Theater, Dance, Comedy and Performance in Chicago
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.
“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.
Lyric Opera is performing Verdi’s longest and most complex opera.
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.
A perfectly executed production of Christopher Demos-Brown’s powerful “American Son.”
“It is impossible to be unhappy while reading the adventures of Jeeves and Wooster,” said novelist Christopher Buckley. “And I’ve tried.”
What happens when you present “Rent” as a standard piece of musical theater rather than the “rock opera” its late creator Jonathan Larson intended?
Twenty-four songs in ninety minutes, all stirringly sung, played and arranged. That’s Black Ensemble Theater for you.
“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.
“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.
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