Review: A High Energy and Ebullient Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
I grew up watching shows like Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand. The most memorable act was the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. The Ikettes formed a backdrop to the long-legged […]
Review: Visit the “Adult Sesame Street” with a 20th Anniversary Production of Avenue Q
Have you ever wanted to witness a Muppet make the beast with two backs? Do a deep dive into getting “felt up”? Learn the history of the monster race? Then Avenue […]
Review: Milwaukee Rep Stages World Premiere of Lloyd Suh’s The Heart Sellers
The state of Wisconsin is currently swept up in a slate of new plays, all part of a project called World Premiere Wisconsin. The project, with multiple sources of funding, […]
Review: Griffin Theatre’s Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle Presents a Charming May-December Romance With a Headscratching Title
Georgie and Alex aren’t exactly a matched pair. She’s American, a bit loud and aggressive; she swears a lot and doesn’t seem to be able to tell the truth about […]
Review: At the Factory Theater, The Kelly Girls Become IRA Warriors During the Troubles in Northern Ireland
Fianna and Regan Kelly are The Kelly Girls, teenagers living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the 1960s. But don’t confuse them with the “Derry Girls,” who are happily obsessed with teenaged […]
Essay: Divine Decadence—A Look Back at Porchlight’s I Am a Camera and Cabaret
Cabaret has always been about pushing boundaries. But it also has a rich and complicated past. This month Porchlight Music Theatre at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts offered not only […]
Review: Tolstoy in a Cigar Factory—The Sensual Story of Anna in the Tropics by Remy Bumppo Theatre
Desire is a theme of Anna in the Tropics, the so-very-sensual play that won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for playwright Nilo Cruz. The new production by Remy Bumppo Theatre, […]
Review: Villette at Lookingglass Theatre Tells a Young Woman’s 19th Century Story With 21st Century Flair
Villette is an 19th century tale played on an strikingly modern stage set. The playing area is bounded by two walls of sliding screens and a few pieces of period furniture […]
Review: Right to Be Forgotten at Raven Theatre Tells a Compelling Human Story But Neglects the Backstory
“. . . in the real world, when a minor commits a crime, his record is sealed. When a businessman fails, he can claim bankruptcy and start over. But on the […]
Review: Lyric Opera’s Hip-Hopera The Factotum Is a Cut Above
Barbershops and beauty salons are important cultural hubs for communities of color. “In my day, a barber was more than just somebody who sit around in a FUBU shirt with […]
Review: Witnessing the Swan Song of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Quite a few people say they love the music of Billie Holiday, having heard only God Bless the Child or—the song controversial in its time—Strange Fruit. Those songs cannot come […]
Review: Wuthering Heights at Chicago Shakes Deftly Adapts Brontë’s Dense Novel with Innovation, Palpable Passion
Since its publication in 1847, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights has been adapted into numerous film versions, but only a few brave souls have tried to wrangle her complicated, multi-generational story […]