MANTENO DAN'S THEATRICAL REVIEW…read more Porchlight In Concert: Follies Studebaker Theatre * N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago There are shows you attend... and then there are shows you carry with you for decades. Having worn out my cast albums of Follies to the point where the needle practically filed a complaint and retired, I walked into the historic Studebaker Theatre with high expectations and a heart already tuned to Sondheim's bittersweet symphony. I am delighted to report... Porchlight delivered. And then some. This concert staging, stripped down to its bones, trusted the material, the music, and the performers to do the heavy lifting. And oh, did they lift. The orchestra sat proudly onstage alongside the cast, the setting evoked with just a handful of tables, stand microphones, and a runway that seemed to whisper with the footsteps of ghosts. No grand spectacle, no towering sets... just theater in its purest form. And it worked beautifully. The cast? Simply sensational. Michelle Duffy (Phyllis) commanded the stage with elegance and emotional precision. Angela Ingersoll (Sally) delivered a performance rich with longing and vulnerability. Felicia Fields (Hattie) brought the house to its feet with warmth, power, and presence. And the gentlemen were equally compelling: Anthony Rapp (Benjamin) anchored the story with quiet complexity, Stephen Wallen (Buddy) balanced charm and heartbreak with finesse, John Cardone (Roscoe) added texture and depth, And I must give a personal nod to James Harms (Theodore)--a familiar face and a wonderful presence on that stage. But there was a moment... a deeply personal one... that caught me completely off guard. Honey West (Stella Deems) appeared, and suddenly I wasn't just in the Studebaker Theatre. I was transported back in time. Back to Gentry's on Rush Street... later Halsted... back to nights filled with music, laughter, and memories of someone I once knew and cared for deeply. Honey, you didn't just perform--you unlocked a vault of memories. And for that, I thank you. That is the magic of Follies, isn't it? A crumbling theater. A gathering of ghosts. A collision of past and present. And this production leaned into that magic. It asked the audience to imagine--and in doing so, it gave us something far richer than scenery. It gave us a feeling. Real theater doesn't require excess. It requires truth. Music. Story. Performers who know how to reach into your chest and gently (or not so gently) remind your heart that it still beats. Now... as my readers well know, I do have one standing note--and it echoed again this afternoon. At times, the orchestra swelled just a bit too enthusiastically, occasionally overshadowing the lyrics. Whether it was my perch in the balcony or a touch of acoustic imbalance, there were moments where I strained to catch Sondheim's razor-sharp words. And with Sondheim, every word matters. A slight adjustment in sound balance would elevate an already strong production to near perfection. But make no mistake--this was a triumph. An afternoon of nostalgia, beauty, memory, and music that lingers long after the final note fades into the rafters of that grand old theater on Michigan Avenue. Bravo to the entire cast, crew, and creative team of Porchlight Musical Theatre. You reminded me why I fell in love with theater in the first place. And dear readers... I'm still here.

I saw Titanique in its recent long run at the Porchlight Theatre, and while it was the only time I…read morehad been there, the theatre is overall pretty solid. It was easy to access and simple to navigate, didn't have long lines, and was a venue that didn't appear to have a bad seat. I could see this being a good place for a wide variety of shows, musicals, etc.

Thanks to Megan S., my friend and I were able to check out the preview of Everything Freezes on…read moreFriday night! Pretty cool stuff, if you ask me! It's supposed to be a take on Shakespeare's 'Winter's Tale', which I never read...but, nonetheless, I found it entertaining! The opening sequence was very intriguing and nicely staged. I loved the use of music and lighting in the sequence...All the actors were great and I loved the quick costume/hair changes. Super creative. When the actors had to play the role of babies or little children, those were the funniest moments. Great job to the cast! Sadly, we had to leave during intermission and I never found out what happens at the end. Anyone care to fill me in?? ;) The theater itself is pretty cozy, so you never have a bad seat. Plus, there's a free parking lot for the theater located on Milwaukee, a little north of Chicago. But, we found street parking to be pretty plentiful on a Friday night. Thanks again, Megan S.!

The production of "Dante Dies!! (and then things get wierd)" is a one man show that was well done…read more With over 10+ different characters, or so that I could track, portraited in addition to the main character, this surreal play is an interesting take on Dante's original Inferno. This isn't fine art as it is performing art and done well as I've already indicated. It is "loosely" based on Inferno and the 9 circles of hell...one of which is metaphorically played by a hoo la hoop. There is adult language so children should probably not attend this event if they are very young. I'd recommend this both in support of a new company in town and that the performance is solid from a young actor. The theater itself is small and there are 2 bars on the opposite of the building and across the street in case you want to eat and drink before or after the show. Transporation wise you take the Blue line up toward Ohare, getting off at the Chicago Stop....when you exit....you basically just got behind the building to your left and there you are.

A friend invited me to a show at Chase Park Theater. Community theater? I wasn't enthused. The show…read morewas Romeo and Juliet no less. The whole bike ride there I was trying to think of things I could say after the show to look on the bright side, fully expecting to feel as if I had just wasted two precious hours of my life. However, I could not have been more wrong. The play was a delight! The staging and direction was really well done. It was a HUGE risk to update the play with modern costumes and settings, while retaining the certain authentic aspects (most notably the weaponry). The risk payed off! The play was sophisticated and yet accessible to a much wider audience. The actors were very diverse and represented the whole community. Some were really fantastic (I'm talking to you Romeo, Juliet, Benvolio, Tybalt, Mercutio.). Among them were recent theater grads from DePaul and other respectable programs. From the opening scene I was really impressed with the high quality of acting (Gregory and Sampson nailed it!). The fight choreography was intricate and fun to watch. I'm not saying this play was perfect, but it was really, really good and worth way more than the cost of admission. I look forward to seeing what Chase Park Theater is putting on in the future.

The stage is small and so is the audience space. The actors for romeo and juliet were awesome…read more All those lines by shakespeare they learned holy appraisal to them rehearsing that stuff. I laughed hard I cried hard. This romeo and juliet play was fun and long. It was magically majestic. Beautifully performed. Colorful and creative. Wildly entertaining. Thank god for this friday night walk in the park date. Living around the corner to this theater park is a real impressive place to be. The actors were out of this world brilliant in their acts.

This little musical was outstanding!!!! I'm a huge musical buff but this was my first experience at…read morethe Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Who'd thunk it?! This show only consists of two actors. One plays the inspector of a murder and the other plays all the suspects of the murder. Most of the show is in sing-song. The lyrics and the props they use are HYSTERICAL! Both actors are piano players so the music is LIVE. It was wonderful! It may sound weird that a two person musical was entertaining, but this was actually WAY BETTER than some Broadway musicals I have seen. I would go and see this musical again and again. We enjoyed ourselves that much! The show is 90 minutes without intermission. Time goes by fast! There's no bad seat in the house. Each row is elevated on step up behind the other so the person sitting in front of you should not be obstructing you. There is one row in the balcony. Again, no obstructions there. Parking: Dont park in the West or East parking lot. Instead, enter the lot assigned for Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The theater will validate your ticket for you (at the box office) so that you get 40% off of parking (which is about $14) Regular price is $24 so you get quite a bit of savings! Definitely check this show out before its gone. You'll have an AWESOME time! It was so laugh out loud funny! You can get half off tickets through Goldstar here: https://www.goldstar.com/join?p=F123738RP

FUN FUN FUN!!!! Good Lord almighty is this a fun musical…read more A witty, zany-filled whodunnit. In the vein of Agatha Christie crossed with an episode of Frasier crossed with Second City crossed with MURDER!!!!!! What is cool about this show is that there are only two actors --one actor investigates the crime, the other plays all 13 suspects. And to top it off, they both play the piano! And it is cheap and quick - like my Friday nights... Zing!!! It runs 90 minutes, no intermission. And tickies are only $25. Only downside is there are no sex scenes which sucks (just kidding) -- seeing if you are reading. There are no downsides to Murder for Two. It runs for another month. Get your arses to Chicago Shakespeare Theatre post-haste. Tout suite. RIGHT NOW!!!!! And while you are there, go get an Auntie Anne's pretzel from the food court. G.D. are those damn carb bombs good.

I'm not the biggest fan of theatrical opera, but it was pretty cool seeing Phantom of the Opera…read more The singing ranges and execution of the performers is crazy good. My rating is based on what my gf thought of it (she really liked it).

Weak cast the Phantom one of the worst that I have seen and christina very sweet but voice needs…read moremore I have seen each variation of Phantom of the opera And this one clearly was just to make money

Great selection of shows, and I have enjoyed every single performance here - the actors are…read morefabulous. You cannot go wrong with any of the seats; all provide a good view of the stage. The theatre is cozy and on the smaller side, which provides an intimate experience.

It's an old community theater with a small foyer, old seats, and simple stage. I watched Iliad here…read moreand that production quality was superb.

I came here for a magic show with a group of friends on a Friday. Overall, good facility! There's a…read moresmall parking lot for patrons nearby, which was nice. Bartenders were friendly. Bathrooms were clean. It was cold, but that's typical of buildings in the summer. I'd come back!

What's life without a little magic! We came by to see a show on a Sunday afternoon and we're able…read moreto enjoy the Physician's show. When you walk in there is a bar and some tables but through the double doors, you'll find a 2nd bar with a speakeasy feel. When we checked in, we were assigned our tables. We ordered drinks before hand and the drinks were brought to our tables. We also ordered the pimento cheese and crackers. We snacked on the crackers most of the show as there was quite a bit of pimento in the bowl. The show was great and was broken into 2 parts. There were a lot of great metaphors along with it being a very interactive show with the crowd. Many of the tricks and magic left us in complete awe. We can't wait to come back and see future shows!

I have seen the magic of Dennis Watkins prior to The Magic Parlour even opening so when he…read moreannounced this theater as part of the Goodman built for magic, I was all in! I have been there for Dennis's solo show with my daughter and cousins and I treated my dad, my mom, and my family to Three Card Monte for his birthday as a way to spend time together. Three Card Monte was where the audience was seated at three tables and three different close up magicians rotated through. The magic was literally happening in front of your eyes! The variety in the three magicians was great--they had a variety of tricks, varying levels of sarcasm and humor, and overall, made it one of the best Sunday evenings I have had! Your ticket comes with a drink ticket--I don't drink, but they made me a mean Shirley Temple. My daughter bought a 2nd one at intermission and it was very reasonably priced. I made sure to have cash to tip my bartender. With Dennis's solo show, there was an option to pay to be a VIP where we got a taste of close up magic right after the general show. It was very cool and I recommend adding it on. If you love magic or even if you just know someone who loves magic, I recommend! A classy venue with top notch entertainment!

Been a couple of times, the magician is a great entertainer and makes you believe in real magic…read more I tore a dollar bill into 8 pieces 2 separate times without letting go of bill and as you can see I still have it. Great mentalist as well.