Festival Tries To Capture the Comedy Zeitgeist](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/27/312-comedy-festival-tries-to-capture-the-comedy-zeitgeist/) - The 312 Comedy Festival is here in its third annual edition, bringing together a highly eclectic mix of top stars and rising talents in twenty-four big shows. - ["Sound of Music" Revival Asks: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Nazis?](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/24/the-sound-of-music-asks-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-nazis/) - Broadway In Chicago's revival, by three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O’Brien, is chillingly on time. - [In “The Sporting Life,” a Teenage Girl Employs a Witch To Transform Herself](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/24/in-the-sporting-life-a-teenage-girl-employs-a-witch-to-transform-herself/) - Heads roll and blood overflows at The Factory Theater this Halloween season. - [Dracula Sails Again in “Strange Cargo: The Doom of the Demeter”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/23/dracula-sails-again-in-strange-cargo-the-doom-of-the-demeter/) - More than a few surprises lurk in this ship’s hold, a perfect spooky season treat from City Lit. - [TimeLine's New Play Explores What It Means to Be an American](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/22/timelines-new-play-explores-what-it-means-to-be-an-american/) - The world premiere of Sandra Delgado's "Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars" finds a woman coping with significant life changes amidst dream and trippy weed-induced sequences. - [The Devil Comes Down to Chicago Shakespeare Theater in “Paranormal Activity”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/20/the-devil-comes-down-to-chicago-shakespeare-theater-in-paranormal-activity/) - A new play based on the hit movie blurs fantasy and reality to kick off the spooky season. - [Goodman's New Musical Shows How One Spark Can Ignite a Revolution](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/17/goodmans-new-musical-shows-how-one-spark-can-ignite-a-revolution/) - It's no surprise that a show with music and lyrics by Tom Morello is finding its moment right now. - [Hometown Heroes Triumph in Lyric’s First-Ever "Medea"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/16/hometown-heroes-triumph-in-lyrics-first-ever-medea/) - The long journey to get Cherubini’s “Medea" to Lyric Opera culminates in a spectacular production and stellar performance. - [Is “Dutchman” a Play Worth Reviving?](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/15/is-dutchman-a-play-worth-reviving/) - Some good acting and interesting directorial choices can’t save Amiri Baraka’s misogynistic one-acter. - [Dance Top 5: November 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/28/dance-top-5-november-2025/) - In a rare Harris Theater appearance, the Joffrey Ballet presents new works by two extraordinary women choreographers: a Chicago-set love story by Chanel DaSilva and a tribute to Frida Kahlo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. - [“Oak” Drips With Campy and Real-World Horror for a Small Town Black Family](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/10/oak-drips-with-campy-and-real-world-horror-for-a-small-town-black-family/) - Raven Theatre’s production tells us where the monsters are and runs the other way. - [Fall Theater Preview: 2019 Edition](https://www.newcitystage.com/2019/08/30/fall-theater-preview-2019-edition/) - A guide to our city's most abundant theatrical season. - [In “Veal,” the Tormented Middle School Friend Becomes Queen of North America](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/09/in-veal-the-tormented-middle-school-friend-becomes-queen-of-north-america/) - The new dystopian play is the kind of in-your-face, challenging theater that A Red Orchid can do so well. - [This Willy Loman Is More a Scary Symptom Than a Tragic Hero](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/08/this-willy-loman-is-more-a-scary-symptom-than-a-tragic-hero/) - Gwydion Theatre’s “Death of a Salesman” may not be perfect, but it speaks loudly and clearly to our time. - [“Rome Sweet Rome,” or How Croutons Crushed an Emperor](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/03/rome-sweet-rome-or-how-croutons-crushed-an-emperor/) - Q Brothers Collective and Chicago Shakes reimagine “Julius Caesar” as a “hip-hopera,” where if you want to get by, you better be superfly. - [Stage Top 5: October 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/02/stage-top-5-october-2025/) - The eighth edition of the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival features work ranging “from movement-driven experimental work to deeply rooted historical dramas.” - [Masi Asare Launches a Workshop for Writing Musicals at Northwestern](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/06/the-art-of-writing-musicals-an-interview-with-masi-asare/) - The university’s American Music Theatre Project will debut the Chicago Musical Theater Writers Workshop, offering instruction and support in musical theater writing for local writers and composers. - [The Bloody History of A Seventeenth Century Countess Is Told in Idle Muse's New Production](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/01/drenched-in-history-the-blood-countess-is-thirsting-for-horror/) - "The Blood Countess" reveals the story of Erzsébet Bathóry, a Hungarian countess who was tried and convicted for allegedly killing hundreds of young girls. - [Elizabeth McGovern Details the Many Lives of Hollywood Star Ava Gardner](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/10/01/elizabeth-mcgovern-explores-the-many-lives-of-hollywood-star-ava-gardner/) - The new play at the Studebaker is based on a series of interviews between British biographer Peter Evans and Ava McGovern. - [Joy and Sisterhood: Ayodele Drum & Dance Make Their Dance Center of Columbia College Debut](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/30/joy-and-sisterhood-ayodele-drum-dance-make-their-dance-center-of-columbia-college-debut/) - "Starting a company of all women is not just about dance. It’s about sisterhood. It’s about community." - [“The Book of Will” Traces the Creation of Shakespeare's First Folio](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/29/the-book-of-will-traces-the-creation-of-shakespeares-first-folio/) - Promethean Theatre Ensemble puts on a play that presents the surprisingly heroic efforts undertaken to preserve Shakespeare’s greatest works. - [A Depression-Era South Side Play Lifts "Fog" at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/25/a-south-side-depression-era-play-shows-possible-paths-forward-at-court-theatre/) - "Big White Fog," to which "A Raisin in the Sun" owes much, provides an invaluable snapshot of a community struggling with its own identity. - [“Gangsta Baby” Brings Together Sex, Violence and Daddy Issues](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/26/sex-violence-and-daddy-issues-in-gangsta-baby-at-open-space-arts/) - The new work by U.K.-based playwright Cameron Raasdal-Munro tells the story of a gay sex worker who must navigate his relationship with a homophobic gangster father. - [In Steppenwolf's “Mr. Wolf," A Teenager Reluctantly Returns Home From Her Kidnapper](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/25/in-steppenwolfs-mr-wolf-a-teenager-reluctantly-returns-home-from-her-kidnapper/) - The top-shelf production is tightly directed and beautiful, but leaves too much space unexplored. - ["Rabbits in Their Pockets" Conjures Black Joy Through Kinship](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/24/rabbits-in-their-pockets-conjures-black-joy-through-kinship/) - Kimberly Dixon-Mays’ contemporary play at Lifeline Theatre features a story interwoven with references from the Br’er Rabbit African American folktales. - [The Smoke-Filled Ballet Aura of Joffrey's "Carmen"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/23/a-review-of-the-joffrey-ballets-carmen-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - Liam Scarlett’s adaptation of the Georges Bizet opera feels timeless in the vein of Hollywood’s golden era. - [“Dial M for Murder” Crafts the Perfect Crime into a Fast-Paced Thriller](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/22/the-perfect-murder/) - Drury Lane's adaptation adds a refreshing update to Frederick Knott's classic “whodunit.” - [Dance Top 5: October 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/24/dance-top-5-october-2025/) - October offers a sweet haul of dance options. - [In “Ashland Avenue,” One Chicago Shop Owner Must Come to Terms with the Future](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/19/in-ashland-avenue-one-chicago-shop-owner-must-come-to-terms-with-the-future/) - Goodman's new play, crammed with Chicago details, stars Jenna Fischer and Francis Guinan. - [Nerds Go Absurd in No Dogs in the Kitchen’s “Below the Belt”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/17/nerds-go-absurd-in-no-dogs-in-the-kitchens-below-the-belt/) - Jared Goudsmit skillfully directs Richard Dresser’s 1995 satirical take on organizational existence. - ["The First Lady of Television" Broadcasts a History Lesson](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/18/the-first-lady-of-television-broadcasts-a-history-lesson/) - Northlight Theatre's new production takes us back to the 1950s, when sitcom pioneer Gertrude Berg was tasked with an impossible choice. - [Chicago's New Golden Age of Magic](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/15/magic-city-chicago-in-the-new-golden-age/) - A magic mansion with major funding enters a city where the art form already flourishes. - [On Grief and Healing: Chicago Performs Come Back to the MCA](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/16/on-grief-and-healing-a-preview-of-chicago-performs-at-the-mca/) - Three performances by Chicago artists this weekend grow joy and find ways through grief via the body, music, ritual and remembrance. - ["Things with Friends" Serves up a Dinner Party from Hell](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/12/a-party-from-hell/) - American Blues Theater's new production is a bravely experimental dark comedy with a less-than-coherent plot. - [Gary Gulman Finds the Funny in the Fragile](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/12/gary-gulman-finds-the-funny-in-the-fragile/) - The comedian reaches new creative heights with his one-man show "Grandiloquent," coming to the Athenaeum Center. - [Lyric's Sunday in the Park Gives Chicago Opera Fans a Taste of the Season to Come](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/11/lyrics-sunday-in-the-park-gives-chicago-opera-fans-a-taste-of-the-season-to-come/) - The season preview concert overlapped with Taste of Chicago, creating a sometimes amusing Ivesian auditory collision. - [A Force Of Movement: The Joffrey Ballet's Seventy Years of Pushing Boundaries](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/10/a-force-of-movement-the-joffrey-ballets-seventy-years-of-pushing-boundaries/) - This season marks multiple milestones for the Joffrey Ballet: it’s the company’s seventieth season and also its thirtieth year since it relocated from New York to the Third Coast. With its two-story marquee above State Street and a “Nutcracker” rendition set during the 1893 Columbian Exposition—which happens to turn ten this year—the company is now synonymous with Chicago. - [Instrumental Theatre Company Stages Chekhov at a Lakefront Edgewater Mansion](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/08/instrumental-theatre-company-stages-chekhov-with-music-at-a-lakefront-edgewater-mansion/) - This experimental adaptation connects music, storytelling and ambiance to craft a truly immersive theatergoing experience. - [Review: Oliver!/Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2013/04/15/review-oliverdrury-lane-theatre/) - Lionel Bart's "Oliver" is always, first and foremost, about the kids. And when it comes to singing, dancing, mischief-making rapscallions, director Rachel Rockwell's Drury Lane Theatre production delivers gloriously; It’s the adults and their environment here that muffle Dickens’ “Twist.” In just about every choice, you can observe Rockwell fighting, quite understandably, against the merry-go-round - [Welcome to the Rock: A Review of “Come From Away” at Paramount Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/05/welcome-to-the-rock-a-review-of-come-from-away-at-paramount-theatre/) - If you want to learn about a real-life tale of communion, go see “Come From Away.” - [The Optimistic Era: A Review of “44—The Musical” at Studebaker Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/04/the-optimistic-era-a-review-of-44-the-musical-at-studebaker-theater/) - It’s hard to imagine now that a tan suit was seen as a presidential scandal. - [Susan Booth on the Goodman Theatre's Quintessentially Chicago "Ashland Avenue"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/03/susan-booth-on-the-goodman-theatres-quintessentially-chicago-ashland-avenue/) - “Ashland Avenue,” the story of a Chicago television salesman, will lead off the Goodman’s centennial season. The play’s world premiere stars Chicago theater favorite Francis Guinan and Jenna Fischer, the Emmy-nominated star of “The Office.” - [A Mini-Fringe: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble Reimagines the Full Circle Festival](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/02/a-mini-fringe-chicago-danztheatre-ensemble-reimagines-the-full-circle-festival/) - In an age when many dance-based organizations and venues struggle or have gone dark, bright spots remain. One such light in the darkness is Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble which has, as its founder and artistic director Ellyzabeth Adler describes, been “building, stabilizing, rebuilding, stabilizing” through twenty-five years of creating and cheerleading multidisciplinary performances. - [Rehearsed Laughter: A Review of "The Chaos Theory of Everything" at The Second City](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/29/rehearsed-laughter-a-review-of-the-chaos-theory-of-everything-at-the-second-city/) - The Second City’s forty-ninth e.t.c. revue is difficult to predict, circuitous, self-referential and, at times, disorienting. It nevertheless provides reliable laughter even on nights when the audience isn’t quite giving the comedians what they need. - [Lookingglass Theatre's GglassFest Shows How the Sausage Is Made for New Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/28/lookingglass-theatre-companys-gglassfest-shows-how-the-sausage-is-made/) - GglassFest is for those who are looking to go beyond the finished product, to be a part of the messiness and the journey of making theater and feel that their presence matters. - [Caught in the Crosshairs: An Interview with Playwright Pam Dickler](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/27/caught-in-the-crosshairs-an-interview-with-playwright-pam-dickler/) - How Pam Dickler ended up on a right-wing “Scoundrels List”—a roster of the top two-hundred people who most influenced Barack Obama. “I’m Number 151,” Dickler states with irony-inflected pride. “I’m above Derrick Bell, the creator of critical race theory.” - [Dance Top 5: September 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/26/dance-top-5-september-2025/) - Fall arts season kicks off with dance and performance festivals aplenty. - [Can’t-Miss Chicago Dance Moments: Fall 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/09/09/cant-miss-chicago-dance-moments-fall-2025/) - Deeply Rooted turns thirty, and Hubbard Street brings more Fosse. Now that's a fall season! - [Can’t-Miss Chicago Theater Moments: Fall 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/25/cant-miss-chicago-theater-moments-fall-2025/) - Chicago’s stages reach major milestones this year. - [Grace Against Tyranny: A Review of “The Winter’s Tale” at American Players Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/21/grace-against-tyranny-a-review-of-the-winters-tale-at-american-players-theatre/) - APT's new and marvelous production directed by Shana Cooper, “The Winter’s Tale,” shows how time and grace can heal what seems irreparable. - [Stage Top 5: September 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/22/stage-top-5-september-2025/) - Big anniversary seasons begin this fall, along with new beginnings for some theater institutions. - [Music from a Vanishing Era: A Review of “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar” at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/20/music-from-a-vanishing-era-a-review-of-rachmaninoff-and-the-tsar-at-writers-theatre/) - A terrific night of theater—full of humor, history, strong emotion and magnificent music. - [Creating From Truth: A Preview of "Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions" at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/19/creating-from-truth-a-preview-of-unbound-shattered-frames-endless-visions-at-the-harris-theater/) - The ten companies comprising the Black Dance Legacy Project demonstrate that Black dance—in its wide ranging diversity of rhythms, moods, modes and aesthetics—truly is American dance. - [Keeping the Faith: A Review of “MJ: The Musical” at Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/18/keeping-the-faith-a-review-of-mj-the-musical-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - The fascinating focus of “MJ: The Musical” is on creativity and what drives and shapes it, especially when it has a cavernous cultural response. - [Broadway In Chicago's Kaleidoscopic Summer Concert Previews Their New Season](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/15/broadway-in-chicagos-kaleidoscopic-summer-concert-previews-their-new-season/) - One of the most highly-anticipated cultural events of the summer. - [Where We’re Going and Where We’ve Been: A Review of "Fiddler on the Roof" at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/13/where-were-going-and-where-weve-been-a-review-of-fiddler-on-the-roof-at-music-theater-works/) - This ubiquitous push-pull relationship between the new ways and the old ways is part of what has kept "Fiddler" relevant for so long. - [The Best Deal In Town: How The Saints Changed the Face of Chicago Performing Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/04/the-best-deal-in-town-how-the-saints-changed-the-face-of-chicago-performing-arts/) - I see Saints at most of the theater shows I attend, and like mustard on a hot dog, it doesn’t feel like a Chicago show without them. - [Hope for the Hopeless: A Review of Broadway In Chicago's “Parade”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/11/hope-for-the-hopeless-a-review-of-broadway-in-chicagos-parade/) - “Parade” is the best touring musical of the year so far, but the run is short. Don’t let it pass you by. - [A Harrowing Journey: A Review of “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” at City Lit Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/08/a-harrowing-journey-a-review-of-jesus-hopped-the-a-train-at-city-lit-theater/) - “‘A’ Train” is no mere entertainment. It’s about bringing us into dark places and shining light on what we’d rather not see. - [Camp Acts of Connection: A Review of "Amélie" at Kokandy Productions](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/06/camp-acts-of-connection-a-review-of-amelie-at-kokandy-productions/) - If you want that quirky smile, “Amélie” is a no-brainer. - [Not Your Regular Poetry Reading: A Profile of "Giggle Hour" at The Lincoln Lodge](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/08/04/not-your-regular-poetry-reading-a-profile-of-giggle-hour-at-the-lincoln-lodge/) - “Giggle Hour” showcase at The Lincoln Lodge features poets whose goal is to entertain as well as enlighten their audience, while serving up musical artists and highly unique variety performers. - [Beware the Red, White and Blues: A Review of “Pass Over” at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/31/beware-the-red-white-and-blues-a-review-of-pass-over-at-fleetwood-jourdain-theatre/) - Marketed as a “provocative riff on ‘Waiting for Godot’ and ‘The Exodus,’” the play adds another feather to the cap of Tim Rhoze, artistic director of Fleetwood-Jourdain and director of the play, both for his clever staging and his landing of a work that has generated quite a buzz. - [Love All: A Review of “Billie Jean” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/30/love-all-a-review-of-billie-jean-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Intense, inspirational and joyful, “Bille Jean” is the feel-good hit of the summer. - [Dance Top 5: August 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/29/dance-top-5-august-2025/) - Showcase performances and free community events celebrate the abundance of great dance in Chicago. - [They Stole Einstein’s Brain: A Review of Tin Drum Theatre Company's “Incognito” at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/23/they-stole-einsteins-brain-a-review-of-tin-drum-theatre-companys-incognito-at-theater-wit/) - This sterling production of a flawed play announces to the theatergoing public that Tin Drum—which was launched only last year—is a company worth watching. - [Summertime Shakespeare: A Review of Midsommer Flight's “Love’s Labour’s Lost”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/24/summertime-shakespeare-a-review-of-midsommer-flights-loves-labours-lost/) - This is the Shakespeare you want to see on a cool summer evening. - [The Ghost in the Barbershop: Gavin Dillon Lawrence on “The Death of Chuck Brown” at American Players Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/25/the-ghost-in-the-barbershop-gavin-dillon-lawrence-on-the-death-of-chuck-brown-at-american-players-theatre/) - When Gavin Dillon Lawrence was visiting his hometown of Washington, D.C. more than ten years ago, he took a photo of his oldest son as he got a haircut at a Black-owned barbershop. When Lawrence looked at the picture later, he saw something that broke his heart. - [A Passion for the Stage: An Interview with Playwright Amy Crider](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/21/a-passion-for-the-stage-an-interview-with-playwright-amy-crider/) - If any playwright in town deserves a break right about now, it would be Amy Crider. - [Glamour and Grief: A Review of Hell in a Handbag's “Queen for a Day”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/18/glamour-and-grief-a-review-of-hell-in-a-handbags-queen-for-a-day/) - “Queen For A Day” thrives on a kind of elegant chaos, where glamour and grief collide. - [Half the Troupe, All the Passion: A Review of “Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/17/half-the-troupe-all-the-passion-a-review-of-circus-abyssinia-ethiopian-dreams-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - We don’t know why the U.S. State Department decided that female Ethiopian acrobats were a threat to national security. - [Enchanted: A Review of "Disney’s Beauty and the Beast" at Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/16/enchanted-a-review-of-disneys-beauty-and-the-beast-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - In many ways, the intricate murals, details and chandeliers of the Palace create its own kind of music box, ensconcing the stage for a beloved story to be told. - [Final Flight: A Review of "The Fly Honey Show" at Thalia Hall](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/15/a-review-of-the-fly-honey-show-at-thalia-hall/) - The hive takes one last sweet taste of honey. - [The Machinery of Mischief: A Review of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at American Players Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/11/hilarious-and-magical-a-review-of-a-midsummer-nights-dream-at-american-players-theatre/) - If you have never seen “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or haven’t seen it for a while, this is the one to see. And if you feel like you’ve seen it too many times—try again. APT’s production is fresh, funny and clear. - [Epic: A Review of Invictus Theatre Company's “Angels in America”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/10/epic-a-review-of-invictus-theatres-angels-in-america-at-windy-city-playhouse/) - Politics and anxiety drive Part One, subtitled “Millennium Approaches,” and Part Two, “Perestroika,” diverges into the supernatural and presents an original take on Hebrew theology. Seen together, the two parts are best described in a word: Epic. - [Freedom of Self: A Review of "The Color Purple" at the Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/09/freedom-of-self-a-review-of-the-color-purple-at-the-goodman-theatre/) - Every once in a while, there is a show that blows all of your expectations out of the water, one that sets a new standard for a story. Not only does Goodman’s “Color Purple” do both of those things, but it is easily a production that I will never forget. - [Radical Beauty: The Seldoms Present "Superbloom" At The Chicago Botanic Garden](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/07/01/radical-beauty-the-seldoms-remount-superbloom-at-the-chicago-botanic-garden/) - The Seldoms remount their hyper-saturated celebration of nature's beauty at a garden in full bloom. - [Surreal Reality: A Review of "You Will Get Sick" at Steppenwolf Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/20/surreal-reality-a-review-of-you-will-get-sick-at-steppenwolf-theatre-company/) - The enchantment of "You Will Get Sick" is as inevitable as death and taxes. - [Dance Top 5: July 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/24/dance-top-5-july-2025/) - It's beautiful out! Put that phone down, go outside and see some dance. - [Stage Top 5: July/August 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/26/stage-top-5-july-august-2025/) - Chicago theater gets cinematic this summer. - [As American as Apple Pie: Oak Park Festival Theatre Celebrates Its Fiftieth Anniversary](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/25/as-american-as-apple-pie-oak-park-festival-theatre-celebrates-its-fiftieth-anniversary/) - This summer Oak Park Festival Theatre is marking its fiftieth anniversary with “Twelfth Night.” Peter Andersen says that Shakespeare in the park as “American as apple pie.” - [A Night Filled with Spirit(s): A Preview of “Gender Play, or What You Will” at Steppenwolf 1700](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/15/a-night-filled-with-spirits-a-preview-of-gender-play-or-what-you-will-at-steppenwolf-1700/) - Returning to Steppenwolf with “Gender Play” feels like a full-circle moment for Will Wilhelm. - [Grace Under Pressure: A Review of “The Book of Grace” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/14/grace-under-pressure-a-review-of-the-book-of-grace-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - This isn’t a feel-good or a perfect play, but it is a powerful one. - [Curiously Relevant: A Review of “The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince” at Factory Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/23/curiously-relevant-a-review-of-the-curious-circumstances-of-louis-le-prince-at-factory-theater/) - Factory Theater has outdone itself with this world premiere production that not only moves, teaches and entertains us, but also challenges us to see our own times in the flickering light of a primitive movie projector. - [The Search for Meaning: A Review of “Pippin” at BrightSide Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/18/the-search-for-meaning-a-review-of-pippin-at-brightside-theatre/) - “Pippin” was a Broadway hit in 1972. Bob Fosse was the original Broadway director and choreographer. Being a seventies musical, “Pippin” is edgier and darker than the big 1940s musicals like “Brigadoon,” with ambiguity, sequins and fishnet stockings. - [Complementary Styles: A Preview of Darvin Dances' "A Gallery of Dances" at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/17/complementary-styles-a-preview-of-darvin-dances-a-gallery-of-dances-at-chicago-danztheatre-ensemble/) - “A Gallery of Dances” comprises short pieces and excerpts from Mariah Eastman dating back to her early work as a freelance choreographer, along with new short pieces commissioned from Mandy Milligan. - [Blast from the Past: A Review of Teatro Vista's “Memorabilia” at Filament Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/16/blast-from-the-past-a-review-of-teatro-vistas-memorabilia-at-filament-theatre/) - The eighty-minute play combines clowning, acrobatics, juggling and dance to tell a nuanced narrative. - [A Marvel: A Review of “Iraq, But Funny” at Lookingglass Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/13/a-marvel-a-review-of-iraq-but-funny-at-lookingglass-theatre/) - “Iraq, But Funny” will join “The Arabian Nights” and “Metamorphoses” at the top of the Lookingglass canon. It is not to be missed. - [“What Risk There Is In the World”: Revising “An Iliad” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/12/what-risk-there-is-in-the-world-revising-an-iliad-at-court-theatre/) - A stand-in for not only the "Iliad" poet Homer but every other writer and translator who has stepped into the epic shoes of this tale, Timothy Edward Kane as the Poet must create a tour-de-force retelling of the original Western epic poem. It’s no easy task, but it’s one Kane describes as a “rich and complicated” gift to perform. - [Silver Lining: A Review of “Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues” at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/11/silver-lining-a-review-of-golden-leaf-ragtime-blues-at-american-blues-theater/) - “Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues” is a warmhearted and funny play that celebrates both vaudeville and the possibility of friendship across cultural and generational divides. - [Heartbreak and Hilarity: How Composer Jeanine Tesori Makes Works “Sing” Across Genres](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/09/heartbreak-and-hilarity-how-composer-jeanine-tesori-makes-works-sing-across-genres/) - Jeanine Tesori's opera “Blue” had its much-anticipated Lyric Opera of Chicago premiere last fall. Porchlight Music Theatre performed her Tony-Award-winning “Fun Home” last winter. And now Broadway In Chicago brings the national tour of her second Tony Award-winning show, “Kimberly Akimbo,” to the CIBC Theatre this summer. - [Fraternal Twins: A Review of “Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin” at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/06/fraternal-twins-a-review-of-six-men-dressed-like-joseph-stalin-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - “Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin” is a play concerned with what its title suggests: men bearing resemblance to one another and to a third, absent figure. - [The Worst Job: A Review of “Diana” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/05/the-worst-job-a-review-of-diana-at-theo-ubique-cabaret-theatre/) - Is being the princess the worst job in England? Head over to Theo Ubique to find out. - [Planetary Drift: A Review of "War of the Worlds” at Lifeline Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/06/planetary-drift-a-review-of-war-of-the-worlds-at-lifeline-theatre/) - Lifeline’s production takes on misinformation, a clueless media and the rejection of science—all worthy targets. But the death rays don’t always land. - [Chicago Opera Theater's “She Who Dared” Tells the Story of Pivotal Figures in Black Liberation](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/04/chicago-opera-theaters-she-who-dared-tells-the-story-of-pivotal-figures-in-black-liberation/) - In a historic debut at the Studebaker Theater, “She Who Dared” tells a story of pivotal figures who fought segregation alongside Rosa Parks. - [Love in Action: A Preview of Chicago Tap Theatre's "For All We Know" at the Edge Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/02/love-in-action-a-preview-of-chicago-tap-theatres-for-all-we-know-at-the-edge-theater/) - "It’s a continual practice that benefits myself and those around me, and it’s rooted in love.” - [There Goes the Neighborhood: A Review of “Neighborhood Watch” at Jackalope Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/02/there-goes-the-neighborhood-a-review-of-neighborhood-watch-at-jackalope-theatre/) - “Neighborhood Watch,” a play in the style of a sitcom by Rehana Lew Mirza and directed by Kaiser Ahmed, explores what happens when two Muslim men move into a majority white Virginia suburb, and the prejudice they encounter from both their liberal and conservative neighbors. - [Bridging Ballet and Broadway: The Joffrey Ballet Goes Down the Rabbit Hole in Christopher Wheeldon's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/06/03/bridging-ballet-and-broadway-the-joffrey-ballet-goes-down-the-rabbit-hole-in-christopher-wheeldons-alices-adventures-in-wonderland/) - Few ballet artists reach the pop status of household name. But if such a celebrity exists in our century it would be Christopher Wheeldon, one of the most sought-after choreographers in ballet and musical theater worlds alike. Chicagoans will have the opportunity to see an epic-scale Wheeldon work, when the Joffrey presents his 2011 “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” - [Existence Is Pain: A Review of “Endgame” at Facility Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/29/existence-is-pain-a-review-of-endgame-at-facility-theatre/) - Would you laugh in the face of the apocalypse? - [Last Dance: An Elegy for Links Hall](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/28/last-dance-an-elegy-for-links-hall/) - For those in Chicago’s dance, performance art, puppetry, experimental and cross-disciplinary performance worlds—pretty much any theater of the non-kitchen-sink variety—the name Links Hall needs no explanation. It’s the spot founded and—for many chapters of its nearly fifty-year life—run by artists who need space to throw things against the wall. - [Tim Meadows on the Midwest Origins of “The Ladies Man” and Making Chris Farley Laugh](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/28/tim-meadows-on-the-midwest-origins-of-the-ladies-man-and-making-chris-farley-laugh/) - Tim Meadows is bringing his magic to the stage of The Den Theatre on May 30-31 for three shows that put him in front of his favorite audiences of all: Chicagoans. Serving up funny stories on divorce, fatherhood, showbiz and much more, the Detroit native took the time to explain the secret behind his success across so many platforms. - [Dance Top 5: June 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/27/dance-top-5-june-2025/) - June brings many premieres, including the U.S. debut of Christopher Wheeldon's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" at Joffrey. - [Filling the Gap: Opera Festival of Chicago Makes The Summer Sing](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/23/filling-the-gap-opera-festival-of-chicago-makes-the-summer-sing/) - In answering its mission to bring little- or too seldom-heard Italian opera masterworks to Chicago stages, the Opera Festival of Chicago has found its place in the mix, adding to the city’s summer glow. - [The Packer Fans of Theater: How American Players Has Kept Shakespeare—and More—Thriving in a Tiny Wisconsin Town](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/22/the-packer-fans-of-theater-how-american-players-has-kept-shakespeare-and-more-thriving-in-a-tiny-wisconsin-town/) - Why American Players Theatre has managed to survive for forty-six seasons in the Wisconsin woods while fancier, more centrally located, and less mosquito-y venues have closed. - [Apocalypse Lite: A Review of “R.U.R.” at City Lit Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/21/apocalypse-lite-a-review-of-r-u-r-at-city-lit-theater/) - The rough outline of the Capek plot remains, although the story is both simplified and sped up, giving the play the breathless pacing of a Saturday-morning cartoon. - [Checkmate: A Preview of Chicago Dance Crash’s “LXIV (six.four)” at Ann Barzel Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/20/checkmate-a-preview-of-chicago-dance-crashs-lxiv-six-four-at-ann-barzel-theater/) - The show's title nods to the sixty-four squares on a chessboard, a fitting symbol for a presentation built around this classic game. The evening will unfold in two dynamic halves, each diving into the intersections of movement and human complexity. - [A Doggone Good Time: A Review of “Gorgeous” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/19/a-doggone-good-time-a-review-of-gorgeous-at-raven-theatre/) - “Gorgeous” by Rivendell and Raven Theatre is heartbreaking, hilarious and engrossing, a hit to kick off the summer season. - [The Future Is Now: A Review of “Berlin” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/01/the-future-is-now-a-review-of-berlin-at-court-theatre/) - Any play that takes on Berlin during the Weimar Republic era must operate in “Cabaret’”s long shadow. “Berlin,” now in its world premiere at the Court Theatre, tells stories from the same period, with wild nightlife and Nazis on the rise. - [Everything is in the Soup! A Preview of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Spring Series at Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/13/everything-is-in-the-soup-a-preview-of-hubbard-street-dance-chicagos-spring-series-at-harris-theater/) - A leader in contemporary dance, the company’s forty-seventh season will feature a tribute to famed choreographer Bob Fosse, an original work from Hubbard Street resident artist Aszure Barton, and the world premiere of “Beauty Chasers” from Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s interim artistic director, Matthew Rushing. - [Brotherly Love: A Review of “Hymn” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/07/brotherly-love-a-review-of-hymn-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Celebrated British writer Lolita Chakrabarti teams up with three-time Jeff Award-winning director Ron OJ Parson for an updated presentation of “Hymn” (2021), about two estranged brothers from Chicago’s South Side who find connection with each other following the death of their father. - [The Naked Truth: A Review of Bertolt Brecht’s “Galileo” at Trap Door Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/14/conformity-and-ignorance-a-review-of-galileo-at-trap-door-theatre/) - When audience members enter the Trap Door Theatre for Bertolt Brecht’s “Galileo,” they see a nearly naked man, sitting on a chair with his face to the wall. They learn that the man is the scientist Galileo Galilei, played by Trap Door artistic producer David Lovejoy. Galileo’s nakedness represents his real self—a visionary who tells uncomfortable truths. - [The Future Is Here: A Review of “The Antiquities” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/16/the-future-is-here-a-review-of-the-antiquities-at-goodman-theatre/) - “The Antiquities” is a play of big ideas about the meaning of life. It reminds us that even if humans are just a blip on the universal timeline, we had some things worth remembering. Get it while you can. - [Stage Top 5: June 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/30/stage-top-5-june-2025/) - Martians, Pagliacci and Princess Diana land in Chicago as the days get longer. - [Beyond the Walls: Chicago Theaters Build Worlds Outside Prison](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/08/beyond-the-walls-chicago-theaters-build-worlds-outside-prison/) - Programs like The Incarcerated Mass have turned Chicago into the home for a growing community of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated actors and playwrights who produce exciting work in and out of prison. - [A Blank Canvas: A Review of Remy Bumppo's "Art"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/12/a-blank-canvas-a-review-of-remy-bumppos-art/) - With a tone that’s too earnest for farce and too slight for idea-packed drama, the play feels not so much artful as awkward. - [Laugh at First Sight: A Preview of "First Date Comedy Gameshow" at the Laugh Factory](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/09/laugh-at-first-sight-a-preview-of-first-date-comedy-gameshow-at-the-laugh-factory/) - By choosing an audience member to come on stage and pick a comic to have a date with, "First Date Comedy Gameshow" at the Laugh Factory takes the idea of the first date to a whole other level. - [When History Begins to Rhyme: A Review of “Prayer for the French Republic” at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/23/when-history-begins-to-rhyme-a-review-of-prayer-for-the-french-republic-at-northlight-theatre/) - Running at three hours with two intermissions, “Prayer for the French Republic” is an engaging and thoughtful play that avoids being dragged down by the heaviness of the subject matter. - [One of One: Trinity Irish Dance Company Celebrates Thirty-Five at the MCA](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/06/one-of-one-trinity-irish-dance-company-celebrates-thirty-five-at-the-mca/) - This year, Trinity Irish Dance Company celebrates thirty-five years as the world's only Irish dance organization committed to artistic exploration and expansion of the form. I spoke with Trinity founding artistic director Mark Howard and associate artistic director Chelsea Hoy about what makes Trinity one of a kind. - [Boom Shaka Lacka: A Review of “Bust” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/05/boom-shaka-lacka-a-review-of-bust-at-goodman-theatre/) - Hilarious, thrilling and thought-provoking, “Bust” is a must-see for those who seek the examined life. - [Meaningful Nonsense: Chopin Theatre and Gwydion's "Theatre of the Absurd Festival"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/30/meaningful-nonsense-gwydion-theatre-companys-theatre-of-the-absurd-festival-at-the-chopin-theatre/) - The festival promises to be as thorough and wide-ranging an introduction to absurdism as local audiences are apt to experience. - [The Best of Times: A Review of “A Tale of Two Cities” at Shattered Globe Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/05/the-best-of-times-a-review-of-a-tale-of-two-cities-at-shattered-globe-theatre/) - While “A Tale of Two Cities” paints a captivating and capricious visage of both Paris and London, the place to be this spring is Chicago to witness this modern revamp of a beloved classic. - [What's Going On? A Review of “The Infinity Play” at Curious Theatre Branch](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/05/02/whats-going-on-a-review-of-the-infinity-play-at-curious-theatre-branch/) - “The Infinity Play” has no rules yet breaks them anyway, and Brennan and Curious Theatre Branch are like courageous explorers who’ve travelled into the unknown to bring back delicacies like you’ve never seen. - [Sex, Drugs and Rocking Chairs: A Review of “A Jukebox for the Algonquin” at Citadel Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/24/sex-drugs-and-rocking-chairs-a-review-of-a-jukebox-for-the-algonquin-at-citadel-theatre/) - Funny, thought-provoking and well-written, "A Jukebox for the Algonquin" is not just a “play about old people” but a contemplation on how to find joy among sorrow. - [A Man for Our Time: A Review of "Man of La Mancha" at Northwestern University](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/30/a-man-for-our-time-a-review-of-man-of-la-mancha-at-northwestern-university/) - All in all, particularly if you have never seen “Man of La Mancha,” this imaginative production should be top of mind. - [Dance Top 5: May 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/29/dance-top-5-may-2025/) - As the season nears its annual summer pause, an all-star lineup of choreographers and companies take the stage in May. - [Dream Ship of Nightmares: A Review of “Titanic: The Musical” at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/25/dream-ship-of-nightmares-a-review-of-titanic-the-musical-at-marriott-theatre/) - When the inevitable happens, we are right there with each and all of them—those who make it and those who don’t—powerfully caught up in the surreal reality that the vessel between you and the sea is about to be no more. - [History Rhymes: A Preview of Hedwig + The Bauhaus at the Ruth Page Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/22/history-rhymes-a-preview-of-hedwig-the-bauhaus-at-the-ruth-page-center/) - A co-production of Hedwig Dances and Germany’s Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, the programs celebrate the German modernist art and design movement with a trio of performances: “Meta|Mor|Phos,” “Lightplay,” and “Futura.” - [Stage Top 5: May 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/28/stage-top-5-may-2025/) - Chicago theaters take us through history, from Galileo's heliocentrism to the invention of robots. - [August Wilson's Man in Chicago: How Ron OJ Parson Became the Nation's Foremost Director of the Late Great Playwright](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/21/august-wilsons-man-in-chicago-how-ron-oj-parson-became-the-nations-foremost-director-of-the-late-great-playwright/) - For some artists, recognition flares up for a hot season or two when they seem everywhere all at once, but then their sparkle burns off. Then there are folks like Ron OJ Parson. - [Battles on Language: A Review of "Translations" at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/17/battles-on-language-a-review-of-translations-at-writers-theatre/) - "Translations" is a provocative and brilliant play that stands alone as drama. - [The Price of Wisdom: A Review of “Henry Johnson” at Victory Gardens Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/18/the-price-of-wisdom-a-review-of-henry-johnson-at-victory-gardens-theater/) - In Mamet’s usual acerbic style, we learn that in a world of high-stakes competition there are no friendships. Each act is like a Socratic dialogue, brutal refutations of the virtues of kindness and humility. - [Dig Deep: A Preview of W. Kamau Bell at The Den](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/16/dig-deep-a-preview-of-w-kamau-bell-at-the-den/) - W. Kamau Bell started out as a popular presence on the Chicago comedy scene in the mid-nineties, and his biggest love has always been for performing as a stand-up. - [In This and Every Moment: A Preview of Red Clay Dance's "16" at the Dance Center of Columbia College](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/15/in-this-and-every-moment-a-preview-of-red-clay-dances-16-at-the-dance-center-of-columbia-college/) - Ten years ago, Vershawn Sanders-Ward created a piece about the pernicious nature of racial bigotry in America for her then young company. Now, for Red Clay's sixteenth season, Sanders-Ward is revisiting the piece, informed by time, continued study and the perspectives of new company members. - [An Anthropomorphic Wonderland: A Review of “Beatrix Potter Tea Party” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/11/an-anthropomorphic-wonderland-a-review-of-beatrix-potter-tea-party-at-raven-theatre/) - Prepare to be transported to an anthropomorphic wonderland in "Beatrix Potter Tea Party," presented by Chicago Children’s Theatre and running through April 20 at Raven Theatre. Created and directed by Will Bishop, the play covers four Potter classics. - [Rich People’s Problems: A Review of "No Such Thing" at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/10/rich-peoples-problems-a-review-of-no-such-thing-at-rivendell-theatre-ensemble/) - With its total focus on the private and the domestic, “No Such Thing” never pulls us in. - [Titanique C'est Magnifique: A Review of "Titanique" at Broadway In Chicago and Porchlight Music Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/09/titanique-cest-magnifique-a-review-of-titanique-at-broadway-in-chicago-and-porchlight-music-theatre/) - If, by curtain call, you aren’t at least marginally delighted by this rollicking musical comedy, feel free to sashay away. - [Making Things Happen: An Interview with Theater Maker LC Bernadine](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/04/making-things-happen-an-interview-with-theater-maker-lc-bernadine/) - Chicago-based playwright, producer and cultural activator LC Bernadine is a theater maker who thrives on the freedom and spontaneity of one-off projects. Bernadine would like nothing better than to facilitate the sorts of artistic ventures she herself favors, and to that end, she’s spearheading the Independent Productions Initiative (IPI), a seedbed for plays conceived outside of a conventional theater company setting. - [Sound of the Hum: A Review of "The Listeners" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/03/sound-of-the-hum-a-review-of-the-listeners-at-lyric-opera/) - The most stirring vocal moments in the opera are delivered by the large ensemble, whose humming could scare a banshee—but leave it wanting more. - [Not For Sale: Dance Leaders Respond to Anti-DEI in Federal Funding](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/04/01/not-for-sale-dance-leaders-respond-to-anti-dei-in-federal-funding/) - Dance artists and organizations have been piecing together their budgets through philanthropy, donations, collaboration and shared resources for a long time. So perhaps dance orgs will be particularly resilient in the face of the wrecking crew now smashing its way through the federal government. However, the new administration’s swift backlash against D.E.I. initiatives has already caused pain for some. - [Stage Top 5: April 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/31/stage-top-5-april-2025/) - A Lyric Opera premiere, Charles Newell returns to direct at Court, and more. - [A Second Career: A Preview of "Chicago's Funniest Teachers" at Zanies Rosemont](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/28/a-second-career-a-preview-of-chicagos-funniest-teachers-at-zanies-rosemont/) - Stand-up comedians dread the prospect of a tough crowd in nightclubs, but Jeanie Doogan and Tom Filline face tough crowds five days a week as schoolteachers. Each turned to stand-up as a source of relief. - [An Electric Jolt to the Heart: The Story of the Kinks at Chicago Shakespeare](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/27/an-electric-jolt-to-the-heart-the-story-of-the-kinks-at-chicago-shakespeare/) - How did one group, formed by often-feuding brothers from working-class North London, have this much depth and scope? “Sunny Afternoon,” a musical playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, tries to answer this question by exploring the Kinks’ musical and personal journey. - [Dance Top 5: April 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/25/dance-top-5-april-2025/) - April marks milestones for dance companies from Chicago and beyond. - [Different Isn’t Scary: A Review of "Leaf" at Lifeline Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/26/different-isnt-scary-a-review-of-leaf-at-lifeline-theatre/) - A blizzard notwithstanding, the stark change in weather couldn’t have been more perfect for Lifeline’s production of “Leaf," a children’s story not only about being different but also about climate change. - [Time Wins Out: A Review of Puccini's "La bohème" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/21/time-wins-out-a-review-of-puccinis-la-boheme-at-lyric-opera/) - Without question, “La bohème” has been the opera most performed at Lyric Opera over my decades as a critic. - [Hope Springs Eternal: A Review of “The Winter’s Tale” at Invictus Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/24/hope-springs-eternal-a-review-of-the-winters-tale-at-invictus-theatre-company/) - Depending on your mood and disposition, the magical ending of this play might make you roll your eyes. But I always find it moving, and more so now in a time of so much anger and bitterness. - [Mean Girls for The Classical Dramatist in Each of Us: A Review of “The School for Scandal” at Idle Muse Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/19/mean-girls-for-the-classical-dramatist-in-each-of-us-a-review-of-the-school-for-scandal-at-idle-muse-theatre-company/) - Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s classic late eighteenth century biting satire of the idle rich is given a fresh reboot. - [Hamlet-Inspired: A Review of Teatro La Plaza’s "Hamlet" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/20/hamlet-inspired-a-review-of-teatro-la-plazas-hamlet-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Teatro La Plaza’s "Hamlet" is nearly entirely about the actors themselves, framed by the playwright’s agitprop on their behalf. - [Operatic Feeling, Interstitial Moments: Miguel Gutierrez Brings "Super Nothing" to the MCA](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/18/operatic-feeling-interstitial-moments-miguel-gutierrez-brings-super-nothing-to-the-mca/) - The theme of the spring performance series at the Museum of Contemporary Art is “Lineages.” Gutierrez speaks about how the work fits into his ongoing investigation of how art helps us navigate the fundamental conundrums of being alive. - [No Victim, She: A Review of The Artistic Home’s “Hedda Gabler” at the Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/25/no-victim-she-a-review-of-the-artistic-homes-hedda-gabler-at-the-den-theatre/) - Brookelyn Hébert’s portrayal of Henrik Ibsen’s celebrated femme fatale is an old-school, eyeball-grabbing star turn, one that every theater lover will relish. - [Sustained Creativity: A Preview of "Time Will Tell" at Links Hall](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/11/sustained-creativity-a-preview-of-time-will-tell-at-links-hall/) - Longtime collaborators Sara Hook and David Parker have full schedules in separate cities. But the two still find time to creatively connect, and bring an evening of short dances, new and old, to Links Hall. They share the bill with Roxane D'orleans Juste, a thirty-plus year veteran of Jose Limon's revered dance company. - [Take the Plunge: A Review of “Pussy Sludge” at Facility Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/13/take-the-plunge-a-review-of-pussy-sludge-at-facility-theatre/) - Themes of isolation and sexuality combine with light body horror in “Pussy Sludge." - [Lynch v. Byrne: A Review of "David & David" at Annoyance Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/07/lynch-v-byrne-a-review-of-david-david-at-annoyance-theatre/) - In writer and director Jake Steelman’s "David & David," playing now through April 5 at Lakeview’s Annoyance Theatre, David Byrne of Talking Heads fame plays the roommate of Twin Peaks auteur David Lynch in a sitcom-style satire, complete with laugh tracks and a cast of nutty neighbors. - [Just Another American Boy: A Review of Jackalope Theatre's “Dummy in Diaspora”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/12/just-another-american-boy-a-review-of-jackalope-theatres-dummy-in-diaspora/) - Esho Rasho writes and stars in “Dummy in Diaspora,” the one-man show presented by Jackalope Theatre through March 23 at Broadway Armory Park. Rasho plays a host of characters, but mainly Essa, a queer Middle Eastern American teenager moving through life markers toward maturity. - [A New Dream Will Do: A Review of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/10/a-new-dream-will-do-a-review-of-joseph-and-the-amazing-technicolor-dreamcoat-at-marriott-theatre/) - The fifty-seven-year-old Opus One of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is getting an amazing Technicolor facelift. - [Life’s a Marathon Not a Sprint: A Preview of “Grit” at Steppenwolf 1700](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/04/lifes-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-a-preview-of-grit-at-steppenwolf-1700/) - In choreographer Maggie Vannucci’s “Grit,” running March 6-8 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 theater, dance isn’t just an art, it’s an endurance sport. - [In Go the Bodies: A Review of “Titus Andronicus” at Redtwist Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/03/in-go-the-bodies-a-review-of-titus-andronicus-at-redtwist-theatre/) - Here’s some advice: Go see “Titus Andronicus” at Redtwist Theatre. It’s a shocking, energetic and muscular version of Shakespeare’s earliest tragedy, filled with gore, excellent stage violence, dark humor and clear readings of the text. - [Blast from the Past: A Review of “Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon” at Factory Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/28/blast-from-the-past-a-review-of-kitty-james-and-destinys-trail-to-oregon-at-factory-theater/) - Yoke the oxen. Hunt for buffalo. Avoid dysentery! Prepare for a Wild West adventure in “Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon,” a raucous comedy based on the classic “Oregon Trail” computer game. - [The Breakdown of The American Family: A Review of “A Lie of the Mind” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/28/the-breakdown-of-the-american-family-a-review-of-a-lie-of-the-mind-at-raven-theatre/) - First performed in 1985, “A Lie of the Mind” is a three-act play that acts as the closing chapter for a quintet of Shepard plays that explore the breakup of the modern family. - [Funcomfortable: A Review of “One Party Consent” at First Floor Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/27/funcomfortable-a-review-of-one-party-consent-at-first-floor-theater/) - Audiences will laugh, gasp and feel the sting of this challenging material. Although the new year has barely begun, “One Party Consent” is already a must-see highlight of the season. - [Dance Top 5: March 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/26/dance-top-5-march-2025/) - March dance highlights - [Game On: A Review of "Clue: Live on Stage" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/24/game-on-a-review-of-clue-live-on-stage-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Some might be expecting to see given that Broadway in Chicago’s signature genre is musicals, this is a non-singing “Clue: On Stage.” For this new, believe it or not, national tour incarnation based on the 1985 film, the show has been redubbed “Clue: Live On Stage." - [All in the Subtext: A Review of "Betrayal" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/21/all-in-the-subtext-a-review-of-betrayal-at-goodman-theatre/) - Time itself is the great betrayer, revealing who and where we really are. - [Still Colossal: A Review of Gwydion Theatre Company's "Ghosts" at the Greenhouse Theater Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/19/still-colossal-a-review-of-gwydion-theatre-companys-ghosts-at-the-greenhouse-theater-center/) - Gwydion Theatre’s pared-down, gripping production of Henrik Ibsen’s “Ghosts” at the Greenhouse is a homecoming of sorts: oddly enough, the play premiered in 1882 in Chicago, in an auditorium on Milwaukee Avenue at Huron. - [Here We Stand: A Review of “I and You” at Citadel Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/06/here-we-stand-a-review-of-i-and-you-at-citadel-theatre/) - “I and this mystery here we stand.” This quote by nineteenth-century American poet Walt Whitman is a good summation of “I and You,” a play by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Scott Shallenbarger, running through March 23 at Citadel Theatre. - [It's Bananas: A Preview of Jeff Ross at The Den](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/03/05/its-bananas-a-preview-of-jeff-ross-at-the-den/) - Jeff Ross has been touring the nation telling the story of how roasting has helped him deal with the loss of his grandfather, his most beloved comedian friends and his dog in the one-man show “Take A Banana for the Ride.” Blending big laughs with touching emotional moments, “Banana" comes to The Den Theatre March 7-9. - [The Dust of War: A Review of "The Cave" at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/18/the-dust-of-war-a-review-of-the-cave-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - Sadieh Rifai is a playwright to watch and this is a play worth seeing. A little trimming and shaping would make it better. - [Black to Black: A Review of "A Raisin in the Sun" at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/17/black-to-black-a-review-of-a-raisin-in-the-sun-at-court-theatre/) - The sixtieth anniversary of the death of playwright Lorraine Hansberry is the catalyst for the first-ever Court Theatre production of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The Chicago-born Hansberry was the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway with “Raisin” in 1959 and died from pancreatic cancer at the age of thirty-four six years later. - [Take It in with a Tequila Back: A Review of “Fool for Love” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/13/take-it-in-with-a-tequila-back-a-review-of-fool-for-love-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - Two doomed lovers trapped in an endless cycle of lust and revulsion. - [Glittering Possibilities: A Preview of "3-for-1 Psychic Special" at Steppenwolf 1700](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/12/a-preview-of-3-for-1-psychic-special-at-steppenwolf-1700/) - Ginger Krebs makes dance-based performances that point out the absurd and discomfiting wallpaper of everyday contemporary life with humor and a charming undercurrent of awkwardness. This weekend, Krebs premieres a solo piece alongside two other short works by writer/artist/coder Ian Hatcher and sound art duo Coppice. - [An Argument That Never Ends: A Review of TimeLine Theatre's “Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley” at DePaul University](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/07/an-argument-that-never-ends-a-review-of-timeline-theatres-debate-baldwin-vs-buckley-at-depaul-university/) - “Debate” is pre-scripted docudrama—an outward sketch of history, rather than an inward exploration of its implications and effects. - [Love on Demand: A Review of Lazy Susan Theatre Company’s “Not Bitter Nor Sweet” at Greenhouse Theater Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/11/love-on-demand-a-review-of-lazy-susan-theatre-companys-not-bitter-nor-sweet-at-greenhouse-theater-center/) - From what little I have seen of them, the Lazy Susan Theatre Company is an ambitious, young group that has all the talent requisite for great theater. And, for a play that was written by seven creatives in only four weeks, "Not Bitter Nor Sweet" is an impressive staging. - [All Politics Are Local: A Review of “Native Gardens” at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/06/all-politics-are-local-a-review-of-native-gardens-at-buffalo-theatre-ensemble/) - “Native Gardens” updates a tried-and-true formula with a cast that exudes chemistry—and that’s something everyone can agree on. - [Humor Rx: Kelly Anderson Dance Theatre is Back With Much-Needed Laughs](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/05/humor-rx-kelly-anderson-dance-theatre-is-back-with-much-needed-laughs/) - Anderson’s sense of humor characterizes the work of her eponymous company, which returns to Chicago with a new piece February 21-23 at Color Club. The piece, entitled “WEALTHcare: an episode” focuses on the individual healthcare experience—not the massive complexities and ills of the industry as a whole—starting with Anderson’s own story. - [The Daily Grind: A Review of “Lobby Hero” at Shattered Globe Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/04/the-daily-grind-a-review-of-lobby-hero-at-shattered-globe-theatre/) - Elliot Esquivel plays Jeff, the graveyard-shift security officer at a drab New York apartment building. He’s at the center of the action in this 2001 Kenneth Lonergan play about the difficulty of moral choices. - [Stage Top 5: February/March 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/02/03/stage-top-5-february-march-2025/) - A Harold Pinter work starring Helen Hunt, plus four other theater shows to see. - [Revolution for Dummies: A Review of "The Mannequins' Ball" at Trap Door Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/31/revolution-for-dummies-a-review-of-the-mannequins-ball-at-trap-door-theatre/) - If you approach the play for what it is, a left-wing provocation delivered with all the nuance of a wrecking ball, it works just fine, rubbing our collective nose in the sheer monstrousness of the human characters’ ruthless greed, egotism and opportunism. - [Huzzah! A Review of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]” at Oil Lamp Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/30/huzzah-a-review-of-the-complete-works-of-william-shakespeare-abridged-at-oil-lamp-theater/) - With a little something for young adults, a little something for a more mature audience and lots of inside jokes for Shakespeare buffs, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged]” is witty, educational and a lot of fun. - [Romper Room: Back flips, harem girls and the secret of life from the Lookingglass Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/1992/11/12/romper-room-back-flips-harem-girls-and-the-secret-of-life-from-the-lookingglass-theatre-company/) - "Dazzling and sumptuous production," says Lawrence Bommer, Windy City Times. "Electrifying physicality – a blend of rock 'n' roll pyrotechnics, circus gymnastics and balletic grace," says Anne Spiselman, Stagebill. "A hypnotic blend of dance, sound and visual beauty…a flood of enchantment…This is a show in which the stars glitter brightest because they are part of - [Dance Top 5: February/March 2025](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/29/dance-top-5-february-march-2025/) - Dance highlights to heat up the winter months. - [The Comeback Kid: A Leaner Lookingglass Is Back After Almost Two-Year Pause](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/28/the-comeback-kid-a-leaner-lookingglass-is-back-after-an-almost-two-year-pause/) - The reopening of Lookingglass this winter with “Circus Quixote” is a joyful event, and comes after a lot of soul-searching. - [Living in a Fun House Maze: A Review of “Fun Home” at Porchlight Music Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/27/living-in-a-fun-house-maze-a-review-of-fun-home-at-porchlight-music-theatre/) - Porchlight Music Theatre once again gives a reason for venturing into the cold Chicago winter night in this wonderfully executed production of “Fun Home.” - [Swan Song: Robert Joffrey's "Nutcracker" Nears Its Final Curtain](https://www.newcitystage.com/2015/12/01/swan-song-robert-joffreys-nutcracker-nears-its-final-curtain/) - By Sharon Hoyer Ashley Wheater sat down with me in his office in the Joffrey Tower shortly before the company hit the road to take Robert Joffrey’s “Nutcracker” to the Kennedy Center. Forty-five dancers, thirteen carpenters, eleven electricians, ten prop and wardrobe techs, plus a handful of sound, light and rehearsal coordinators are preparing to - [Despair! A Review of “Glassheart” at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/24/despair-a-review-of-glassheart-at-city-lit/) - People love nostalgia. So one can't fault playwright Reina Hardy for wanting to put their own twist on the tale of “Beauty and the Beast.” Not all new takes on existing properties pay off, but “Glassheart” does by maintaining the integrity of the characters—even keeping a bit of whimsy. - [Basic Fear: A Review of "Jekyll and Hyde in Concert" at BrightSide Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/23/basic-fear-a-review-of-jekyll-and-hyde-in-concert-at-brightside-theatre/) - One of the most satisfying aspects of the overall approach taken here is not just that everyone in the cast can sing effectively, but that they are aesthetically on the same page walking the line between a show voice and a trained voice. - [Reaching for Revelation: A Review of "A Glimpse Through the Walls Where We Might Find God" at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/22/reaching-for-revelation-a-review-of-a-glimpse-through-the-walls-where-we-might-find-god-at-chicago-danztheatre-ensemble/) - In the program notes for RE|Dance Group’s new evening-length performance, Michael Estanich says that spiritual themes are “long-lasting” through his work for the company, citing several pieces that share the gentle humanity that characterizes his dance-making. - [Forty Years of Laughter: An Interview with Comedian Jake Johannsen](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/21/forty-years-of-laughter-an-interview-with-jake-johannsen/) - Jake Johannsen has been making people laugh in clubs nationwide and countless TV appearances for the past forty years, bringing his highly offbeat and surreal take on life to subjects as far-reaching as toasters, extraterrestrials and marriage to the stage. - [Chekhov on the Assembly Line: New Theatre Project Talks About Its Factory-Floor Production of “Uncle Vanya”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/16/chekhov-on-the-assembly-line-new-theatre-project-talks-about-its-factory-floor-production-of-uncle-vanya/) - “Vanya” is being put on within the bare, echoing confines of the North Side’s Servi-Sure factory, a seriously real-world place that makes titanium anodizing racks for industry. The play will be enacted on an alley-like stage between two sets of folding chairs, with a seating capacity of about thirty-five. - [Welcome to the Rebellion: A Review of “Kid Prince and Pablo” at Lifeline Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/17/welcome-to-the-rebellion-a-review-of-kid-prince-and-pablo-at-lifeline-theatre/) - Lifeline Theatre’s production of “Kid Prince and Pablo” is a worthy successor to Twain’s classic story, updated for modern times and modern tastes, with universal truths that are well-worn in prose but are worth repeating. - [Smiling from Ear to Ear: A Review of "Shucked" at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/14/smiling-from-ear-to-ear-a-review-of-shucked-at-broadway-in-chicagos-cibc-theatre/) - “Shucked” is a “farm-to-fable” centered around the isolated town of Cob County, a small town where corn is the be-all and end-all of everything. - [Players 50 2025: Dance](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/07/players-50-2025-dance/) - Chicago is seen as a particularly fertile launching pad for the stars of tomorrow, whether in acting, comedy, writing or dance. - [Players 2025: The 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/07/players-2025-the-50-people-who-really-perform-for-chicago/) - Chicago is seen as a particularly fertile launching pad for the stars of tomorrow, whether in acting, comedy, writing or dance. - [The Theater of Dreams: The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Returns](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/08/the-theater-of-dreams-the-chicago-international-puppet-theater-festival-returns/) - Each January, the (especially cold and) windy city attracts hundreds of the finest puppeteers in the world to perform in what has become the biggest festival of its kind on this continent. - [What Will Juicy Do: An Interview with Tyrone Phillips, Director of “Fat Ham”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/09/what-will-juicy-do-an-interview-with-tyrone-phillips-director-of-fat-ham/) - “Fat Ham,” a modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” won the Pulitzer Prize in 2022 and got nominated for five Tony Awards. It’s set at a Southern cookout. Juicy, a young queer Black man meets his father’s ghost. - [Not Your Usual Christmas Show: A Review of Manual Cinema’s "Christmas Carol" at Studebaker Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/20/not-your-usual-christmas-show-a-review-of-manual-cinemas-christmas-carol-at-studebaker-theater/) - Manual Cinema has taken the perilous path of adaptation, mixing a contemporary American storyline with an authentic period telling Dickens’ tale. Its "Christmas Carol" brings magic, and a magical aura to the stage in a show that seems as wondrous as theater can ever be. - [Players 50 2025: Comedy](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/07/players-50-2025-comedy/) - Chicago is seen as a particularly fertile launching pad for the stars of tomorrow, whether in acting, comedy, writing or dance. - [Players 50 2025: Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/07/players-50-2025-opera/) - Chicago is seen as a particularly fertile launching pad for the stars of tomorrow, whether in acting, comedy, writing or dance. - [Players 50 2025: Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/07/players-50-2025-theater/) - Chicago is seen as a particularly fertile launching pad for the stars of tomorrow, whether in acting, comedy, writing or dance. - [Caught in the Act: William Frederking's Dancer Portrait Project](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/18/caught-in-the-act-william-frederkings-dancer-portrait-project/) - Frederking has been capturing lightning in a bottle for over three decades, portraying, as he puts it, “dance artists at the moments when they are fully present with the energy of live performance.” - [Hometown Hero: Cameron Esposito Will Be Blowing Off Steam for New Year's Eve at The Den](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/19/hometown-hero-cameron-esposito-will-be-blowing-off-steam-for-new-years-eve-at-the-den/) - Cameron Esposito has spent more than a decade making a unique splash in Hollywood, not only as one of the outest and proudest LGBTQ+ comics around, but also as a successful actress on major TV shows. - [Let It Snow: A Review of Paramount Theatre’s "Frozen the Broadway Musical"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/17/let-it-snow-a-review-of-paramount-theatres-frozen-the-broadway-musical/) - Paramount Theatre’s Midwest regional premiere production of Disney’s “Frozen: The Broadway Musical” is a must-see magical spectacle this holiday season. - [Dance One Recommendation: RE|Dance](https://www.newcitystage.com/2025/01/15/dance-one-recommendation-redance/) - an exploration of the edges… - [Fathoms Below: A Review of Disney’s "The Little Mermaid" at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/16/fathoms-below-a-review-of-disneys-the-little-mermaid-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - Drury Lane’s “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” is a lively homage to a treasured movie of childhoods and a warm addition to this holiday season of Chicago area theater. - [Glittering Dreamworld: A Review of the Joffrey Ballet's "The Nutcracker" at the Lyric Opera House](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/11/glittering-dreamworld-a-review-of-the-joffrey-ballets-the-nutcracker-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - The Joffrey Ballet’s annual holiday-time “Nutcracker” extravaganza, that revered tradition, offers so much—but it also raises the question, How much is too much? - [No Foes, Real Friends: My Best Friend Is Black Comedy Troupe Creates a Space](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/13/no-foes-real-friends-my-best-friend-is-black-comedy-troupe-creates-a-space/) - For the past three years, the troupe has been making waves on the current comedy scene with its monthly variety shows that combine stand-up, improv, sketches, music, audience-interactive game shows and much more on the stage of the Lincoln Lodge. - [Witty and Complex: A Review of “Little Women” at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/12/witty-and-complex-a-review-of-little-women-at-northlight-theatre/) - A new adaptation by Lauren Gunderson, premiering at Northlight Theatre, avoids the sentimental piety that mars some versions by using more language from Alcott’s astonishing book. - [It’s “Two Die” For: A Review of “& Juliet” at Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/10/its-two-die-for-a-review-of-juliet-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - “& Juliet” will delight the casual theatergoer with its glitzy, rock concert aesthetic, tongue-in-cheek plot and world-class singing and dancing. - [Bodily Grace, Spiritual Fire: A Review of Joffrey Ballet's "Home: A Celebration" at the Lyric Opera House](https://www.newcitystage.com/2021/10/20/bodily-grace-spiritual-fire-a-review-of-joffrey-ballets-home-a-celebration-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - The Joffrey Ballet's triumphal return to live performance is a multi-sensory delight that serves as a joyful homecoming for a crown jewel of Chicago’s cultural scene. - [A Welcome Visitor: A Review of "Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol" at Lifeline Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/09/a-welcome-visitor-a-review-of-jacob-marleys-christmas-carol-at-lifeline-theatre/) - In Mula’s rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” we hear the events of that Christmas Eve from Marley’s perspective. Scrooge’s partner in life, now dead, is no longer relegated to a single frame of the story. Rather, we discover that he has much to do with the goings-on of Scrooge’s ghostly evening. - [What the World Needs Now: A Review of "Every Brilliant Thing" at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/03/what-the-world-needs-now-a-review-of-every-brilliant-thing-at-writers-theatre/) - The show doesn’t shy away from the ground swell of sadness, but it also reminds us of just how many things there are to live for. I can’t imagine a better time to stage this play. - [Anchors Away: A Review of “Dames at Sea” at Citadel Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/05/anchors-away-a-review-of-dames-at-sea-at-citadel-theatre/) - “Dames at Sea” is campy, goofy and rushes through Broadway tropes, but will leave you with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. - [Let Yourself Go with Laughter: A Preview of Maria Bamford at The Den](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/06/let-yourself-go-with-laughter-a-preview-of-maria-bamford-at-the-den/) - For the past thirty-five years, comedian Maria Bamford has been the guiding light to making hilarity out of hellishness, putting her own battles with OCD front and center in her acting and stand-up career. - [We Jam: The Chicago Tap Allstars Unite for a Shuffle Through a "Winter Wonderland"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/04/we-jam-the-chicago-tap-allstars-unite-for-a-shuffle-through-a-winter-wonderland/) - To draw together Chicago’s diverse and at times fractious tap community, Mark Yonally of Chicago Tap Theatre and M.A.D.D. Rhythms founder Bril Barrett created the Chicago Tap Allstars—an umbrella organization that convenes the two companies and independent tap artists for joint performances, educational programs and fellowship. - [Stage Top 5: December 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/12/02/stage-top-5-december-2024/) - Lots of family-friendly fare for December, and that's not even including the million or so Christmas plays. - [Dance Top 5: December 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/27/dance-top-5-december-2024/) - The winter wonderland is here with the holiday spirit and a lot of Nutcrackers! - [Fearlessly Funny: A Preview of Steph Tolev at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/26/fearlessly-funny-a-preview-of-steph-tolev-at-zanies/) - Canadian comic Steph Tolev will bring her high-energy, anything-goes, raunchy and raucous performance to Zanies Comedy Night Club. - [Perfect Lesson for Imperfect Time: A Review of "Falsettos" by Court Theatre and TimeLine Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/22/perfect-lesson-for-imperfect-time-a-review-of-falsettos-by-court-theatre-and-timeline-theatre/) - This co-production balances gravity with hilarity in a still relevant story of an unorthodox family grappling with their individual and collective identities and relationships. - [A Touch of Spring: A Review of “The Secret Garden” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/25/a-touch-of-spring-a-review-of-the-secret-garden-at-theo-ubique-cabaret-theatre/) - “The Secret Garden” is healing: If you come into this show like Mary, cross and wounded, you may come out warm and blooming. - [Singing Through Grief: A Review of “Blue” at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/21/singing-through-grief-a-review-of-blue-at-lyric-opera/) - “Blue” is a powerful and moving new work deeply rooted in the continuum of operatic tradition. - [The Ballet's The Thing: A Preview of "The Tragedy of Hamlet—Prince of Denmark" at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/20/the-ballets-the-thing-a-preview-of-the-tragedy-of-hamlet-prince-of-denmark-at-the-harris-theater/) - This wordless “Hamlet” makes its debut in the States at the Harris Theater November 23 and 24, the first stop in its North American tour. - [Nerves, Excitement and Biscuits: A Review of “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/19/nerves-excitement-and-biscuits-a-review-of-the-wickhams-christmas-at-pemberley-at-buffalo-theatre-ensemble/) - If you’re looking for a period piece with all the trimmings, this one is for you. Great pacing, beautiful set and sound design and a cast of capricious characters make “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” a great way to kick off the holiday season. - [Diamond in the Rough: A Review of “A Beautiful Noise” at Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/18/diamond-in-the-rough-a-review-of-a-beautiful-noise-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Unlike typical jukebox musicals, “A Beautiful Noise” is not an extroverted epic extravaganza, but an introverted intimate introspection. - [Sound Perfection: Sound Designers and Audio Engineers Tell Us](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/14/sound-perfection-sound-designers-and-audio-engineers-tell-us/) - For centuries, sound designers and engineers have been crafting soundscapes to enhance storytelling, evoke emotions and create immersive experiences, and the tradition not only lives on but has evolved. - [Igniting the Spirit: A Conversation with Nicole Clarke-Springer, Artistic Director of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/13/igniting-the-spirit-a-conversation-with-nicole-clarke-springer-artistic-director-of-deeply-rooted-dance-theater/) - Nicole Clarke-Springer is an inspiring example of creative power in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances—something we all need, especially now. - [Refreshingly Comedic: A Review of "The Marriage of Figaro" at Lyric](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/12/refreshingly-comedic-a-review-of-the-marriage-of-figaro-at-lyric/) - This cheery, sexy 2015 staging with its 2024 cast shows that bright, sexy opera still sings at Lyric. It’s great fun with generous doses of the sublime. - [Happy Holidays: A Review of “White Christmas” at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/11/happy-holidays-a-review-of-white-christmas-at-marriott-theatre/) - If you’re looking to uphold the tradition of seeing a Christmas show, “White Christmas” at Marriott Theatre is a solid choice. - [Understated Mystery: A Review of Gwydion Theatre Company's "Perfect Pie" at Greenhouse Theater Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/08/understated-mystery-a-review-of-gwydion-theatre-companys-perfect-pie-at-greenhouse-theater-center/) - This is a worthy debut for an accomplished playwright who clearly deserves more attention on our side of the border. It’s also proof of how much the Gwydion company has matured over its two short years in Chicago. - [Finding the Light Within: A Review of “Leroy and Lucy” at Steppenwolf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/07/finding-the-light-within-a-review-of-leroy-and-lucy-at-steppenwolf/) - This is a moving and magical show, exploring the idea of human genius and transcendence. - [It's Gonna Be Delicious: The Verdon Fosse Legacy Teams Up with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/06/its-gonna-be-delicious-the-verdon-fosse-legacy-teams-up-with-hubbard-street-dance-chicago/) - Nicole Fosse, founder and artistic director of the Verdon Fosse Legacy, has been looking for a concert dance company to house her parents’ iconic work. Bob Fosse is perhaps the best-known choreographer on this continent—if not in name, then certainly aesthetics: slinky black costumes, bowler hats on tilted heads, slanting torsos and arms framing thrusting hips. Lucky for us in Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is that company. - [Everything Happens All At Once: A Review of Royal Shakespeare Company's "Pericles" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/05/everything-happens-all-at-once-a-review-of-royal-shakespeare-companys-pericles-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Although the play itself may not be for everyone, if there was ever a “Pericles” to see, it is this one. - [Stage Top 5: November 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/04/stage-top-5-november-2024/) - Lots of singing along in November, but also profound sorrow. It sounds like an election month. - [A Shot at the Big Time: A Review of “Seven Guitars” at City Lit Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/31/a-shot-at-the-big-time-a-review-of-seven-guitars-at-city-lit-theater/) - Director Manny Buckley navigates Wilson’s nuanced dialogue and perfectly timed beats of action in a play that should satisfy those new to the playwright and dedicated “Wilsonites” alike. - [The Cost of Justice: A Review of “Nat Turner in Jerusalem” at American Players Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/11/01/the-cost-of-justice-a-review-of-nat-turner-in-jerusalem-at-american-players-theatre/) - This 2016 play by Rockford-born Nathan Alan Davis asks what justifies violence, a question that resonates with today’s global struggles. - [Bedtime Fairy Tales: A Review of Kokandy's “Into the Woods” at The Chopin Studio Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/29/bedtime-fairy-tales-a-review-of-kokandys-into-the-woods-at-the-chopin-studio-theatre/) - There is magic in the setting for Kokandy Productions’ fine and intimate telling of Stephen Sondheim’s 1986 musical “Into the Woods”—a tale of wishes, spells and deadly danger. - [Life Studies: A Review of Remy Bumppo's “Dear Elizabeth” at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/28/life-studies-a-review-of-remy-bumppos-dear-elizabeth-at-theater-wit/) - Remy Bumppo’s “Dear Elizabeth” is a superb example of historical fiction and a fitting celebration of two prolific artists. - [Classic with a Spin: A Review of Broadway In Chicago's "Some Like It Hot" at Cadillac Palace Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/25/classic-with-a-spin-a-review-of-broadway-in-chicagos-some-like-it-hot-at-cadillac-palace-theatre/) - This is a stylish, energetic production with a breathtakingly gifted crew that delivers all the energy and glamor of a vintage-style musical with a new school spin. - [A Bloody Good Time: A Review of “Dracula” at BrightSide Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/24/a-bloody-good-time-a-review-of-dracula-at-brightside-theatre/) - If you are looking for an eerie and bone-chilling way to celebrate Halloween, but gore-filled slasher movies aren’t your thing, take a classier route and check out “Dracula” at BrightSide Theatre—it’s a bloody good time! - [The Whole Person in the Room: An Interview with Red Clay Dance's Vershawn Sanders-Ward](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/23/the-whole-person-in-the-room-an-interview-with-red-clay-dances-vershawn-sanders-ward/) - This weekend, Red Clay Dance will do something a little unusual for the company: present a mixed repertory concert. - [The Tools of Men: A Review of Refracted Theatre Company's “Coronation” at The Den](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/23/the-tools-of-men-a-review-of-refracted-theatre-companys-coronation-at-the-den/) - “Coronation” is a thoughtful roadmap for progressive politics on what not to do, and director and executive producer Wolff and company again exceed expectations—the end of civilization as we know it never looked so good! - [No Plot Spoiler, Just Joy: A Review of "Primary Trust" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/18/no-plot-spoiler-just-joy-a-review-of-primary-trust-at-goodman-theatre/) - In the delicate hands of director Malkia Stampley, this is a fine production of a rare play whose great wisdom and humanity unfolds slowly and curiously, like epiphanies that spring up from a lifetime. - [Postmodern Tearjerker: A Review of the Joffrey Ballet's "Atonement" at the Lyric Opera House](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/22/postmodern-tearjerker-a-review-of-the-joffrey-ballets-atonement-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - Based on a 2001 novel by Ian McEwan that was adapted for the screen in 2007, “Atonement” might be described as a sort of postmodern tearjerker: A complex, downbeat story of how a young girl’s misjudgment leads to catastrophe. - [More Soapy than Spooky: A Review of Shattered Globe Theatre's “Becky Nurse of Salem” at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/17/more-soapy-than-spooky-a-review-of-shattered-globe-theatres-becky-nurse-of-salem-at-theater-wit/) - It’s a play that negates itself, and the feeling it leaves behind isn’t catharsis, but rather frustration. - [Why We Move: A Preview of "Carnival of the Animals" at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/16/why-we-move-a-preview-of-carnival-of-the-animals-at-the-harris-theater/) - Since stepping down as a principal dancer after three decades with the New York City Ballet, Wendy Whelan has stepped up as associate artistic director of the company and stepped out to explore contemporary projects. - [Dance Top 5: November 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/30/dance-top-5-november-2024/) - Many premieres, mix rep programs and dance series for November! - [Silly Love Songs: A Review of “The Last Wide Open” at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/15/silly-love-songs-a-review-of-the-last-wide-open-at-american-blues-theater/) - The production has many appealing qualities, but the play doesn’t quite satisfy. It needs more—more music, more convincing dialogue. I wanted the full pierogi plate, but left feeling a little hungry. - [Life of an Immigrant: A Review of “Ironbound” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/08/life-of-an-immigrant-a-review-of-ironbound-at-raven-theatre/) - It’s a powerful and rare play that puts a spotlight on a regular working-class woman, bravely negotiating a difficult life. - [Soul Passion: A Review of Black Ensemble Theater's "Blue Eyed Soul Sung by Brown Eyed People"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/10/soul-passion-a-review-of-black-ensemble-theaters-blue-eyed-soul-sung-by-brown-eyed-people/) - This show is a trademark Black Ensemble jukebox show—great band, many wonderful singers who give their all and a book with an uplifting message. - [His Side of the Story: Edgar Arceneaux’s “Until, Until, Until…” Tells It](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/11/his-side-of-the-story-edgar-arceneauxs-until-until-until-tells-it/) - Few artists have faced as much backlash as Ben Vereen, star of stage and screen, who performed a tribute to legendary vaudevillian Bert Williams—the first Black actor to appear on Broadway—at Ronald Reagan’s inaugural gala in 1981. Vereen’s act is the subject of the play “Until, Until, Until…” (2015) created and directed by conceptual artist Edgar Arceneaux and co-written by Kurt Forman. - [A Poisonous Love Story: A Review of “Misery” at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/09/a-poisonous-love-story-a-review-of-misery-at-american-blues-theater/) - If you like Stephen King or psychological thrillers in general, don’t miss this show. There’s magic here. - [The More Things Change: A Review of “Alabama Story” by Ghostlight Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/07/the-more-things-change-a-review-of-alabama-story-by-ghostlight-ensemble/) - That the play takes place in a bookstore, with books banned in other parts of the country on full display, feels appropriate. - [Double Freedom from Tyranny: A Review of "Fidelio" at Lyric Opera and "Leonora" at Chicago Opera Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/04/double-freedom-from-tyranny-a-review-of-fidelio-at-lyric-opera-and-leonora-at-chicago-opera-theater/) - It is a rare and wonderful occurrence when you can hear two operas where two different composers have set the same libretto side-by-side. - [All’s Fair in Love and War: A Review of "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/03/alls-fair-in-love-and-war-a-review-of-natasha-pierre-the-great-comet-of-1812-at-writers-theatre/) - At 140 minutes with intermission, this electropop opera only captures a fragment of Tolstoy’s "War and Peace"—but the juiciest bit. - [Would You Like to Dance? How SummerDance Connects Chicagoans Across All Spectrums](https://www.newcitystage.com/2018/06/22/wont-you-join-the-dance-summerdance-kicks-off-season-22-of-connecting-chicagoans-through-live-music-and-dancing/) - The longstanding, wildly popular partner-dance series has evolved into a festival that ties together social dance, live music, spectatorship and professional performances. - [Comfort in Their Skins: "3320" Brings Decades of Dance Experience to Dovetail Studios Garage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/02/comfort-in-thier-skin-3320-brings-decades-of-dance-experience-to-dovetail-studios-garage/) - “3320,” playing October 25-November 3, will loosely be about experienced choreographers given space to play. Read invited veteran dance and performance makers to create short pieces for a two-weekend mini-festival out of the Dovetail Studios Garage space. - [Static Sorcery: A Review of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" at Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/10/01/static-sorcery-a-review-of-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - What distinguishes “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is not the story that is told but the way in which the story is told. - [The Truths Still Resonate: A Review of "Inherit the Wind" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/30/the-truths-still-resonate-a-review-of-inherit-the-wind-at-goodman-theatre/) - As theater art, the show is a triumph. How about as a message for our age delivered by a decades-old play crafted in a different political moment? - [Seriously Zany: A Review of "Noises Off" at Steppenwolf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/26/seriously-zany-a-review-of-noises-off-at-steppenwolf/) - Steppenwolf’s cast has put in the work and delivers a seriously zany show. - [Stage Top 5: October 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/27/stage-top-5-october-2024/) - Start the month with a monstrously huge star of Broadway, end the month with a monster story. - [Dance Top 5: October 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/25/dance-top-5-october-2024/) - Dance flourishes in October, from the Joffrey's latest epic to the exciting new mini-festival 3320 and so much more between. - [Must See If You Can Make It: A Review of "East Texas Hot Links" at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/24/must-see-if-you-can-make-it-a-review-of-east-texas-hot-links-at-court-theatre/) - Parson has delivered another knockout. Brave the box office wait time for tickets. - [Mind, Body and Soul: A Review of “Never Better” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/23/mind-body-and-soul-a-review-of-never-better-at-theo-ubique-cabaret-theatre/) - This is truly an exceptional production that is often greater than its already pretty darn good parts. - [Review: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater/Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2016/03/14/review-alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/) - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was in fine form when it made its annual return to the Auditorium Theatre March 8-13 bringing classic Ailey repertory, a Paul Taylor piece, recent work by Ronald K. Brown and Rennie Harris, and the hotly anticipated Chicago premiere of "Awakening," Robert Battle’s first creation on the company since he - [Reign Check: A Review of “The Audience” at Drury Lane](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/20/reign-check-a-review-of-the-audience-at-drury-lane/) - A classy production that shines a new light on a woman who with poise and intelligence strove to maintain the trust of the British people. - [An Embarrassment of Riches: A Review of "Rigoletto" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/19/an-embarrassment-of-riches-a-review-of-rigoletto-at-lyric-opera/) - A triumph all around that is not to be missed. - [Catharsis and Community: A Preview of "She's Auspicious" at the Dance Center of Columbia College](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/18/catharsis-and-community-a-preview-of-shes-auspicious-at-the-dance-center-of-columbia-college/) - How are powerful women celebrated? Who defines what that power should look like? These are just a couple of the many questions Mythili Prakash explores in her evening-length dance "She's Auspicious." - [The Game of Make-Believe: A Review of “Henry V” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/17/the-game-of-make-believe-a-review-of-henry-v-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - “Henry V” is like one of those M.C. Escher prints where sometimes you see fish and sometimes ducks—it plays with your perception. - [A Man in Full: A Review of “Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago” at Chopin Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/16/a-man-in-full-a-review-of-royko-the-toughest-man-in-chicago-at-chopin-theatre/) - “Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago” is mainly, and justifiably, about the public issues confronted and battles fought by a very brave and public writer on an almost daily basis over four decades. The central fact about Royko is that, love him or hate him, everyone—or so it seemed—read him. - [Anthony’s Aria: The Curtain Falls on the Freud Era at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/13/anthonys-aria-the-curtain-falls-on-the-freud-era-at-lyric-opera/) - Freud has been the general director of Lyric Opera since 2011—the titles of president and CEO were added in 2015—the first person recruited from outside of the company to run it in its seventy-year history. But under Freud, Lyric has experienced more change than under the administrations of any of the previous three, perhaps all three combined. - [It’s Clobberin’ Time: A Review of “The House of Ideas” at City Lit Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/12/its-clobberin-time-a-review-of-the-house-of-ideas-at-city-lit-theater/) - The play about real-life creators is a reminder of what made Marvel great in the first place: the relatability of its heroes. - [Bigger and Better: A Preview of "Chicago Live!" at Navy Pier](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/11/bigger-and-better-a-preview-of-chicago-live-at-navy-pier/) - Touted as the largest free performing arts festival in the Midwest, "Chicago Live!" is back, taking over Navy Pier September 21 and 22 with performances by over 110 artists and organizations. - [How Did This Happen? A Review of “The Normal Heart” at Redtwist Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/10/how-did-this-happen-a-review-of-the-normal-heart-at-redtwist-theatre/) - "The Normal Heart" is an important addition to the collective consciousness regarding the historic event of the AIDS crisis and a strong start for the next evolution of Redtwist Theatre. - [Elevated Intimacy: Para.Mar Dance Theatre Takes a Traditional Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/04/elevated-intimacy-para-mar-dance-theatre-takes-a-traditional-stage/) - Lights, curtains and a seated audience are the trappings of the trade, but Para.Maris putting up its first ever evening-length show in a traditional venue. It’s an unusual path for this top-shelf troupe that has been steadily performing for five seasons. - [Can't-Miss Fall Dance Events (Fall Arts Preview 2024)](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/11/cant-miss-fall-dance-events-fall-arts-preview-2024/) - Avant-garde tinged, international and Fosse, all in one season. - [Hogwarts From the Heartland: Chicago Actors Matt Mueller and Larry Yando on Their Roles in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/09/hogwarts-from-the-heartland-chicago-actors-matt-mueller-and-larry-yando-on-their-roles-in-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child/) - Yando, who played Scrooge in The Goodman Theatre’s “The Christmas Carol” for sixteen years and is known for playing complicated, dark characters, will take on the prickly Severus Snape in the new national tour of “Harry Potter." As Ron Weasley is part of a big, magical family, Mueller is part of a big theatrical family. - [Let's Look at Democracy, Again: A Review of “1776” at the Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/05/lets-look-at-democracy-again-a-review-of-1776-at-the-marriott-theatre/) - From the first roll of a snare drum to the Liberty Bell sounding the final signature on the Declaration, the Marriott Theatre absolutely nails "1776." - [Dance Top 5: September 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/28/dance-top-5-september-2024/) - Festivals, puppets and Brendan Fernandes, bigger than ever. - [A Company of Mad Scientists in The House of Belonging: How Collaboraction Reinvented Itself, Over and Over and Over](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/03/a-company-of-mad-scientists-in-the-house-of-belonging-how-collaboraction-reinvented-itself-over-and-over-and-over/) - Collaboraction began in the late nineties as a tiny, itinerant, non-Equity theater company, performing low-budget productions of contemporary American plays. Over the years the company has gone through a fascinating transformation. - [Outside Opera: A Review of Sunday in the Park with Lyric](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/30/outside-opera-a-review-of-sunday-in-the-park-with-lyric/) - Lyric Opera’s free pre-season preview concert in Millennium Park has gone from a September extravaganza to a more modest August concert called “Sunday in the Park with Lyric.” - [Stage Top 5: September 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/29/stage-top-5-september-2024/) - The big guns of theater and opera are all out this September. - [Still Mad as Hell: A Review of “Network” by Invictus Theatre at Windy City Playhouse](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/27/still-mad-as-hell-a-review-of-network-by-invictus-theatre-at-windy-city-playhouse/) - This is what theater needs to be in our time: a mirror not just to nature but also to the media landscape that surrounds us. Invictus has crafted a memorable production of an important and illuminating play. And there is no better time to see it than right now. - [If, If Only and What If: A Review of “Constellations” at American Players Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/26/if-if-only-and-what-if-a-review-of-constellations-at-american-players-theatre/) - The performances are real, and the play doesn’t feel like a gimmick but a true portrayal of how life works. It’s like cubism in story form—the variations are altogether at once. - [Fun in the Discipline: A Preview of "Divination—The Dancing Souls of Black Folk" at the Pritzker Pavilion](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/21/a-preview-of-divination-the-dancing-souls-of-black-folks-at-the-pritzker-pavilion/) - Chicagoans will get a sampling of what makes Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project so unique this Saturday, when all ten companies in the current cohort present a small sampling of their work at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. - [Successful Entertainment: A Review of “The Virgin Queen Entertains Her Fool” at American Players Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/22/successful-entertainment-a-review-of-the-virgin-queen-entertains-her-fool-at-american-players-theatre/) - “The Virgin Queen Entertains Her Fool” is a bawdy, witty, fast-paced tragicomedy, brilliantly acted and expertly plotted. - [Villains By Necessity: A Review of "King Lear" at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/21/villains-by-necessity-a-review-of-king-lear-at-american-players-theatre-in-spring-green-wisconsin/) - There’s no time wrong for “King Lear,” and if you haven’t seen a live performance, American Players Theatre’s production is a great place to start. - [Time After Time: A Review of "Back to the Future: The Musical" by Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/20/time-after-time-a-review-of-back-to-the-future-the-musical-by-broadway-in-chicago/) - “Back to the Future: The Musical” attempts to flesh out the film’s representation of both the 1950s and the 1980s with a post-millennial overlay. - [Change the Page: A Review of “Alice by Heart” by Kokandy Productions at Chopin Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/06/change-the-page-a-review-of-alice-by-heart-by-kokandy-productions-at-chopin-theatre/) - Kokandy Productions' take on Wonderland with “Alice by Heart” is as zany as its premise and brings Wonderland to life with creative set design, rock concert lighting and a cast that is not afraid to get weird. - [Grief and Art: A Review of "Death, Let Me Do My Show" at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/19/grief-and-art-a-review-of-death-let-me-do-my-show-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - It’s not every day that a show begins with the contagious 1996 hit “Space Jam” and ends with me crying—but it’s also not every day that Chicago audiences get to experience the remarkable range of writer-performer Rachel Bloom. - [Resilience and Love: A Preview of "Hisako's House"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/14/resilience-and-love-a-preview-of-hisakos-house/) - It began with Robyn Mineko Williams wanting to learn more about her grandmother. Her grandmother's home is the setting for Williams’ “Hisako’s House," a deeply personal dance performance Williams developed as she gathered and processed her family’s story. - [Review: Hedwig and The Angry Inch/Haven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2013/07/24/review-hedwig-and-the-angry-inchhaven-theatre/) - RECOMMENDED The glam-rock bio-concert, “Hedwig and The Angry Inch,” boasts a fervent cult following, to say the least. But the show about a transgender East German expat rocker inspires a different sort of fandom than, say, "Rocky Horror;” a fandom that carries with it certain pressures. The audience at Theater Wit mouths the lyrics and - [Two Levels of Illusion: A Review of "Road Signs" at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/13/two-levels-of-illusion-a-review-of-road-signs-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - As an illusionist, Jon Tai performs a truly impressive feat that makes the audience gasp; as a storyteller, though, the amicable and unassuming Tai comes off as less than magical. - [Can’t-Miss Fall Stage Events (Fall Arts Preview 2024)](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/09/06/cant-miss-fall-stage-events-fall-arts-preview-2024/) - We're finally getting to see a couple productions postponed during the pandemic, plus an ever-expanding Destinos festival. - [The Energy We Share: A Preview of "Dance for Life" at the Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/07/the-energy-we-share-a-preview-of-dance-for-life-at-the-auditorium-theatre/) - Jonathan Alsberry is choreographing the finale for this year’s “Dance for Life,” an annual fundraiser to alleviate the cost of health care for dance professionals. Danced by artists across companies and styles, the finale perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the show. - [A Gateway to Fun: A Review of “Portal” by Lookingglass Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/07/a-gateway-to-fun-a-review-of-portal-by-lookingglass-theatre-company/) - Expressive dance capably performed in a natural setting, a free price tag and a forty-five-minute run time make “Portal” an exceptional choice for summertime family fun. - [Let There Be Luminance: How Lighting Designers Show Us the Show](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/05/let-there-be-luminance-how-lighting-designers-show-us-the-show/) - The next time you attend a live performance, and the performers motion to the back of the house, clap extra hard for the noble lighting designer, who works in darkness so that others may shine. - [Stage Top 5: August 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/02/stage-top-5-august-2024/) - August is a great month for some light theatrical entertainment. Like, um, King Lear. - [Vive la Révolution!: A Review of “Les Misérables” at Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/08/01/vive-la-revolution-a-review-of-les-miserables-at-uptown-music-theater-of-highland-park/) - Uptown Music Theater must face the challenge of presenting one of the world’s most beloved musicals and compete with audiences’ expectations. Does Uptown deliver? The answer is an emphatic yes. - [Martian Chronicles: A Review of "Wells and Welles" by Lucid Theater at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/31/the-two-man-show-a-review-of-wells-and-welles-by-lucid-theater-at-city-lit/) - The play never hits a high gear dramatically and ends on an anticlimax. But I still found “Wells and Welles” enjoyable, for the simple reason that, over the play’s single act, we do get to know these two closely tied, larger-than-life figures with the weirdly similar surnames. - [Pantomiming the Middle Earth: A Review of “The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale” at Chicago Shakes](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/30/pantomiming-the-middle-earth-a-review-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-a-musical-tale-at-chicago-shakes/) - “The Lord of the Rings” musical, now playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, is a disappointing muddle. Despite some lovely music and amazing puppetry, it doesn’t satisfy. - [Art On Your Terms: Synapse Arts Celebrates Twenty](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/31/art-on-your-terms-synapse-arts-celebrates-twenty/) - "I feel my creative voice comes out more clearly when we’re in a space where you can’t control all the elements. You can’t control the little kid running up and grabbing your leg or the guy on a cell phone or the construction workers. There’s true spontaneous joy in those moments I can’t craft." - [Oldies Made Edgy: A Review of Paramount's “Million Dollar Quartet” at Stolp Island Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/23/oldies-made-edgy-a-review-of-paramounts-million-dollar-quartet-at-stolp-island-theatre/) - If you haven’t seen this show before—this is the production to experience it. And if you’ve seen it a dozen times, come to Aurora and see it again. - [Dance Top 5: August 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/24/dance-top-5-august-2024/) - Embrace Chicago's dance communities this summer! - [It’s a Mad, Mad World: A Review of "The Mad Ones" by Blank Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/22/its-a-mad-mad-world-a-review-of-the-mad-ones-by-blank-theatre-company/) - “The Mad Ones” is a calculated musical risk—though however you look at it, Blank Theatre Company’s production comes out ahead. - [Tipping the Scales: A Review of “2 Pianos 4 Hands” at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/18/tipping-the-scales-a-review-of-2-pianos-4-hands-at-northlight-theatre/) - “2 Pianos 4 Hands” dazzles with its mirth, wit, fast-paced dialogue, lovable characters and a long list of classic and contemporary musical works. Performances by LaSalle and McGloin are nothing short of outstanding. - [Diva Director: A Review of "Ain’t Misbehavin’" at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/17/diva-director-a-review-of-aint-misbehavin-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - Every voice is sterling in terms of technique and diction but especially in terms of dynamics, expression and blend, revealing just how gifted Waller is as a songwriter. - [Refuse to Be Unhappy: A Review of Theatre L’Acadie's “The Swan” at Facility Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/16/refuse-to-be-unhappy-a-review-of-theatre-lacadies-the-swan-at-facility-theatre/) - From its tumultuous beginning to its thrilling denouement, “The Swan” sucks you in and holds your attention throughout the two-hour runtime. - [A Fitting Final Bow: A Review of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" by Haven Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/15/a-fitting-final-bow-a-review-of-hedwig-and-the-angry-inch-by-haven-chicago/) - Just as Hedwig changed her life amid upheaval, so too will the talented folks behind the groundbreaking Haven. Thank you for over a decade of one-of-a-kind work. - [It’s To Die For: A Review of “Romeo and Juliet” at Oak Park Festival Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/12/its-to-die-for-a-review-of-romeo-and-juliet-at-oak-park-festival-theatre/) - For summer fun, bring your best lawn chairs and favorite libations to this latest recreation of a classic—it’s to die for! - [Swimming Pools and Movie Stars: Gregg Opelka Makes “The Beverly Hillbillies” Sing](https://www.newcitystage.com/2014/07/03/swimming-pools-and-movie-stars-gregg-opelka-makes-the-beverly-hillbillies-sing/) - By Aaron Hunt “I’d really fallen in love with Cole Porter, and his music, and just became obsessed with hearing all these obscure recordings. I saw a musical revue which was called ‘The Decline and Fall of the Entire World as Seen through the Eyes of Cole Porter.’ And I remember seeing that, and after I - [Southern Gothic: A Review of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” at the Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/11/southern-gothic-a-review-of-midnight-in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil-at-the-goodman-theatre/) - “Midnight” is a sparkling, engaging night at the theater, and will make you want to book a weekend in Savannah. It’s worth seeing, especially for Ghee. - [Unknowable Space: Ginger Farley Explores Liminality and More in Mixed Bill "Cycles"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/10/unknowable-space-ginger-farley-explores-liminality-and-more-in-mixed-bill-cycles/) - "This is a ritual that occurs in an unknowable space, between two coalescences: death and birth. But it could be as uncomplicated as your mind going somewhere else when you’re in the midst of doing something familiar."—Ginger Farley - [All Abuzz: A Review of "Beehive the Sixties Musical" at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/09/all-abuzz-for-beehive-a-review-of-beehive-the-sixties-musical-at-marriott-theatre/) - “Beehive the Sixties Musical” is a trip. Even if you don’t fancy revues, this one may have you rethinking that stance. - [Hot, Hot, HOT! A Review of “The Hot Wing King” at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/08/hot-hot-hot-a-review-of-the-hot-wing-king-at-writers-theatre/) - Super spicy food is not for everybody, but piquant plays are another matter. Prepare your palette and make the trip to Writers Theatre for an experience that is hot, hot, HOT! - [Every Fiber Of Her Being: An Interview with Joffrey Ballet Artist Victoria Jaiani](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/07/03/bringing-that-spark-an-interview-with-joffrey-ballet-artist-victoria-jaiani/) - Two decades in, Jaiani continues to dance at an ever-higher top of her game. - [Pathos and Promise: A Review of “Little Bear Ridge Road” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/27/pathos-and-promise-a-review-of-little-bear-ridge-road-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - “Little Bear Ridge Road” is an encouragement for all to move forward and embrace life simply by living it. - [Stage Top 5: July 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/28/stage-top-5-july-2024/) - From Hedwig to Hobbits, July is a British Invasion in theater. - [Dance Top 5: July 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/26/dance-top-5-july-2024/) - Dance abounds this July and, in the great Chicago tradition, much of it outdoors and free. - [We Shall Overcome: A Review of “1619: The Journey of a People” at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/24/we-shall-overcome-a-review-of-1619-the-journey-of-a-people-at-fleetwood-jourdain-theatre/) - “1619: The Journey of a People” offers a concise history of the Black American experience in an easy-to-digest formula—with a few surprises thrown in. - [Tangles to Triumphs: A Review of “The Salon” at Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/21/tangles-to-triumphs-a-review-of-the-salon-at-black-ensemble-theater/) - Whether to celebrate Juneteenth, Black culture or Chicago pride—or for no reason at all—make it a point to catch “The Salon” at Black Ensemble Theater. - [Midnight View: Jason Robert Brown is Songwriting on Demand for Goodman World Premiere Musical](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/20/midnight-view-jason-robert-brown-is-songwriting-on-demand-for-goodman-world-premiere-musical/) - Composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown is sitting in a room with a piano at the Goodman Theatre. A rehearsal of his much-anticipated musical of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is in progress in another room. - [A Way to Be Good: A Review of “The Kite Runner” at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/17/a-way-to-be-good-a-review-of-the-kite-runner-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini, the story is split between 1970s Afghanistan and early-2000 San Francisco. Afghan refugee Amir reflects on his childhood in Kabul. - [Human, All Too Human: A Review of “Three Sisters” by Invictus Theatre Company at Windy City Playhouse](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/14/human-all-too-human-a-review-of-three-sisters-by-invictus-theatre-company-at-windy-city-playhouse/) - For a smallish storefront theater like Invictus to do so well by a play as expansive and demanding as “Three Sisters” is no mean feat, and I wish the show a long and happy run. - [What Is Love? A Review of “Qualia” by Subtext Studio Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/13/what-is-love-a-review-of-qualia-by-subtext-studio-theatre-company/) - If you’re a fan of classic sci-fi psychological thrillers and post-apocalyptic adventures—or just solid storytelling—this show is for you. - [Trailblazers: A Preview of Chicago Tap Theatre's "Can You Hear Us Now—The Queer Tap Dance Revolution"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/12/trailblazers-a-preview-of-chicago-tap-theatres-can-you-hear-us-now-the-queer-tap-dance-revolution/) - Long-standing member and associate director of Chicago Tap Theatre, Molly Smith's show, made in collaboration with the CTT ensemble, honors queer artistry in tap dance and jazz music through history. - [Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Fudger: A Review of “Die Hard 4 Your Luv” at The Factory Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/12/yippee-ki-yay-mother-fudger-a-review-of-die-hard-4-your-luv-at-the-factory-theater/) - The only thing standing between Russian world domination is the forgotten fourth member of the world’s most popular boy band. - [Cotton Candy Pop Concert: A Review of “Six: The Musical” at Nederlander Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/11/cotton-candy-pop-concert-a-review-of-six-the-musical-at-nederlander-theatre/) - It felt like the end of an after-school special—we all learned something tonight. I’m glad this show is bringing young people into the theaters. And I hope they come back to see something better. - [Black Power! A Review of “Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/10/black-power-a-review-of-stokely-the-unfinished-revolution-at-court-theatre/) - “Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution” provides insight and background into one of U.S. history’s most towering and misunderstood revolutionaries. - [Varieties of Romance: A Review of “A Little Night Music” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/07/varieties-of-romance-a-review-of-a-little-night-music-at-theo-ubique-cabaret-theatre/) - “A Little Night Music” celebrates mature love—the kind that happens after you’ve been around for a while; less fireworks, more bemusement. - [Patterns and Puzzles: A Review of "The Enigmatist" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/06/patterns-and-puzzles-a-review-of-the-enigmatist-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Expand your mind at “The Enigmatist,” a show full of things to discover. - [Gaping Geckos! A Review of “Poor People” at Hell in a Handbag Productions](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/05/gaping-geckos-a-review-of-poor-people-at-hell-in-a-handbag-productions/) - What do Little Orphan Annie, Bob Fosse, “Les Misérables,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Little Shop of Horrors” all have in common? - [What’s Your Kink? A Review of “Pro Am” at The Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/04/whats-your-kink-a-review-of-pro-am-at-the-den-theatre/) - First Floor Theater takes a taboo subject and handles it with tact and grace and humanizes those who are inhumanely objectified and commodified. - [Singularly Intelligent: A Review of "The Singularity Play" by Jackalope Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/03/singularly-intelligent-a-review-of-the-singularity-play-by-jackalope-theatre-company/) - New York playwright Jay Stull manages to craft an ingeniously twisty, provocative meditation on artificial intelligence that takes the form of a play within a play within a darkly mysterious play-like reality game. - [Focusing the Lens: Gender Fucked Productions and Advancing Queer Art](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/29/focusing-the-lens-gender-fucked-productions-and-advancing-queer-art/) - GFP is a nonprofit that produces performances, programs and workshops for queer and trans artists with a focus on organizational sustainability, equitable pay and intersectional collaboration. Dawn Heilung, founder and artistic director of GFP, chose a name that is purposefully provocative, aware that when young trans and non-binary artists hear “Gender Fucked,” they know they’ve found a safe space. - [Not Quite Present-Tense Material: A Review of “On the Twentieth Century” at Blank Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/30/not-quite-present-tense-material-a-review-of-on-the-twentieth-century-at-blank-theatre-company/) - A musical comedy adapted from a 1930s era play and movie, “On the Twentieth Century” involves a hard-on-his luck director with one last card up his sleeve. - [Stage Top 5: June 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/31/stage-top-5-june-2024/) - You might think of this month as "bookended." - [Family Matters: A Review of “The Prodigal Daughter” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/28/family-matters-a-review-of-the-prodigal-daughter-at-raven-theatre/) - Race, religion, finance, family, love… the show addresses all these subjects and handles them with care, tact and with hints of comedy. - [A Hard Punch: A Review of "Native Son" at Lifeline Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/24/a-hard-punch-a-review-of-native-son-at-lifeline-theatre/) - Lifeline Theatre’s new production of “Native Son” is brutal, powerful and relentless. Like a big, stiff drink, it hits you right in the gut, and you leave the theater reeling. - [Stage Top 5: May 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/29/stage-top-5-may-2024/) - May starts off with a big-budget pre-Broadway show and ends with a shoestring-budget fringe festival. - [Lost and Found in Translation: "English" at the Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/23/lost-and-found-in-translation-english-at-the-goodman-theatre/) - Among many impressive things about this show, chief is the way it designates when characters are speaking English and when they are speaking Farsi. It’s a simple, clever premise that leads to the stunning final moments. - [No Bad Deed: A Review of "Judgment Day" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/07/no-bad-deed-a-review-of-judgment-day-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - "Judgment Day," now premiering at Chicago Shakes, is a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny play with a cast that somehow ekes comedy out of nearly every line and gesture. - [End of the Zeroes: Theater in Chicago, 2000-2009](https://www.newcitystage.com/2009/12/16/end-of-the-zeroes-theater-in-chicago-2000-2009/) - By Brian Hieggelke As the wind blows the snow sideways this December evening, the weatherman is telling Chicagoans to stay bunkered; the deserted downtown streets reflect their obedience. All save the sidewalk near the intersection of State and Randolph, as TV crews jockey for faces on the red carpet in front of the Ford Center - [Slow Death: A Review of "Death Becomes Her" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/22/slow-death-a-review-of-death-becomes-her-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - It is obvious that the elements and talent are in place and that the potential is there for this to become a really killer show. Maybe by Broadway. - [This Heat: A Review of "Turret" at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/16/this-heat-a-review-of-turret-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - Performative intensity is a good thing, but it’s not enough to carry a play. We see this clearly in “Turret,” a show with too much heat and not enough light. - [Myth Busters: A Preview of "Monolith" at Epiphany Center for the Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/22/myth-busters-a-preview-of-monolith-at-epiphany-center-for-the-arts/) - PARA.MAR founder and artistic director Stephanie Martinez picked the name to upend it, pushing back on broad-stroke conceptions of Latin culture. - [Fast and Good: A Preview of Pete Holmes at The Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/20/fast-and-good-a-preview-of-pete-holmes-at-the-den-theatre/) - Holmes is back on the road for “The Feelin' It” tour, his first since pre-pandemic times, and is performing an entirely new hour at the Den Theatre. - [Holy Homicide: A Review of "Murder in the Cathedral" at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/17/holy-homicide-a-review-of-murder-in-the-cathedral-at-city-lit/) - City Lit is advertising its season-closing production of “Murder in the Cathedral”—which is director and outgoing producer and artistic director Terry McCabe’s last—as “the first full production in Chicago since the early fifties.” - [It’s Time: A Review of “Black Sunday” at TimeLine Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/21/its-time-a-review-of-black-sunday-at-timeline-theatre/) - “Black Sunday,” written by Dolores Díaz and presented by TimeLine Theatre, explores the lives of a small family struggling to live in a turbulent wasteland. - [A Masterwork Returns: Visceral Dance Chicago Brings "Carmen.maquia" Home](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/06/05/a-masterwork-returns-visceral-dance-chicago-brings-carmen-maquia-home/) - Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s evening-length dance that both honors and stylistically upends the famous Spanish story and French opera standby returns to its hometown. - [Under Pressure: Johan Inger Returns to Hubbard Street Dance with "IMPASSE"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/15/under-pressure-johan-inger-returns-to-hubbard-street-dance-with-impasse/) - Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s spring series at the Harris Theater, entitled “Of Joy,” features several remounts. There will be one piece new to Chicago eyeballs: the company premiere of Johan Inger’s “Impasse.” - [Who's To Blame? A Review of “An Educated Guess” at Definition Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/15/whos-to-blame-a-review-of-an-educated-guess-at-definition-theatre/) - The needs of the many versus the actions of a few is addressed in playwright Juan José Alfonso’s “An Educated Guess.” - [Fulfill the Prophecy: A Review of “Cult Show” at The Neo-Futurists](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/14/fulfill-the-prophecy-a-review-of-cult-show-at-the-neo-futurists/) - Absurd black humor and poignant biographies merge to create the image of a cult that is as fun as it is comedically dysfunctional. Will you drink the Flavor-Aid? I lived to write about it, but maybe you’ll be the lucky one. - [Living with Ghosts: A Review of "Into The Earth With You" at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/13/living-with-ghosts-a-review-of-into-the-earth-with-you-at-buffalo-theatre-ensemble/) - “Into the Earth With You” begins in 1999 following the passing of “Grandad,” a historian who raised his three granddaughters in a mountainside cabin with tough love and a firm hand. - [My Baby No More: A Review of “Panther in the Sky” at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/10/my-baby-no-more-a-review-of-panther-in-the-sky-at-chicago-danztheatre-ensemble/) - “Panther in the Sky” shines a light on the debilitating effects of gun violence on families. - [Dance Top 5: June 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/29/dance-top-5-june-2024/) - Whether it's communal experiences or intimate performances you seek, June dance has you covered. - [Revenge Comedy: A Review of "The Thanksgiving Play" at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/09/revenge-comedy-a-review-of-the-thanksgiving-play-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - Under-plotted, more static than flowing, anticlimactic and sometimes over the top, “The Thanksgiving Play” is not a polished work of theater. But it is a powerful provocation, a real booby trap of a show. - [Sincerity and Skill: A Preview of Chicago Repertory Ballet's "Modern Motions" at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/08/sincerity-and-skill-a-preview-of-chicago-repertory-ballets-modern-motions-at-the-ruth-page-center-for-the-arts/) - The collection of short works promises to showcase the versatility, skill and heart of this ambitious company. - [A Song Factory: A Review of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" at Paramount Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/08/a-song-factory-a-review-of-beautiful-the-carole-king-musical-at-paramount-theatre/) - With the abundantly talented Tiffany Topol as Carole King, backed by a great cast, the new production of “Beautiful” at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is irresistible. - [Belle Époque: A Review of "Nana" at Trap Door Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/16/belle-epoque-a-review-of-nana-at-trap-door-theatre/) - This show is alive. For the two hours spent in the tiny Bucktown theater, you can imagine you have stepped into a Toulouse-Lautrec painting—drinking absinthe and watching the can-can. - [Pre-Mortem: How to Make a Musical of "Death Becomes Her"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/03/pre-mortem-how-to-make-a-musical-of-death-becomes-her/) - Chris Herzberger has been working on the launch of the pre-Broadway world premiere of the musical of “Death Becomes Her,” currently underway in previews at the Cadillac Palace with a May 19 opening. - [Bridge Over Troubled Water: A Review of “Jump” at Shattered Globe Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/02/bridge-over-troubled-water-a-review-of-jump-at-shattered-globe-theatre/) - A poignant take on the repercussions of suicide is presented in playwright Charly Evon Simpson’s “Jump." - [Review: The Lion King/Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2015/12/08/review-the-lion-kingbroadway-in-chicago-2/) - RECOMMENDED “The Lion King” is undeniably magical. As the show begins, Rafiki–the mandrill shaman–sings the first lines of “The Circle of Life” while a host of actors in brilliantly designed animal costumes (including giraffes, elephants, zebras and birds) appear against a sunrise to pay tribute to the lion cub, Simba (Tré Jones and, later in the - [Peeling the Onion: Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre Celebrates Twenty-Five Years of Personal Storytelling](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/01/peeling-the-onion-cerqua-rivera-dance-theatre-celebrates-twenty-five-years/) - CRDT has a unique structure, pairing choreographers with jazz composers to develop pieces over a long period—often years—and inspired by the personal stories of the artists and their communities. - [Sugar Rush: A Review of Joffrey Ballet's "Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Lyric Opera House](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/30/a-review-of-joffrey-ballets-midsummer-nights-dream-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - A fevered take on the summer solstice celebrations of Alexander Ekman’s native Sweden, “Midsummer Night’s Dream” has nothing to do with Shakespeare’s comedy. It does however contain plentiful humor and fairy-like song. - [Secrets Not Revealed: A Review of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/30/secrets-not-revealed-a-review-of-joe-turners-come-and-gone-at-the-goodman-theatre/) - Veteran director Chuck Smith, our foremost August Wilson interpreter, has crafted an emotionally highly charged, exuberant, well-paced production. But even with Smith’s steady hand on the helm and a scintillating local cast, the play comes off as equivocal and ambiguous. - [Going Jersey, Chicago Style: A Review of "Jersey Boys" at Mercury Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/05/01/going-jersey-chicago-style-a-review-of-jersey-boys-at-mercury-theater/) - It has been a fourteen-year dream of director Stearns for “Jersey Boys”—such a popular show in its original Broadway in Chicago run that a separate multi-year Chicago company was created—to have its first regional production in Chicago. - [Baby Blues: A Review of “Baby” at Citadel Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/26/baby-blues-a-review-of-baby-at-citadel-theatre/) - A range of trepidations about having children is presented in “Baby,” a restaging of the 1983 Broadway musical that runs through May 19 at Citadel Theatre. - [A Heavy Load: A Review of “Brooklyn Laundry” at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/25/a-heavy-load-a-review-of-brooklyn-laundry-at-northlight-theatre/) - A dramedy not for the faint of heart, “Brooklyn Laundry” explores romance as a second chance where prospective lovers must weigh their responsibilities against their pursuit of happiness. - [Shamanic Shakespeare: A Review of Eddie Izzard Performing "Hamlet" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/23/shamanic-shakespeare-a-review-of-eddie-izzard-performing-hamlet-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Izzard’s dazzling performance holds up a mirror not just to nature, but to ourselves. - [Politics and Pugilists: A Review of “The S Paradox” at Babes With Blades Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/17/politics-and-pugilists-a-review-of-the-s-paradox-at-babes-with-blades-theatre-company/) - Politics and pugilists collide in “The S Paradox,” a fun time travel adventure that provides commentary on society’s pressing issues. - [Luck is a Lady Tonight: A Review of "Guys and Dolls" at Drury Lane](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/22/luck-is-a-lady-tonight-a-review-of-guys-and-dolls-at-drury-lane/) - The best element of this production is the dancing, wonderfully choreographed by Dan Knechtges. - [Laughter Through Tears: Larissa FastHorse's "The Thanksgiving Play" at Steppenwolf Bears Ingenious Truths with Humor](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/19/laughter-through-tears-larissa-fasthorses-the-thanksgiving-play-at-steppenwolf-bears-ingenious-truths-with-humor/) - The juxtaposition of brutal historical awareness with comedy makes “The Thanksgiving Play," which will be presented at Steppenwolf Theatre, such a unique experience. - [Caught in the Crosshairs: A Preview of Ballet 5:8 at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/17/caught-in-the-crosshairs-a-preview-of-ballet-58-at-the-harris-theater/) - Artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager spoke with Newcity about the premiere of "Lost Women of Juarez" and three other new works on the upcoming program. - [Death by a Thousand Pecks: A Review of “Cock” at Open Space Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/09/death-by-a-thousand-pecks-a-review-of-cock-at-open-space-arts/) - Open Space Arts presents a very intimate and visceral production of the British hit “Cock.” - [Bloody Good Story: A Review of “Beyond the Garden Gate” at The Impostors Theatre Co.](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/15/bloody-good-story-a-review-of-beyond-the-garden-gate-at-the-impostors-theatre-co/) - A chilling children’s fairy tale made for adults that takes you on an adventure through the liminal spaces between dream and waking. - [Dance Top 5: May 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/24/dance-top-5-may-2024/) - May dance highlights include Chicago stalwarts Hubbard Street, Cerqua Rivera, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Lucky Plush, and Winifred Haun & Dancers and the Chicago Movement Collective. - [Review: Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical/MSG Entertainment](https://www.newcitystage.com/2014/11/21/review-dr-seuss-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-the-musicalmsg-entertainment/) - RECOMMENDED As a first time Broadway-esque experience, this year’s iteration of “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” performs its duties with enough pleasing flair and upright enthusiasm to charm its young audience into a return trip to the box office. For the nostalgic chaperones in tow, however, the show might disappoint. The - [Abridged Absurdity: A Review of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/11/abridged-absurdity-a-review-of-rosencrantz-and-guildenstern-are-dead-at-court-theatre/) - Too much of Tom Stoppard’s absurdist, existential tragicomedy about two minor Shakespearean characters has been trimmed from this production, which is too bad, because the play is brilliant and hilarious. - [Embarrassment of Riches: A Preview of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at the Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/10/embarrassment-of-riches-a-preview-of-alvin-ailey-american-dance-theatre-at-the-auditorium-theatre/) - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s fifty-fifth annual stop at the Auditorium Theatre features three distinct programs over five days. So clear your calendar. - [Dawn of Womankind: A Review of “Madam and Steve” at Lazy Susan Theatre Co.](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/10/dawn-of-womankind-a-review-of-madam-and-steve-at-lazy-susan-theatre-company/) - In Lazy Susan Theatre Co.’s “Madam & Steve,” at Greenhouse Theater Center, the story of the true first humans is presented in an absurdist format that attempts to push the boundaries of a traditional theatrical presentation. - [Music. Mates. Good Times: A Review of “The Choir of Man” at Apollo Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/08/music-mates-good-times-a-review-of-the-choir-of-man-at-apollo-theater/) - Audiences should get there early to grab a pint on stage, poured by one of the actors from a tap behind a long, cherrywood bar enshrined under various photos, banners and rows of bottles. - [The Family Tree: A Review of “Purpose” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/28/the-family-tree-a-review-of-purpose-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - This is a moving, beautifully written and honest play that discusses generational conflict—between old ideas of “purpose” and spirituality and new ones, between the need for truth and the need to protect your family, between being true to yourself and being part of an historic team. - [An Unconventional Romance: A Review of “Inanimate” at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/05/an-unconventional-romance-a-review-of-inanimate-at-theater-wit/) - Girl meets boy but boy is a giant Dairy Queen sign; an unconventional love story with a surprising amount of heart. - [“What Is Good?” A Review of “The Good” at Chicago Dramatists](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/03/what-is-good-a-review-of-the-good-at-chicago-dramatists/) - “The Good,” a one-woman show performed and created by Jenny Magnus, is a new musical work that asks the question, “What is good?” - [Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust: A Review of “Peter Pan” at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/02/faith-trust-and-pixie-dust-a-review-of-peter-pan-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - The fantastic special effects, fabulous acting and dancing and capable renditions of popular songs in “Peter Pan” will make you believe that dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. - [Rooted in Connection: The Dance Center Celebrates Local Artists During its Fiftieth Season](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/03/rooted-in-connection-the-dance-center-celebrates-local-artists-during-its-fiftieth-season/) - As part of its fiftieth season, the Dance Center of Columbia College is showcasing works by local choreographers in its new Chicago Artist Spotlight Festival. Some of the most memorable performances in my near twenty years of covering dance in Chicago have taken place on the Dance Center stage. - [An Introverted Romance: A Review of “Love Song” at Remy Bumppo](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/01/an-introverted-romance-a-review-of-love-song-at-remy-bumppo/) - With its engaging characters, pointed and fast-paced dialogue, unpredictable but logical storyline and luminous poetic flourishes, “Love Song” is a show that will charm the pants off even the crustiest of cynics. - [A Mission in the Theater: An Interview with Harry Lennix](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/04/12/a-mission-in-the-theater-an-interview-with-harry-lennix/) - Lennix, known for his work on television’s “The Blacklist” and “Dollhouse” and movies like “The Five Heartbeats” and “Ray,” is a busy man around Chicago these days. He’s going back on stage for the first time in sixteen years in not just one but two major shows—“Purpose” at the Steppenwolf Theatre. Then starting April 20, he’ll be in “How I Learned What I Learned,” a one-man show based on the memoir of playwright August Wilson. - [Dance Top 5: April 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/27/dance-top-5-april-2024/) - April dance is in full bloom with large-scale productions on big stages. - [Love and Libations: A Review of “Two Hours in a Bar” at City Lit Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/21/love-and-libations-a-review-of-two-hours-in-a-bar-at-city-lit-theater/) - The tradition of turning beer-soaked shenanigans into fine art continues in City Lit’s “Two Hours in a Bar,” running through April 21. Two one-act plays directed by Terry McCabe tell the accounts of lonely souls searching for human connection and the wingman/woman that support them. - [A Legend Returns: A Preview of New York City Ballet at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/20/a-legend-returns-a-preview-of-new-york-city-ballet-at-the-harris-theater/) - For its seventy-fifth anniversary, the legendary New York City Ballet, founded by George Balanchine, performs its first appearance in Chicago in eighteen years. Three programs offer a sampling of City Ballet's extensive repertory by the biggest names in the business, past and present. - [Something Wicked: A Review of "What the Weird Sisters Saw" at Idle Muse Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/20/something-wicked-a-review-of-what-the-weird-sisters-saw-at-idle-muse-theatre-company/) - Despite his name being in the title, the protagonist of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is not the most celebrated character in the work. That would go to the Weird Sisters, the trio of cave-dwelling witches whose prophecies lead the Scottish King to his fate. - [Apocalyptic Cuteness: A Review of "End Days" at Theatre Above the Law](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/14/apocalyptic-cuteness-a-review-of-end-days-at-theatre-above-the-law/) - “End Days” reminds us that the overtones of strangeness, precariousness and disequilibrium that define reality these days began exactly at the moment when the American public lost its sense of invincibility and invulnerability. - [He Honestly Was So Much More: A Review of “I’m Not A Comedian… I’m Lenny Bruce” at Theatre 68](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/19/he-honestly-was-so-much-more-a-review-of-im-not-a-comedian-im-lenny-bruce-at-theatre-68/) - Ronnie Marmo returns in his celebratory exploration of one of comedy’s most complex figures. - [The Epic of Penelope: A Review of "The Penelopiad" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/18/the-epic-of-penelope-a-review-of-the-penelopiad-at-goodman-theatre/) - In Margaret Atwood’s retelling of the life of Penelope, the veiled, enigmatic, ever-weaving wife of Odysseus, is reborn. - [Stage Top 5: April 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/29/stage-top-5-april-2024/) - April is for August Wilson. - [Funny Forward: Anna Akana Discusses “It Gets Darker” in Advance of her Show at the Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/15/funny-forward-anna-akana-discusses-it-gets-darker-in-advance-of-her-show-at-the-den-theatre/) - The show mixes dramatic depth with plenty of laughs as Akana recounts dealing with her sister’s suicide when she was seventeen and her own mental health struggles. She promises Chicago audiences a challenging and hilarious night. - [Going Out and Coming In with a Bang: A Review of "Aida" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/13/going-out-and-coming-in-with-a-bang-a-review-of-aida-at-lyric-opera/) - It was an inspiring bit of casting to reunite soprano Michelle Bradley and tenor Russell Thomas as the doomed lovers Aida and Radamès. - [Soft Focus: A Review of RE|dance's "A Delicate Hand" at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/13/soft-focus-a-review-of-redances-a-delicate-hand-at-hamlin-park-fieldhouse/) - The first delicacy one notices in RE|dance Group’s new work is the quality of the light. Illuminated rectangles of varying dimensions are scattered across the black floor, casting a soft glow on the faces of audience members. - [No Age Limit on Adventure: A Review of "Wipeout" at Rivendell Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/12/no-age-limit-on-adventure-a-review-of-wipeout-at-rivendell-theatre/) - “Wipeout” is a reminder that there is no age limit on adventure, and that personal growth is a lifelong endeavor. - [A Fine Line: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Rethinks the "Purpose" of Family at Steppenwolf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/11/a-fine-line-branden-jacobs-jenkins-rethinks-the-purpose-of-family-at-steppenwolf/) - Jacobs-Jenkins invites audiences to rethink the concept of family in “Purpose” at Steppenwolf Theatre. “I’m interested in exploring the political dynastic family, and how there is a very thin membrane between their private and public lives." - [Answering the Call: Orly K.G. On “The Bad Momz of Comedy”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/06/answering-the-call-orly-k-g-on-the-bad-momz-of-comedy/) - “I wanted a place to do comedy for people my own age and with the same lived experiences of being a mom, being married, trying to work and just be a human being,” explains Telisman. - [A Time of Creativity: A Review of “The Time Machine—A Tribute to the Eighties” at Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/07/a-time-of-creativity-a-review-of-the-time-machine-a-tribute-to-the-eighties-at-black-ensemble-theater/) - “The Time Machine,” written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks, focuses on the chart-topping tunes of the 1980s, ranging from R&B super groups like New Edition and DeBarge to the bombastic lyricism of Public Enemy and Salt-N-Pepa. - [Theo Theophany: A Storefront Theater’s Journey to Inclusivity](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/05/theo-theophany-a-storefront-theaters-journey-to-inclusivity/) - Back in the early years of the non-Equity storefront theater company known as Theo—which began as Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre—it was pretty much founder and artistic director Fred Anzevino’s show. “There have been a lot of changes going on in the world and it has affected the theater world, a lot. …Old ways and old thinking about everything is not the way we move forward in this society." - [Star-Struck: A Review of “Silent Sky” at Citadel Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/08/star-struck-a-review-of-silent-sky-at-citadel-theatre/) - It is the treatment that women receive in male-dominated industries that is the subject of “Silent Sky,” written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Beth Wolf. On stage at Citadel Theatre through March 17. - [Family Doubt: A Review of “Mrs. Doubtfire: A New Musical Comedy” at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/04/gender-and-divorce-a-review-of-mrs-doubtfire-a-new-musical-comedy-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - The best thing about “Mrs. Doubtfire: A New Musical Comedy” is that it restores the heartfelt message of the original book—that divorce doesn’t have to be an end for a family, but can simply be a new chapter. - [A Powerful Marriage of All the Things: LaTasha Barnes' The Jazz Continuum Comes to Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/28/a-powerful-marriage-of-all-the-things-latasha-barness-the-jazz-continuum-comes-to-chicago/) - "I know the standards for what is supposed to happen onstage and they are not things that invite that deep improvisational spirit. Things that don’t invite that, we thwart.” - [Feels Like Heaven: A Review of “Anything Goes” at Porchlight Music Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/23/feels-like-heaven-a-review-of-anything-goes-at-porchlight-music-theatre/) - It’s January in Chicago, and we must somehow survive it. You could go to Miami, but not everyone has the time. So here’s a closer source of heat—a dynamite production of “Anything Goes” at Porchlight Music Theatre. - [Brecht at his Best: A Review of "Mother Courage and Her Children" at Trap Door Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/25/brecht-at-his-best-a-review-of-mother-courage-and-her-children-at-trap-door-theatre/) - "This is one of the finest productions of a Brecht play I’ve seen in Chicago, or anywhere else for that matter." - [Unanswered Questions: A Review of “In Quietness” at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/24/unanswered-questions-a-review-of-in-quietness-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - The actors are telling a story that never finds its way, and leaves too many unanswered questions. - [Stage Top 5: March 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/01/stage-top-5-march-2024/) - Classics, riffs on classics, and Broadway's hottest playwright hit Chicago stages in March. - [High and Mighty Gods: A Review of “Party at the Pantheon” at The Factory Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/29/high-and-mighty-gods-a-review-of-party-at-the-pantheon-at-the-factory-theater/) - “Party at the Pantheon,” running through March 23 at The Factory Theater, bills itself as “a modern Greek stoner comedy” and delivers on that tagline. - [Monticello's Façade: A Review of “The Reclamation of Madison Hemings” at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/27/monticellos-facade-a-review-of-the-reclamation-of-madison-hemings-at-american-blues-theater/) - This play sees the contradictions at the heart of this country—the tragic infrastructure under its noble façade. Monticello won’t look the same when you think of all the people who were mistreated there. - [Kindling a Fire: A Review of "The Matchbox Magic Flute" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/23/kindling-a-fire-a-review-of-the-matchbox-magic-flute-at-goodman-theatre/) - When new Goodman artistic director Susan V. Booth asked Mary Zimmerman what she might want to do this season, a small-scale rethinking of “The Magic Flute” was the response. That means that every aspect of the beloved opera would be rethought. - [The Fix Is In: A Review of “The Smuggler” at Jackalope Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/26/the-fix-is-in-a-review-of-the-smuggler-at-jackalope-theatre/) - It’s solid, gripping writing, delivered with crystalline sincerity, and it hits like a sledge hammer. - [Don’t Show Your Hand: A Review of "Topdog/Underdog" at Invictus Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/28/dont-show-your-hand-a-review-of-topdog-underdog-at-invictus-theatre/) - "It is one of my all-time favorite plays, and Invictus Theatre’s production is a brilliant example of how to handle this intense two-hander." - [Laugh and Grow Rich: Masood Boomgaard On Stand-Up and Parodying Self-Help Gurus](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/22/laugh-and-grow-rich-masood-boomgaard-on-stand-up-and-parodying-self-help-gurus/) - Masood Boomgaard had to deal with a friend who was constantly trying to motivate him with self-help books throughout the early months of the pandemic. Boomgaard found great annoyance in their non-stop cheerleading. - [Modern-Day Rhapsody: A Review of the Joffrey Ballet's "Studies in Blue" at the Lyric Opera House](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/21/a-review-of-the-joffrey-ballets-studies-in-blue-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - The Joffrey Ballet’s current—and spectacular—evening of dance is a modern-day rhapsody in blue, exploring with skill and sensitivity the range of moods and meanings associated with that most richly evocative of colors. - [These Ghosts Have Teeth: A Review of “a home what howls (or the house what was ravine)” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/21/these-ghosts-have-teeth-a-review-of-a-home-what-howls-or-the-house-what-was-ravine-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - “a home what howls (or the house what was ravine)” provides insight and representation to those who have been overlooked, paved over and forgotten, and it is another win for Steppenwolf. - [Music Is a Time Machine: A Review of "The Band’s Visit" at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/20/music-is-a-time-machine-a-review-of-the-bands-visit-at-writers-theatre/) - “Band’s Visit” takes so many of the traditional musical theater-type songs and mashes them together into an enchanting story about what it means to be a person in the world with other people in the world. And suddenly, we’re reminded, hearts full, that we’ve heard this song before. - [Dylan-izing the Depression: A Review of "Girl From the North Country" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/19/dylan-izing-the-depression-a-review-of-girl-from-the-north-country-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - The action takes place in Duluth, Minnesota, but playwright Conor McPherson’s Irish melancholy weighs heavily throughout, with nods to O’Neill and Wilder. - [Preview: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater/Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2011/05/16/preview-alvin-ailey-american-dance-theaterauditorium-theatre-2/) - RECOMMENDED Calendars align as Alvin Ailey rolls through Chicago the same weekend Hubbard Street performs an Alonzo King piece created for Ailey. It’s a small modern dance world after all, but Alvin Ailey is one of the biggest fish in an ever-growing pond. Judith Jamison steps down as artistic director this year (the successor to - [Dance Top 5: March 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/03/06/dance-top-5-march-2024/) - The past, present and future of dance will get you on your feet. - [Timely Message, Dated Play: A Review of “Waiting for Lefty” at Gwydion Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/16/timely-message-dated-play-a-review-of-waiting-for-lefty-at-gwydion-theatre/) - Its message about the need to stand and fight against a rigged system is as relevant as ever. The work itself, though, has not aged well. - [Ancient Wisdom: A Review of “Antigone” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/15/ancient-wisdom-a-review-of-antigone-at-court-theatre/) - As in the myth of Prometheus, Court Theatre brings the fire to Chicago audiences with “Antigone,” a spectacular finale to their Sophocles trilogy. - [From Home to Broadway: Maria Torres Brings Eclectic Latin Style to Hubbard Street](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/14/from-home-to-broadway-maria-torres-brings-eclectic-style-to-hubbard-street/) - New York-based Maria Torres, a dancer, choreographer and educator who works in film, television and Broadway, patented a Latin Jazz style that blends her Brooklyn-raised, Puerto Rican/Cuban/Dominican/American life experience dancing everything from African American contemporary to ballroom into a gratifying, accessible aesthetic. - [Sins of the Mother: A Review of “Judy’s Life’s Work” at Definition Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/14/sins-of-the-mother-a-review-of-judys-lifes-work-at-definition-theatre/) - “Judy’s Life’s Work” is a story about the salutary power of sibling love and familial responsibility, with a cast that really packs a punch. - [Spectacle and Gore: A Review of "Richard III” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/13/spectacle-and-gore-a-review-of-richard-iii-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - You don’t come to “Richard III” for history—you come for spectacle and gore, and Chicago Shakespeare delivers. - [Grace and Power: A Review of “Notes from the Field” at TimeLine Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/12/grace-and-power-a-review-of-notes-from-the-field-at-timeline-theatre/) - In presenting the words of real people talking about America’s troubled education and criminal justice system in her 2015 play “Notes from the Field,” writer and actress Anna Deavere Smith found poetry. - [Apocalypse Now, Hugs Later: A Review of The Gift Theatre's “Mothers”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/09/apocalypse-now-hugs-later-a-review-of-the-gift-theatres-mothers/) - When the degenerate armies of the apocalypse come for you, will mother be enough? “Mothers” asks this question and more, with a gruesome twist ending. - [Collective Empathy: A Preview of Alex Edelman's "Just For Us" at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/08/collective-empathy-a-preview-of-alex-edelmans-just-for-us-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - Edelman is bringing the full ninety-minute show back to Chicago, making the leap from a comedy club to a ten-night run of shows from February 15-25 at the internationally renowned Steppenwolf Theatre. - [When You Have Nowhere Left to Run: A Review of “Selling Kabul” at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/06/when-you-have-nowhere-left-to-run-a-review-of-selling-kabul-at-northlight-theatre/) - A taught politically charged thriller played out in the shadows of America’s retreat from Afghanistan. - [¡Viva El Barrio!: A Review of “In The Heights” at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/07/viva-el-barrio-a-review-of-in-the-heights-at-marriott-theatre/) - Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-Award winning musical about the strength of the communal family, set to a Latin-infused hip-hop soundtrack, comes to the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. - [Medium Cold: A Review of “Highway Patrol” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/05/medium-cold-a-review-of-highway-patrol-at-goodman-theatre/) - The social media world is a "cool" place (in Marshall McLuhan's term)—you have to fill in the details. The story might work better in a cooler medium, like television. - [Pulling No Punches: Terence Blanchard’s Eclectic Journey from Jazz to Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/22/pulling-no-punches-terence-blanchards-eclectic-journey-from-jazz-to-opera/) - Eclectic is an overused word. But in the case of trumpeter, pianist and composer Terence Blanchard it almost uniquely applies. - [Coming of Age: Sufjan Stevens' “Illinois” Album is Brought to Life at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/18/coming-of-age-sufjan-stevens-illinoise-album-is-brought-to-life-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Both the poetry and the genre-defying nature of “Illinoise” made it a favorite of Tony Award-winning choreographer Justin Peck. - [Living the Dream: A Preview of SNL's Devon Walker at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/13/living-the-dream-a-preview-of-devon-walker-at-zanies/) - Devon Walker's ridden a wave of success all the way to "Saturday Night Live." Walker will be bringing his comedy stylings to the stage at Zanies July 13-15. - [Shooting Star: The remarkable ascent of Steppenwolf's Jon Michael Hill](https://www.newcitystage.com/2011/03/22/shooting-star-the-remarkable-ascent-of-steppenwolfs-jon-michael-hill/) - All of a sudden, Hill was, in 2007, the youngest ensemble member at Steppenwolf since its founders put it all together in the early seventies. - [The Nearly Best of Times: A Review of La Cage Aux Folles at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/03/17/the-nearly-best-of-times-a-review-of-la-cage-aux-folles-at-music-theater-works/) - This is an enjoyable production with a good cast of show voices. - [Subdued Shot: A Review of "Hamilton" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/18/subdued-shot-a-review-of-hamilton-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - After a three-year absence following a three-year run, “Hamilton” is back in Chicago for a three-month run. - [Here’s To Never Growing Up: A Review of “The Best Damn Thing” at The Understudy](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/01/heres-to-never-growing-up-a-review-of-the-best-damn-thing-at-the-understudy/) - “The Best Damn Thing” is a semi-autobiographical retrospective on pop singer Avril Lavigne, developed in a show-within-a-show format told through the lens of two high school age women, Ellie, a hyperactive playwright-in-training, and her “emo” ex-best friend, Rachel. - [What Else Is In The Water: A Review of “Flood” at Shattered Globe Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/02/what-else-is-in-the-water-a-review-of-flood-at-shattered-globe-theatre/) - “Flood” by Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, presented by Shattered Globe Theatre, imagines an extinction-level event out of the Book of Genesis occurring in modern times. - [Soulful and Devastating: A Review of "Champion" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/30/soulful-and-devastating-a-review-of-champion-at-lyric-opera/) - In its Chicago premiere, “Champion” has strong vocal performances, exuberant dancing and a creative, multi-level set by Allen Moyer, which uses projected images of real newspaper headlines and boxing posters to capture the era. Though it drags a bit in spots, this “opera in jazz” has profound cumulative emotional power. - [Sauced: Deanna Ortiz on Chicago Comedy, Podcasts and Cooking](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/26/deanna-ortiz-on-chicago-comedy-podcasts-and-cooking/) - Deanna Ortiz is one highly ambitious and in-demand comic. - [What If the Rain Never Stopped: A Review of “Hit Me Like A Flower” at Curious Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/29/what-if-the-rain-never-stopped-a-review-of-hit-me-like-a-flower-at-curious-theatre/) - What if the rain never stopped? Where do you go when the world tries to drown you? - [Fairytale Dazzle: A Review of "Cinderella" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/26/fairytale-dazzle-a-review-of-cinderella-at-lyric-opera/) - Ponnelle’s mounting remains a near-ideal take on the piece, and his whimsical grey-stone settings and eye-catching costumes emit as much fairytale dazzle as ever. - [Chicago Love Letters: Steppenwolf 1700's LookOut Series Returns](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/24/chicago-love-letters-steppenwolf-1700s-lookout-series-returns/) - Steppenwolf is the most recognizable name in Chicago theater. Since 2016 the venerable institution has become an incubator of multidisciplinary and experimental performance as well, presented in the intimate Steppenwolf 1700 black box theater. - [Players 2017: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2017/01/12/players-2017/) - The last year has been an eye-opening one for many of us. Events transpired on the local and national level that were often dispiriting and frequently horrifying. Yet throughout the year, the arts community responded in a manner that was as edifying as it was unprecedented: An outpouring of support for diversity, celebrations of inclusion - [On the Whim: The Show’s Not Over Yet For Mr. Taps](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/02/07/on-the-whim-the-shows-not-over-yet-for-mr-taps/) - Mr. Taps has been dancing up a storm on subway platforms and sidewalks in the Loop and Gold Coast neighborhoods for forty years. He is often credited by Chicagoans as their first time seeing a live tap dancer up close and personal, and, for some, has even inspired them to pursue the art form. - [Dance Top 5: February 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/31/dance-top-5-february-2024/) - February brings local favorites like the Joffrey and Hubbard Street, along with international stalwarts to Chicago dance stages. - [Players 50 2024: The Rising Stars and Storefront Stalwarts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/09/players-50-2024-the-rising-stars-and-storefront-stalwarts/) - As the curtain rises on 2024, whether we're in the front row or the balcony, we are trepidatious. If anything uplifts the performing-arts realm of Chicago to a thriving state, it's the talent and passion of the leaders we've profiled this year. - [Stage Top 5: February 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/31/stage-top-5-february-2024/) - February is a month of debuts—new artistic directors, new spaces and world premieres. - [Women Laughing: In Conversation with Gena Gephart, Showrunner of the Ladylike Comedy Showcase](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/16/women-laughing-in-conversation-with-gena-gephart-showrunner-of-the-ladylike-comedy-showcase/) - For the past seven years, Chicago’s funniest women have been revealing their most outrageous moments in the popular “Ladylike” showcase, which currently runs monthly at the Lincoln Lodge. - [Speak, Material: The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is Back with a Message Beyond Words](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/10/speak-material-the-chicago-international-puppet-theater-festival-is-back-with-a-message-beyond-words/) - "The puppet is a harbinger coming from a non-human world. It’s like a species that arrives porously through myth and imagination and is like an apparition that becomes present. It speaks and moves, but is like the reflection of a dream, reflecting our experience back to us." - [Players 2024: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/09/players-2024-the-fifty-people-who-really-perform-for-chicago/) - As the curtain rises on 2024, whether we're in the front row or the balcony, we are trepidatious. If anything uplifts the performing-arts realm of Chicago to a thriving state, it's the talent and passion of the leaders we've profiled this year. - [How We Get By: Joanna Read and Same Planet Performance Project Explore Resilience in "DingBat"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/03/how-we-get-by-joanna-read-and-same-planet-performance-project-explore-resilience-in-dingbat/) - Coping strategies for a violent, unjust and ever-accelerating world are at the forefront of cultural conversation these days. Enter Joanna Read and Same Planet Performance Project. Read's dances are completely abstract and highly specific. - [Players 50 2024: The Music Makers](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/09/players-50-2024-the-music-makers/) - As the curtain rises on 2024, whether we're in the front row or the balcony, we are trepidatious. If anything uplifts the performing-arts realm of Chicago to a thriving state, it's the talent and passion of the leaders we've profiled this year. - [Players 50 2024: The Advocates and Changemakers](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/09/players-50-2024-the-advocates-and-changemakers/) - As the curtain rises on 2024, whether we're in the front row or the balcony, we are trepidatious. If anything uplifts the performing-arts realm of Chicago to a thriving state, it's the talent and passion of the leaders we've profiled this year. - [Players 50 2024: The Institutions](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/09/players-50-2024-the-institutions/) - As the curtain rises on 2024, whether we're in the front row or the balcony, we are trepidatious. If anything uplifts the performing-arts realm of Chicago to a thriving state, it's the talent and passion of the leaders we've profiled this year. - [Players 50 2024: The Producers and Places](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/09/players-50-2024-the-producers-and-places/) - As the curtain rises on 2024, whether we're in the front row or the balcony, we are trepidatious. If anything uplifts the performing-arts realm of Chicago to a thriving state, it's the talent and passion of the leaders we've profiled this year. - [Whos' Grinch: A Review of "Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/22/whos-grinch-a-review-of-dr-seuss-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-the-musical-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - In its initial Broadway run in 2006, the show broke box-office records. It has been a seasonal phenomenon ever since. - [Pretty in pink: Collaboraction hosts a prom. With plushies.](https://www.newcitystage.com/2004/07/01/pretty-in-pink-collaboraction-hosts-a-prom-with-plushies/) - Call it site-specific revenge. Arriving 10ish Friday night, I ask my friend where the Logan Square Auditorium is, the location of Prom: Just Like Heaven, the Collaboraction theater group’s latest think-and-drink happening. “Look up. Above Lula,” she says, pointing. The sky’s alight. Smokers in mint-green and Pepto-pink taffeta gray the entrance air. The block-long building - [Review: Echoes of Another Man/Stage Left](https://www.newcitystage.com/2005/10/06/review-echoes-of-another-manstage-left/) - One of the strangest treasures of 1970s exploitation cinema remains "The Man with Two Heads," in which Rosey Grier and Ray Milland bicker at the interface of race relations and cutting-edge biotechnology. Mia McCullough's "Echoes of Another Man," which looks at the aftermath of the world's first brain transplant, lacks the trashy bonhomie of such - [Stage Top 5: January 2024](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/03/stage-top-5-january-2024/) - It's an especially star-studded January on and off Chicago stages. - [Review: TJ & Dave/iO Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2014/02/07/review-tj-daveio-theater/) - RECOMMENDED It’s late on a blustery winter night in Wrigleyville and aside from a few mounds of icy snow the streets are mostly empty. But inside the iO Theater there’s a line that bunches around the ticket window, the entry and the stairs to the second floor, as those who booked in advance pick up - [One Recommendation for January 2024: DingBat by Same Planet Performance Project](https://www.newcitystage.com/2024/01/03/one-recommendation-for-january-2024-dingbat-by-same-planet-performance-project/) - A new work to kick off the new year. - [No Cosmic Lasso Required: A Review of “It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/14/no-cosmic-lasso-required-a-review-of-its-a-wonderful-life-live-in-chicago-at-american-blues-theater/) - If you’re a grinch like me and cringe upon hearing the same holiday tunes year after year, then you’ll appreciate this show that breathes new life into an old classic. - [Phony Award Winning: Laura Hall On Co-Founding a Troupe to Improvise Broadway Classics](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/13/phony-award-winning-laura-hall-on-co-founding-a-troupe-to-improvise-broadway-classics/) - Laura Hall's returned to Chicago to assemble a troupe of actors called Phony Award Winning, who have an ambitious challenge: to learn classic Broadway musicals inside and out, and then improvise the plot and lyrical content based on each night’s audience suggestions. - [Lost in Translation: A Review of “Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!” at Gwydion Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/12/lost-in-translation-a-review-of-cant-pay-wont-pay-at-gwydion-theatre-company/) - The theme of budget-busting inflation is all too relevant right now in the United States. That said, it’s no easy task updating and transposing Fo’s almost fifty-year-old tale of the inside-baseball conflict between the Italian Far Left and Very Far Left. - [Preview: Ring Sour/Khecari and Blind Tiger Society](https://www.newcitystage.com/2015/12/14/preview-ring-sourkhecari-and-blind-tiger-society/) - As part of Links Hall's Midwest Nexus Touring Initiative, the upcoming “Ring Sour” performance brings San Francisco touring company Blind Tiger Society to Chicago to perform in a double bill with Julia Rae Antonick and Jonathan Meyer of Chicago dance collective Khecari. Their “Orders from the Horse” represents a continuance of Meyer and Antonick’s duet-intensive - [In Living Color: A Review of "Boop! The Betty Boop Musical" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/08/in-living-color-a-review-of-boop-the-betty-boop-musical-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - No one compares to Jasmine Amy Rogers, who is Betty Boop, from the voice to the mannerisms to the can-do spirit tempered by vulnerability. And can she dance and sing? Yes. - [A New Nutcracker Swings Into Town: "Sugar Hill" Brings Ellington and Strayhorn's Score to the Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/06/a-new-nutcracker-swings-into-town-sugar-hill-brings-ellington-and-strayhorns-score-to-the-stage/) - In 1960, jazz greats Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington infused Tchaikovsky’s most recognizable composition with American rhythms and twentieth-century chords. The Ellington/Strayhorn “Nutcracker” was an upbeat, swinging take on the soundtrack of the holidays. - [Serving Up A Belly Full of Laughs: A Review of “Little Orphan Boy the Musical!” at Annoyance Theatre & Bar](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/08/serving-up-a-belly-full-of-laughs-a-review-of-little-orphan-boy-the-musical-at-annoyance-theatre-bar/) - A clever and fun musical comedy poking fun of all things orphan. - [Review: The Underpants/Hubris Productions](https://www.newcitystage.com/2011/07/24/review-the-underpantshubris-productions/) - RECOMMENDED In the opening moments of Steve Martin’s “The Underpants, ” a scandalized Theo Maske (played as a comically manic buffoon by Jack Birdwell) storms onto the stage screaming at his wife Louise (a calmly charming Jessica Maynard). Her underpants have just fallen to her ankles while the couple was watching the king’s parade and - [Friendship and Whales: A Review of “Islander” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/07/friendship-and-whales-a-review-of-islander-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - It’s a sweet story, beautifully performed, about a friendship between two teenage girls. One of them is a mermaid or selkie who takes care of whales. - [Stage Top 5: December 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/01/stage-top-5-december-2023/) - Here's five shows with nary a, um, Shrek of Christmas in them. If you want a holiday show, you know where to find it. - [Revival Meeting Revival: A Review of "The Wiz" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/05/revival-meeting-revival-a-review-of-the-wiz-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - The Broadway-bound fiftieth-anniversary revival of “The Wiz” gets to the heart of what made “The Wiz” so special: song and dance. - [Dance Top 5: December 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/29/dance-top-5-december-2023/) - It's the season for Nutcrackers and other holiday delights. - [A Joyous Mainstay: A Review of “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/30/a-joyous-mainstay-a-review-of-a-christmas-carol-at-the-goodman-theatre/) - This story has remained popular for 180 years because Scrooge is all of us, hurt by the world, trying hard to be tougher than we really are. Sometimes, we need to lower our defenses and remember the happier side of being human. - [Holiday Nostalgia: A Preview of “The Mike Toomey Christmas Special” at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/29/holiday-nostalgia-a-preview-of-the-mike-toomey-christmas-special-at-zanies/) - Mike Toomey grew up loving television, and his favorite shows each year were the special Christmas episodes of sitcoms and the wide array of Christmas specials starring celebrities. But the WGN Morning News announcer and local star stand-up comedian noticed as he grew older that those shows were dying off, and in 2013 he decided to do something about it. - [A Yuletide Coming-of-Age: A Review of "Miss Bennet—Christmas at Pemberley" at Buffalo Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/28/a-yuletide-coming-of-age-a-review-of-miss-bennet-christmas-at-pemberley-at-buffalo-theatre-ensemble/) - The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble kicks off its 2023-2024 season with “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” a sequel to Jane Austen’s beloved novel “Pride and Prejudice.” - [Review: Outside Mullingar/Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2015/03/24/review-outside-mullingarnorthlight-theatre/) - RECOMMENDED John Patrick Shanley’s newest play is the tale of Anthony Reilly, a man who believes himself to have no value to anyone else, a man who has dedicated his life to a farm that his father won’t leave to him after death, a man who takes every insignificant event as a sign from God, - [Review: The Nutcracker/The House Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2010/11/22/review-the-nutcrackerthe-house-theatre-2/) - RECOMMENDED The House’s remount of their successful 2007 holiday show is a very loose adaptation of ETA Hoffman’s classic story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, ” and yet its prologue is still almost ironically evocative of the Tchaikovsky ballet. Cheerful dancing around the Christmas tree turns to tragedy, however, when news arrives of the - [Opening This Week: October 31-November 6, 2016](https://www.newcitystage.com/2016/10/31/opening-this-week-8/) - Monday Happy Halloween! Tuesday "The Magic Play" at Goodman Theatre. World-class magic and a deeply human story of loss and love come together to create one astonishing theatrical experience. Through November 20. For tickets and more information visit goodmantheatre.org "Betrayal" at Raven Theatre. A revival of Harold Pinter's time-warped drama. Through December 17. For tickets and more information visit - [Review: Titus Andronicus/Babes With Blades Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2015/03/05/review-titus-andronicusbabes-with-blades-theatre-company/) - RECOMMENDED Sitting in the audience waiting for Babes with Blades' all-female production of “Titus Andronicus” to begin, I did what any audience member does and took in the set, designed here by Carolyn Voss. I thought to myself “Hmm, grey stone columns, red Nazi-ish banners, long sheets of plastic painted to look like marble… they’re - [Everything’s Gonna Be Alright: A Review of “Twelfth Night” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/07/everythings-gonna-be-alright-a-review-of-twelfth-night-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - This new production of “Twelfth Night,” directed by first-generation Jamaican American director Tyrone Phillips with a mostly Black cast and reggae music, captures the spirit, the language, the zany humor and the pure joy of this play. - [Hail to the Chief: A Review of "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive" at Steppenwolf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/09/hail-to-the-chief-a-review-of-potus-or-behind-every-great-dumbass-are-seven-women-trying-to-keep-him-alive-at-steppenwolf/) - The title character of the President of the United States never appears in "POTUS," a riotous political farce with an all-women cast. The comedy does, however, begin with a crisis he created. - [Review: The Devil in the Dirt/Redtwist Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2012/08/07/review-the-devil-in-the-dirtredtwist-theatre/) - RECOMMENDED Summertime has been christened Chicago’s favorite season, not only for muddy music festivals and boozy street fairs, but also for those elusive one-person shows. In putting up the physically modest productions in the height of July and August, perhaps companies are conserving their already scant resources for the hurly-burly of fall and winter. Or maybe the oppressive temperatures are - [Lovely Night: A Review of "Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella" at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/22/lovely-night-a-review-of-rodgers-hammersteins-cinderella-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - Drury Lane Theatre’s sparkling production of “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella” arrives just in time for the holiday season. Warm and inviting, this dreamy show is the perfect wintertime treat. - [What Would Chekhov Think? A Review of "Stupid Fucking Bird" at Bluebird Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/27/what-would-chekhov-think-a-review-of-stupid-fucking-bird-at-bluebird-arts/) - This is Aaron Posner’s very loose adaptation of Chekov’s “The Seagull.” - [Truth, Lies, and Everything Else: A Review of "The Lifespan of a Fact" at TimeLine Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/21/truth-lies-and-everything-else-a-review-of-the-lifespan-of-a-fact-at-timeline-theatre-company/) - Based on the true story of a battle between essayist John D’Agata and fact checker Jim Fingal, “Lifespan” bemoans the realities of journalism that few in the general public truly understand. - [Witch Way: Chicagoan Melody Betts Eases Down the Roads of "The Wiz"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/20/witch-way-chicagoan-melody-betts-eases-down-the-roads-of-the-wiz/) - “The training is what helps me to sustain and maintain the instrument,” says Betts, referring to her foundation as an operatic soprano. "…I will be maintaining what I’ve learned training-wise to sustain. But I’ll be using what I learned from my culture and my upbringing and from what I’ve learned in church to make sure that people are feeling while I’m singing.” - [Double Divas: A Review of "Jenufa" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/17/double-divas-a-review-of-jenufa-at-lyric-opera/) - This is only the third time that “Jenufa” has been performed at Lyric Opera, but a number of things made Sunday afternoon’s opening an historic occasion. - [Review: Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida/Bailiwick Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2010/07/12/review-elton-john-and-tim-rice’s-aidabailiwick-chicago/) - RECOMMENDED There is a line in “The Drowsy Chaperone” that asks, “Please, Elton John, must we continue this charade?” referencing the British rocker’s ongoing attempts to write Broadway musicals. Curiously, that trajectory began indirectly when John was asked to write five songs with lyricist and former Andrew Lloyd Webber partner Tim Rice for Disney’s 1994 - [Something Special: A Review of “The Lion in Winter” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/16/a-review-of-the-lion-in-winter-at-court-theatre/) - The moment Rebecca Spence steps on the Court Theatre stage as Eleanor of Aquitaine, the atmosphere changes. Here’s something special. - [A Killer Production: A Review of "Assassins" at Theo Ubique](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/15/a-killer-production-a-review-of-assassins-at-theo-ubique/) - A carnival of famous American assassins who got their day in history or missed their mark, Stephen Sondheim uses them as thematic devices. Are they misunderstood outsiders? Misguided patriots? - [Ghost of a Show: A Review of "Beetlejuice" at the Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/14/ghost-of-a-show-a-review-of-beetlejuice-at-the-auditorium-theatre/) - Take away all the heart and soul of the property and fill the evening with overblown songs that stop the action rather than advance it and you have “Beetlejuice” the musical. - [French Fireworks: A Review of "Daughter of the Regiment" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/13/french-fireworks-a-review-of-daughter-of-the-regiment-at-lyric-opera/) - For this rare revival, Lyric chose a Laurent Pelly production that uses maps for scenery and sets the work in World War I. - [The Chronicles of Nativity: Using C. S. Lewis as a Conduit for Christmas](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/12/04/the-chronicles-of-nativity-using-c-s-lewis-as-a-conduit-for-christmas/) - The setting of “Christmas with C. S. Lewis” is a group of American historians visiting England at Christmastime. “Because Lewis was a professor of medieval and Renaissance literature, they’ve asked whether he could do a small talk on Christmas past, Christmas present and also what Christmas means to him." - [Funny Things Are Everywhere: A Review of "Oh, the Places You’ll Glow" at Second City e.t.c.](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/10/funny-things-are-everywhere-a-review-of-oh-the-places-youll-glow-at-second-city-e-t-c/) - Thanks to its cast of joyous, nimble clowns—who are also the show’s smart writers—"Places" delights while also provoking, just enough. - [The Meaning of Life: A Preview of Azhar Usman at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/08/the-meaning-of-life-a-preview-of-azhar-usman-at-zanies/) - "If you’re not talking about something real and something substantive, the vast majority of comics are really not saying anything, because they don’t have anything to say.” - [Preview: Khecari + Happydog/Links Hall](https://www.newcitystage.com/2014/09/08/preview-khecari-happydoglinks-hall/) - RECOMMENDED Happydog performance company was formed when three artists—Chicago-based designer Annie Novotny, Portland-based choreographer Muffie Connelly and New York dancer Leslie Cuyjet—embarked on a tri-coastal creative project. They founded Happydog Gallery in Wicker Park as incubator space and began a process of creative exchange from afar, crafting performance works that evolve over months of collaboration, - [Something Is Wanting: A Review of "Company" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/06/something-is-wanting-a-review-of-company-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Sondheim’s first truly Sondheim-esque musical, Bobbie is turning thirty-five and single in a world of couples. The pressure is on from her married friends to make the plunge. - [Fairytale Terror: A Review of “The Night of the Hunter” at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/02/fairy-tale-terror-a-review-of-the-night-of-the-hunter-at-city-lit/) - The monster in “The Night of the Hunter” is not a vampire, or a werewolf, or any kind of supernatural, European fiend. He is a true American type and scarier than any Halloween monster, because he’s real. - [The Players 2013: The 50 People Who Really Perform in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2013/01/24/the-players-2013-the-50-people-who-really-perform-in-chicago/) - Though we publish a list of "players" every year, we alternate between those whose accomplishments are most visible on-stage (the artists, last year) and those who wield their influence behind the curtain (this year). Not only does this allow us to consider twice as many people, but it also puts some temporal distance between the - [Every Theater Deserves a House: The Story of a Backyard Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2014/05/01/every-theater-deserves-a-house-the-story-of-a-backyard-theater/) - In a city with such an established and vibrant theater scene, there are many institutions that could easily make the case that the beating heart of Chicago theater lies within their walls. Is Chicago theater’s heart on the stage of Steppenwolf, one of the nation’s most successful theater companies, the home stage of Malkovich, Allen, - [The Big Leagues: Zanies’ Bucket List Experience Offers Comedy Dreamers A Shot At Stand-up Success](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/30/the-big-leagues-zanies-bucket-list-experience-offers-comedy-dreamers-a-shot-at-stand-up-success/) - Zanies comedy club now offers the “Ultimate Bucket List Experience,” which gives funny dreamers the chance to create a killer act while being mentored by a top comic, and perform it in a real show. - [A Promising Start: A Review of "AmericanMYTH: Crossroads" at Free Street Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/01/a-promising-start-a-review-of-americanmyth-crossroads-at-free-street-theater/) - Visually scintillating, musically varied and appealing, animated by the shamanic, shape-shifting energy of its griot/narrator, “AmericanMYTH: Crossroads” has a hell of a lot going for it: a musical shadow puppet play that takes on the biggest, most challenging questions of American—and especially (but by no means exclusively) African American—identity. - [Review: Ethan Frome/Lookingglass Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2011/03/07/review-ethan-fromelookingglass-theatre-company/) - RECOMMENDED In Laura Eason’s adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel, things may be austere, but nothing is simple, as stoic Ethan Frome (Philip R. Smith) pines for the buoyant Mattie Silver (Louise Lamson), caregiver to his malingering wife Zeena (Lisa Tejero). The minimal set design, a Lookingglass standard, is especially apt here, capturing the bleakness - [One For The Ages: A Review of “Nyra’s Dreams” at Chicago Dramatists](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/03/one-for-the-ages-a-review-of-nyras-dreams-at-chicago-dramatists/) - “Nyra’s Dreams” is the story of Nyra, a naïve and effervescent young woman who leaps into different lives across time in a quest to achieve enlightenment so that her spirit may return to Dyavaprthivi, the divine realm that exists between Heaven and Earth. - [Review: Twelfth Night/Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2009/04/06/review-twelfth-nightchicago-shakespeare-theater/) - RECOMMENDED Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," often considered the Bard's best and funniest comedy, was conceived as a midwinter diversion related to the end of the Christmas season, January 6, or Epiphany, which in Elizabethan times was characterized by revelry, masquerades, charades, trickery, servants and masters trading places and chaotic partying, something akin to New Year's Eve, - [Sending in The Clowns: A Review of “A Little Night Music” at BrightSide Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/26/sending-in-the-clowns-a-review-of-a-little-night-music-at-brightside-theatre/) - A gorgeous presentation of a Sondheim classic. - [I’m Not Your Muse: A Review of “Seagulls” at Oak Park Festival Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/27/im-not-your-muse-a-review-of-seagulls-at-oak-park-festival-theatre/) - Hyland’s “Seagulls” is a Chekovian philosophical reflection on self and society, but with a twenty-first-century twist, an experience that can be compared to no other. - [Heading for the Highlands: A Review of "Brigadoon" at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/25/heading-for-the-highlands-a-review-of-brigadoon-at-music-theater-works/) - This dance-driven melodic fable of a mysterious village in the Scottish highlands that appears once a century is pure enchantment, as the current Music Theater Works production reminds us. - [A Return to Return to Patience: A Preview of Hubbard Street Dance at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/24/return-to-return-to-patience-a-preview-of-hubbard-street-dance-at-the-harris-theater/) - Aszure Barton, who embarks this season on a three-year stint as resident choreographer for Hubbard Street, is reviving “return to patience,” a piece she created in 2015 for students at the Juilliard School. - [Monster Mash: A Review of “Young Frankenstein” at Mercury Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/24/monster-mash-a-review-of-young-frankenstein-at-mercury-theater/) - The talented cast sells every song and bawdy joke for all they’re worth, and you’ll have a good, silly time. - [We the People: A Review of “What the Constitution Means to Me” at Paramount Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/17/we-the-people-a-review-of-what-the-constitution-means-to-me-at-paramount-theatre/) - Paramount Theatre’s 2023-2024 BOLD Series continues with this honest piece of theater that searches for the humanity in America’s founding document. - [To Build A Dream: A Review of "A Wonderful World" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/14/to-build-a-dream-a-review-of-a-wonderful-world-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Louis Armstrong completely filled the world he lived in. He was a one-of-a-kind singer and trumpet player. But it was his life as a cultural star, whose story tracks big movements of the twentieth century—the birth of jazz in New Orleans, the Great Migration to Chicago, the rise of Hollywood, and finally the civil-rights movement—that made him the perfect subject for a Broadway-bound musical. - [Rudos vs. Técnicos: A Review of “Lucha Teotl” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/13/rudos-vs-tecnicos-a-review-of-lucha-teotl-at-goodman-theatre/) - Appropriate for all ages, “Lucha Teotl” grabs you from the start and makes you never want to tap out! - [Liquid Hauntings: A Review of “Household Spirits” at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/20/liquid-hauntings-a-review-of-household-spirits-at-theater-wit/) - “Household Spirits” is a ghoulishly good show, with witty one liners, relatable character development and a creepy twist ending. - [Halloween Hoopla: A Review of "Holy Ghost Bingo: God, Goblins & Games" at the Greenhouse Theater Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/12/halloween-hoopla-a-review-of-holy-ghost-bingo-god-goblins-games-at-the-greenhouse-theater-center/) - Resurrection Mary, the Iroquois Theatre fire ghosts, local lore galore. And like Halloween itself, some real chills are part of the fun. - [Palimpsests: A Preview of S45 at SITE/less](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/13/palimpsests-a-preview-of-s45-at-site-less/) - For “S45," Michelle Kranicke and Paige Cunningham-Caldarella invited three choreographers to join them in taking a section of Merce Cunningham's “Suite for Five” as a jumping off point for a new dance. - [I’m A Real Person! A Review of “Tambo and Bones” at Refracted Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/19/im-a-real-person-a-review-of-tambo-and-bones-at-refracted-theatre-company/) - The team behind “Tambo and Bones” want you to squirm. They want you to feel pain and sorrow and woe—and laugh at the same time. - [Ways of Seeing: A Preview of Mad Shak's “Ex/Body: strike, vibrate, shatter” at Studio5](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/18/ways-of-seeing-a-preview-of-ex-body-strike-vibrate-shatter-at-studio5/) - Molly Shanahan and Mad Shak know that when she says “Bodies are so much more than what is visually perceived,” she means not only that the vast interior world of individual experience is hidden from view, but that it also can be tapped, extruded, and made legible to an audience through movement. - [It’s Everything They Say It Is, And Worse: A Review of “The American Dream” at Subtext Studio Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/11/its-everything-they-say-it-is-and-worse-a-review-of-the-american-dream-at-subtext-studio-theatre-company/) - The play is based on Juan Ramirez Jr.’s mother’s experience making her way through “hot desert days, cold nights on the cement floor and holding onto hope in the social climate of the eighties—all while pregnant with me.” - [Counting Murders to Go to Sleep: A Review of “Night Watch” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/18/counting-murders-to-go-to-sleep-a-review-of-night-watch-at-raven-theatre/) - A taut psychological thriller that waits until the very end before releasing its tension. - [Moving Monster: Joffrey Presents Late Choreographer’s Epic and Empathetic Take on "Frankenstein"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/04/moving-monster-joffrey-presents-late-choreographers-epic-and-empathetic-take-on-frankenstein/) - This production takes you into the world of Mary Shelley in the most visually stunning way. - [Satchmo Century: New Musical Looks at the Legacy of Louis Armstrong](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/06/satchmo-century-new-musical-looks-at-the-legacy-of-louis-armstrong/) - “We’re trying to find that balance of how much of the personal, how much of the cultural and how much of the overall impact that the man had. We can’t ignore his impact on music. We also can’t ignore his becoming popular as an American figure. …You want to get to know the man." - [Something Is Happening Here: A Review of “The Zoo Story” at Gwydion Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/09/something-is-happening-here-a-review-of-the-zoo-story-at-gwydion-theatre-company/) - Gwydion Theatre, a company making its local debut, has chosen its first Chicago play well and executed even better. - [A Little Child Shall Lead Them: Akram Khan Company Brings a "Jungle Book" For The Age of Climate Change](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/11/01/a-little-child-shall-lead-them-akram-khan-company-brings-a-jungle-book-for-the-age-of-climate-change/) - London-based choreographer Akram Khan brings his eponymous company to the Harris Theater for the first time, with a near-future version of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" set in a rewilded and sinking city. - [Dance Top 5: November 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/25/dance-top-5-november-2023/) - Clear your first two weekends: November is front-loaded with dance from mixed-rep to immersive storytelling. - [Stage Top 5: November 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/31/stage-top-5-november-2023/) - A lot of musical fun and a little bit of darkness fill November stages. - [Let's Get Weird: A Review of “Revolution” at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/22/lets-get-weird-a-review-of-revolution-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - There’s a danger of being caught in the folds of time—you need friends, celebration and human contact to pull you free. So grab a friend and go see “Revolution”—it’s time to get weird together. - [Too Much Goes Unmentioned: A Review of “The Nacirema Society” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/04/too-much-goes-unmentioned-a-review-of-the-nacirema-society-at-goodman-theatre/) - “The Nacirema Society” could have been an edifying experience for viewers, as well as an entertaining one. That road hasn’t been taken, and the result is a comedy whose laughs lack deeper resonance. - [On a Highway to Hell: A Review of “Eurydice” at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/05/on-a-highway-to-hell-a-review-of-eurydice-at-writers-theatre/) - Ruhl’s “Eurydice” combines ancient storytelling and classic characters with Nietzschean undertones of self-actualization to create a truly moving experience. - [Not Bad For A Potato! A Review of “The Lehman Trilogy” at TimeLine Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/02/not-bad-for-a-potato-a-review-of-the-lehman-trilogy-at-timeline-theatre/) - By the end of TimeLine Theatre’s “The Lehman Trilogy” I was left wanting to learn more about this family that, for better or worse, had a big hand in shaping the course of history. - [Stage Top 5: October 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/03/stage-top-5-october-2023/) - Two plays featuring seven women each and a gender-swapped Sondheim give October feminist flavor. - [An Odd Dream: A Review of “The Pragmatists” at Trap Door Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/29/an-odd-dream-a-review-of-the-pragmatists-at-trap-door-theatre/) - Trap Door opens its thirtieth season with an early play by one of the twentieth century’s kings of strange—Polish surrealist writer, artist, photographer and drug-adventurer Stanislaw I. Witkiewicz. - [Pinch of Soul, Dash of Fun: A Review of “Taste of Soul” at Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/14/pinch-of-soul-dash-of-fun-a-review-of-taste-of-soul-at-black-ensemble-theater/) - “Taste of Soul” has a little something for everyone. For those who grew up with soul food and music, it’s a delightful trip down memory lane. - [When Existence is a Crime: A Review of “Sanctuary City” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/28/when-existence-is-a-crime-a-review-of-sanctuary-city-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - The play asks the question: What do you do if simply existing makes you a criminal, a fact that no amount of merit can override? - [Dance Top 5: October 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/27/dance-top-5-october-2023/) - From Frankenstein to Merce Cunningham, there's dance provocation on stage for everyone. - [This Could Be Anywhere: A Review of “The Consul” at Third Eye Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/27/this-could-be-anywhere-a-review-of-the-consul-at-third-eye-theatre-ensemble/) - This could be anywhere and any time in the modern era, with people being turned into numbers, and their stories into “cases.” - [Treading Water: A Review of "The Flying Dutchman" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/26/treading-water-a-review-of-the-flying-dutchman-at-lyric-opera/) - Wagner and Lyric Opera have had a long and convoluted relationship over the decades. The company built its reputation by centering on Italian repertoire and Wagner was a relative rarity given its cost and complexity. - [History of Hilarity: Mike Bridenstine Serves as Literary Tour Guide to the Hottest Period in Chicago Stand-Up](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/25/history-of-hilarity-mike-bridenstine-serves-as-literary-tour-guide-to-the-hottest-period-in-chicago-stand-up/) - Thanks to a new book about the wildly creative alternative-comedy scene that gave birth to an explosion of stars and influential talent between 1996 and 2009, the Chicago scene is finally getting its due. - [Snap, You’re Caught! A Review of “The Mousetrap” at Citadel Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/20/snap-youre-caught-a-review-of-the-mousetrap-at-citadel-theatre/) - Agatha Christie's “The Mousetrap,” now on stage at Citadel Theatre, locks you in with knife-wielding maniacs, blood-curdling screams, zippy dialogue and brain-tingling riddles. - [The Dinner Party: A Review of "Welcome to Matteson!" at Congo Square Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/21/the-dinner-party-a-review-of-welcome-to-matteson-at-congo-square-theatre/) - A dinner party is a great device for theatrical conflict. There’s nothing like too much wine and miscommunication to draw all the poisons out of the mud. - [Safe, Exuberant and a Real Good Time: A Preview of Instigation Festival](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/20/safe-exuberant-and-a-real-good-time-a-preview-of-instigation-festival/) - "We brought old and new friends together to take creative risks at multiple venues across Chicago and magic ensued. We shared a similar non-verbal language. This magic has transpired for the past eight years in bars, music venues, museums, backyards and even Lake Michigan." - [The Price of Freedom: A Review of “Blues for an Alabama Sky” at Remy Bumppo](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/25/the-price-of-freedom-a-review-of-blues-for-an-alabama-sky-at-remy-bumppo/) - “Blues for an Alabama Sky” is about supporting a women’s right to the same freedom of choice as the other half of humanity, with all the joy, hardships and pitfalls that come with it. - [A Goofy Comedy with a Lot of Heart: A Review of “Mic Father Like Son” by Subtext Theater Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/13/a-goofy-comedy-with-a-lot-of-heart-a-review-of-mic-father-like-son-by-subtext-theater-company/) - “Mic Father Like Son” is full of charm, wit and shtick, an appealing performance for those in the mood for a goofy comedy with a lot of heart. - [Can’t-Miss Dance Events (Fall Arts Preview 2023)](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/13/cant-miss-dance-events-fall-arts-preview-2023/) - From futurism to Jungle Book revisited, this fall dance season has a big range. - [A Classic American Millerdrama: A Review of "A View from the Bridge" at Shattered Globe Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/15/a-classic-american-millerdrama-a-review-of-a-view-from-the-bridge-at-shattered-globe-theatre/) - More ominous and socially observant than a typical melodrama, Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” is hard to categorize. It’s its own thing—call it a classic American Millerdrama. - [Follow the Recipe: A Review of “Baked! The Musical” at Theo Ubique](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/19/follow-the-recipe-a-review-of-baked-the-musical-at-theo-ubique/) - Combine equal parts family drama and youthful enthusiasm with a dash of stoner comedy and you get “Baked! The Musical,” delivered piping hot at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. - [The Laughing City: The 312 Comedy Festival Brings Top Comedy Stars to Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/10/23/the-laughing-city-the-312-comedy-festival-brings-top-comedy-stars-to-chicago/) - Chicago’s reputation for comedy has primarily been rooted in having the best improv scene on the planet. But the city has also spawned a rich stand-up history, and the first-ever 312 Comedy Festival will add to it by bringing more than twenty major shows to clubs and theaters throughout the Chicago area. - [Excelsior! A Review of “The Innocence of Seduction” at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/07/excelsior-a-review-of-the-innocence-of-seduction-at-city-lit/) - “The Innocence of Seduction,” the third in a comic book-themed trilogy written and directed by Max Pracht, begins just before the implementation of the Comics Code. - [A Cult Classic: Kokandy Productions Brings Back the Storefront Musical with "American Psycho"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/08/a-cult-classic-kokandy-productions-brings-back-the-storefront-musical-with-american-psycho/) - For twelve years, Kokandy Productions has been presenting high-quality musicals designed for wide appeal and shallow pockets. Known for producing Chicago premieres of cult-status film properties, they’ve been changing minds about what a modern musical can be and who it is for. - [Jerry and Mr. Joffrey: A Centennial Celebration of Gerald Arpino, Co-Founder and "Architect of the Dancers" of One of America's Premier Ballet Companies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/07/jerry-and-mr-joffrey-a-centennial-celebration-of-gerald-arpino-co-founder-and-architect-of-the-dancers-of-one-of-americas-premier-ballet-companies/) - On January 14 of this year, the big brother to dozens of ballet luminaries in the United States would have celebrated his hundredth birthday. To commemorate the occasion, the Gerald Arpino Foundation—keeper of Arpino’s extensive repertoire—has organized two evenings of short works and excerpts at the Auditorium Theatre on September 23 and 24, performed by seven of the top ballet companies in the country. - [Country Boy: A Review of "Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash" at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/11/country-boy-a-review-of-ring-of-fire-the-music-of-johnny-cash-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - Drury Lane’s production of “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash” is a lovingly performed tribute to a music legend. - [It’ll Grow On You: A Review of “Little Shop of Horrors” at Paramount Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/12/itll-grow-on-you-a-review-of-little-shop-of-horrors-at-paramount-theatre/) - Paramount Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors” has it all—fantastic singing, fleshed out characters, hit songs and a hyper-detailed set. If you’re in the mood for the macabre, this is the show for you; if not, see it anyways—it’ll grow on you. - [Stage Top 5: September 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/01/stage-top-5-september-2023/) - The fall season kicks off with some laughs, some music and some heavy themes about America, race and capitalism. - [Can’t-Miss Stage Events (Fall Arts Preview 2023)](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/31/cant-miss-stage-events-fall-arts-preview-2023/) - Fall festivals in comedy and Latino theater? Boop-Oop-a-Doop! - [Starless Summer: "Sunday in the Park with Lyric" Previews Opera Season](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/24/starless-summer-sunday-in-the-park-with-lyric-previews-opera-season/) - The goal of the evening is to serve as an “appetite whetter” for the Lyric's new season. - [Dance Top 5: September 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/30/dance-top-5-september-2023/) - The fall season kicks off with a series of festivals. - [The Original “Dance Mom”: A Review of “Gypsy” at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/05/the-original-dance-mom-a-review-of-gypsy-at-marriott-theatre/) - The television show “Dance Moms” has gained wide popularity for featuring overbearing mothers obsessed with their child’s (re: their) dreams of grandeur and stardom, but none of these ladies hold a candle to the mom in Marriott Theatre’s “Gypsy.” Move over Maddie Ziegler. Step aside Abby Lee Miller. Rose Hovick is in town! - [Best of Both Worlds: A Preview of Zach Noe Towers at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/05/best-of-both-worlds-a-preview-of-zach-noe-towers-at-zanies/) - Growing up queer in a religious household in Missouri, Zach Noe Towers learned how to navigate living in two distinctly different worlds at once. - [A Safe Space: How Martyna Majok Channeled Her Immigrant Struggle Into Playwriting Success](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/09/06/a-safe-space-how-martyna-majok-channeled-her-immigrant-struggle-into-playwriting-success/) - Majok is back in Chicago, getting ready for a production of her 2020 play “Sanctuary City,” at Steppenwolf Theatre, where it will run from September 14 through November 18. Majok says she’s thrilled to be back in the city where she first seriously studied theater. - [A Goosestepping Good Time: A Review of “The Producers” at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/15/a-goosestepping-good-time-a-review-of-the-producers-at-music-theater-works/) - I agree with real-life director L. Walter Stearns’ note in the program, that “This show has a little something to offend everyone.” The goal is not to offend for the sake of offending, however, but to shine a (literal) spotlight on tropes and mores, making them too outlandish to ignore. - [High-Flying Comedy: A Preview of Alonzo Bodden at The Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/16/high-flying-comedy-a-preview-of-alonzo-bodden-at-the-den-theatre/) - As a fan-favorite monthly panelist on the long-running comedic game show “Wait.. Wait…Don’t Tell Me!,” comedian Alonzo Bodden has been bringing some of the sharpest political jokes on the planet to the show’s Chicago tapings for over a decade. - [Encouragement and Drive: A Preview of Dance for Life at the Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/16/encouragement-and-drive-a-preview-of-dance-for-life-at-the-auditorium-theatre/) - “Dance for Life” is an annual concert that raises money for The Dancers’ Fund, which provides health care assistance for dancers and people who work in the dance field. But it also happens to be a beloved and joyful celebration of Chicago’s rich and abundant dance scene. - [A Brilliant Reflection of Truth: A Review of “The Light” at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/17/a-brilliant-reflection-of-truth-a-review-of-the-light-at-fleetwood-jourdain-theatre/) - “The Light” by Loy A. Webb is a one act play about a young Black couple who struggle with a revelation from the past that threatens to break up their budding relationship. - [Supreme Impersonator: Jay Pharoah Talks About Turning his Obama into Fame as He Prepares to Tape a Special at The Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/21/supreme-impersonator-jay-pharoah-talks-about-turning-his-obama-into-fame-as-he-prepares-to-tape-a-special-at-the-den-theatre/) - Pharoah will be bringing his potent mix of impersonations and vividly funny tales of his personal life to the stage of Chicago’s Den Theatre August 26 as he tapes a new hourlong special. - [Spirit of Yes: Harris Theater Celebrates Twenty in Millennium Park](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/23/spirit-of-yes-harris-theater-celebrates-twenty-in-millennium-park/) - Harris will kick off its emerald anniversary with an all-day, outdoor festival spread across Millennium Park. Festivities culminate in a three-hour performance in the Pritzker Pavilion of a dozen Chicago-based companies that have found a presenting home there. - [Dance Top 5: August 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/26/dance-top-5-august-2023/) - Great dance heats up August: North Side, South Side, West Side and Downtown. - [Pinteresque Perfection: A Review of "No Man’s Land" at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/26/pinteresque-perfection-a-review-of-no-mans-land-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land”—the Nobel Prize-winning writer’s 1975 play, masterfully revived at Steppenwolf—is a rich and strange theater experience. - [Tale As Old As Time: A Review of "Beauty and the Beast" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/27/tale-as-old-as-time-a-review-of-beauty-and-the-beast-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - This "Beauty and the Beast" at Chicago Shakes brings a lot of well-honed magic to its shortened form and is a perfect summery confection. - [Stage Top 5: August 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/31/stage-top-5-august-2023/) - Big musicals, star comedians and a show on the beach: summer's last dance. - [Past and Present Power: Muntu Dance Theatre Celebrates "Lineage" at the Logan Center for the Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/02/past-and-present-power-muntu-dance-theatre-celebrates-lineage-at-the-logan-center-for-the-arts/) - Performances by Muntu invoke the power of the past in brilliant hues and thunderclaps: drumming, dance and song so joyfully kinetic it would be cruel to ask any other company to follow them. - [A Saccharine Set: A Review of "Next to Normal" at Paramount Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/07/a-saccharine-set-a-review-of-next-to-normal-at-paramount-theatre/) - “Next to Normal,” with music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, is not up to the challenge and complexity of its subject. - [Searching for the Man in the Mirror: A Review of “MJ: The Musical” at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/08/14/searching-for-the-man-in-the-mirror-a-review-of-mj-the-musical-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - What is wonderful about “MJ: The Musical” is that it raises as many meaningful questions about creativity when it has a cavernous cultural response and impact as it answers. - [Rated “Argh” for Intense Fun! A Review of “The SpongeBob Musical” by Kokandy Productions](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/11/rated-argh-for-intense-fun-a-review-of-the-spongebob-musical-by-kokandy-productions/) - In an underwater seascape of jewel tone colors and sparkling glass coral reefs, the residents of Bikini Bottom go about their day as usual—a school of sardines flitter around in pink 1960’s mod-style dresses, a muscular lobster performs shoulder presses with an oversized barbell and a pirate hands out stickers to spectating “land-lubbers.” - [Harmonious Heat: A Review of “Cymbeline” by Midsommer Flight](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/20/harmonious-heat-a-review-of-cymbeline-by-midsommer-flight/) - Midsommer’s new production, playing in Chicago parks through August 13, shows that in the right hands, “Cymbeline” is funny, compelling and surprisingly touching. - [Crossed Paths: In "Port of Entry" the Albany Park Theater Project Uses Immersive Theater to Explore the Immigrant Experience](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/21/crossed-paths-in-port-of-entry-the-albany-park-theater-project-uses-immersive-theater-to-explore-the-immigrant-experience/) - In a Northwest Side warehouse, you can visit the apartment of a Mexican family, anxious because the father has been deported. Or a multi-generation Filipino family, about to cook supper. The ninety-four-year-old warehouse is the site of a new Albany Park Theater Project that tells immigrant stories over one hundred years. - [Tales From T.J.: A Preview of T.J. Jagodowski in “The Armando Diaz Experience” at iO Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/24/tales-from-t-j-a-preview-of-t-j-jagodowski-in-the-armando-diaz-experience-at-io-theater/) - Chicago’s longest-running long-form improv show features one of the city’s most beloved improv stars when T.J. Jagodowski takes the stage as the guest monologist for “The Armando Diaz Experience” July 27 at iO Chicago. - [Every Rose Has Its Thorn: A Review of “Rock of Ages” at Mercury Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/25/every-rose-has-its-thorn-a-review-of-rock-of-ages-at-mercury-theater/) - If you’re in the mood for a raunchy rock concert but want to get to bed at a decent time, then check out “Rock of Ages.” - [The Godmother of Rock: A Review of "Marie and Rosetta" at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/17/the-godmother-of-rock-a-review-of-marie-and-rosetta-at-northlight-theatre/) - George Brant’s “Marie and Rosetta” at Northlight Theatre offers both great music and a real story. Directed by E. Faye Butler, it’s about the friendship and musical collaboration between Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her protégé, Marie Knight. - [Don't Close Your Eyes: A Few Words on Physical Theater Festival Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/05/dont-close-your-eyes-a-few-words-on-physical-theater-festival-chicago/) - Ten years ago, Alice da Cunha and Marc Frost created a small festival for theater artists whose preferred method of storytelling is beyond words. Now, Physical Theater Festival Chicago works with almost a dozen partners here and abroad to bring companies from around the world whose performances must be seen to be understood. - [Titans of Culture: A Review of "The Big Bang: Movement Theory + the Black Dancing Body" at Art on The Mart](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/12/titans-of-culture-a-review-of-the-big-bang-movement-theory-the-black-dancing-body-at-art-on-the-mart/) - This three-act visual story connects traditional African dance to twentieth and twenty-first century American forms. Through the magic of editing, West African stomps give way to tap and hip hop, sideways kicks of the Charleston are revealed in the shuffle steps of Footwork…with three hundred foot tall dancers gliding across vivid backgrounds. - [Changing the Stakes: At Twenty-Five Years, Congo Square Theatre Charts a Radically Expansive Future](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/12/changing-the-stakes-at-twenty-five-years-congo-square-theatre-charts-a-radically-expansive-future/) - A twenty-five-year-old anniversary is tough to achieve in a marriage, and maybe a bigger challenge in the art world. Now, Congo Square is not only continuing to produce new work, but is planning its first permanent home in the Bronzeville neighborhood. - [Deus Ex Musical: A Review of “Xanadu” at Metropolis Performing Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/18/deus-ex-musical-a-review-of-xanadu-at-metropolis-performing-arts/) - Metropolis Performing Arts breathes new life into their production of “Xanadu,” directed by Kevin Wiczer, with choreography by Kristine Burdi and musical direction by Kenny McMullen. - [Magic and Moonlight: A Review of Oak Park Festival Theatre’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/19/magic-and-moonlight-a-review-of-oak-park-festival-theatres-a-midsummer-nights-dream/) - Oak Park Festival Theatre launches its forty-eighth season with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” staged within Oak Park’s leafy Austin Gardens. - [Open Doors: A Preview of DisFest at the Chicago Cultural Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/19/open-doors-a-preview-of-disfest-at-the-chicago-cultural-center/) - This Saturday, oft-overlooked artists take over the Chicago Cultural Center in the first DisFest, a daylong festival featuring multidisciplinary work by artists with disabilities. Thirty artists will be featured in pop-up performances, short film screenings, exhibitions, and lead open workshops in improvisation, hip-hop, tech and more. - [Stillness Is the Move: A Review of "A Distinct Society" at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/07/stillness-is-the-move-a-review-of-a-distinct-society-at-writers-theatre/) - The personal good intentions and grandiose philosophizing offered here might distract us, but they won’t do much to save us. - [A Riotous Joyride: A Review of "The 39 Steps" at Drury Lane Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/10/a-riotous-joyride-a-review-of-the-39-steps-at-drury-lane-theatre/) - Drury Lane Theatre continues its season with “The 39 Steps,” a farcical adaptation by Patrick Barlow, based on a novel, and a subsequent Alfred Hitchcock movie. - [Shaken and Stirred: A Review of “Agnes of God” at Redtwist Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/08/shaken-and-stirred-a-review-of-agnes-of-god-at-redtwist-theatre/) - Written by John Pielmeier in 1979, the play is about a young nun named Agnes found bleeding and unconscious in her convent bedroom. The audience gets the full, hurricane blast of this performance. Nothing is held back. - [Life Goes On: A Review of "Another Marriage" at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/28/life-goes-on-a-review-of-another-marriage-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - “Another Marriage,” a play by Steppenwolf ensemble member Kate Arrington, takes on the reality of how both the birth of a child and unequal career success can affect a relationship. - [Third or Nothing: A Review of Otherworld Theatre’s "Puffs"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/22/third-or-nothing-a-review-of-otherworld-theatres-puffs/) - It’s a joy to watch this talented cast, who make it look effortless. You’ll have fun just watching them have fun. - [The Psychedelic Whirl: A Review of "The Who's Tommy" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/30/the-psychedelic-whirl-a-review-of-the-whos-tommy-at-goodman-theatre/) - The biggest surprise in the engrossing staged version of "Tommy" now at The Goodman is how strongly the work stands alone given the indelible imprint the music by Pete Townshend and his collaborators in The Who have long had on popular culture. - ["Oh Boy!" A Review of "The Buddy Holly Story" at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/07/06/oh-boy-a-review-of-the-buddy-holly-story-at-marriott-theatre/) - “The Buddy Holly Story” is a heart-warming story wrapped around a rock concert that slips smoothly from song to song and compels the audience to tap their feet, clap their hands and sing along. - [Enduring Legacies: A Preview of "Flamenco Passion" at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/14/enduring-legacies-a-preview-of-flamenco-passion-at-the-north-shore-center-for-the-performing-arts/) - Ensemble Español’s annual “Flamenco Passion” concert will give a taste of the international high-profile partnerships the organization has cultivated over its long tenure. - [Funny and Sad Dad: A Preview of Jimmy Carrane at The Laughing Academy](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/12/funny-and-sad-dad-a-preview-of-jimmy-carrane-at-the-laughing-academy/) - Chicago comedy favorite Jimmy Carrane presents a show that's been fifty-nine years in the making - [A Victory Against Invisibility: “Being Seen” at the Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/09/a-victory-against-invisibility-being-seen-at-the-den-theatre/) - The play is a real-time portrayal of an audition, that lonely, scary ordeal for actors. - [Best Production of the Best Musical: A Review of "West Side Story" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/05/best-production-of-the-best-musical-a-review-of-west-side-story-at-lyric-opera/) - This is the original “West Side Story” as it was originally conceived in 1957, which is to say the original song order is preserved and its radical elements are left to pack a wallop. - [Journey to the Interior: A Review of The Memory Place at The Edge Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/07/journey-to-the-interior-a-review-of-the-memory-place-at-the-edge-theater/) - "The Memory Place” is the tenth iteration of Pivot Arts’ annual festival of theater, music, dance and multidisciplinary performance. This year the co-curators gathered five pieces under a tender theme that places each small audience in a peculiarly sympathetic relationship with the performers. - [Beyond Boundaries: Mandala Maker Festival Moves to Devon Avenue](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/31/beyond-boundaries-mandala-maker-festival-moves-to-devon-avenue/) - Pranita Nayar is the founder and executive artistic director of Mandala South Asian Performing Arts. She is a celebrated dancer and choreographer in the classical Indian dance form Bharata Natyam, but her organization presents performances by South Asian artists who are working across disciplines—which Nayar is quick to point out are inextricable from one another. - [Where Do We Go From Here? A Review of “Tango” at Pride Arts](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/01/where-do-we-go-from-here-a-review-of-tango-at-pride-arts/) - “Tango” addresses the social stigmatization toward gay people in the context of modern-day Singapore. - [Free Rein for the Imagination: A Review of “Bowie in Warsaw” at Trapdoor Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/02/free-reign-for-the-imagination-a-review-of-bowie-in-warsaw-at-trapdoor-theatre/) - The narrative unfolds like viewing a picture up close and slowly stepping backwards to get the big picture. Through a series of short vignettes unfold the lives of townsfolk living in a Polish town under Soviet occupation. - [First Murder, Then Tea: A Review of “Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon” at Lookingglass Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/13/first-murder-then-tea-a-review-of-lucy-and-charlies-honeymoon-at-lookingglass-theatre/) - The story of two first generation, Asian-American renegades on a spree of crime and passion through the backroads of the Midwest. - [Think About the Gun: A Review of "Pippin" at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/07/think-about-the-gun-a-review-of-pippin-at-music-theater-works/) - “Pippin” is not your everyday musical. A fictional work that makes loose use of medieval historical figures, the title character is Charlemagne’s oldest son returning home from university and looking for meaning in life. - [Coming Up Roses: A Review of "Gypsy" at BrightSide Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/06/06/coming-up-roses-a-review-of-gypsy-at-brightside-theatre/) - When a terrific singing actress is in the role of Rose, you can’t take your eyes from her, and you can’t help but sympathize. - [Punches and Prose: The Boxing Bromance Behind Shaw vs. Tunney](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/25/punches-and-prose-the-boxing-bromance-behind-shaw-vs-tunney/) - Nick Sandys is directing the world premiere of “Shaw vs. Tunney” produced by Grippo Stage Company - [Stage Top 5: June 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/26/stage-top-5-june-2023/) - Take your pick: musical or off-center romantic comedy - [An Oedipus Not Complex: A Review of “The Gospel at Colonus” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/24/an-oedipus-not-complex-a-review-of-the-gospel-at-colonus-at-court-theatre/) - Court Theatre continues their series of plays by Sophocles about the last days of Oedipus reimagined as a Pentecostal church service. There is lots of singing, with each cast member displaying tremendous vocal power and range. - [Dance Top 5: June 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/24/dance-top-5-june-2023/) - Dance puts a toe into the great outdoors this month - [Loveless Truths: A Review of "The Whistleblower" at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/22/loveless-truths-a-review-of-the-whistleblower-at-theater-wit/) - Eli is a TV writer who has become sick of writing fictional stories about fantasy heroes, and instead decides to speak only hard, personal truths designed to free himself and others from the grip of life-limiting self-deceptions. Honesty will be his superpower. - [All In Good Fun: A Review of "Aztec Human Sacrifice: A Musical about Love, Death, and the End of the World" at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/19/all-in-good-fun-a-review-of-aztec-human-sacrifice-a-musical-about-love-death-and-the-end-of-the-world-at-city-lit/) - Parental sacrifice figures large in this original musical. - [The Fear of Change: A Review of “The October Storm” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/18/the-fear-of-change-a-review-of-the-october-storm-at-raven-theatre/) - The Raven Theatre is transformed into the basement apartment of a three-flat in the 1960s on the South Side of Chicago, where a Black grandmother works tirelessly to protect her home and granddaughter from a wave of change that threatens to destroy their peaceful lives. - [Favorites, New and Newer: A Preview of Hubbard Street Dance's "Facets" at the Harris Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/17/favorites-new-and-newer-a-preview-of-hubbard-street-dances-facets-at-the-harris-theater/) - Rennie Harris’ new piece, a tribute to Chicago House music and legendary DJ Frankie Knuckles, will appear alongside recent commissions from Hope Boykin, Randy Duncan, and a world premiere from former Hubbard Street company member Rena Butler. - [Sleep Warrior: A Review of “The Dream King” from Teatro Vista](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/31/a-dream-come-true-a-review-of-the-dream-king-from-teatro-vista/) - It is in sleep that everything happens, and an office drone becomes a hero and a warrior. His quest is figuring out how to bring his dream life into his real one. - [No "Problem" With Hari: A Preview of Hari Kondabolu at the Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/30/no-problem-with-hari-a-preview-of-hari-kondabolu-at-the-den-theatre/) - Comic Hari Kondabolu brings his unique point of view to life to his beloved Chicago audiences at the Den Theatre - [Stiff Upper Lip: A Review of "London Road" at Shattered Globe](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/11/stiff-upper-lip-a-review-of-london-road-at-shattered-globe/) - This British musical seems to pull off the impossible. The mesmerizing but highly complex score requires singers and musicians who can manage its intricate rhythms with precision and still act their songs in the guise of the mostly-lower-middle-class English city dwellers they portray. - [Through Grief and Frustration, Joy: A Review of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/24/a-review-of-cerqua-rivera-dance-theatre/) - Known for dances made alongside original music, CRDT presents an evening of work by choreographer Monique Haley. The program, centered around the world premiere of the now-complete “Soul Remedy,” bears the fruits of long-term cultivation. - [Where We Find Ourselves Now: A Review of "What the Constitution Means to Me" at TimeLine Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/23/where-we-find-ourselves-now-a-review-of-what-the-constitution-means-to-me-at-timeline-theatre-company/) - Heidi Schreck’s play showcases our narrator regaling us with her complicated love story. This romance between an American teen circa the 1980s and the United States Constitution circa the 1780s demonstrates just how much can change in a lifetime. - [A Modern Muslim Love Story: A Review of “Hatefuck” at First Floor Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/16/a-modern-muslim-love-story-a-review-of-hatefuck-at-first-floor-theater/) - A show that portrays “real” Muslim characters who spend half the show in their undergarments, twisting and contorting in all manner of sexual positions, and the other half having deep conversations about the damaging depictions of Islamic characters in popular media. - [We’re On Our Way! A Review of “Ernest Shackleton Loves Me” by Porchlight Music Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/15/were-on-our-way-a-review-of-ernest-shackleton-loves-me-by-porchlight-music-theatre/) - What does an early twentieth-century Arctic explorer and a modern-day single mother/struggling musician have in common? Almost nothing! And yet they make for the most charming companions in a tale of existential grief and nautical adventure. - [The Wheels Remain on the Dream: A Review of "Ragtime" at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/10/the-wheels-remain-on-the-dream-a-review-of-ragtime-at-metropolis-performing-arts-centre/) - The early twentieth-century fictional Harlem musician Coalhouse Walker in E.L. Doctorow’s novel—also the centerpiece of this musical—is a powerful symbol of racial injustice. And yet it is astonishing how contemporary it all still feels further into another century. - [We Come into Parenthood Fully Formed: A Review of “Antonio’s Song/ I Was Dreaming of a Son” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/12/we-come-into-parenthood-fully-formed-a-review-of-antonios-song-i-was-dreaming-of-a-son-at-goodman-theatre/) - Antonio Edwards Suarez puts in a career defining performance in this insightful meditation on race and identity. - [The Burger King of Comedy: A Preview of Ian Edwards at Zanies](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/15/the-burger-king-of-comedy-a-preview-of-ian-edwards-at-zanies/) - Edwards owes his impressive comedy career to working at a drive-thru. - [Modern Family: A Review of Definition Theatre's "Fairview"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/09/modern-family-a-review-of-definition-theatres-fairview/) - An incisive, suitably atonal but pitch-perfect Chicago premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning play that leads, relentlessly, to unexpected heights of humor and drama and to the depths of America’s race divides. - [When Everything Is Burning: A Review of "Is God Is" at A Red Orchid Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/18/when-everything-is-burning-a-review-of-is-god-is-at-a-red-orchid-theatre/) - No one does thriller or horror like A Red Orchid Theatre, truly. - [A Story of Possibilities: A Review of "From the Mississippi Delta" at Lifeline Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/04/a-story-of-possibilities-a-review-of-from-the-mississippi-delta-at-lifeline-theatre/) - Lifeline’s funny, poignant, zippy production of Endesha Ida Mae Holland’s 1990 play about the writer’s life-long journey from the Jim Crow South, through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and on to a Ph.D. and professorships soars. - [Stage Top 5: May 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/28/stage-top-5-may-2023/) - May is for musical comedy and edgy new work. - [Dance Top 5: May 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/26/dance-top-5-may-2023/) - From Frank Lloyd Wright to T.S. Eliot, dance shows its range in May. - [Playing Faust Ball: A Review of "Damn Yankees" at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/26/playing-faust-ball-a-review-of-damn-yankees-at-marriott-theatre/) - It’s the story of a man so desperate for the Washington Senators to trounce the Yankees that he is willing to sell his soul to do it. - [You’re in the Band: A Review of Paramount Theatre’s "School Of Rock"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/25/youre-in-the-band-a-review-of-paramount-theatres-school-of-rock/) - Paramount Theatre’s eleventh anniversary Broadway Series concludes with “School of Rock,” a light-hearted rock musical based on the 2003 comedy movie of the same name. - [Pickin’ Together A New World: A Review of “The Porch on Windy Hill: a new play with old music” at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/24/pickin-together-a-new-world-a-review-of-the-porch-on-windy-hill-a-new-play-with-old-music-at-northlight-theatre/) - The old music is an impressive collection of folk standards. The new play is a trio of voices working their way through a familial landscape. - [Workplace War Zone: A Review of “In the Back/On the Floor” at Stage Left](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/05/workplace-war-zone-a-review-of-in-the-back-out-the-floor-at-stage-left/) - The minimum-wage workplace as depicted in this world premiere drama is a nightmare of tedious toil, endless surveillance and absolute disrespect. - [A Salute To Power: A Review of “Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/01/a-salute-to-power-a-review-of-panther-women-an-army-for-the-liberation/) - This is true, exciting storefront theater, set in a literal, narrow storefront on 79th Street in the South Shore neighborhood. It’s challenging, passionate, and beautifully in your face. - [Right Is Right: A Review of "Big River" at Mercury Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/03/right-is-right-a-review-of-big-river-at-mercury-theater/) - "Big River" is a musical based on Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, with songs by Roger Miller. Mercury Theater’s production is crisply moving, superbly sung and highly entertaining. - [The Time Is Now: A Review of "Into the Woods" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/02/the-time-is-now-a-review-of-into-the-woods-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Get downtown and see this show. It may change you for good. It will certainly raise your standards on what to expect from a musical, including one direct from Broadway. - [New and Proven: A Preview of The Lincoln Lodge’s “Latest and Greatest”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/05/01/the-greatest-show-on-earth-a-preview-of-the-lincoln-lodges-latest-and-greatest/) - The Lincoln Lodge’s “Latest and Greatest” show serves up a perfect mix of rising talents and veteran favorites - [Revolutionary Practice: A Review of "We are Proud to Present" at Theatre Y](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/27/revolutionary-practice-a-review-of-we-are-proud-to-present-at-theatre-y/) - The playwright messes with the rituals and conventions of theater to get deep inside messy interlocking themes, including ethnicity, bias, justice, empathy and creativity. - [Surface Level: A Review of the Joffrey Ballet’s The Little Mermaid](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/24/surface-level-a-review-of-the-joffrey-ballets-the-little-mermaid/) - The five lead dancers skillfully meld precise, athletic movement—in a contemporary ballet mode—with expressive theatricality. - [Against Great Odds: A Review of "Last Night and the Night Before" at Steppenwolf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/19/against-great-odds-a-review-of-last-night-and-the-night-before-at-steppenwolf/) - A full and convincing portrait of a family that works against great odds to stay together and give its members the support and tough love they need. - [Better Late Than Never: A Preview of Pat McGann at the Chicago Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/17/better-late-than-never-a-preview-of-pat-mcgann-at-the-chicago-theatre/) - Pat McGann may have started his stand-up career later than most, but he's on top now with two April 22 shows at the Chicago Theatre - [No, Thank U! A Review of “Jagged Little Pill” at the Nederlander Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/17/no-thank-u-a-review-of-jagged-little-pill-at-the-nederlander-theatre/) - The show centers around waspy, middle-class suburbanites, The Healy family, each of whom are suffering from a different existential crisis. - [A Measure of Peace: A Review of "Galileo’s Daughter" at Remy Bumppo Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/20/a-measure-of-peace-a-review-of-galileos-daughter-at-remy-bumppo-theatre/) - The title character of Jessica Dickey’s play is also the subject of Dava Sobel’s bestselling book of the same name. Sobel’s book about the great scientist’s brilliant, illegitimate cloistered daughter, Suor (Sister) Marie Celeste, seems to have inspired the play. The Writer tells us that Sobel’s work launched the quest that took her to Florence, Italy. - [Behold, The Chosen Homosexual: A Review of Hell in a Handbag Productions' “I Promised Myself To Live Faster”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/04/behold-the-chosen-homosexual-a-review-of-hell-in-a-handbag-productions-i-promised-myself-to-live-faster/) - What do you get when you smash together old Flash Gordon serials with intergalactic alien orgies and hidden emotional trauma? While the premise is simple, the execution is luscious and extravagant. - [Communism Can Be Funny: A Review of “Dying For It” at The Artistic Home](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/07/communism-can-be-funny-a-review-of-dying-for-it-at-the-artistic-home/) - Adapted from the 1928 satire “The Suicide” by Russian playwright Nikolai Erdman, “Dying For It” tells the story of patriotic proletariats trying to find meaning in an egalitarian, near-secular society where personal value is based on your contribution to the community…but there is plenty of mirth and slapstick. - [Taking It to the Streets: A Preview of Cipha Sounds at Zanies Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/10/taking-it-to-the-streets-a-preview-of-cipha-sounds-at-zanies-chicago/) - Cipha Sounds brings his New York energy to Zanies Chicago - [Emotional Mercury: A Review of "The Cherry Orchard" at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/13/emotional-mercury-a-review-of-the-cherry-orchard-at-goodman-theatre/) - For Goodman's current production of Anton Chekhov’s "The Cherry Orchard," Robert Falls has adapted the classic for speed and to make the laugh lines snap so wickedly hard that they elevate the play’s pathos. - [Art Isn’t Nice: A Review of "The Threepenny Opera" at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/23/art-isnt-nice-a-review-of-the-threepenny-opera-at-theo-ubique-cabaret-theatre/) - There’s nothing “nice” about “Threepenny,” a no-holds-barred assault on every aspect of bourgeois existence, from religion to marriage and family to the military to law and order. - [Moving Backwards: A Review of “A Town Called Progress” by Promethean Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/06/moving-backwards-a-review-of-a-town-called-progress-by-promethean-theatre-ensemble/) - “A Town Called Progress,” a new comedy written by Trina Kakacek and directed by Anna C. Bahow, explores a hypothetical scenario in which communism, feminism and utopianism are given an honest chance at success. - [Dream Come True: A Review of “A Bump On The Leg” by Subtext Theater Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/05/dream-come-true-a-review-of-a-bump-on-the-leg-by-subtext-theater-company/) - Jim Mallon spent years at Harrigan’s on Halsted drinking copious pints of Guinness while pursuing a dream, to have his life’s story documented in some significant way. Mallon’s dream is finally coming true. - [Season of Abundance: Chicago Repertory Ballet Presents Four New Works by Founder Wade Schaaf](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/05/season-of-abundance-chicago-repertory-ballet-presents-four-new-works-by-founder-wade-schaaf/) - I wanted to put what I’m into on stage. I’ve been very into an exploration of meditation and my own spiritually. And I’m very into disco. - [Latter-Day Replay: A Review of "The Book of Mormon" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/03/latter-day-replay-a-review-of-the-book-of-mormon-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - The lampoon of missionaries that feel the need to create a cookie-cutter world in their own image still resonates. - [Stage Top 5: April 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/30/stage-top-5-april-2023/) - April musicals contemplate bluegrass music, serial killers and Alanis Morissette. - [Dance Top 5: April 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/29/dance-top-5-april-2023/) - April features ABT and an array of leading Chicago companies in full bloom. - [Changes and Endings: An Interview with Director Robert Falls on “The Cherry Orchard"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/29/changes-and-endings-an-interview-with-director-robert-falls-on-the-cherry-orchard/) - For the last play he programmed as Goodman’s artistic director, Falls chose a masterpiece about change and endings—Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” - [Bad Faith and Bad Blood: A Review of “How Blood Go” by Congo Square Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/28/bad-faith-and-bad-blood-a-review-of-how-blood-go-by-congo-square-theatre/) - The history of medical experimentation on Black Americans is historically one of the most diabolical acts committed. This history of inhuman treatment is explored in “How Blood Go.” - [Superhero Comedian: A Preview of Michael Yo at the Den Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/27/superhero-comedian-a-preview-of-michael-yo-at-the-den-theatre/) - Yo was one of the earliest survivors of COVID, and the experience made him stronger than ever. - [Transformation and Transfiguration: A Review of The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing at Chicago Opera Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/24/transformation-and-transfiguration-a-review-of-the-life-and-deaths-of-alan-turing-at-chicago-opera-theater/) - British mathematician Alan Turing, who is the father of computer science, was primarily publicly remembered for being convicted of “gross indecency” for homosexual acts and was subject to chemical castration as a condition of his probation. From its opening notes, the music is compelling and perfectly captures the ambiguity of the worlds Turing was caught up in, almost a dramatic oratorio in a series of variations. - [A Good Time for Capitalists and Comrades Alike: A Review of “The Neo Futurists Sell Out” at The Neo-Futurist Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/24/a-good-time-for-capitalists-and-comrades-alike-a-review-of-the-neo-futurists-sell-out-at-the-neo-futurist-theater/) - The Neo-Futurists transform the theater into a corporate board room, with Windows98-style PowerPoint presentations, frantic focus groups and an overall eerie ambience. Four corporate shills try to get you to conform to their corporate hierarchical way of life. The plan of indoctrination is delivered via short skits and interludes of music and dance. - [Desire Undenied: A Preview of American Ballet Theatre's "Touché" at Auditorium Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/12/desire-undenied-a-preview-of-american-ballet-theatres-touche-at-auditorium-theatre/) - "I get to see gay love in a way I’ve yearned for most of my life and never believed I would see in a ballet context." - [Batter Up: A Review of "A Soldier's Play" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/11/batter-up-a-review-of-a-soldiers-play-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - In the current, riveting, too-short Chicago run of this forty-two-year-old Pulitzer-winning play, the young Black infantrymen play on the best baseball team in the U.S. Army. - [Existential Geometries: A Preview of "META | MOR | PHOS" and "SYZYGY" at the Ruth Page Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/04/11/existential-geometries-a-preview-of-metamorphos-and-syzygy-at-the-ruth-page-center/) - Hedwig Dances' sequel to Oskar Schlemmer's 1922 avant-garde ballet is fascinating, playful and downright trippy. Figures parade toward the audience like a Kandinsky come to life. - [We Are All the People We’ve Loved: A Review of Layalina at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/22/we-are-all-the-people-weve-loved-a-review-of-layalina-at-goodman-theatre/) - We are reminded, subtly, that we too are made up of the stuff of those who have loved us. Whether we like it or not there are characteristics and tendencies we each carry within ourselves taken from those who came before. - [A Well-Intentioned Hell: A Review of "Babel" at Redtwist Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/31/a-well-intentioned-hell-a-review-of-babel-at-redtwist-theatre/) - The plot concerns two couples–one lesbian, the other heterosexual–who wish to have a baby in a society where childbearing is treated as a highly regulated privilege, available only to literally perfect parents. - [Modern Misery: A Review of "Proximity" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/29/modern-misery-a-review-of-proximity-at-lyric-opera/) - "Proximity"’s deeply emotionally affecting scores, a cast of universally fine vocal leads and kinetic, video-centric staging add up to jarring, hard-to-shake work that will stir audiences aesthetically, morally and intellectually long after they leave the opera house. - [Disruptive Director: Yuval Sharon Comes Home to Shape "Proximity," a Trio of New Operas at Lyric](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/15/disruptive-director-yuval-sharon-comes-home-to-shape-proximity-a-trio-of-new-operas-at-lyric/) - Sharon is likely the hottest American director in opera right now. The world premiere of “Proximity: A trio of new American operas” is being dubbed Sharon’s “Lyric Opera main-stage debut” and has been in planning since well before the pandemic. - [Opening Doors: A Preview of "Somewhere Between" at the Dance Center of Columbia College](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/22/opening-doors-a-preview-of-somewhere-between-at-the-dance-center-of-columbia-college/) - "What would it feel like if we did this every day, working with your best friend, laughing and having fun and seeing it as a joy?" - [By Way of Party: A Preview of SPRUNG at Sleeping Village](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/15/by-way-of-party-a-preview-of-sprung-at-sleeping-village/) - This Saturday, Sleeping Village will become a petri dish for the femme and queer-led performance extravaganza the Fly Honey Show. In the lab will be three mad geniuses of party chemistry. - [Survival and Spectacle: A Review of "Carmen" at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/14/survival-and-spectacle-a-review-of-carmen-at-lyric-opera/) - J'Nai Bridges is making a homecoming of sorts with an iconic role that is becoming signature for her, Carmen. - [A Glimpse at How We Cope: A Review of Avenue Q at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/16/a-glimpse-at-how-we-cope-a-review-of-avenue-q-at-music-theater-works/) - Music Theater Works’ production of “Avenue Q” is delightful. - [Lies, All Lies: A Review of “Describe the Night” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/17/lies-all-lies-a-review-of-describe-the-night-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - There are lies told for art and lies told for power. In art, a lie (known as a story), can show what’s true. In politics, lies oppress. This play reveals hard truths about fascism’s destructive power. - [Story After Story: A Review of “The Comedy of Errors” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/20/story-after-story-a-review-of-the-comedy-of-errors-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - One of William Shakespeare’s earliest plays, “The Comedy of Errors” is sublimely ridiculous. - [Tina Turnover: A Review of "Tina, The Tina Turner Musical" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/21/tina-turnover-a-review-of-tina-the-tina-turner-musical-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - A jukebox musical that tells the story of Tina Turner, one of the most powerful and unique performers to take a stage. - [Finding Heart: A Review of Annie at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/13/finding-heart-a-review-of-annie-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - For this show, the emphasis is on Annie seeking to be loved and accepted and that template is well in place in the new touring production currently playing. - [Shining Star: A Review of "Reasons: A Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire" at Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/10/shining-star-a-review-of-reasons-a-tribute-to-earth-wind-and-fire-at-black-ensemble-theater/) - What makes a tribute show work? Watch "Reasons" and learn while swaying, clapping, cheering and ultimately rising to your feet to dance and sing. - [Where We Stand: A Review of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered: A Stevie Wonder Experience"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/08/where-we-stand-a-review-of-signed-sealed-delivered-a-stevie-wonder-experience/) - Backed by a seven-piece band, John-Mark McGaha performs in a concert filled with stories and music. - [Reinvigorating A Moment: A Review of Boulevard of Bold Dreams at TimeLine Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/21/reinvigorating-a-moment-a-review-of-boulevard-of-bold-dreams-at-timeline-theatre-company/) - “Gone with the Wind”'s Hattie McDaniel’s artistry and life were complicated, much like history. That’s why TimeLine’s production suits them so well. We get to imagine what things were like for McDaniel in the Ambassador Hotel before the 1940 Academy Awards. - [Trapped By Free Speech: A Review of “Right To Be Forgotten” at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/17/trapped-by-free-speech-a-review-of-right-to-be-forgotten-at-raven-theatre/) - “Right To Be Forgotten” by Sharyn Rothstein, directed by Sarah Gitenstein, explores the double-edged sword of liberalism. Where do we draw the line between what can and cannot be said? - [Radical Vision: A Review of Citadel Theatre's “The Christians”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/16/radical-vision-a-review-of-citadel-theatres-the-christians/) - In Lucas Hnath’s play “The Christians,” the popular pastor of a megachurch tries something truly difficult. - [Lust, Greed and the Absurd: A Review of “Princess Ivona” at Trap Door Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/15/lust-greed-and-the-absurd-a-review-of-princess-ivona-at-trap-door-theatre/) - The story centers around Phillip taking, not finding, for himself a comely wife. - [New Challenges, Old Joy: A Preview of Chicago Tap Theatre at 20—Tempo, Rhythm and Time](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/15/a-preview-of-chicago-tap-theatre-at-20-tempo-rhythm-and-time/) - “When I saw the finished piece, I texted Tre and was like ‘are you trying to kill my dancers?’" Yonally says. "It’s six minutes of athletic, virtuosic go go go, and it’s in five. A not-particularly-easy-to-hear five.” - [Dance Top 5: March 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/01/dance-top-5-march-2023/) - Hubbard Street Dance, Alvin Ailey and much more pack March's dance calendar. - [Stage Top 5: March 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/02/stage-top-5-march-2023/) - Four world premieres and one fond farewell make March a must-go month for theater and opera fans. - [Widening the Circle: Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Announces A New Cycle](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/08/chicago-black-dance-legacy-project-widens-the-circle/) - The ten companies in the new edition of the CBDLP will perform March 25 and 26 in a program entitled “Sans Pareil,” celebrating the past and the present of the city. - [Just A Broken-Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy: A Review of “Once” at Writers Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/01/just-a-broken-hearted-hoover-fixer-sucker-guy-a-review-of-once-at-writers-theatre/) - Fantasy landscapes are great to build a show around, but sometimes it seems even more fantastical when theater so acutely captures real life—and real emotions. - [The Promised Land: A Review of "The Mountaintop"at Invictus Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/07/the-promised-land-a-review-of-the-mountaintopat-invictus-theatre/) - The play is set in Room 306 of Memphis’ Lorraine Motel, the setting of Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968. - [Luck of the Irish: Sean Flannery Has Lived Through Ten Near-Death Experiences And Still Manages To Laugh](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/09/luck-of-the-irish-sean-flannery-has-lived-through-ten-near-death-experiences-and-still-manages-to-laugh/) - Flannery will be one of six comics taking the stage for the “Shamrock Shenanigans” show at the Den Theatre, as part of a lineup of Irish comics detailing their unique life experiences as part of a weekend that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. - [A Story for Everyone: A Review of "1776" at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/06/a-story-for-everyone-a-review-of-1776-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - “1776” took our Founding Fathers off their pedestals and revealed them as clay-footed human beings who passionately squabbled over something as fundamental as American independence. Directors Diane Paulus and Jeffrey L. Page have a fresh take. - [Opposing Possibilities: A Review of "Heisenberg, The Uncertainty Principle" at Griffin Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/03/03/opposing-possibilities-a-review-of-heisenberg-the-uncertainty-principle-at-griffin-theatre-company/) - British writer Simon Stephens’ 2015 two-hander references physicist Werner Heisenberg’s 1927 discovery that it is impossible for an observer to precisely discern both the position and velocity of a particle. - [An Act of Hope: A Review of “The Kelly Girls” at Factory Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/28/an-act-of-hope-a-review-of-the-kelly-girls-at-factory-theater/) - Fighting a revolution looks like glorious fun from the outside. On the inside, you see friends die and family members suffer. - [Overheated: A Review of Anna in the Tropics at Remy Bumppo](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/27/overheated-a-review-of-anna-in-the-tropics-at-remy-bumppo/) - In Nilo Cruz’ Pulitzer Prize-winning 2003 play, cigars symbolize all kinds of things, from capitalist commodity to an older, slower lifestyle to religious burnt offering, like smoke through the tobacco-scented Florida rolling factory where this tale of Cuban immigrant cigar makers in the 1920s takes place. - [Walk Beside Me: A Review of Steppenwolf's "Chlorine Sky"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/24/walk-beside-me-a-review-of-steppenwolfs-chlorine-sky/) - The moving production is author Mahogany L. Browne’s adaptation of her verse novel. Sky, is the thoughtful, athletic, resilient character at the center of this young-adult play. - [Singing In Harmony: A Review of "Fen" at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/23/singing-in-harmony-a-review-of-fen-at-court-theatre/) - “Fen,” a revival of a 1983 Caryl Churchhill play, is about women in the rural lowlands of England. But the distant setting in a somewhat distant time doesn’t matter, because the conflicts are still familiar. - [No Fairy Tale: A Review of "Villette” at Lookingglass Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/22/no-fairy-tale-a-review-of-villette-at-lookingglass-theatre/) - “Villette” is a new play based on Charlotte Bronte’s final novel. - [Are We Still Naive? A Review of Cabaret at Porchlight Music Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/24/are-we-still-naive-a-review-of-cabaret-at-porchlight-music-theatre/) - You will be dazzled by the shimmering costumes a la Bill Morey, the incredible talent of the ensemble and enamored by Angela Weber Miller’s multifaceted set. - [The Embodiment of Billie Holiday: A Review of “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” at Mercury Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/13/the-embodiment-of-billie-holiday-a-review-of-lady-day-at-emersons-bar-and-grill-at-mercury-theater/) - If “Lady Day” was just a concert, you would get your money’s worth. But it’s more than that. - [Dreaming a Dream Jackpot: A Review of Les Misérables at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/20/dreaming-a-dream-jackpot-a-review-of-les-miserables-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - This epic national touring production has a diverse cast that sing their heart out—even the kids. Each and every member of the cast and entire ensemble are always singing, dancing and acting as individual characters. You really are completely transported. - [Gorgeous Surface, Hidden Depths: A Review of Joffrey Ballet's "Anna Karenina" at the Lyric Opera House](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/20/gorgeous-surface-hidden-depths-a-review-of-joffrey-ballets-anna-karenina-at-the-lyric-opera-house/) - Joffrey Ballet’s magnificent revival, an adaptation of Tolstoy’s vast novel of illicit love among the nobility of Czarist Russia, captures the book’s tragic, inexorable power. - [Stage Top 5: January 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/05/stage-top-5-january-2023/) - The new year kicks off with gusto, with opera, performance and theater both local and global. - [Players 2023: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/06/players-2023-who-really-performs-for-chicago-right-now/) - The spirit of art on our stages is undaunted, the quality of work unsurpassed. - [Object Lessons: Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Returns](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/11/object-lessons-chicago-international-puppet-theater-festival-returns/) - The festival—the only one of its kind in the United States—is in its fifth iteration and has already put Chicago on the map as a destination for the most inventive live performance on the planet. - [Invitations: Steppenwolf Makes Space for Process in "Work Around" Series](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/25/invitations-steppenwolf-makes-space-for-process-in-work-around-series/) - Kara Brody never intended to be a curator, but when the opportunity to hand the Steppenwolf 1700 black box theater over to dance makers of her choosing came up, she couldn’t say no. - [Chicago Theater Is Home: An Interview with Marissa Lynn Ford About Her Plans for the League of Chicago Theatres](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/03/chicago-theater-is-home-an-interview-with-marissa-lynn-ford-about-her-plans-for-the-league-of-chicago-theatres/) - Now the new executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres, Ford’s love of the theater shines on in a unique way. - [Expecting the Best: Black Girls Dance Opens Doors for Overlooked Talent](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/07/black-girls-dance/) - Black Girls Dance is a project designed to open doors for talented, hard-working, and often overlooked young women of color to pursue dance careers. - [Unconventional Gifts: Michael Patrick Thornton's surprising journey from paralysis to artistic director of a theater company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2009/03/02/unconventional-gifts-michael-patrick-thorntons-surprising-journey-from-paralysis-to-artistic-director-of-a-theater-company/) - By Whitney Dibo Before Michael Patrick Thornton became the artistic director of The Gift Theatre, he worked at the airport. “Drum roll please, ” he says with a sardonic smile, “I actually pushed people in wheelchairs from security to their gates.” The irony of this revelation can only be appreciated if you’ve met Thornton, seen - [History, Herstory and Heart: A Review of “Toni Stone” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/09/history-herstory-and-heart-a-review-of-toni-stone-at-goodman-theatre/) - Toni Stone” by Lydia R. Diamond is about the first professional Black woman baseball player. Nothing about Stone’s life is conventional. - [Life is a Forest: A Review of Paramount Theatre’s Into The Woods](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/14/life-is-a-forest-a-review-of-paramount-theatres-into-the-woods/) - A ruminative mashup of classic fairytales reimagined by James Lapine and the late Stephen Sondheim. - [Lightness and Longevity: A Preview of "ON GO ING" at Links Hall](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/08/longevity-and-lightness-a-preview-of-on-go-ing-at-links-hall/) - “I want people to not be sitting there thinking ‘I could have stayed home and read this book or watched this movie.’ I just want people to have a good time. It always been sort of tongue in cheek and absurdist in its way. It’s just who I am.” - [Earning Its Fifteen Minutes of Fame: A Review of “Andy Warhol’s Tomato” by the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/08/earning-its-fifteen-minutes-of-fame-a-review-of-andy-warhols-tomato-by-the-buffalo-theatre-ensemble/) - A young Andy Warhol hones his artistic vision while working on a tavern sign for a tough-as-nails saloon owner in this Odd Couple origin story of a fable. - [A Hip-Hop Barber Shaved of Rossini: A Review of The Factotum at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/06/a-hip-hop-barber-shaved-of-rossini-a-review-of-the-factotum-at-lyric-opera/) - Operatic Baritone Will Liverman wanted to reboot Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville" to a contemporary South Side Black barbershop with himself as the barber with a hip-hop soundscape. - [Art Reflecting Life: A Review of Andy Warhol in Iran at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/01/art-reflecting-life-a-review-of-andy-warhol-in-iran-at-northlight-theatre/) - Brent Askari places Warhol just ahead of the revolution in Iran (then Tehran) in the 1970s to get Polaroids of the Shah’s wife for a portrait commission. - [Not-So-Funny Valentine: A Review of “Almost, Maine” at Oil Lamp Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/10/not-so-funny-valentine-a-review-of-almost-maine-at-oil-lamp-theater/) - A set of nine love-themed comic vignettes presented in time for Hallmark’s and Fannie May’s favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day. - [Tall Tales: A Review of Big Fish at Marriott Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/07/tall-tales-a-review-of-big-fish-at-marriott-theatre/) - Elements of magical realism elevate “Big Fish” from a rote story of father-son tension into a grandiose adventure. - [Let’s Talk About Race: A Review of “Radial Gradient” at Shattered Globe](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/03/lets-talk-about-race-a-review-of-radial-gradient-at-shattered-globe/) - In this of-its-time dramedy, three intersectional women of color jump between the past and present day while tossing around quips of political humor amidst serious discussions about race. - [An Examination of Trauma: A Review of Wuthering Heights at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/02/an-examination-of-trauma-a-review-of-wuthering-heights-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - This is an inventive and gorgeous retelling of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” - [No One Throws A Party Quite Like The Communist Party: A Review of Krugozor at The Factory Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/17/no-one-throws-a-party-quite-like-the-communist-party-a-review-of-krugozor-at-the-factory-theater/) - Theatre EVOLVE presents an endearing coming of age tale set in the former Soviet Union that features music spanning the entirety of the Cold War. - [Gingerbread Redemption: A Review of Hansel and Gretel at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/30/gingerbread-redemption-a-review-of-hansel-and-gretel-at-lyric-opera/) - The setting is updated to post-World War II with hunger as the theme. Sir Andrew Davis is back for his first opera as newly-announced Music Director Emeritus. - [Humdrum Horror: A Review of “The Birthday Party” at City Lit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/25/humdrum-horror-a-review-of-the-birthday-party-at-city-lit/) - Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” suggests that what we think of as the habits of ordinary life are often a kind of smokescreen designed to block awareness of underlying arrangements and realities. - [What’s In a Name? A Review of The Great Khan at Redtwist Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/27/whats-in-a-name-a-review-of-the-great-khan-at-redtwist-theatre/) - Michael Gene Sullivan’s new play is a lively reminder that those who came before are not just names to memorize in grade school. Their legacies, infamous or not, follow us in ways seen and unseen. - [The Social History of Swimming Pools: A Review of “the ripple, the wave that carried me home” at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/26/the-social-history-of-swimming-pools-a-review-of-the-ripple-the-wave-that-carried-me-home-at-goodman-theatre/) - The play is about a family from the fictional town of Beacon, Kansas, whose struggles with segregation nearly tear them apart. - [Razzle Not-So Dazzle: A Review of “Chicago” at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/23/razzle-not-so-dazzle-a-review-of-chicago-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Flashy lawyer Billy Flynn, cell matron Mama Morton, headline grabbers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly all need to grab our attention and not let go. - [Blown Away! A Review of “tick, tick...BOOM!" at Boho Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/18/blown-away-a-review-of-ticktickboom-at-boho-theatre/) - The work is a semi-autobiographical account of the life of its creator, Jonathan Larson, set between two major life events, the flop of his 1984 show “Superbia” and the success of his posthumous smash hit, “Rent.” - [Stage Top 5: February 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/31/stage-top-5-february-2023/) - Considerations of race, gender and the music of Earth, Wind and Fire make February a fierce month on Chiicago stages. - [A Second Company's Saga: The Spirited Story of Fifty Years of Chicago Opera Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/20/a-second-companys-saga-the-spirited-story-of-fifty-years-of-chicago-opera-theater/) - Chicago Opera Theater began as a handful of vocal students of company founder Alan Stone. It was formed by Stone to give his students actual performance practice and experience. Stone’s decision to present operas in English was a considerable break with convention back in 1973. - [Dance Top 5: February 2023](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/02/01/dance-top-5-february-2023/) - Whether you're looking for story ballet or experimental play, dance in February will keep you warm. - [Constant Flux: A Preview of "Things Hidden and Left Unsaid" by Same Planet Performance Project](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/10/constant-flux-a-preview-of-things-hidden-and-left-unsaid-by-same-planet-performance-project/) - Like ocean waves, the moods in “Things Hidden” are ever-shifting, a kaleidoscope of ideas that remain stuck on the tip of the tongue. - [Just Like the Ones We Used to Know: Music Theater Works Stages "White Christmas"](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/13/just-like-the-ones-we-used-to-know-music-theater-works-stages-white-christmas/) - The forces needed for “White Christmas” are large. “There are six main characters,” says Roger Bingaman, “but there’s an ensemble of twenty-nine. There is tap dancing galore." - [Dance Top 5: December 2022](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/30/dance-top-5-december-2022/) - Dance reaches new audiences, and sometimes new heights, during the holidays. - [Stage Top 5: December 2022](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/30/stage-top-5-december-2022/) - If you've had enough holiday theater already, here are five shows that are not about Christmas. - [The Audio Describer: Bringing Live Theater to Those with Vision Problems](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/26/the-audio-describer-bringing-live-theater-to-those-with-vision-problems/) - Emily Means Wills has a unique place in Chicago theater. She helps audience members who are blind, or have low vision, experience live theater by describing what’s happening on the stage. - [Players 2022: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/01/07/players-2022-the-fifty-people-who-really-perform-for-chicago/) - In the return of the Players 50 list, we tried to honor those who came back, who've already been putting shows on stages, while crossing our fingers that those we've not heard from are just around the corner. - [Players 2023: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now in Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/06/players-2023-who-really-performs-for-chicago-right-now-in-theater/) - The spirit of art on our stages is undaunted, the quality of work unsurpassed. - [Players 2023: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now in Comedy](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/06/players-2023-who-really-performs-for-chicago-right-now-in-comedy/) - The spirit of art on our stages is undaunted, the quality of work unsurpassed. - [Players 2023: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now in Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/06/players-2023-who-really-performs-for-chicago-right-now-in-opera/) - The spirit of art on our stages is undaunted, the quality of work unsurpassed. - [Players 2023: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now in Dance](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/06/players-2023-who-really-performs-for-chicago-right-now-in-dance/) - The spirit of art on our stages is undaunted, the quality of work unsurpassed. - [As American as Buh-Bah Sok-Moin: A Review of “Bald Sisters” at Steppenwolf Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/14/as-american-as-buh-bah-sok-moin-a-review-of-bald-sisters-at-steppenwolf-theatre/) - Set in a mundane suburban middle-class home in Texas, the focus is around two sisters, who are, as the title suggests, both bald, but for very different reasons. - [One Recommendation: Step Afrika!](https://www.newcitystage.com/2023/01/04/one-recommendation-step-afrika/) - Polyrhythmic percussive dance! - [Review: The Whale/Victory Gardens Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2013/04/18/review-the-whalevictory-gardens-theater/) - RECOMMENDED Seated behind me on Monday night at Victory Gardens Theater was a woman laughing uncontrollably while a six-hundred-pound man choked on a sandwich. My jaw dropped to the floor. The quality of her laughter wasn’t shock—you know, when visual stimuli so jarring forces you to cope by making some noise—but rather a one-person cacophony - [Marching On: A Review of “Little Women” at First Folio Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/21/marching-on-a-review-of-little-women-at-first-folio-theatre/) - Although performed often as a play, the ostensible equality of women to men in modern-day society justifies every recurrence. - [Morals vs. Monstrosities: A Review of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins at Strawdog Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/20/morals-vs-monstrosities-a-review-of-hershel-and-the-hanukkah-goblins-at-strawdog-theatre-company/) - This is a tale of Hershel of Ostropol and his battle against supernatural demons. But, it's a fun, energetic show fit for the whole family. - [A Shadow of Ourselves: A Review of Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/19/a-shadow-of-ourselves-a-review-of-manual-cinemas-christmas-carol/) - Manual Cinema’s amalgamation of puppetry, mixed between shadow and light, is the perfect homage to this beloved Victorian ghost story. - [“A Little Too Familiar”: A Review of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” at Theo Ubique](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/15/a-little-too-familiar-a-review-of-the-best-little-whorehouse-in-texas-at-theo-ubique/) - Politicians and prostitutes collide and expect to see references to line dance, praise dance, honky-tonk high-kicking, Broadway classics (in-the-trenches) and tap dancing. - [Letters of Loneliness: A Review of Dear Evan Hansen at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/12/letters-of-loneliness-a-review-of-dear-evan-hansen-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - It's not like any other musical you are likely to see. Its clever and well-crafted songs are upbeat, life-affirming and move the action forward. The characters, however, inhabit a dark, post-millennial, pre-pandemic world. - [Review: Hansel and Gretel/Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2012/12/10/review-hansel-and-gretellyric-opera/) - RECOMMENDED Although Engelbert Humperdinck’s fairy-tale opera “Hansel and Gretel” has been a beloved Christmas staple around the world for well over a century, it's been a relative rarity in Chicago, Lyric Opera having staged the work only once in the company’s history. This beloved masterpiece of late German Romanticism was written for Humperdinck’s nieces with - [Few Tricks or Treats: A Review of A Magical Cirque Christmas at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/09/few-tricks-or-treats-a-review-of-a-magical-cirque-christmas-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - Most of the evening is devoted to circus-style acts performed to Christmas music. - [The Gold Standard: A Review of “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes—The Obligatory Holiday Show” at Hell in a Handbag](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/08/the-gold-standard-a-review-of-the-golden-girls-the-lost-episodes-the-obligatory-holiday-show-at-hell-in-a-handbag/) - What makes this show a roaring good time is the high level of detail put into the characterizations of each Girl, each actor has crafted their Girl to perfection. - [Polarized in Paradise: A Review of “Cabin Fever” at Adamson Road Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/07/polarized-in-paradise-a-review-of-cabin-fever-at-adamson-road-theatre-company/) - Four couples have gathered together for a weekend retreat designed to strengthen their marriages and reset their moral and spiritual compasses, under the soothing, cliché-laden guidance of the oh-so-happily married pair that owns the rustically cozy lodge. - [Feminist Pride and Prejudice: A Review of Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/06/feminist-pride-and-prejudice-a-review-of-georgiana-and-kitty-christmas-at-pemberley-at-northlight-theatre/) - Northlight speculates how the beloved characters in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” spend Christmastime, 1815. - [Out of the Darkness: A Review of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/05/out-of-the-darkness-a-review-of-its-a-wonderful-life-live-in-chicago-at-american-blues-theater/) - Coming in to the stage space at the Chopin Theatre this year, it feels like a retro holiday living room, complete with illuminated 1940s-style Christmas trees. - [Stage Top 5: November 2022](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/28/stage-top-5-november/) - The month starts serious and ends with farce, with a bit of comedy and opera in between. - [Dance Top 5: November 2022](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/02/dance-top-5-november-2022/) - Long-running choreographers and dance companies dominate November stages - [No Humbugs: A Review of A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/02/no-humbugs-a-review-of-a-christmas-carol-at-goodman-theatre/) - Equal parts imaginative holiday magic, Dickensian gothic style, and honest-to-goodness humanity. - [Deep Emotion: A Review of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” at the Lookingglass Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/29/deep-emotion-a-review-of-the-steadfast-tin-soldier-at-the-lookingglass-theatre/) - Lookingglass Theatre’s “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” which first opened to glowing reviews in 2018, has become a Chicago holiday theater tradition, along with “The Christmas Carol” at the Goodman and Joffrey Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” - [Courage, Brothers: A Review of “The Island” at Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/12/01/courage-brothers-a-review-of-the-island-at-court-theatre/) - Actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona were inspiration for the two prisoners serving decade-long sentences, arrested for performing radical works to interracial audiences during Apartheid. - [Something Good: A Review of Paramount Theatre’s The Sound of Music](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/28/something-good-a-review-of-paramount-theatres-the-sound-of-music/) - Love, family, and hope are the hallmarks of any great holiday season, and “The Sound of Music” has all three qualities in abundance. - [Predictable Chaos: A Review of “It Runs in the Family” at Citadel Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/23/predictable-chaos-a-review-of-it-runs-in-the-family-at-citadel-theatre-company/) - Ray Cooney’s 1987 British farce, offers unredeemed silliness of the slamming-door and double-take variety. More of a live-action cartoon than a play, it will appeal mainly to those who favor Benny Hill over Monty Python. - [Get Sparklejollytwinklejingley: A Review of Elf the Musical at Drury Lane](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/22/get-sparklejollytwinklejingley-a-review-of-elf-the-musical-at-drury-lane/) - The show is everything you’d imagine for a staged version of Buddy the Elf’s coming-of-age story. You can practically taste the gooey gumdrop goodness from any seat in the house, even if you’re more Team Grinch than Team Buddy. - [The Pride of the Play: A Review of The Lion King at Broadway in Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/21/the-pride-of-the-play-a-review-of-the-lion-king-at-broadway-in-chicago/) - In the case of Disney’s “The Lion King,” designer/director Julie Taymor’s revolutionary stage production continues to have a life of its own across a twenty-five-year existence. - [Shifting Morality: A Review of Among the Dead at Jackalope Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/18/shifting-morality-a-review-of-among-the-dead-at-jackalope-theatre/) - The work explores the shifting morality—most of it horrifyingly immoral—that overcomes nations, young adults and abandoned children in wartime. - [Rossini in Paris: A Review of Le Comte Ory at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/16/rossini-in-paris-a-review-of-le-comte-ory-at-lyric-opera/) - A clever and whimsical take on the story of a Crusades-era count, who uses the opening of men off to war to woo a countess. The disguises and means to which he will go and the hijinks that ensue make for great comedy. - [Wanting to Be Seen: A Review of “Trouble in Mind” at TimeLine Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/15/wanting-to-be-seen-a-review-of-trouble-in-mind-at-timeline-theatre/) - “Trouble” is a backstage work set during the rehearsal period for a new and controversial race-themed play, written by a white man, that’s set to open on Broadway. - [Grandeur au Minimal: A Review of Don Carlos at Lyric Opera](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/14/grandeur-au-minimal-a-review-of-don-carlos-at-lyric-opera/) - Lyric Opera is performing Verdi’s longest and most complex opera. - [Though It May Hurt…: A Review of The Artistic Home’s “Malapert Love”](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/17/though-it-may-hurt-a-review-of-the-artistic-homes-malapert-love/) - An original play written in the Elizabethan style…a marriage of Shakespearean tropes with a modern twist, creating something “entirely fresh, and unapologetically non-conforming.” - [Full Frontal Satire: A Review of “The Conspirators’ 125th Anniversary Jubilee, Featuring ‘The Ineptidemic,’” at Otherworld Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/10/full-frontal-satire-a-review-of-the-conspirators-125th-anniversary-jubilee-featuring-the-ineptidemic-at-otherworld-theatre/) - The show affords a fine introduction to what The Conspirators call “The Style,” the group’s robotically jerky, audience-facing, hyperbolic acting method that stirs together Chinese opera, German Expressionism, Monty Python and Betty Boop. It’s an ideal vehicle for parody and burlesque. “Jubilee” shows what micro-budget theater is capable of when driven by imagination and vision. - [Without Who? A Review of Rent at Porchlight Music Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/07/without-who-a-review-of-rent-at-porchlight-music-theatre/) - What happens when you present “Rent” as a standard piece of musical theater rather than the “rock opera” its late creator Jonathan Larson intended? - [A Domestic Nightmare: A Review of American Son at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/09/a-domestic-nightmare-a-review-of-american-son-at-the-fleetwood-jourdain-theatre/) - A perfectly executed production of Christopher Demos-Brown’s powerful “American Son.” - [Wodehouse Genius: A Review of “Jeeves Intervenes” at First Folio Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/08/wodehouse-genius-a-review-of-jeeves-intervenes-at-first-folio-theatre/) - “It is impossible to be unhappy while reading the adventures of Jeeves and Wooster,” said novelist Christopher Buckley. “And I’ve tried.” - [Keeping On: Winifred Haun & Dancers Celebrate Season Twenty-Five at the Athenaeum Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/26/winifred-haun-dancers/) - The season opener, which runs one night only at the Athenaeum, will feature a spectrum of works throughout the company’s history. - [Let The Good Times Roll: A Review of Blue Heaven at Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/04/let-the-good-times-roll-a-review-of-blue-heaven-at-black-ensemble-theater/) - Twenty-four songs in ninety minutes, all stirringly sung, played and arranged. That’s Black Ensemble Theater for you. - [Pow! Zap! Bam!  A Review of City Lit Theater’s Mark of Kane](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/03/pow-zap-bam-a-review-of-city-lit-theaters-mark-of-kane/) - "Mark of Kane" offers an insider’s look at the mostly uncredited talent responsible for Batman’s creation. A well-crafted origin story, you do not have to be a comic book lover to enjoy this production. - [Music is the Food of Love: A Review of The Notebook at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/07/music-is-the-food-of-love-a-review-of-the-notebook-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - A best-selling 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel and a popular 2004 film with a cult following, “The Notebook” has finally been unveiled as a long-anticipated Broadway-bound musical. - [Meeting the Moment: Elevate Chicago Dance 2022 Returns to New and Old Spaces](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/05/fall-arts-preview-2022-meeting-the-moment-elevate-chicago-dance-2022-returns-to-new-and-old-spaces/) - “Elevate Chicago Dance” reboots October 13-15, spreading again across the city, with work by thirty artists presented in six venues. - [Close Reading: A Review of The Seldoms' Toolbox @ Twenty at Hyde Park Art Center](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/12/a-review-of-the-seldoms-toolbox-20-at-hyde-park-art-center/) - Carrie Hanson, along with company members Damon Green, Dee Alba and Sarah Gonsiorowski developed dances inspired by the creative practices of sculptor Edra Soto, sound artist Sadie Woods, painter Jackie Kazarian and fiber artist Jacqueline Surdell. Each dancer interviewed and studied the studio practice of their partner. - [Extremely Gentle and Incredibly Close: Khecari Plays with Proximity and Scale in Vicinity Diptych](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/09/21/extremely-subtle-and-incredibly-close-khecari-plays-with-proximity-and-scale-in-vicinity-diptych/) - Dance theater is all about people watching other people in motion. For Jonathan Meyer and Julia Rae Antonick, co-executive directors of Khecari, the stationary bodies are of equal importance to those under the lights. The Khecari founders are interested in not just the eyes and brains in those watching bodies, but what happens to all - [Can’t-Miss Dance Events (Fall Arts Preview 2022)](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/09/14/cant-miss-dance-events-fall-arts-preview-2022/) - Fall dance highlights - [A Real Shtetl: Barrie Kosky Discusses the North American Debut of his “Fiddler on the Roof” at Lyric](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/09/09/a-real-shtetl-barrie-kosky-discusses-the-north-american-debut-of-his-fiddler-on-the-roof-at-lyric/) - Kosky did not want a safe “Fiddler.” Kosky wanted the big chorus and full orchestra that can only be provided in an opera house. “It’s a shtetl. It’s a world,” Kosky explains. “And it makes all the difference.” - [Then There Was Music: A Review of Measure for Measure at Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/02/then-there-was-music-a-review-of-measure-for-measure-at-chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - “Measure” is one of those bizarre Shakespearean plays that resides in the space between comedy and tragedy—something that few of the Bard’s works do. Yet you will find yourself mesmerized with Chicago Shakes’ interpretation of this work. - [Divide and Conquer: A Review of Julius Caesar at Invictus Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/11/01/divide-and-conquer-a-review-of-julius-caesar-at-invictus-theatre/) - Director Charles Askenaizer proves again that Invictus commands its small stage with strong, energetic performances and with emotionally potent productions. - [An Unflinching Look at America’s Border:  A Review of Theo Ubique’s Refuge](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/31/an-unflinching-look-at-americas-border-a-review-of-theo-ubiques-refuge/) - The production never fails to engage the audience with incredibly vivid images of an endless and deadly land with a border no thicker than a piece of rope. - [Dreary But Not Scary: A Review of The Gift Theatre's “The Locusts” at Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/27/dreary-but-not-scary-a-review-of-the-gift-theatres-the-locusts-at-theater-wit/) - As depicted in “The Locusts,” life in Vero Beach, Florida is so nasty and brutish that it almost seems a not-totally-bad thing that it’s short, too, at least for the victims of the serial killer stalking the town’s young girls. - [By The Sword Excalibur: A Review of Camelot at Music Theater Works](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/25/by-the-sword-excalibur-a-review-of-camelot-at-music-theater-works/) - Music Theater Works offers a version, as directed by Brianna Borger, that promises to focus on the characters, having set aside the fussy pageantry. - [In The Library With A Quip and A Pratfall: A Review of Clue at Mercury Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/24/in-the-library-with-a-quip-and-a-pratfall-a-review-of-clue-at-mercury-theater/) - If you’re a fan of the board game or the movie, or if you just love to belly-laugh over witty rejoinders and beautifully executed stand-up comedy, “Clue” at Mercury Theater is just the thing for your weary, winter-is-upon-us spirit. - [State of Mind: A Review of Swing State at the Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/19/state-of-mind-a-review-of-swing-state-at-the-goodman-theatre/) - The Wisconsin here is the Dairy State, not fighting, but ruminating. What swings aren’t the politics but the states of mind. - [Ghosts and Fabulations: A Review of Aguijón Theater’s Cintas de Seda](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/18/ghosts-and-fabulations-a-review-of-aguijon-theaters-cintas-de-seda/) - Although separated by two centuries, the great minds of the artist Frida Kahlo and scholar and poet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz get a chance to meet. - [Dear Friend: A Review of BrightSide Theatre’s She Loves Me](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/17/dear-friend-a-review-of-brightside-theatres-she-loves-me/) - A charming musical that follows the interpersonal relationships of the staff of a 1930s European parfumerie from summer to winter. - [We Didn’t Start the Fire: A Review of Botticelli in the Fire at First Floor Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/13/we-didnt-start-the-fire-a-review-of-botticelli-in-the-fire-at-first-floor-theater/) - This play is super-duper-ultra queer. And I’m here for it. - [Fatally Fractured Fairy Tales: A Review of “Grimm” at Theatre Above the Law](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/12/fatally-fractured-fairy-tales-a-review-of-grimm-at-theatre-above-the-law/) - These fables do manage to teach some important morals. - [A Eulogy for Eugene: A Review Of 1919 At Steppenwolf Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/11/a-eulogy-for-eugene-a-review-of-1919-at-steppenwolf-theatre-company/) - Eve L. Ewing’s 2019 collection of poems deep dives into the archives of the 1919 Chicago Race Riots—the most noted moment of the country’s Red Summer. - [Sugar and Schadenfreude: A Review of Private Lives at Raven Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/10/sugar-and-schadenfreude-a-review-of-private-lives-at-raven-theatre/) - This reimagining of Noël Coward’s classic comedy of manners will have you rooting for scoundrels and cheering on charlatans. - [Almost Heaven: A Review of Luminaire at Cabaret ZaZou](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/06/almost-heaven-a-review-of-luminaire-at-cabaret-zazou/) - The thought popped into my head that if there was a heaven, it could not be better than this. - [Weaponizing the American Dream: “Alma” at American Blues Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/2022/10/05/weaponizing-the-american-dream-alma-at-american-blues-theater/) - “Alma" sensitively weaves together the personal and political in this tale of an immigrant single mother originally from Mexico and her rebellious U.S.-born teenage daughter. ## Pages - [Home](https://www.newcitystage.com/) - Theater, dance, comedy and performance in Chicago. - [Write For Newcity Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/write-for-newcity-stage/) - Newcity Stage is currently accepting applications for Contributing Writers Mission Statement: Newcity Stage believes that it’s the critic’s responsibility to advocate for high quality, inclusive theater for all Chicagoans. Job Description: A Newcity Stage Contributing Writer is responsible for regularly contributing to the critical output of the publication. A Contributing Writer (CW) will be expected - [About Newcity Stage](https://www.newcitystage.com/about/) - Newcity Stage is a Web site dedicated to news, reviews and features about Chicago's theater, dance, comedy and performance worlds. Editorial Submissions, Pitches and Listings: Please visit our "how to propose stories and submit listings" page at NewcityNetwork.com. Advertising: Visit Newcity Network to get more details about this site, as well as advertising opportunities. Plus - [Stage Reviews Archive](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/stage-reviews-archive/) - Reviews from 2015 *15 BREATHS/About Face Youth Theatre/Through August 7 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea/Strawdog Theatre Company/Through April 7 *Abraham Lincoln Was a F*gg*t/About Face Theatre/Through July 5 *Accidentally Like a Martyr/A Red Orchid Theatre/Through March 1 March 15 *The Addams Family/Mercury Theater/Through April 5 *The Adventures of Tapman/Tapman Productions/Through February 8 Airline Highway/Steppenwolf Theatre - [Fall Dance Preview 2014](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-dance-preview-2014/) - SEPTEMBER Innervation Dance Cooperative Three Shakespeare plays—"Twelfth Night," "Hamlet" and "Much Ado About Nothing"—are spiced with movement, rock piano, steampunk and New Orleans jazz. September 3-7 at Links Hall Khecari and Happydog The two companies share a bill at Links: Khecari will perform a male duet set to accordion and a new improvisational duet-in-progress. Happydog - [Fall Stage Preview 2014](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2014/) - AUGUST The Whaleship Essex Shattered Globe Theatre launches its twenty-fourth season with the regional premiere of the epic, Moby-Dick-inspired drama written by founding ensemble member Joe Forbrich and directed by seven-time Jeff Award recipient Lou Contey. Begins August 28 at Shattered Globe Theatre The Game's Afoot Drury Lane Theatre's Artistic Director William Osetek directs this mystery by internationally acclaimed playwright Ken - [Fall Stage Preview 2013](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2013/) - AUGUST 9 Circles Sideshow Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of Bill Cain’s acclaimed psycho-military drama about a young marine on trial for his life. Begins August 29 at DCASE Storefront Theatre The Crownless King This second installation in The House Theatre of Chicago’s epic trilogy weaves a hero myth as it follows the adventures of - [Fall Dance Preview 2013](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-dance-preview-2013/) - SEPTEMBER Viewpointe(s) Works by five emerging female choreographers span a spectrum of styles and moods. Three evenings of performances question the disproportion of female dance artists to female choreographers presenting works on main stages. September 6-8 at the Den Theatre Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre Cerqua Rivera’s fifteenth season is emotionally charged, featuring a farewell performance - [Holiday Stage Events 2012](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/holiday-stage-events-2012/) - For all holiday events other than theater, dance and comedy, click here. The Annoyance Christmas Pageant The Annoyance presents a family-friendly Christmas show that retells “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in a two-act play. Charlie Brown Christmas shadows a distraught young boy as he overcomes the commercialization of Christmas to discover - [Fall Stage Preview 2012](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2012/) - Illegal Use of Hands American Blues Theater takes the stage at Victory Gardens’ Biograph Theater with this dark comedy by ABT Artistic Affiliate James Still. Director Sandy Shinner and actor Dennis Zacek—till recently VG’s artistic leadership—team up for a notable world premiere. Begins August 31 at American Blues Theater Hamlet Writers’ Theatre opens their season - [Fall Dance Preview 2012](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-dance-preview-2012/) - Voices of Strength Two different programs feature works by five extraordinary African female choreographers rarely seen in the United States. The artists come from across the continent, from South Africa to Mozambique to Morocco. September 13–15 at the Dance Center of Columbia College John Jota Leanos: Imperial Silence Darkly funny animation by John Jota Leanos - [Chicago Theater Guide: Hierarchical](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/chicago-theater-guide-hierarchical/) - Click here for an alphabetical listing Performance in Chicago comprises a vast array of organizations, from the gypsy theater company to the major producing venue. Though each discipline—dance, theater, comedy, opera—has its own unique qualities, most fall into one of these categories Major Producing Venues: These are places like Harris Theater or the Auditorium, which - [Chicago Theater Guide: Alphabetical](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/chicago-theater-guide-alphabetical/) - Click here for a hierarchical listing Black Ensemble Theater Broadway In Chicago Chicago Opera Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater Court Theatre Goodman Theatre Lookingglass Theatre Company Lyric Opera of Chicago The Neo-Futurists Northlight Theatre The Second City Steppenwolf Theatre Company TimeLine Theatre Company Victory Gardens Theater Writers' Theatre - [Chicago Theater Guide](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/) - About the Chicago Theater Guide Modeled loosely on Wikipedia, we've assembled and organized a vast and growing array of information about Chicago's performing arts world using information both provided by the theaters themselves (text indicated by quotation marks) and our own coverage dating back several years, including feature stories and reviews. We welcome your feedback - [Northlight Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/northlight-theatre/) - Northlight Theatre was founded in 1974, and since that time has mounted more than 160 productions, including nearly 40 world premieres. The theater is the resident company at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, which has been its permanent home since 1997. It describes itself as the fourth-largest nonprofit theater in - [Chicago Opera Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/chicago-opera-theater/) - Chicago Opera Theater was founded in 1974, and since Brian Dickie's appointment as General Director in 1999, the company has become known for its modern, critically acclaimed productions of classic operas. The company specializes in the great works of the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries presented by internationally renowned conductors, directors and designers. In their - [Black Ensemble Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/black-ensemble-theater/) - Black Ensemble Theater is “the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. “Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more - [Broadway In Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/broadway-in-chicago/) - "Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past ten years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Company, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well over 1.7 million people annually in five theaters. Broadway In Chicago presents a full - [Goodman Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/goodman-theatre/) - The Goodman Theatre was established in 1925 as a drama school and professional acting company attached to the Art Institute of Chicago. The theater separated from the Art Institute in 1976 and opened a separate performance space in 2000, and its drama school was acquired by DePaul University. The Goodman received the Special Tony Award for - [Lyric Opera of Chicago](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/lyric-opera-of-chicago/) - “Lyric Opera of Chicago, founded in 1954, is one of the world's greatest opera companies. It is renowned internationally for its artistic excellence and financial strength. Over the past two decades the company has achieved unparalleled success in its ticket sales, averaging one hundred percent attendance from 1988-2002, and more than ninety percent attendance since - [TimeLine Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/timeline-theatre-company/) - TimeLine Theatre Company was founded in 1997 as a theater “dedicated to presenting stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues.” The company presents four main stage shows per season as well as a TimePieces play reading series. TimeLine is located in the Lakeview East neighborhood, and operates its own 87-seat - [The Second City](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/the-second-city/) - "The Second City, the world's premier comedy theatre and school of improvisation, specializes in sketch comedy and has been delighting audiences for over 50 years. The Second City has resident companies in Chicago and Toronto consisting of six actors/writers each and three National Touring Companies with five actors each. We have shows seven nights a - [Steppenwolf Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/steppenwolf-theatre-company/) - Steppenwolf Theatre Company, founded by Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney and Gary Sinise, first began performing in the mid-1970s. The company was founded as an ensemble theater, and began as the collaborative effort of nine actors. Today, the ensemble comprises forty-three actors, directors and playwrights. Steppenwolf produces five main stage productions per season, as well as - [Court Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/court-theatre/) - Court Theatre is a professional theater on the campus of the University of Chicago. Established in 1955 as an amateur company, Court has grown into an organization with an operating budget in excess of $3.2 million and an annual audience of 35,000. Court presents five main stage productions per season, with a longstanding commitment to - [Chicago Shakespeare Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/chicago-shakespeare-theater/) - Chicago Shakespeare Theater was founded in 1986, and since that time has grown to the third-largest regional theater in the Midwest. The company operates out of two theaters on Navy Pier. The core of the company’s work is drawn from Shakespeare’s canon, though each forty-eight-week season features other traditional works as well as new classics. In - [Lookingglass Theatre Company](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/lookingglass-theatre-company/) - Lookingglass was founded in 1988 as an ensemble-based theater company. The core values of the company are collaboration, transformation and invention, which are reflected in seasons of shows that tend to be physical and spectacular. They perform in the Water Tower Water Works, and stage three main stage productions per season. Lookingglass is committed to creating - [Writers' Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/writers-theatre/) - Writers’ Theatre was founded in 1992 by Michael Halberstam and Marilyn Campbell and began performing in a bookstore in Glencoe. It opened a second venue in 2003, but deliberately chose a small space to keep the characteristic intimacy of their first space. The theatre now operates out of two venues, and has over 5,700 subscribers - [Victory Gardens Theater](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/victory-gardens-theater/) - Victory Gardens Theater was founded in 1974 with a mission to develop and produce new plays, with a focus on playwrights from Chicago. In keeping with that mission, their Playwright Ensemble was formed in 1996, and is comprised of 14 members. To date, they have produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater. The company - [The Neo-Futurists](https://www.newcitystage.com/chicago-theater-guide/the-neo-futurists/) - The Neo-Futurists are an ensemble company based in Andersonville known for their production of “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind,” an ever-changing repertory of thirty plays to be performed in sixty minutes. Inspirations for the company were drawn from the Italian Futurists, Dada, Surrealism, the experimental theater of the 1960s and social consciousness and - [Holiday Stage Events 2011](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/holiday-stage-events-2011/) - Organized chronologically, from opening date Global Rhythms: Human Rhythm Project Concert series dedicated to American tap and contemporary percussive arts companies showcases rhythms from around the world, featuring Step Afrika, Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater, the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago, Sones de Mexico and Chicago Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts. Performance line-up varies - [Fall Stage Preview 2011](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2011/) - The Kid Thing The Chicago Dramatists and About Face Theatre team up to present “The Kid Thing,” the story of two couples and one impending pregnancy. This marks the beginning of About Face’s fifteenth season. Begins September 1 at Chicago Dramatists The Pitmen Painters Inspired by the true story of miners-turned-artists in Northern England, - [Fall Dance Preview 2011](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-dance-preview-2011/) - The Other Dance Festival Autumn commences each year with this month-long series of the best Chicago modern dance has to offer. This year’s lineup includes two dozen companies and individual artists, along with flash mobs, hobnobs and a birthday party to celebrate the Fest’s hitting double digits. September 6–30 at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Khecari - [Holiday Stage Events 2010](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/holiday-stage-events-2010/) - Organized chronologically, from opening date Global Rhythms: Human Rhythm Project Concert series dedicated to American tap and contemporary percussive arts companies showcases rhythms from around the world, featuring Diabolus in Musica, BAM!, Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, Step Afrika!, and Ensemble Espanol. Half the proceeds benefit over 50 Chicago non-profits through the Thanks4Giving program. Harris Theater, - [Fall Stage Preview 2010](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2010/) - Dance has its own preview this year! Click here for Fall Dance Preview 2010 The Astronaut's Birthday Inspired by Golden Age comics and fifties sci-fi, Redmoon teams up with MCA in a performance spectacle in the museum's windows, with the audience seated on the plaza outside watching live performers, shadow puppets and eighty-foot tall comic-book-style - [Fall Dance Preview 2010](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2010/fall-dance-preview-2010/) - Synapse Arts “New Works” Two world premieres, four pieces all told, by Rachel Damon and Lauren Warnecke, including the first segment of Damon’s in-progress “Factor Ricochet.” Always heady and thought-provoking, themes explored in this hour of Synapse include gender binaries, interconnectivity, the ancients and the drive for perfection. September 9 and 10 at the Hamlin - [Fall Stage Preview 2009](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2009/) - Click here to see all Season Announcements MISTAKES WERE MADE Founding member Michael Shannon returns to A Red Orchid stage after his Oscar nomination, in this world premiere from "Six Feet Under" scribe Craig Wright, helmed by stalwart director Dexter Bullard. In previews September 4; opens September 10 at A Red Orchid Theatre YEAST NATION - [Season Announcements](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2009/2009-2010-season-announcements/) - 2009-2010 Season About Face American Blues Theater American Theater Company Apple Tree Theatre The Artistic Home Auditorium Theatre BackStage Theatre Company The Building Stage Chicago DCA Theater Chicago Dramatists Chicago Opera Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater Circle Theatre City Lit The Dance Center The Dance COLEctive Eclipse Theatre Company First Folio Free Street Theater Goodman Theatre - [Fall Stage Preview 2008](https://www.newcitystage.com/currently-running-shows/fall-stage-preview-2008/) - Caroline, or Change The Chicago premiere of Tony Kushner's ambitious musical mixes Negro spirituals, blues and Motown with Jewish Klezmer and folk music, and features E. Faye Butler in the title role as the African-American housekeeper whose relationship to an 8-year-old Jewish boy set in Louisiana in 1963 plays out in personal terms the civil - [Privacy Policy](https://www.newcitystage.com/about/privacy-policy/) - We don’t appreciate it when websites we visit abuse our privacy rights, so we pledge never to abuse yours. Newcity's goal is to provide readers with the information they want and need. To do that, we may gather some general information about those who access our sites. 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[Steve Key](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/steve-key/) - [Gary Owen](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/gary-owen/) - [Actors Revolution Theatre](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/actors-revolution-theatre/) - [John McCormick](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/john-mccormick/) - [Natalie DiCristofano](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/natalie-dicristofano/) - [Meredith Glidden](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/meredith-glidden/) - [Julia Jordan](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/julia-jordan/) - [John Wehrman](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/john-wehrman/) - [Lindsay Nance](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/lindsay-nance/) - [Steven Camara](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/steven-camara/) - [Chris Arnold](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/chris-arnold/) - [August Strindberg](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/august-strindberg/) - [Sean Graney](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/sean-graney/) - [Stacy Stolz](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/stacy-stolz/) - [Gregory Hardigan](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/gregory-hardigan/) - 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Palmer](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/justin-dm-palmer/) - [Azusa](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/azusa/) - [Tom Stoppard](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/tom-stoppard/) - [Michael Frayn](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/michael-frayn/) - [David Auburn](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/david-auburn/) - [Steve Scott](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/steve-scott/) - [Nathaniel Swift](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/nathaniel-swift/) - [Frances Wilkerson](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/frances-wilkerson/) - [Not Waiting](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/not-waiting/) - [The Edge](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/the-edge/) - [Theatre Seven](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/theatre-seven/) - [Margot Bordelon](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/margot-bordelon/) - [Brian Golden](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/brian-golden/) - [Kyle Vincent Terry](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/kyle-vincent-terry/) - [Chicago Dance Crash](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/chicago-dance-crash/) - [Goethe](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/goethe/) - [Joel Hall](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/joel-hall/) - [Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/rajendra-ramoon-maharaj/) - [Langston Hughes](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/langston-hughes/) - [Jeffrey Hatcher](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jeffrey-hatcher/) - [E. Faye Butler](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/e-faye-butler/) - [Ron Haynes](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/ron-haynes/) - [Leslie Buxbaum Danzig](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/leslie-buxbaum-danzig/) - [500 Clown](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/500-clown/) - [Jeremy Sher](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jeremy-sher/) - [Mickle Maher](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/mickle-maher/) - [Katie Rose McLaughlin](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/katie-rose-mclaughlin/) - [Shoshanna Utchenik](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/shoshanna-utchenik/) - [Frank Capra](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/frank-capra/) - [John Möhrlein](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/john-mohrlein/) - [James Leaming](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/james-leaming/) - [Frank Galati](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/frank-galati/) - [Michael Smith](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/michael-smith/) - [Andrew Keltz](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/andrew-keltz/) - [Blair Robertson](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/blair-robertson/) - [Jeff Bauer](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jeff-bauer/) - [Mordine & Co.](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/mordine-co/) - [Heather Hartley](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/heather-hartley/) - [Erik Roldan](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/erik-roldan/) - [LiveWire](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/livewire/) - [Bill Mason](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/bill-mason/) - [Christopher Marlowe](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/christopher-marlowe/) - [Thomas Mann](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/thomas-mann/) - [Steve Delahoyde](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/steve-delahoyde/) - [Jenni Lamb](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jenni-lamb/) - [Theater Wit](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/theater-wit/) - [Jean Shepard](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jean-shepard/) - [Doug MacKechnie](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/doug-mackechnie/) - [Matthew Levy](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/matthew-levy/) - [Charlie Bazzell](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/charlie-bazzell/) - [ARFTCo](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/arftco/) - [Tina Haglund](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/tina-haglund/) - [Henry James](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/henry-james/) - [LaShawn Banks](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/lashawn-banks/) - [Kymberly Mellen](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/kymberly-mellen/) - [Chris Hainsworth](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/chris-hainsworth/) - [Lisa Dillman](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/lisa-dillman/) - [Rebecca Gilman](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/rebecca-gilman/) - [Nicholas Minas](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/nicholas-minas/) - [Noah Simon](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/noah-simon/) - [Justin M. Kirkberg](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/justin-m-kirkberg/) - [Dan Kickey](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/dan-kickey/) - [Joe Mantello](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/joe-mantello/) - [Jeremy Wechsler](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jeremy-wechsler/) - [Joey Wade](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/joey-wade/) - [Mitchell Fain](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/mitchell-fain/) - [Jon Marans](https://www.newcitystage.com/tag/jon-marans/)