Review: The Lyric Opera Sharpens the Cutting Edge with The Listeners
The Lyric Opera of Chicago is refreshing classical music by bringing in newer works. The Listeners is written by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek based on the […]
Kathy D. Hey writes creative non-fiction essays. A lifelong Chicagoan, she is enjoying life with her husband, daughter and three dogs in the wilds of Edgewater. When she isn’t at her computer, she is in her garden growing vegetables and herbs for kitchen witchery.
Review: Strawdog Theatre Stages Shakespeare in a Pub—It’s Much Ado About Nothing: The Ides Reunion Episode
The Strawdog Theatre Company is staging a new take on Shakespeare with a satire of ’90s reality shows. Much Ado About Nothing: The Ides Reunion is a spoof of the […]
Review: Lyric Opera’s New Version of La Boheme Is Set in a Realistic Paris and Sounds Wonderful
This may be the fourth time I have seen La Boheme at the Lyric. It is my all-time favorite and gets me misty every time. The 2025 version is advertised […]
Review: Joffrey’s Winning Works Presents a Thrilling Glimpse of the Future
Being present at the beginning of a burgeoning career in the arts is a privilege. The Grainger Academy is a training program exclusively operated by the Joffrey Ballet. Winning Works […]
Review: Letters From Home Is Music for Body and Soul at Nova Linea Musica
Nova Linea Musica (NLM) has a mission as an incubator for music and for giving a platform to those who bring that music to the world. Wednesday, March 12, was […]
Review: Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Brings a Spiritual Revival High to the Auditorium
I search for meaning in these times of turmoil, which usually would lead me to a traditional church environment. In the last decade, however, I have found comfort in the […]
Review: At Jackalope Theatre, Dummy in Diaspora Portrays Post-Millennial and First-Generational Angst
A lot of new work is showing up in the theater world, and mastery of tech allows more productions on stage and streaming. The post-Millennials are possibly the most connected […]
Review: Ballet Folklórico de México Performs a Festival of Passion, Music, and Pride in Traditions
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández revives some great memories from my childhood, visiting my grandparents’ neighborhood near Pilsen. The performance last Saturday was greeted with applause and shouts […]
Review: Titus Andronicus Up Close and Intense at Redtwist Theatre
The last time I saw Titus Andronicus, it was promenade-style, staged in the attic of an old Gilded Age mansion in Morgan Park. The audience walked through the play as […]
Review: Joffrey Fills Its Golden Hour With Beauty and Delightfully Subversive Whimsy
The Joffrey Ballet continues to surprise audiences with innovation and superior technical prowess. Golden Hour, which opened Thursday at the Lyric Opera House, is a program of two dances from […]
Review: Cirque du Soleil Brings the Secret Life of Bugs Colorfully Alive in Ovo
True confession. I was a nerdy kid who loved bugs. I collected caterpillars with colorful spikes on their heads. I would put them in shoeboxes to watch the egg, cocoon, […]
Review: Gwydion Theatre Revisits Ibsen’s Ghosts With an Uneven Production
One of the great things about plays from past centuries is that they can be restaged or updated in different eras, with different genders and colorblind casting. Shakespeare’s work lends […]