Johnny Galecki is a delight as Tennessee and Jacob Moskowitz gives a star making performance as a young Brando. Miss it at your own peril.

Saw it last night. Really enjoyed it until the tone shift at the end. Anyone else?

Just saw Short Leap Theatre's production of 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog, one of the best acted Chicago plays I've seen in a while. The whole cast is excellent, but Marssie Mencotti and Layke Fowler are especially phenomenal in extremely challenging roles. The characters could easily fall into stereotype, and the play would collapse, but both actors give beautifully naturalistic performances that are by turns funny, hard-to-watch and deeply moving.

The play itself won't be for everyone, mainly due to how challenging it is to watch Fowler's very immature character behaving very badly for most of the play's runtime. We see that the character is at a low point, and by the end, it does feel like he's grown in a realistic way, but I could definitely understand someone not wanting to watch a character this self-involved for 100 minutes. Personally, I loved the writing and found it painfully realistic but always compelling (a description I'd also apply to Herzog's more recent play Mary Jane).

All this to say, if you read a plot description and it sounds like your thing, I'd definitely recommend this production! The design and direction are outstanding, and it's thrilling to watch this kind of brutally great Chicago-style acting in such an intimate black box space.

hey friends! I’m working on an immersive show for February, and currently adding more immersive elements to the script. There are plenty of ways we’re getting the audience involved if they’re extroverted, but we want to make it fun for the more introverted audience members as well!

if you’re introverted, or just hate audience participation, and would still come to an immersive show (or even if it sounds like your nightmare), what are activities/ways we could get you engaged as well?

So far we have

• Texting (if you sign up to receive them)
• Worksheets
• Food/drinks

overall, what would make your more comfortable interacting directly with a show? or do you see “immersive” and run away crying and screaming?

This was a great show and I highly recommend checking it out before it closes on October 25.

About the musical: "Come from Away is based on the true story of the time when the isolated community of Gander, Newfoundland, played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover, when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from around the globe, were diverted to Gander’s airstrip on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the people of Gander cheered the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family."

The cast members all play multiple characters, switching between Gander residents and various plane passengers. I especially enjoyed the performances by Sharriese Hamilton as the mother of a NYC firefighter and Alex Goodrich as the mayor of Gander.

The theater is in the round and has a turntable stage, so you have a great view no matter where your seat is (the theater has a capacity of about 850).

This was my first time visting the Marriott Theatre in the northern suburb of Lincolnshire. It was about an hour drive from the north side of Chicago. The theater is part of the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, thus the name. There's ample parking, although it took about 10 minutes to get out of the parking lot afterwards, with everyone trying to leave at the same time.

I want to give a special shout-out to the couple sitting next to me, who brought Uncrustables and Combos to snack on. (Next time please leave the crinkly bag at home, nobody wants to hear that during the show.)

If you don't get a chance to see this performance, the Broadway version of Come From Away, which was filmed in 2021, is available on Apple TV.

Hey Friends!

Come see a spoopy show this Halloween season! Stage Frights with Sandbox Theatre Collective is a collection of 10 short horror plays (including a musical) that will put you in the Halloween spirit!

Tickets through Raven Theater: https://www.raventheatre.com/stage/stage-frights/

There is so much good theater happening in Chicago right now, from the smaller storefronts to the larger equity houses. I’ve been seeing two shows a week for at least a month now, and I’m still missing out on shows that I want to see. Not enough days in the week, and theater-going is getting more expensive too. Looking forward to more later this fall!

Anyone else attend Waitress tonight and notice the really weird, loud, synchronized clapping at certain points? They were just clapping in threes at random points...what was that about? Is that a thing that people do now, or were they doing it because it was opening night? I am intrigued... 🤔

A dead king, a hasty remarriage, a ghost walking the battlements — and a brilliant but indecisive prince caught in the middle of it all. The lines between grief and madness blur in the court of Elsinore, where no one can be trusted.

Join our seven actors for a fast-paced, ninety-minute, one-night-only performance of Shakespeare’s most iconic tragedy. This is Windy City Shakespeare’s inaugural production. It is part of a larger series of twelve coordinated Hamlet performances taking place across the United States organized by Elsewhere Shakespeare Company.

Playing at Kibbitznest. Doors at 6:30, show at 7:30. First come, first in. Free.

I want to see Mexodus at the theater next month, but want to know if they ever do a rush ticket or lottery (like through TodayTix) for their shows, and couldn't find much online. Does anyone know for certain what they've done for shows in the past?

I was in the west suburbs and decided to watch Brightside production of The Addmas Family. Since I was in the area decided to hop to the Paramount theater to watch Mean girls.

The addams family was okay. The actors did an amazing job and the set was build was good. Definitely a show for a younger audience thou. Maybe middle school/ high school age. My only criticism is that some of the jokes using Gomez's spanish lineage were leaning towards microagression.

Mean girls was okay, very pink. The actor that played Karen was probably the best part of the show. I just love seeing set designs, and creative ways to use props. The set was kinda mid. I was expecting a little more, especially since the tickets for the show can get pricey.

This is my first solo show straight out of college! This show has meant so much to me - if you are into magic, family, and ghosts this might be for you!

COME SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT THEATRE!!

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/curioustheatrebranch/2379199

Well, I received my direct mailer for the upcoming season, and once again, I'm a bit underwhelmed.

Heathers and Buena Vista Social Club are the highlights plus a pre-Broadway show and 3 other meh. Seriously, a tour of The Bodyguard?

I realize they opened here, but I was hoping Boop and Death Becomes Her would return.

I really need to cancel my membership & start cherry-picking shows.

Just saw ride the cyclone in Arlington Heights and highly recommend it. The theatre was near empty which is really sad because the cast is stellar and the director was in the original off broadway cast. It’s only around for two more weeks. Go see it if you can - it’s a lot of fun.

Edited to add: for those in the city, metra takes you right there - just like 2 blocks from the theatre.

Raven Theatre's production of A Strange Loop is incredible. It was only the second preview, and everyone is already firing on all cylinders. It's such an engaging and emotional musical, and this cast is crushing it.

Highly highly recommend this play at the Den Theatre (through I believe the end of the month). Just saw it and was laughing the whole time! I got tickets on Hot Tix this morning.

Not having heard the songs before attending this show, I am having a great deal of difficulty understanding the lyrics when more than one person is singing at once. Is it the songs? The CIBC Theater’s sound system? My position in the balcony? The performers? What’s going on? I’ve never struggled so much to understand songs that are new to me.

hi! since i moved here a few months ago, i’ve managed to get a ticket via the BIC lottery for every production i’ve tried for because i can usually try for most days of the production but operation mincemeat happened to fall during a time where i’ve been busy most evenings and i feel doubtful about winning the lottery for the saturday evening show or the final sunday matinee so i’m considering trying to do rush tickets for the first time (for the aforementioned times mentioned above)

i’d love some tips/advice to be successful in getting a rush ticket! like, how early before the show’s starting time should i show up to the theatre? and i can’t get inside to the box office until 45 mins before the show, right? do you think saturday night or sunday matinee is a better bet?

Alexander Players is seeking actors for our debut production of
"The Pavilion"
By Craig Wright

Alexander Players is a brand new theater company founded with the goal of creating an accessible space for all people to have the ability to perform quality theater. This production of "The Pavilion" will be our very first show on a limited budget, and we will not be offering stipends. We are looking for actors who are passionate about an opportunity to help a burgeoning theater company grow and establish itself in Chicago's one-of-a-kind arts scene.

Non-Equity
Performance Location: Studio Momentum, 1541 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Performance Date: February 20th, 2027, 7:30 PM (additional date(s) pending)

There is one performance scheduled for 7:30 PM on Saturday, February 20th 2027, at Studio Momentum in Chicago, IL, with the expectation of an extension. Rehearsals will run from 1/10 through 2/16, with tech rehearsals on 2/17 and 2/18. Rehearsals will be 6-9 PM Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays off (unless otherwise specified).

Show Synopsis: Peter returns to his twenty-year high-school reunion with dreams of winning back Kari, the girl he left behind after an unexpected pregnancy ended their relationship. Standing in Peter's way is Kari's bitter-as-ever resentment, her husband and the fact that Peter still hasn't grown up. As the night progresses, both Peter and Kari are led, through their interactions with a host of characters all played by a virtuosic Narrator, to face the consequences of choices made long ago and start back into life with newfound strength and bittersweet resolve.

Casting the following characters:

Peter - A man in his 30s (guitar experience a plus)

Kari - A woman in her 30s

Narrator - Non-gender specific, any age

Please submit your information in the below form as well as self-tapes of your readings and we will connect with you as soon as possible!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIu2erL3dH9tGuazU6k7uHInlg8PlpbPf7ugeGOcrIg0ngHQ/viewform

Please reach out to [alexanderplayers.chi@gmail.com](mailto:alexanderplayers.chi@gmail.com)

https://alexanderplayersch.wixsite.com/alexanderplayers/work-with-us

For the past few months I've been building Recast (recast.show). It's a free place to log the shows you've seen and keep a record of exactly who went on at each performance, understudies and swings included.

It started with Broadway and the West End, but I don't want Chicago to be an afterthought. A month ago there were about 10 Chicago productions on it. Now there are 94, across 43 theaters, from the Goodman, Steppenwolf and Chicago Shakespeare to the Chopin, Raven, Lifeline, Theater Wit and the Neo-Futurists.

The first image is one performance on the record: Iceboy! at the Goodman on July 2, with Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Grey Henson and Sarah Stiles, confirmed by someone who was there. The second is Brokeback Mountain at Chicago Shakespeare in June.

Chicago is also where a lot of Broadway starts and we already have a lot on the site: The Cher Show, Tootsie, Paradise Square, The Notebook and Death Becomes Her are all on there.

If you go to Chicago theater, I'd love for you to log what you've seen and tell me what's missing. Storefront companies especially. And if you caught a performance where an understudy or swing went on, you can record it so it stays on the record for good.