Rachel Weinberg - Page 10

Bow down to the queens of SIX. In this new musical from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (with direction from Moss and Jamie Armitage), the six wives of King Henry VIII are taking back their mics and sharing their stories-in the form of contemporary pop musical songs. This masterful musical sizzles with electric energy and endless delight. SIX remains a fiery and joyous theatrical affair without ever making light of the fact that the musical demonstrates how these six women are best remembered in history as 'belonging' to an infamous king. Yet SIX also brilliantly subverts this notion by reminding us that a huge part of Henry VIII's legacy stems from the fact that these six women were all his spouses. SIX posits that without this line-up of ex-wives, Henry VIII might not have left such an indelible mark on history.

Under the direction of David Cromer, Writers Theatre presents a NEXT TO NORMAL that is raw and electric. Tom Kitt's music and Brian Yorkey's book and lyrics have an utter immediacy to them in this production (and each note sounds great thanks to the music direction of Andra Velis Simon and the six-piece band.) It's beautifully cast and even more beautifully delivered. Each member of the cast rises to the dual challenge of conveying the messy, deeply personal experience of emotional pain while also hitting the notes of Kitt's complex score with precision.

Goodman Theatre's THE WINTER'S TALE is one of the most inventive and playful productions of Shakespeare I've seen.

Lyric Opera has staged a grand, traditional WEST SIDE STORY that serves as a veritable primer for this iconic musical. With director Francesca Zambello at the helm, who is no stranger to directing classic musicals, Lyric's production celebrates the beauty and complexity of Leonard Bernstein's stunning score and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics. All the hallmarks of a classic WEST SIDE STORY are present here, starting with the urban-yet-polished set design from Peter J. Davison (with that famous balcony intact)

Lucy Kirkwood's aptly titled THE CHILDREN, now in its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, poses thought-provoking questions about the responsibilities that humankind has to future generations. Kirkwood's intentionally crafted play filters these broad themes through the specific narrative of her three characters, all nuclear scientists. The larger repercussions of the characters' careerss means that Kirkwood can dive into the meaty content of the play with both a particular emotional arc and also with a universality that should resonate with all audience members. Because of this, THE CHILDREN comes across as rather pointed in certain moments, but the weight of the issues that Kirkwood presents allows it to resonate deeply.

BroadwayWorld had a sneak peek at the newly opened HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION on Northerly Island. Here are some highlights from the sprawling tent where it happens.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines has staged a HAMLET that captures both the universality of Shakespeare's language and the equally universal-but also profoundly personal-experience of grief for the title character.

In advance of her upcoming concert tour date in Chicago, legendary Broadway performer Lea Salonga chatted with BroadwayWorld about what audiences can expect from her Human Heart tour and her thoughts on representation in the current Broadway landscape.

Under the direction of Brenda Didier and with show-stopping choreography from Christopher Chase Carter, Porchlight's A CHORUS LINE captures the emotional heart at the center of this classic musical and has plenty of pizzazz. Whether you're a long-time fan of A CHORUS LINE or experiencing this musical for the first time, Porchlight's production-like all of the hopeful performers in it-deserves to be seen.

It seems only fitting that Ike Holter would conclude his seven-play "Rightlynd Saga," set in the fictional 51st Ward of Chicago, by literally sending it off with a party. And this is no ordinary celebration. A cast of characters from previous installments in the "Rightlynd Saga" gathers in Mallory's backyard; she's the neighborhood's maternal figure, and she's poised to give away a sizable sum of money to one lucky winner.

If you're feeling nostalgic for the catchy pop hits of the '90s, CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE '90S MUSICAL is just the ticket.

Now in its Chicago debut at Theater Wit under the direction of Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler, Joshua Harmon's ADMISSIONS is entirely prescient. The play takes a critical look at both prep school and college admissions, and the lengths to which people will go to have their children admitted. The play also asks keen, complicated questions about white privilege, racism, and how we should now be deciding who gets a seat at the table.

Launching BoHo Theatre's fifteenth season, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's BRIGHT STAR is an earnest and charming show that wears its heart proudly on its musical sleeve.

Lynn Nottage's 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning SWEAT, now in its Chicago premiere at Goodman Theatre under the direction of Ron OJ Parson, focuses on a group of blue-collar factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania. Bound together by the toils of working-class life in the town's steel-tubing factory, these friends and family members gather at a local bar to let off steam and celebrate special occasions. And though the work at the factory may not be fulfilling, Nottage makes clear this work is vital for the characters' livelihoods. For many of them, a life of working at the factory dates back generations. As the play toggles between 2000 and 2008, Nottage also reflects how her characters' lives intersect with current events and questions of race, class, and success in America.

In HANDS ON A HARDBODY, now making its Chicago premiere with Refuge Theatre Project, the mobility offered by that titular hardbody truck is not just of the wheeled variety. Instead, the contest among 10 working class Texans to be the last to have their hands on that Nissan truck also becomes a rather obvious symbol of the American Dream.

It's in the moments of high energy and pure entertainment that A BRONX TALE succeeds the most, and the company finds all the joy in Alan Menken's reliably tuneful score.

Jackie Sibblies Drury's WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION…, currently onstage as the second production in Steppenwolf for Young Adults' season, opens up challenging questions about history, who has the right to tell what story, and how best we can represent critical moments from the past without complete information.

AN INSPECTOR CALLS is a gripping theatrical experience from start-to-finish. Director Stephen Daldry's breathtaking revival of J.B. Priestley's 1946 thriller had its origins in 1992 and comes to Chicago Shakespeare Theater now as part of an international tour from the National Theatre of Great Britain. Though Daldry originally conceived of this staging decades ago and Priestly has set his play in 1912, this production possesses both a timeliness and a timelessness that make it deeply impactful now.

TWILIGHT BOWL is a thoughtful and delicate examination of what it means for the young women in the play to find their places in the world, and the fact that 'making it' in life might look quite different for all of them. The play posits that there is no definitive definition of success and that the best outcome for these young women is to figure out where they fit for themselves.

As with THE MADRES, Walker has once again constructed a devastating and empowering portrait of strong women facing unbearably tragic circumstances in THE ABUELAS.