More in Chicago:
- The Artistic Home revival of Requiem for a Heavyweight is a knockoutMark Pracht turns in a remarkable performance, cauliflower ear and all. Cauliflower ears and all, Mark Pracht turns in a remarkable performance as the declining "punchy" Mountain McClintock in this revival of the great Rod Serling's boxing play from 1956 (also the basis for a TV show and film). After a swaying, wordless opening fight […]
- Lyric's La Traviata is a triumph of true love—and Verdi's music—even without its leading ladyIt's the date-night opera that made Julia Roberts cry in Pretty Woman. When the general director steps out onto the stage before the curtain rises at Lyric Opera, it's not a good sign. The audience for Wednesday's matinee performance of La Traviata, Giuseppe Verdi’s 1853 tearjerker extraordinaire, was not pleased to see Anthony Freud or […]
- In one big weekend, Chicago Opera Theater shows off an opera in progress and a brand-new productionThe Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing is revelatory; The Scarlet Ibis is not. Last weekend was an auspicious one for Chicago Opera Theater. On Friday, at DePaul University’s handsome Gannon Concert Hall, COT presented The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing, an opera in progress by composer Justine F. Chen and librettist David Simpatico.…
- The Total Bent is more than a great musical—it’s great artIt's also a bitingly irreverent satire. Salvation awaits at The Total Bent, the bitingly irreverent musical satire from Haven Theatre. Papa Joe is a gospel preacher and singer hell-bent on saving souls through televangelism.…
- The Abuelas builds up to a few moments of poignancy but not much elseThe companion to The Madres tries to jam too much drama into a slipshod theatrical framework. Argentine native Gabriela is the first female principal cellist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Her husband, Marty, is a successful architect initiating his first skyscraper commission.…
