Review: THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE at Goodman Theatre
Director Mary Zimmerman returns to the Goodman with the whimsical and inventive THE MATCHBOX MAGIC FLUTE. Zimmerman’s adaptation of Mozart’s iconic opera is lively and accessible; this would be a great introduction for those new to the opera.
Review: THE CHERRY ORCHARD at Goodman Theatre
It’s only fitting that for his swan song at Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls has adapted and directed Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD, a play that’s also very much a swan song. With this staging, Falls has completed the cycle of directing all four of Chekov’s full-length plays for the Goodman stage. Fall’s take on THE CHERRY ORCHARD is surprisingly comedic and strips the play of the more obscure Russian references (though it’s still a period piece), which also demonstrates an artful understanding of the text and how 2023 audiences are best primed to receive it. THE CHERRY ORCHARD’s central character, estate owner Lyubov Ranevskaya, desperately clings to her glamorized version of the past even as the world around her moves inexorably forward. It’s a farewell, indeed, and a lesson in learning when to hold on and when to let go.
BWW Review: SEAGULL at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Yasen Peyankov’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s SEAGULL proves a wry vehicle to showcase the talents of many of his fellow Steppenwolf ensemble members who haven’t graced the stage since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Peyankov’s adaptation is direct, self-aware, and rife with dry (extremely dry) humor. The ennui that pierces SEAGULL is deeply and obviously felt throughout this adaptation of the text. References to Chekhov’s native Russia abound in Peyankov’s script, but the language feels modern and direct.
Photos: Go Inside Rehearsals for SEAGULL at Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is opening its stunning new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell with ensemble member Yasen Peyankov’s extraordinarily funny and lyrical adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Seagull, April 28–June 12, 2022.
BWW Review: At the Met, EURYDICE Edges Out Orpheus for the Center of Attention in Premiere
Talk about ‘spoiler alerts,’ there was a big one for me early in the opera, EURYDICE, by Matthew Aucoin to a libretto that he and Sarah Ruhl fashioned from her play of the same name, which had its Met premiere last night. Eurydice tells Orpheus “Don’t look at me,” which to me mirrored the scene at the end of the piece in the Underworld when Hades tells him that he can take her back to the land of the living if he doesn’t look back at her…which, of course, he does.
Noah Reid Joins the Cast of THE MINUTES on Broadway
Steppenwolf’s production of The Minutes, the new American play by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro has announced the complete cast for when performances resume on Broadway on March 19, 2022. Noah Reid (Emmy Award-winning Schitt’s Creek) will join original Broadway company members.
Berkeley Rep Streams TIN SOLDIER This Holiday Season
This holiday season Berkeley Rep will stream Tony Award winner (and frequent Berkeley Rep collaborator) Mary Zimmerman's The Steadfast Tin Soldier, produced by Lookingglass Theatre Company. Beginning December 1 audiences and their families can experience the beloved classic as the production streams into their homes. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's story about a little tin soldier who never gives up, this production is a gorgeous spectacle of music and movement that is perfect for the whole family.
Lookingglass To Stream Mary Zimmerman's THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER
Lookingglass Theatre Company presents the holiday stream of Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Experience Chicago's beloved holiday tradition with your family this holiday season, as the production streams into your home this December! Based on Hans Christian Andersen's story about a little tin soldier who never gives up, this production is a gorgeous spectacle of music and movement that is perfect for the whole family.
The Met Cancels 2020-21 Opera Season, Announces Premieres for 2021-22
The Metropolitan Opera announced today that the ongoing health crisis has resulted in the cancellation of the entire 2020-21 season, but the company also announced ambitious artistic plans for its 2021-22 season, which will open with the Met premiere of Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones.
Breaking: THE MINUTES Will Arrive on Broadway in Spring 2021
There is big news for Big Cherry! BroadwayWorld has just learned that Steppenwolf's production of The Minutes by Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will return to Broadway opening exactly one year after its original opening date of Sunday, March 15, 2020 at the Cort Theatre (138 W 48th Street). The Minutes was a limited engagement and was originally scheduled to close Sunday, July 26.