PicksInSix Review: The Winter's Tale - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

‘Winter’s Tale’– A Study of Extremes.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

You can be sure that at some point in an early production meeting for Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “The Winter’s Tale,” CST Artistic Director Edward Hall surely said that the bear at the center of Antigonus’s famous demise needed to be big. Extremely BIG!

It’s a singular highlight of many in Hall’s ambitious and thrilling 40th season opener that debuted on Sunday with the first of two of Shakespeare’s plays presented in repertory by a company of 14 exceptionally gifted actors, many of whom have been at the heart of the theatre's work for decades. The connective tissue between “Winter's Tale” and the second offering, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” are two studies of dramatic extremes centered around love, jealousy, loss and redemption. “Winter’s Tale,” with its dark and disturbing opening, sets a much more serious set of circumstances then the fantastical frolicking of fairies in “Midsummer.”

The inherent elements in the drama of “Winter’s Tale” revolve around the unyielding actions of Sicilia King Leontes (Demetrios Troy), a jealous cad who is unable to contain his rage and hatred amid his own unfounded suspicions of an affair between his pregnant Queen Hermione (Jessica Dean Turner) and his longtime friend Polixenes (Chiké Johnson), King of Bohemia. The fallout from Leontes’s actions lead to the banishment of his baby daughter Perdita and the unseen deaths of Hermione, reported by Paulina (Issy Van Randwyck), and their son Mamillius (Felicia Oduh). As Act I draws to a close, Leonte withdraws into deep depression after learning the truth from the oracle of Delphos presented at Hermione’s trial for adultery. If that is not enough heartache, consider Leonte’s order to his attendant Camillo (Erik Hellman) to kill Polixenes, who tells Polixenes of the scheme and then escapes to Bohemia with him. All the while the dutiful Antigonus (Ronald L. Conner), Lord of Sicilia, abandons the baby Princess Perdita in Bohemia before meeting a tragic end himself by the aforesaid bear.

As a breath of fresh air, Act 2 begins 16 years later in the colorful Bohemian opulence where Perdita (Oduh) has been raised by the Old Shepherd (Kevin Goodall) and his simple son the Young Shepherd (Dan Haller). Hall creates a festive atmosphere in Bohemia with innovative staging and the spirited music of the band “Sheep Trick” with its charismatic frontman Autolycus (Sean Fortunato). In another stellar comic performance, Fortunato dazzles as a salty rogue whose endearing charm and captivating nature literally strip the pants off Haller’s Young Shepherd. Autolycus eventually gets his comeuppance but not before Fortunato delivers a belly full of broad laughs.

Perdita and Polixenes’ son, Florizel (Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta), declare their love for each other despite his father’s disapproval. Returning to Sicilia, and with the passing of time exposed, so is the fine line between remorse and redemption. Always a challenging element of this particular play based on what has come before, Hall masterfully navigates the staging of the emotional reconciliation. While there is hope for the young lovers, a powerful and timely message of the moment about repentance and forgiveness is delivered that felt truer to the story than in any other production I have ever seen, and all without a spoken word. Watch for the moment. It is quite remarkable.

Hall’s repertory company is universally excellent. There are clever and entertaining performances of original compositions by Kieran McCabe throughout. Michael Pavelka’s elegant costumes and expansive set design transforms effortlessly from a courtly manor to a textured, earthy look awash in color for Bohemia with eye-popping projections. Marcus Doshi’s stunning lighting design, with an arresting soundscape by Emily Hayman, completes a versatile and visually stunning look for this superb production.

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
The Winter’s Tale
Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier
through December 12, 2026
In repertory with
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
November 11, 2026 through January 3, 2027

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PicksInSix Review: Topdog/Underdog-Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Sterling Version of “Topdog/Underdog” at Steppenwolf!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

There is a great deal to admire about the fast-moving production of “Topdog/Underdog” at Steppenwolf, now running through November 1 in their Downstairs Theater. Originally done here in a lauded 2003 production, this sterling version of the remarkable Suzan-Lori Parks play lives up to every bit of expectation a theatregoer might conjure. The writer won a Pulitzer, after all. And it's steered by one of America's great, innovative directors in Kenny Leon, whose previous experience with this piece would seem to offer an expert's path to its fruition.

Let's begin with the language in the play. Ms. Parks has created an endlessly rhythmic verbal sound with a tempo and pace that rapidly pulls us along. It's nothing short of miraculous in its thoroughly absorbing word-music approach to the story, while in the next moment, it's guttural and emotional and rhapsodic all at once. It's a unique retelling of the Cain and Abel saga of two brothers sharing a dingy apartment—appropriately depressing and sparse in its design by Arnulfo Maldonado with gorgeous noir lighting by Lee Fiskness—as both try to survive as best they can. Then again, these brothers have been given names that rival any pair in American history for recognition and impact—Lincoln and Booth. Once we understand that they were saddled with parents of a dubious humor, we can go along for the ride of a lifetime—literally so.

Mr. Leon conducts all this so eloquently. Such conflicting ebb and flow lives in one moment, while a kind of intellectual rocket is strapped to the next in everything that is said—impactful and immediate in its layers of poetic persuasion. Enough praise cannot be offered for his guidance here, with some of the best directing strokes seen in Chicago at present from a current master of the trade.

Okay, consider some brass tacks. The brothers are thrown together in survival mode from their boyhood abandonment by their parents. And they've been stuck there. There's only one bed and no bathroom in the apartment unit they share. It belongs to Booth (a riveting, cutting portrayal by Steppenwolf ensemble member Namir Smallwood), who has no job and doesn't seem to mind it, as he's always looking for a bigger score. He constantly works on his slick three-card monte moves and patter—he has even named himself "Three-Card"—as he attempts to take up his brother's old way of working. Lincoln (Steppenwolf ensemble member Glenn Davis, so intense and emotionally committed), on the other hand, has been in limbo since his wife dumped him and simply wants to hang on to his new job as a Lincoln impersonator, complete with whiteface, at the arcade down the street. He studiously avoids the deck of cards, despite his legend, as he doesn't wish to be drawn back into hustling yet again.

But Lincoln loses his job at the arcade—budget cuts being the culprit—and the temptation of the street threatens to envelop him again. Booth tries to convince him that it's a righteous move and wants to learn more from his brother to make himself the street king he wishes to be. The brothers reflect each other in all this until a moment between them changes everything into its own kind of tragic mirror at its nadir.

This needs to be said: the chemistry between two great actors is palpable and consistent. Both these men own a real hand in sharing the Parks language and the endless rhythms so elegantly built in. Mr. Davis and Mr. Smallwood challenge each other as peers and as talents here, eye to eye. What a pleasure to see truly committed actors at the top of their game.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. Coming soon, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY. www.solochicagotheatre.com.

PHOTO|

Steppenwolf Theatre Company
presents
Topdog/Underdog
Downstairs Theater
1650 N. Halsted St.
through November 1, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Play On! - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

‘Play On!’ Has Got That Swing!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Perse Grammer

“Play On!” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater doesn’t give anything away until the curtain rises. A dynamic opening number informs us that this Shakespearean comedy is taking place in 1940s Swing-era Harlem. Beowulf Boritt’s set design and Adam Honoré’s lighting design meld to create electric, dramatically leaning streets and buildings, the most important of which is the Cotton Club.

In this version of “Twelfth Night,” Vy has gone to Harlem to pursue her and her late brother’s dream of being a songwriter. Her uncle Jester decides the only way for her to succeed is as a man, and thus, Vy is disguised as Vy-Man. Jester gives her an in with Duke, a top-notch band leader languishing over his unreturned love for the great singer and diva, Lady Liv. As Vy delivers songs to Lady Liv, Lady Liv quickly falls for her—but Vy is developing feelings for Duke. Meanwhile, Miss Mary and Sweets, Cotton Club workers and bickering couple, have caught onto their boss Rev’s feelings for Lady Liv. Jester leads a charge to humiliate Rev by making him “cool enough” to impress his crush. Meanwhile, Vy and Duke grow closer, hindered by Duke’s confusion over feeling romantically toward a man. Finally, Vy reveals herself as a woman, Miss Mary and Sweets resolve their arguments, and Lady Liv falls for Rev as his true, stoic self. Cue the triple wedding!

There is no such thing as a weak link in this cast. Hailee Kaleem Wright bursts with passion and endearing awkwardness in her performance of Vy. James Harkness (Jester) is a smooth mover and talker, James Earl Jones II (Sweets) is a deft comedian, and Alanna Lovely (Miss Mary) more than earns her round of applause for scatting. Krystal Joy Brown (Lady Liv) is just as magical as her initial grand entrance, and the rich, strong voice of Edred Utomi (Duke) immediately pulled me in. My biggest cast-related critique is that the sensational ensemble was criminally underutilized. Every member is an incredibly strong singer and dancer. Kaylah Janssen as the cheeky CC is especially a delight to watch as she embodies energetic effortlessness onstage.

Director Sheldon Epps has woven together a very coherent show. Physical comedy is well utilized—most notably in “Ain’t Got That Swing,” though the biggest laugh of the night came from a bartending ensemble member leaning in to hear a conversation he never spoke in once. Playwright Cheryl L. West’s dialogue is fast and funny. Admittedly, from a writer’s perspective, the written comedy and wordplay is slightly predictable, but nonetheless effective. An-Lin Dauber’s costumes walk a fine line of vibrant and unique without being over the top. This means the outfits meant to be the most stunning—or the most comical—have the desired effect. The music throughout the show is, of course, phenomenal. Everyone does Duke Ellington’s discography justice, with the harmonies of “Solitude” closing Act I being a particular standout.

In such a music-centric show, it was a pity the audience didn’t get to see the actual band more. They got a nice moment of recognition at the top of Act II, but they spent much of the show shut behind a partition. While every number was wonderful, I found myself more drawn toward the solos and duets as compared to the group numbers. This is likely because they had more emotion and connection to the story than the group numbers, which were quite a spectacle. The duet rendition of “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good” was compelling, though three back-to-back romantic duets before the finale was a bit much.

“Play On!” addresses some deeper themes but doesn’t go much further beyond the surface. Vy starts out focused on her ambition and fulfilling her and her late brother’s dream, but that motivation gets dropped as her relationship with Duke gains more focus. Granted, theirs is a love story born of creative collaboration, but it felt a bit short and disjointed. Replacing a few scenes about Miss Mary and Sweets, who have much less of a relationship arc, with Vy and Duke, could help flesh out their relationship more. A conflict between the two that never really gets resolved is Duke’s misogyny. While Vy is dressed as a man, Duke tells her about how he doesn’t believe women have the emotional depth to be songwriters. Vy pushes back, but there isn’t much follow through on this. Which leads me to wonder—when Duke learns his beloved collaborator is a woman, does that change his perception of all women, or does he just see Vy as the exception? As much as I’d like to dig into the darkness and discomfort, that’s not what this show is about. “Play On!” is lighthearted and rousing, guaranteeing you walk out of the theater happier than when you walked in. The influence of Shakespearean comedy is strong, but you don’t need to know much about “Twelfth Night” to understand and enjoy the show. Because indeed, enjoyment is the most important factor of “Play On!” and this musical knocks it out of the park!

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | PERSE GRAMMER is a multidisciplinary writer and theatre artist based in Chicago. Grammer is currently developing their latest play through a mentorship with Sandy Shinner at Shattered Globe Theatre. They hold a BFA in Playwriting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.  www.persegrammer.com

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
PLAY ON!
The Yard
Navy Pier
through October 18, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Kowalski - Brando Beginnings - Lookingglass Theatre Company

Smoldering Performances Bring ‘Kowalski’ To Life.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

To get right to the point, the Chicago premiere of “Kowalski” that opened at the Lookingglass Theatre on Saturday night features a tour-de-force performance by Johnny Galecki as Tennessee Williams in a superb play written by Gregg Ostrin and directed by Colin Hanlon. The piece imagines the first meeting between Williams and a young Marlon Brando rendered by the equally compelling Jacob Moskovitz. Galecki, a hometown Chicagoan with numerous stage credits, is best known in films and for his television success on ‘The Big Bang Theory.” You will also recognize Moskovitz in the Amazon Prime series “Elle,” among others.

The play begins in 1977 with Williams ruminating to an unseen interviewer about the meeting with Brando to discuss the role of Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The new play, which followed Williams legendary success on Broadway with “The Glass Menagerie,” was already well along in preproduction, but the pivotal role of Kowalski was yet to be cast. At the urging of director Elia Kazan, Williams agreed to take a meeting with Brando, but, for unknown reasons at the time, Brando did not show.

Picking up in 1947, it is three days later and Williams’ confidant Margo Jones (Alison Cimmet) is reading the “Streetcar” script intently. There is a deep kinship between the two and the dialogue is crisp and saucy. So too is the interplay with his lover Pancho (Reece Dos Santos) who we realize is jaded and at odds with the flamboyant Williams. There is friction and things start to unravel.

Brando arrives shortly after Margo and Pancho depart for an evening on the town and startles Williams, who had stepped out of the room briefly (the only time that Galecki leaves the stage over the course of the play). If a reading for the part was in the offing before, Brando’s blatant disrespect has soured Williams’ interest. Things escalate until Jo (Ellie Ricker), Brando’s girlfriend, joins them. Williams is quite taken by Jo and there are signs that his attention, and an excessive amount of alcohol, is having an impact on the couple in general and Brando in particular.

To be more specific at this juncture would jeopardize the powerful exchange that follows except to say that there are subtleties of the script that draw us in to Galecki’s insightful interpretation of the playwright, his profound arrogance and playful eroticism for both sexes. In Moskovitz’s Brando, we see the dawning of the star—a raw, brooding, unsettled powerhouse—whose stellar moment comes deep into the play and catches us completely off-guard.

The rustic interior scenic design by David Gallo features a modest 1947 living room framed in exterior seascape elements for Williams’ Provincetown Massachusetts home. With only a small portable typewriter on a coffee table to signify that one of our greatest playwrights lives and works here, it could be anyone’s coastal home. But for all of the captivating 90-minutes of the play, the quaint living room is the perfect setting for the first meeting between the legendary figures and makes “Kowalski” a fascinating study of Brando’s youthful bravado by Moskovitz and the wildly creative mind of Williams that Galecki so marvelously captures.

PHOTO| Michael Brosilow

Lookingglass Theatre Company
presents
a Brando Beginnings Production
KOWALSKI
Water Tower Waterworks
through October 25, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Front Page - Northlight Theatre

‘The Front Page’ - A Grand Slam!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

As if ripped from the headline of a major market daily, Northlight Theatre opened their sparkling new Evanston home on Friday night with a fast, fierce and uproariously funny production of “The Front Page” on the very day that the First Amendment is again under siege in Washington.

And even as life imitates art, and that other story is still playing out at our press time, the headline here is that BJ Jones, the Walter C. Greenough Artistic Director and the entire Northlight organization have checked every box for success. A new, state-of-the-art home. A terrific world premiere adaptation of the Ben Hecht|Charles Macarthur Chicago-based classic by Jeffrey Hatcher. A magnificent company of actors that reads like a who’s who of theatre royalty in town, and; a wildly appreciative audience soaking up every memorable moment. Simply put, Northlight’s “The Front Page” is a Grand Slam!

Without missing a beat, Hatcher has winnowed the original script down to two highly entertaining acts with a fast-paced run time of just over 100 minutes. The action flies by with the likes of the exquisite duo of Kate Fry as ace reporter Hildy Johnson and real-life husband Timothy Edward Kane as her dominating editor Walter Burns, and a press room that includes Guy Swearington (Endicott), Kelan M. Smith (Kruger), Joe Dempsey (McCue) and Mark David Kaplan (Bensinger) caught in the middle of an escalating crisis involving Earl Williams (John Drea), an escaped man convicted of murder and destined for the gallows the following day.

The political twist to the story is served up by the hilarious performances of William Dick as Sheriff Hartman, John Lister as The Mayor and Tim Kazurinsky, who all but steals the show as Pincus, the bearer of good news for Williams and bad news for the pending election only a few days away. As Hildy does all she can to follow through with her plans to run away to New York with her fiancé Brad Hefflefinger (Peter Moore), Burns lures her back to cover the story of the century. All the while, Brad, his staunchly suspicious mother, brilliantly played by Cindy Gold, and the sultry Rae Gray as Williams love interest, Mollie Maloy, are comically nibbling around the action.

It all takes place in and around a gritty and artfully detailed set of the Chicago Criminal Courts Building Press Room by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, enhanced by Izumi Inaba’s era-appropriate costumes and the slick, stark lighting of JR Lederle. Andre Pluess’s superb soundscape is key here as the dialogue flies effortlessly to everyone in the new 287-seat space.

It all harkens back to the day when print headlines in the morning edition decisively ruled the news cycle. More than any other profession, the newspapermen—and newspaperwomen—of legacy publications depicted in Northlight’s terrific production of “The Front Page” lived by the phrase: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out!” The lesson learned is that, then as now, there exists a highly competitive atmosphere where dedicated, hardworking reporters are rewarded with a byline, where managing editors must continue to relentlessly push their organizations for all the facts with faith that publishers will stand firm and wield their great power and influence against corruption whenever and wherever it threatens our democracy and quality of life.

PHOTO | Michael Brosilow

Northlight Theatre
presents
World Premiere
The Front Page
1012 Church St,
Evanston, IL

through October 25, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Attic - Goodman Theatre

Goodman’s “Attic” Is A Flipping Dazzler!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

I’ve seen hundreds of circus acts over the past 30ish years; everything from massive Las Vegas spectaculars to three-ring arena extravaganzas to acrobats flinging themselves across Daley Plaza at midnight to dinner-and-circus shows in boutique hotels.

Les 7 Doigts de la Main’s (The 7 Fingers) “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back,” has something I’ve yet to encounter at any previous circus-centered production. It provides all the thrills and jaw-dropping feats of derring-do one expects from the intensely physical art form. But “The Attic” is more than thrilling. It is also deeply moving, unsettling and profound. In about 100 minutes and 28 scenes, it tells a story that is at once heart-wrenching and exquisitely beautiful with an emotional arc that covers the journey of a lifetime.

Written, directed and choreographed by former Cirque du Soleil soloist Shana Carroll, “The Attic” asks the audience to confront mortality while immersed in a glorious, gravity-defying celebration of life. Carroll’s autobiographical story moves from infancy through adolescence, to career and childbirth and ultimately to a medical diagnosis of staggering implications. The narrative is as breathtaking as the extraordinary aerialists, hoop divers, acrobats, jugglers and contortionists telling it.

The opening reveal is gasp-inducing: A lone actor slips into a patient gown as a diaphanous, ghostly hospital room materializes on stage in a dreamscape of pale luminosity.  (Lighting designer Alexander Nichols paints the stage like Caravaggio throughout.) This is the jumping off point for the cast of ten. Backed by Colin Gagne’s haunting, percussive score, “The Attic” flies through pivotal moments in Carroll’s life: her fascination as a toddler with motes dancing in sunbeams; her adolescent surrender to epic yearning, hormones and newly discovered sexuality; her adult years as a globe-trotting Cirque star, a nomad whose only true home is in the air. Gleaming hoops morph into CT scanners, an anaesthesiologist’s countdown becomes a portal to a world of seemingly weightless wonder, as grasping hands reach from inside a hospital bed, pushing and pulling its occupant into dire exhaustion.

The circus acts are astonishing, especially when the entire cast is in motion, swinging the body electric. At times, it’s difficult to know where to look. High above the stage, trapeze artists soar and silk spinners weave a mesmerizing web with their bodies. Below, tumblers and gymnasts create pas de deux that combine elite athleticism with ballet, contortionism and shows of boggling strength. Carroll’s choreo is a distinct blend of balletic grace and softness, and harsh, jutting angles—all in the service of evocative storytelling.

“The Attic” flies by, literally and figuratively. Some of the non-circus pacing needs tightening. The vocals and the snatches of dialogue aren’t quite seamlessly woven into the story. The latter is almost unnecessary—the movement on stage makes every development crystalline clear. Still, the metaphors that run like a river throughout are beautifully specific and universal, especially with the story explores the art and inevitably of falling. This show is a flipping dazzler!

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois. 

PHOTO|Todd Rosenberg

Goodman Theatre
presents
The 7 Fingers’
The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back
170 N Dearborn Street
through October 4, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Mean Girls - Paramount Aurora

Finds the Edge Beneath the Pink.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Joan Curto

There is a reason “Mean Girls” has endured. Beneath the pink, the catchphrases and the perfectly calibrated teenage cruelty, lies a story about something far less frivolous: the complicated business of figuring out who you are when everyone around you seems determined to tell you who you should be. Based on the 2004 film with a book by Tina Fey, the musical retains the movie’s rapid-fire wit while giving its characters room to explore the insecurities, ambitions and social hierarchies of adolescence. At Paramount Theatre in Aurora, director Devon Hayakawa keeps the production brisk, energetic and surprisingly heartfelt.

At the center are Janis and Damian, played by Lucy Godinez and Steven Klenk, who serve as our guides—and occasional co-conspirators—at North Shore High. Both are terrific. Godinez brings a powerful vocal presence to Janis, particularly in “I’d Rather Be Me,” while Klenk delivers Damian’s comic timing with precision. Together, they provide the production with an appealing combination of wit and heart. But this is very much an ensemble show and Paramount has assembled a cast that knows how to make even the broadest comedy land.

The Plastics—Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith—are played by Dariana Mullen, Angel Alzeidan and Julia Hope Budd, respectively. Each brings her character’s distinctive personality and vulnerability to life, particularly in song. Mullen’s massive deal-Regina is especially formidable. She understands that Regina’s power comes not simply from being mean, but from knowing exactly how much everyone else wants her approval. As Cady Heron, Elizabeth Stenholt carries much of the show’s emotional weight. Her Cady is neither entirely innocent nor entirely culpable, making her transformation—and eventual reckoning—more compelling. Vocally, Stenholt is impressive, particularly in the soaring “I See Stars.”

Veronica Garza deserves special mention for her work in three roles: Mrs. Heron, Ms. Norbury and Mrs. George. Each is sharply drawn, but it is Mrs. George, Regina’s gloriously inappropriate mother, who delivers some of the evening’s biggest laughs. And then there is the ensemble, which rarely gets a chance to catch its breath. Choreographer Kasey Alfonso keeps the movement crisp and energetic, while the clever use of desks on wheels turns the architecture of high school into part of the choreography. The Mathletes, naturally, get their moment in the spotlight.

Paramount’s production itself is another star. Milo Bue’s scenic design with a stage revolve, mobile desks and fluid transitions together with Greg Hofmann’s effective lighting and Kotryna Hilo’s teen-era appropriate costumes, create a surprisingly cinematic sense of movement, allowing classrooms and hallways to materialize and disappear around the characters. The rain curtain used for projections is an ambitious touch, although from my vantage point some of the images were difficult to decipher. Still, the production succeeds in creating a vibrant theatrical world that matches the show’s pop sensibility without losing sight of its darker themes.

What makes this “Mean Girls” particularly enjoyable is its willingness to embrace both the exuberance and the vulnerability of the material. Bullying, belonging, identity and the intoxicating power of popularity may be timeless subjects, but Fey’s observations still have plenty of bite. The enthusiastic opening-night audience on Friday certainly seemed to agree. The film’s devoted following may bring audiences to Aurora, but this production gives them plenty of reasons to stay: strong performances, energetic choreography, clever staging and a cast that understands the human being hiding beneath the stereotype. And yes, there is pink. Lots of pink. For a few hours, at least, it is perfectly acceptable to call something “fetch.”

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | JOAN CURTO is a Chicago-based, award-winning vocalist, director and producer. Most recently, she has collaborated with The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, directing and producing several acclaimed productions.

PHOTO|Boris Martin

Paramount Theatre
presents
Mean Girls
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
through October 11, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Come From Away - Marriott Theatre

Where The River Meets The Sea …
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

It is startling to realize that twenty-five years have passed since a savage attack on America changed the world as we know it. Ask anyone born before 1996 and they can tell you where they were that fateful day, how shocked and saddened they felt in the weeks and months that followed, and how they grieved for the nearly 3,000 souls lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

And on Wednesday evening, a truly stunning production of “Come From Away” opened at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Director Jessica Fisch and choreographer Katie Spelman have assembled an unmatched Chicago-based ensemble of stage veterans presenting a tapestry of true stories of compassion and kinship in the days following the 9/11 attacks. This show is electric, inspiring and fits the Marriott Theatre’s in-the-round-stage like a glove.

In the moments following the terrorist attacks, life as we know it came to a full stop. All air traffic within the United States was grounded. International travel was immediately restricted and commercial passenger flights that had sufficient fuel to return to their city of origin in Europe or Asia did so. Those that could not were forced to land wherever they could.

Three locations in Canada—Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, and Gander International Airport in Newfoundland— served as a safe haven for thousands of international travelers until operations could be restored.

Gander was a small provincial town of approximately 10,000 when 38 planes landed on September 11, 2001 with nearly 7,000 passengers aboard. As residents quickly mobilized resources, food, medical care and services, all of the passengers were not allowed to deplane for nearly 24 hours. In the days that followed, the “plane people” of all nationalities—known as “come from aways”—received an epic outpouring of support from the Newfoundlanders. Together, over the hours and days that followed, everyone learned the universal language of patience, compassion, and generosity.

We might not know as much of this heartfelt story if the husband and wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Helm had not attended a reunion in 2011 and conducted hundreds of interviews. That source material forms the core of their brilliant 2017 Broadway musical “Come From Away,” distilled into dozens of composite characters of immense warmth and humor, each with a strong sense of resilience and pride. It is a substantial piece for 12 actors in a fast-paced 100-minute format which in the capable hands of Fisch and Spelman is quite literally a work of art.

Marriott’s “Come From Away” is also a bit of a professional homecoming all its own. The key romantic storyline is the heartfelt relationship of Diane and Nick, served up perfectly by Heidi Kettenring and Matt Crowle, both returning to the Chicagoland stage after recent national tours. Sharriese Hamilton is marvelous reprising the role of Hannah that she played recently in the Australian touring production of the show. The extraordinary talent and wide-ranging stage skills—and dialects—of Alex Goodrich, Devin DeSantis and Sarah Bockel are on full display, as are Justin Allbinder, Denise Devlin, Madison Kauffman, Michael Earvin Martin and Jonathan Shaboo. Lexie Dorset Sharp shines in the role of Captain Beverley Bass, the first female commercial pilot.

The story develops organically on Scott Penner’s scenic design that incorporates a stage revolve, tables and industrial stair units that are all integrated seamlessly in the flow of the piece. From the rousing “Welcome To The Rock,”“38 Planes,”“Screech In,” and “On the Edge,” to the more contemplative “Stop the World,”“Prayer,” and “Me and the Sky,” this is musical emotion in motion under Music Director Ryan T. Nelson. Celia Villacres conducts nine musicians through a score that features nearly twenty instruments nested squarely in traditional themes and melodies.

“Come From Away” serves as a vivid reminder that even in the grip of an international tragedy, ordinary people from all walks of life are capable of acts of kindness and generosity well beyond our imagination. It also speaks to our own capacity to overcome adversity for the new life that awaits us and assurance that the newfound relationships forged during difficult times will give us comfort and hope for the future.

PHOTO|Justin Barbin

Marriott Theatre
presents
Come From Away
Ten Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL
through October 18, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Notebook - Broadway in Chicago

Love Notes: For Better Or Worse.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Sarah Frances Fiorello

The musical “The Notebook” has returned to Chicago, ready to meet all new audiences and be reacquainted—and reintroduced—with theatregoers who found themselves at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s pre-Broadway production in the fall of 2022.  The musical, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks and subsequent 2004 hit film, plays now through August 16th at the Nederlander Theatre at Broadway in Chicago.

The story weaves through the lives of star-crossed lovers Noah and Allie, played in the musical by three actors for each character—Younger, Middle, and Older—jumping from present day to their carefree youth and everywhere in between. Older Noah and Older Allie recall and revisit their love story through the center inanimate character, a notebook, read from Noah to Allie as she grasps and struggles with deteriorating dementia. “The Notebook” is a beautifully told story of fleeting time and fervent love, one that you have not seen told in the current format—the touring production has undergone changes from the Broadway production and, of course, from its pre-Broadway run. Easter eggs only here for those who have seen previous versions of the show; I encourage you to head to the Nederlander to see for yourself.

On to this production, which deserves a review in its own right. Directed by Schele Williams alongside Broadway juggernaut and five-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (“Rent”, “Next to Normal”, “Dear Evan Hansen”) with choreography by Katie Spelman, “The Notebook” serves a visual treat to audiences, with staging and storytelling that often feels like poetry in motion. Multiple versions of Noah and Allie exist simultaneously on stage throughout much of the musical; what transpires at the expert direction of Williams and Grief is a journey through time, memory, while taking honest stock of our relationship to our past and future selves.

“The Notebook” marks the theatrical and Broadway debut of singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, alongside book writer Bekah Brunstetter (most notably television’s “This is Us” writer, story editor, and producer). The duo have created a musical that is as strikingly unique as it is true to the original book while also somehow capturing fan-favorite moments from the film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

The cast is replete with Broadway veterans, each as fantastic as the next. Alysha Deslorieux as “Middle Allie” soars vocally in her full-throated 11 o’clock number “My Days” while Beau Gravitte as “Older Noah” delivers a sincere, earnest, and loving performance as the idyllic spouse any married person would be lucky to have. Connor Richardson as Johnny, the physical therapist to Older Allie and the Gen Z point-counterpoint to Baby Boomer Older Noah offers a delightful performance, highlighting the power of platonic love alongside the romantic love of our main characters.  Sharon Catherine Brown as Older Allie brings this story home with her devasting portrayal of life while suffering with dementia.  Brown brings both a gentleness and fierceness to the role and gives us a heartbreaking glimpse into what it feels like to navigate this disease—constantly searching for answers while also searching for yourself.

I never read the Sparks novel but when I saw the film all those years ago, I immediately fell in love with what it stood for: real love can persist and stand firm in the face of life’s hardest struggles and most difficult tests. All these years later, as I’m sure is true for most of us, life has a way of testing that belief. Perhaps that’s why we go to the theatre. To be reminded of what is possible in life and in love, and that what we see beyond the footlights, even on our most difficult days, might find its way across the threshold.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SARAH FRANCES FIORELLO is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory with a BFA in Music Theatre and a Chicago-based poet, writer, and performer. 
Instagram: @writtenbysarahfrances

PHOTO | Roger Mastroianni

Broadway in Chicago
presents
National Tour
The Notebook

James N. Nederlander Theatre
24 W. Randolph St.

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PicksInSix Review: The Outsiders - Broadway in Chicago

‘The Outsiders’—Sound and Fury to Spare!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

By the time I read it in 1972, S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel “The Outsiders” was already a classic—the plaudit was in bold letters right on the cover blurb. At nine, I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. But I did know that the coming-of-age story of poor vs. rich kids in Tulsa, Oklahoma stirred up powerful emotions and a snapping irritation at anyone who interrupted my reading. Nearly 60 years after a teenage Hinton’s book was published (using only her first initials because she knew revealing her gender would have greatly diminished her chances at success), its powers are undiminished.

Running through Aug. 16 at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Jamestown Revival’s musicalization (music and lyrics by Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance and Justin Levine; book by Adam Rapp, with Levine) of Hinton’s novel is a brutal, beautiful show. Literary adaptations are a tricky beast (“Bright Lights, Big City” anyone?) especially when the source material has been beloved. But director Danya Taymor’s staging both respects the aesthetic of Hinton’s original and retains its pile-driving, heart-racing plot. The music soars and stabs and grooves and pops and twangs to gorgeous impact. The book captures the violence and the vitality of Hinton’s indelible characters.

The plot follows 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis (Nolan White), one of Tulsa’s teenage “greasers.” In Tulsa’s rigid teenage caste system, the impoverished greasers are forever being targeted by their wealthy, well-dressed peers, the “socs” (short for “socialite”). The greasers—led by the charismatic Dallas (Tyler Jordan Wesley)—are also frequent targets for the cops. (File under The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same: The socs are white, the greasers are not.) Stomach churning brawls leave two kids dead and the kind of trauma that gets passed like a malevolent heirloom. Ponyboy’s struggle to nurture family, art and forge a future is the narrative thread at the center of the tightly woven plot.

So is Rick and Jeff Kuperman’s extraordinary choreography, which has the cast dancing on rolling tires and endlessly reconfigured scaffolding in a vibrant, industrial wasteland (set by AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian). Prepare to be gobsmacked by the second act’s “Trouble”—it stops the show with a bone-crunching, skin-splitting climactic brawl delivered with a gasp-inducing merger of rampaging ferocity and extraordinary, paradoxical beauty.

White makes Ponyboy's journey compelling throughout, but when Wesley’s Dallas is on stage, he’s the one you’re watching. When Dallas launches “Little Brother”—a lament about a young man he could not save—up to the gods, it feels like he’s actually singing about many, many others. Another prime highlight is “Stay Gold,” which has Ponyboy and his best friend Johnny Cade (Bonale Fambrini) duetting to transcendent effect to the words of Cade’s favorite poet, Walt Whitman.

The show isn’t perfect. The socs are one-note villains. Ostensible heroine Cherry Valance (Emma Hearn) is little more than a cliched poor-little-rich-girl trope. Cherry doesn’t just flunk the Bechdel Test, she never even makes it to the exam room. Yet Cherry looks like Anna Karenina compared to her boyfriend Bob (Andrew Cekala), whose character begins and ends with his fists. Finally, the all-important “greaser” wigs look more like helmets than hair in a few cases. That said, there’s sound and fury to spare in “The Outsiders.” Not for nothing did the show win four Tonys, including best musical, in 2024. Its lessons are as powerful as they were in 1967: Life isn’t fair. Loss is devastating. Penury can suck you into a morass of rage and despair. And this above all: It’s ultimately up to you and your family—blood or otherwise—to figure out how to carry forth and stay gold.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois. 

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy

Broadway in Chicago
presents
The Outsiders
Cadillac Palace Theatre
151 West Randolph
through August 16, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Avenue Q - Dunes Summer Theatre

Dunes’ ‘Avenue Q’ Finds Its Purpose!
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

There is no denying that you can do anything with a puppet in your hand and no better example on stage right now than the terrific revival of the 2004 Tony Award–winning musical “Avenue Q” playing at the Dunes Summer Theatre. The hilarious send up of the adult-themed Sesame Street is the inspiration of Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx who wrote the lyrics and music. The book by Jeff Whitty is set on a block in lower Manhattan where neighbors Princeton, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Lucy, Mrs. T, Brian, Christmas Eve and the superintendent, Gary Coleman, all deal with life’s challenges from jobs, relationships, and racism, and sex to love, responsibility and the importance of helping others.

The show, directed by Danny Kapinos, a Chicago-based director and co-Artistic Director of Blank Theatre Company, has assembled one of the finest ensemble casts seen here in recent years, led by Quinn Kelch (Princeton) and Mika Wurf (Kate), playing two twentysomething loners who find friendship, love and their own purpose together. Kelch, a rising talent who is well-known to Chicago audiences, is terrific here, playing both Princeton, the newly-minted college graduate and Rod, the closeted gay neighbor. Wurf, a senior at the Boston Conservatory of Music with an extraordinary voice, is perfect as the shy, demure Kate who breaks away from her quiet existence to find that there is more to life when you share it with someone you love. The two are wonderfully matched together, displaying wide-ranging versatility in a challenging show that demands precision in movement, timing and comic delivery.

The young lovers are influenced by everyone who live on Avenue Q. There’s Rod (Kelch) and Nicky (Josh Bernaski and Maya Moreau) who are sorting out Rod’s conflicted lifestyle; Trekkie Monster (Bernaski) whose passion is internet porn; Lucy (Moreau), the vixen who seduces all in her path; and, the humans: the aspiring comedian Brian (Clay W. Muir) and his partner Christmas Eve (Aubrey Malito), an Asian phycologist and Gary Coleman (Micah Hughs) the super with a bit of an attitude about his rocky road after TV stardom. It is all for laughs with a dash of clever technology that pays homage to the Sesame Street educational themes along the way.

The delightful score overflows with musical gems from Wurf’s sweet and beautifully sung ballad “There’s A Fine, Fine Line” and Malito’s stellar “The More You Ruv Someone” and “I Wish I Could Go Back To College” by the trio of Kelch, Wurf and Bernaski, to the rollicking “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet Is For Porn,” and “There is Life Outside Your Apartment.” Music director Aaron Kaplan with Associate Music Director/Conductor Sachio Nang and seven musicians knock Steven Oremus’s full-bodied arrangements out of the park. Credit goes to Jake Tillman for an outstanding sound design, balancing the superb vocals of this enormously talented ensemble with the musicians effortlessly.

Scenically, Michael Lasswell has again designed and constructed an impressive, multi-story Lower East Side street scene with textured brick facades and a cityscape in the distance. With Arturo Pozos’s evocative lighting design and Emily Chidalek’s colorful costumes, “Avenue Q” is visually bright, festive and fun.

Combining live action with music and puppets in not an easy task for actors and the special puppet training by Andrew Lund is expertly evidenced throughout and in particular with some subtle—and some not so subtle—activities that give “Avenue Q” its’ R-rated guidance, spurred on by a couple of devious Bad Idea Bears.

Each of the ensemble members assume multiple roles throughout, but the performance of the night belongs to the enormously talented and versatile Kelch who, on more than one occasion, is required to exit as one puppet character and return immediately as another. I was confounded by an especially clever sequence where Kelch is literally in two places at the same time. A phenomenal sleight of hand in a production that is sure to be a colossal hit for Artistic Director Steve Scott, Managing Director Elise Kermani and everyone on board for the Dunes Summer Theatre’s 75th Anniversary Season.

PHOTO|Tony Martin

Dunes Summer Theatre
presents
Avenue Q
288 Shady Oak Drive
Michigan City, IN
through August 9

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PicksInSix Review: SUFFS - Broadway in Chicago

‘The Young Are At The Gates!’
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Political activism of any kind, especially the Suffragists Movement and the crusade for the right for women to vote, requires the kind of universal commitment and passion that is at the heart of Shaina Taub’s brilliant Tony Award winning musical “Suffs” directed by Leigh Silverman. Two factions—the wives, mothers and daughters of the socially elite who are members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) led by Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), and a youthful, spirited group of protesters headed by Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) demanding immediate change—each contribute in their own way to the cause even, as they are constantly at odds with each other on the answer to the big question: How long must we wait?

For Catt and the women of the NAWSA, it was already over 65 years since Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association who opposed the 15th Amendment— allowing Black men to vote—unless it extended to women. A rival organization—the American Woman Suffrage Association—was formed to support a state by state initiative. The two groups merged decades later in 1890 to form NAWSA. The movement for equality then took a major step forward in 1913 when Paul organized and led the first national march on Washington.

It is at this historical turning point that “Suffs” takes shape, with Paul, her college classmate Lucy Burns (Gwynne Wood), a public personality, Inez Milholland (Monica Tulia Ramirez), who becomes the face of the cause, along with a Polish immigrant Ruza Wenclawska (Joyce Meimei Zheng) and writer Doris Stevens (Livvy Marcus) organize the march to pressure President Woodrow Wilson (Merrill Peiffer) for federal legislation. Their efforts draw national attention and thousands, including Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), whose stunning anthem “Wait My Turn” pushes back at the racist undertones in the movement in both camps.

Wilson relents and meets with the Suffs, but no action is forthcoming. Years pass and the threat of war and other national priorities add to the delay until Paul’s group forms the National Woman’s Party (WAP) and rallies to oppose Wilson’s reelection. Though unsuccessful, Baum’s story then turns as Wilson gets the message and begins to aggressively take political steps to stonewall the upstarts.

The universally superb all-woman cast with exceptionally powerful voices are a perfect fit for Baum’s elegant and complex sung-through score. Silverman and choreographer Mayte Natalio have staged a striking visual masterpiece on the Christine Peters designed tour set based on Riccardo Hernandez Broadway version with resplendent costumes by Paul Tazewell, Lap Chi Chu’s stunning lighting and Jason Crystal’s crisp sound design.

There must be something in the water in the Green Mountains of my home state of Vermont. Baum, a Waitsfield native who ten years ago appeared as one of the Fates in “Hadestown”—written by another Vermont native, Anaïs Mitchell—created a remarkably, cinematic treatment of the suffragist movement that reflects sharply on the present moment. “Suffs” is and will always be, a rallying call to the next generation and to the legions of mothers and grandmothers who came before and were in jubilant solidarity on Wednesday night at the CIBC and is not to be missed. It is a nod to the past and an ode to the future, all summed in the lyric: “The old way always dies. The young are at the gate!”

PHOTO|Joan Marcus

Broadway in Chicago
presents
National Tour
SUFFS
CIBC Theatre
18 W Monroe
through July 19, 2026

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PicksInSix Review - Water for Elephants-Broadway in Chicago

‘WATER FOR ELEPHANTS’ IS TRUNKING AMAZING!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre may well be the most thematically appropriate venue in the country for the first national tour of “Water for Elephants.” The endlessly ornate venue opened in 1926, a scant five years before the musical based on Sara Gruen’s 1931-set novel about a travelling circus trying to outrun the Great Depression. There are literally elephants in the vestibule of the 100-year-old Nederlander, their tusked heads holding orb-like lamps. There’s also at least one elephant built into the house, a fanciful pachyderm amid the sea of gryphons and other fantastical creatures sculpted into the walls around the seats.

It’s a marvel of an interior, and a place that ups the ambiance in the stellar production (book by Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Co.) running through July 5. There are a few significant departures from the novel, including the inexplicable decision to excise a pivotal plot point involving the Brookfield Zoo. Directed by Ryan Emmons (original direction by Jessica Stone) “Water for Elephants” is a whiz-bang of a show, beguiling, jaw-dropping, and irresistible.

Crucially, an astounding array of circus acts are incorporated into a story that takes the brutal impact of the Great Depression and wraps it around a star-crossed romance, a host of indelible circus folk and, obviously, an elephant. Shana Carroll’s circus design has cast members flying on wings of billowing silk, spinning on gleaming hoops and acrobat-ing up and down 15(ish)-foot pools. There are jugglers, burlesque dancers, roustabouts and extraordinary puppet creatures (designed by Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman and Camille LaBarre) that look every bit as sentient as the humans on stage. Rosie is the showpiece with massive lumbering legs, a swinging trunk and expressive, saucer-large eyes.

The cast knows its business: As Jacob Jankowski, who joins the circus after his parents die, Zachary Keller delivers just the right mix of vulnerability and leading man bravissimo. The love interest is Marlena (Helen Krushinski, navigating the score’s treacherous modulations with ease) who performs, trains, befriends and tries to protect Rosie. Working against her: the villainous ringmaster August (Connor Sullivan), whose final confrontation with Rosie is immensely satisfying. But arguably the most memorable member of this rag-tag troop is Walter the clown. Tyler West is a hilarious showstopper, combining physical slapstick and rapid-fire wit and impeccable comic timing. West has one of the best, most ridiculous death scenes I’ve seen in 35 years of reviewing musicals. (He’s actually got a couple of death scenes, it’s the first one that’s snort-level side-splitting.)

Pigpen’s score is a terrific mix of up-tempo, energized, stunt-filled numbers (the all-hands on deck opening “Prologue”) slower, fluid ballad-like tunes (Krushinski’s flowing “Easy”) that come with a dream-like quality.

“Water for Elephants” unfolds as a memory, bookended by Jacob as an elderly man (Robert Tully) from the nursing home he is desperate to get out of. The show then gracefully vacillates between soft-focus beauty and vivid detail. Either way, the production is—if not the most spectacular show on earth—surely one of the best musicals on the tour circuit.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois. 

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Broadway in Chicago
presents
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
James M. Nederlander Theatre
through July 5, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Catch as Catch Can - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Diabolically Clever “Catch” Turns On Dime
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

What a challenging piece of theatre this is. Three actors play six different characters in Mia Chung's diabolically clever play “Catch as Catch Can,” now playing at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre through July 12. In director Amy Morton’s eloquent staging, the solid trio of actors play two characters each. They offer an adult child and a parent—a son to the mother or a daughter to the father. We jump genders and ages, even while standing alone.

There are two families, close friends and all, the Phelans and the Lavecchias. They welcome home a kind of prodigal son, setting off an evolving crisis that reshapes their lives and, as we discover, the play itself. In Mia Chung’s play, three actors perform across race, gender, and generation—a family drama that doubles as a theatrical tour-de-force. It's a fascinating stew of six disparate personalities who are a lot of fun to observe—until they cease to be.

A startling shift kicks into gear midway into this trip through a history of the families, when Tim shares an unnerving revelation about his fiancée Mingjin with Daniela that changes everything. It shades the play toward a much more sobering, sad realization. The family dynamics here intertwine and are as changeable as the weather. But as we discover the secret, we also witness this man's hellbent personal self-destruction and mental illness. It's uncomfortable to observe and hard to follow. The mental, emotional breakdown throws the entire story askew, and we are asked to live now in a different kind of reality.

What seems at first like a family comedy takes a sharp turn that rips apart not only the person who suffers from it, but the fabric of the play itself.  The sudden, emotional separation from the comedic turns is damned scary and often disorienting. Confusion does indeed reign, as the work of communicating a sense of chaos only makes blurry the lines of the dual identities the actors are asked to do.  And that double-casting, as utilized here, aspires to be more than a gimmick. It is, in fact, central to what the show wants to share about what people do or do not get from family.

When all is said and done, we wonder why. This is indeed challenging material that few theatres in existence would try so fully. There are three of the best onstage, too—Gary Cole, Tim Hopper and Audrey Francis. The stagecraft, the acting, the technical aspects, all of these are up to Steppenwolf's expected brilliance. Director Morton is a veritable genius in helping her actors delineate character, often in the same body playing two different people.

But the play itself—and from one of our great, innovative playwrights in the theatre—trips over such cleverness and innovation. “Catch as Catch Can” is well worth seeing. But what one takes from it might be as strange and difficult as the situation itself. Then again, maybe that's the point. Humanity is, after all, often a chaotic condition, which would then make such creativity here worthwhile.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL at: www.solochicagotheatre.com.  Coming soon, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY.

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

Steppenwolf Theatre Company
presents
Catch as Catch Can
Downstairs Theater
1650 N. Halsted St.
through July 12

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PicksInSix Review: Leopoldstadt - Writers Theatre

Stoppard’s ‘Leopoldstadt’ Brings History To Life.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

Like the rest of his dazzling work, Tom Stoppard’s final play “Leopoldstadt” contains worlds within worlds within worlds. Like “Arcadia,” “Leopoldstadt” is silvered through with the arcs of mind-bending poetics of physics and higher mathematics. Like “Rock n Roll,” it illuminates the unfathomable cruelty and slaughter of genocidal fascists. And like every drama Stoppard penned, family, death, philosophy, history, art history and existential crisis skein together to create a dense, intense depiction of humankind that’s both general and acutely specific. 

Spanning roughly 56 years from 1899 through 1955, “Leopoldstadt” shows the impact of two wars on a sprawling wealthy Jewish family that is brutally stripped of both wealth and decimated almost entirely by the Holocaust. Leopoldstadt, Vienna is the family home in 1899, but Stoppard crosses oceans with this epic, intimate drama. After the Anschluss, the fortunate go into exile. The rest are herded to the death camps. It falls to the family’s few survivors—scattered across Britain, New York and Europe—to remember the dead, come to terms with their losses and forge futures.

With a 24-person ensemble (plus five understudies), a nearly three-hour run time and more than 400 Alex Jaeger costume elements, “Leopoldstadt” is one of the largest productions Writers Theatre has tackled over the course of its 35-year history. Running through August 9 at the Glencoe venue, the drama’s dense thickets of exposition are at times overwhelming, and a bit laborious. Despite that, director Carey Perloff’s staging cuts to the quick more than a few times. “Leopoldstadt” brings history to life through a remarkable, relatable family.

That said, “Leopoldstadt” can be frustrating here, especially when it comes to keeping track of characters as they age from infancy to retirement. It’s a richer, more gratifying experience if you’re well-versed in the family tree contained in the program. But if you’re not, “Leopoldstadt” remains a compelling dive into humankind’s most grotesque and hateful inclinations as well as its ability to survive even when your government is openly campaigning to destroy you and everyone you hold dear.

This all sounds grim, but—as ever with Stoppard—“Leopoldstadt” is often undeniably humorous. Writer’s cast is a league of champions. Among the many standouts: Barbara E. Robertson as matriarch Grandma Emilia, a steely and regal figure. Kate Fry is heartbreaking as Gretl, a Christian who married into the family. Before the first world war, Gretl is a glamorous young woman who sits for Klimt, one of the most important artists to come out of Vienna. (Gretl’s portrait becomes a key plot late in the story). When we see Gretl decades later, she’s transformed: Wild-haired and mentally ill, newly escaped from a mental institution. The traumas she endured are not specified, but anyone with a grasp of basic history will grasp the nature of what she’s surely endured. And as Rosa, one of the family’s few survivors, Jessie Fisher gets the last passage of dialogue, and it is a gut-punch. In a monotone and with a face of near stone, she lists the names of each family member who died during the Holocaust, and where they were ultimately killed.

The Writers production of “Leopoldstadt” doesn’t have the grandeur (or, ostensibly, the budget) of the Broadway production, especially in the 1899 scene when the burgeoning family has gathered for Christmas.  Set designer Ken MacDonald doesn’t quite capture the expanse or lavishness one would expect from the (initially) wealthy family. That’s not a major issue. Writers does a competent, often dazzling, job with “Leopoldstadt.”  The history it tackles is currently being denied by wide swaths of the population—which makes the challenging, engaging drama all the more important. 

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois. 

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

Writers Theatre
presents
LEOPOLDSTADT
325 Tudor Court
Glencoe, IL
EXTENDED through August 16, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Brokeback Mountain - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

‘BROKEBACK’ – There Is Never Enough Time.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The North American premiere of Ashley Robinson’s "Brokeback Mountain" now playing in Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Courtyard Theater, directed by Jonathan Butterell, stays meticulously true to Annie Proulx’s short story that appeared in the New Yorker in 1997, a publishing event that transformed the mainstream platform for gay and queer storytelling forever after. Eight years would pass before Ang Lee’s 2005 film adaptation starring the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal which was nominated for eight Academy Awards winning three for Adapted Screenplay, Original Score and Ang’s direction.

As much a tragic gay love story as it is a reflection of the consequences of the chilling homophobic mores of the times, "Brokeback Mountain" is set in 1963 in the American West and follows the 20-year affair of two men, living separate, unfulfilled lives except for their regular liaisons that began on Brokeback when they were tending a sheep herd. It is a fragile and fraught long-range plan because, as one prophetically mourns, "There is never enough time."

The two men—Ennis Del Mar (Harrison Ball) and Jack Twist (Jack Cameron Kay—share troubled histories. Jack aspires for a career in the rodeo and makes ends meet picking up what work he can along the way. Abused and grossly humiliated as a child, when Jack meets Ennis he sees and feels an irresistible attraction for the introspective camp cook who is engaged to be married and appears to be conflicted on many levels. Ennis is under-employed as a cook and aspires for a farm and spread of his own. With their shared futures and the isolation of the situation, they forge a meaningful connection and one thing leads to another on Brokeback. The story then jumps forward four years when the two reunite at Jack’s urging. As the years roll on, it becomes less likely that a life together will dispel Ennis's fear of the kind of retribution his father was capable of when he was growing up. Ball and Kay give fine performances, with Ball’s reserved, guilt-ridden demeanor seeming to melt away with Kay’s carefree, eager, yet vulnerable, insistence keeping some lingering hope alive that things might work out.

Ennis's wife Alma Del Mar (a powerful and moving performance by Cordelia Dewdney) and Joe Aguirre (Thomas Cox), the sheep rancher, hold the key to the evolving drama of the story. Both discover the affair in different ways and impart as much to Ennis and Jack. It is Jack who becomes increasingly frustrated by Ennis's indifference, even as it is Jack's persistence that drives every decision Ennis makes to the point that he is stuck in a life that he largely does not want.

As for the musical elements of the show, if you are expecting a back-in-the-saddle-again-type soundtrack to these themes you would be better served to know that this is a play that incorporates Dan Gillespie Sells melodic score as a transitional element with folktale messaging. It is lyrical, performed by a small onstage band with pieces that are quite beautifully sung by the Balladeer (Kat Eggleston), who also plays a significant role at one point on stage. Cox covers multiple roles and Alina Jenine Taber rounds out the cast as Jack’s ex-wife Lureen.

Tom Pye’s multi-functional scenic design, set at a sloped angle to the Courtyard thrust stage, suggests the mountain scenes with real fire and weather elements and transforms into various other interiors. David Finn’s pastoral lighting and a somber soundscape by Christopher Shutt fit the pace that director Butterell has established for the weighty 90-minute production that has already been extended through June 28 with an additional performance added on June 16.

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
North American Premiere
Brokeback Mountain
Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier
Extended through June 28, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Clue - Broadway in South Bend

Dying For Laughs In Riotous “Clue”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

What will strike you most at the top of the second national tour of “Clue” currently crisscrossing the country, is the massive foyer of a mansion where, in quick succession, the ensemble of characters arrive with invitation in hand and are then whisked off into a non-stop, comic murder mystery. And at the Broadway in South Bend opening on Friday night at the Morris Performing Arts Center, the audience was ready, willing and thoroughly entertained.

Yes, it’s a whodunit and bodies are popping up again and again until you realize there is no real mystery here, it is all for fun. This fine ensemble of comic actors who each define the familiar characters of the famous board game and 1985 film are now, well, for the most part, alive, until they are not. It is not a matter of who but when, how, and by whom, of course.

Unlike the Hasbro board game, there is only one possible conclusion in this production—original screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and book by Sandy Ruskin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price—that allows endless avenues and rabbit holes to explore along the way. Just as you think that it is all chaos and confusion, you are wrangled back on course with a twist of the knife or a fatal conk on the noggin that leads to another highly-stylized group romp from room to room.

Director Casey Hushion has the spirited company operating on full throttle for a precise 90 minutes, a mix of shock, awe and riotous antics you would expect when bodies are dropping left and right. It all unfolds on Lee Savage’s impressive and elegant mansion set with hidden doorways, expanding rooms, and spilt-second changes awash in the sights and sounds of a dark and stormy night courtesy of Ryan O’Gara’s stellar lighting design, Jeff Human’s keen sound design and all gussied up in Jen Caprio’s outrageous costumes.

The talented company who are in lock step all night are: Sarah Mackenzie Baron (Mrs. White), Adam Brett (Wadsworth), Camille Capers (Miss Scarlet), Nate Curlott (Colonel Mustard), Joseph Dalfonso (Mr. Boddy and others), TJ Lamando (Mr. Green), Madeline Raube (Mrs. Peacock), AT Sanders (The Cook and others), Zoie Tannous (Yvette), Kebron Woodfin (The Cop and others) and Kyle Yambiro (Professor Plum). Brett’s Wadworth has one of the longest and most hilarious death scenes ever. You can see that kind of thing in every character all night long. It’s over-the-top, just-for-laughs and it all flies by.

Coming up in the week ahead: the “Clue” tour travels to the Weill Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (6/1-2); the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, Virginia (6/4); the Clay Center in Charleston, West Virginia (6/5); and, the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, South Carolina (6/6-7) where they will be dying for laughs every night.

PHOTO | Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.jpg

Broadway in South Bend
presents
Clue
Morris Performing Arts Center
211 N Michigan Street
South Bend, Indiana
through May 31, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: DEATHTRAP - Dunes Summer Theatre

Dunes Lands with Comically Macabre ‘DEATHTRAP’
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The Dunes Summer Theatre, northwest Indiana’s longest-running summer theater program, kicked off the 75th season this weekend in high style with Ira Levin’s “DEATHTRAP” directed by Michael Lasswell and starring Kevin Lee Giese as Sidney Bruhl, the washed-up playwright who will do anything to get back to Broadway with a hit.

The 1978 play ran for four years on Broadway and still stands as the longest running comedy-thriller in Broadway history. At the Dunes, you can certainly see why the show has made such a mark over the years. It is a fast-paced series of surprising plot-twists and chilling turns that take place a few hours north of Manhattan in the study of the Bruhl’s carriage house in Westport, Connecticut that has been meticulously designed by Lasswell including an impressive array of weapons and a fair amount of surprises all its own. It is here that Bruhl and his wife Myra (Jann Iaco) discuss the play that Bruhl’s former student Clifford Anderson (Michael Bond) has sent to him for review and comment. That all leads to Anderson coming later in the evening and the wrapping—and unravelling—of the story.

Early on, Helga ten Dorp (Janet Davies), the Bruhls’ eccentric Dutch neighbor, arrives and quickly reveals her psychic abilities, sensing the present and hinting at what lies ahead. From there, the play within the play seems to unfold in a familiar way—or does it?

At the center of the story is Giese’s Bruhl who is consumed by the brilliant work that Bond’s Anderson has created, urging him to join forces to insure a successful Broadway production. Levin uses Bruhl’s desperation and excessive actions as a mirror mixed with satire of the toxic, competitive atmosphere at the time where wealth and greed challenged creativity at every level. Bond is terrific in the role of the talented newcomer, affable and engaging at the outset, a perfect counter to the brooding and manipulative Griese whose tightly wound Bruhl threatens to explode at any minute.

The play hinges on Iaco’s Myra and the Bruhl’s attorney, Porter Milgrim played by Steven Kozelka, but the sparkling performance of the night goes to the effervescent Davies who plays Helga with unbridled passion and a comic sheen that is truly captivating.

Lasswell’s superb set design is enhanced by Arturo Pozos’s unmatched lighting, a brilliant soundscape by Jake Tillman and a warehouse of interesting properties by Sarah Brown that make this show another stunning visual feast for the Dunes Summer Theatre.

PHOTO|Tony V. Martin

Dunes Summer Theatre
presents
DEATHTRAP
288 Shady Oak Dr
Michigan City, IN
through June 14, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: South Pacific - Paramount Theatre

“There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame!”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The first decade of the impressive creative collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II spawned “Oklahoma! (1943),” “Carousel (1945),” “Allegro (1947),” “South Pacific (1949)” and “The King and I (1951).” Many followed—including “The Sound of Music (1959),” shortly before Hammerstein’s death—characterized by lush vocal arrangements, robust orchestrations and stories that challenged social norms. These stories, in some cases based on real people, changed how their audience viewed musicals, peeling back our own biases and revealing the raw, powerful emotions of love, loss and survival.

“Oklahoma!” received a special Pulitzer Prize Citation in 1944 for elevating the art form, but it was “South Pacific” that earned the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, one of only ten musicals to date to hold that distinction. Beyond the memorable score and compelling story adapted from James A. Michener’s own Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Tales of the Pacific” with the steady hand of Joshua Logan, the musical was controversial, epic and a colossal success, running for 1,925 performances.

And now, over 75 years later, the soaring melodies at the heart of “South Pacific,” as evidenced by the exceptional production now playing at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, still stay with you long after the final curtain. The Devon Hayakawa|Trent Stork directed revival stars the diminutive powerhouse Allsun O’Mallory as Nellie Forbush and a commanding performance by Devin Archer as Emile De Becque who find love on a south seas island during World War II.

The other love story, the developing relationship between Lt. Joseph Cable (Anthony Maggio) and Liat (Louisa Darr), leads to De Becque and Cable forming an alliance and teaming up for a dangerous mission to gather information on enemy positions and movements in the region, a serious departure from the fun and frivolity early on.

With a cast of over thirty, many making their first appearance at Paramount, and more than a dozen musicians under the musical direction of Kory Danielson who conducts, this is as massive a production of this classic that you will see. With Morgan DiFonzo’s fast-paced choreography, particularly in the O’Mallory-led ensemble numbers “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and “I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy,” and in the high-flying “Honey Bun” showcasing the belly-dancing skills of Matthew Michael Janisse who shines as the hilarious wheeler-dealer Seabee Luther Billis. Competing for Billis’s business is Liat’s mother Bloody Mary played by Cindy Chang, who pushes grass skirts and shrunken heads for a price while scheming to match her daughter with a husband. Mary’s tender homage to the mysterious island of “Bali Ha’i” lures Cable there to find and fall for Liat, that has all the signs of an ill-fated match.

It is Cable’s somber “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” that strikes at the prejudicial core of “South Pacific,” both in his relationship with Liat and between Nellie and Emile. O’Mallory’s “A Cockeyed Optimist” and Archer’s “Some Enchanted Evening” and “This Nearly Was Mine” are terrific. And the always boisterous and bawdy “There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame” does not disappoint, amped up a bit here by some very buff Seabee-like types who have definitely been on an island by themselves too long. It’s all in good fun and what makes Paramount Theatre’s “South Pacific” an enchanting evening out for the whole family.

PHOTO|Boris Martin

Paramount Theatre
presents
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
SOUTH PACIFIC
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
through June 14, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Delightfully Devious Duo Meets Rotund Rapscallion!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Directed with comic zeal by Phillip Breen and featuring Jason Simon in a terrific performance as the rotund rapscallion Sir John Falstaff, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s lively production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is a rip-roaring farce if ever there was one. Set in modern times that often stretch the imagination, the sparkling cast delivers a robustly-paced theatrical gem on Navy Pier!  

Breen’s familiarity with the challenging material pays off. He has certainly discovered every intended comic opportunity—and countless others for good measure—and hits the mark at every turn, all centered around the dubious exploits of Simon’s Falstaff that fail like clockwork, not once, but three times at the hands of the delightfully devious duo of Mistress Ford (Issy Van Randwyck) and Mistress Page (Ora Jones). From the moment they receive identical love letters from Sir John, the two work in tandem to cook his goose while remaining undetected by their husbands, Master Page (Chiké Johnson) and Master Ford (Timothy Edward Kane), despite suspicions to the contrary. Aye, there’s the rub!

Who could blame them for their playful mischievousness? Falstaff’s overt desires turn away his entourage (the entertaining trio of Bardolph (Teddy Gales), Pistol (Colin Huerta), and Nym (Zack Bloomfield)—leaving him vulnerable to the combined forces of the merry wives and the spirited Mistress Quickly (a charming role for Nancy Voigts). As a result, Falstaff must unwittingly fend for himself, eluding discovery by the jealous Ford (Kane) by stuffing his magnificence in a laundry box that is later tossed away in the Thames and then forced to don lady’s clothing and endure an unseen thrashing during a hasty retreat. Throughout, Simon’s Falstaff is never the victim, but rather a hapless fop, like a dog with bone, easily swayed by flattery and the promise of passionate fulfillment. When he concedes a third time to a meeting in Windsor Park, now in the guise of “Herne the Hunter” with everyone in on the ruse, Falstaff is finally, and publicly, humiliated for his transgressions, and must makes amends.

In addition to the brilliant performances by Randwyck, Jones and Kane, the cast is loaded with Chicago talent from top to bottom including Nick Sandys (Sir Hugh Andrews), Paul Oakley Stovall (Justice Shallow), Alex Weisman (Slender), Nate Burger (Dr. Caius) and Bret Tuomi (Host of the Garter Inn). In the love story, Oliva Pryor is an earnest Anne Page, whose marital future lies with one of three suitors, Caius, Slender and Fenton, who is played by Sam Bell-Gurwitz, and is the true object of her affections.

Rich scenic and lavish costume designs by Max Jones—particularly the Ford’s elegant home, the Garter Inn and in the haunting Windsor Park—are visually striking with notable surprises dropping down from above and phoning in from below. The Jentes Family Courtyard Theatre is awash in Marcus Doshi’s crisp lighting design and the lush soundscape by Lindsay Jones, with the clever use of some contemporary songs that bust out along the way.

All in, Shakes “Merry Wives” is at its’ very merry best when Simon is uproariously navigating the fine line of reckless passion and the resulting over-the-top antics set in motion by the far superior wives who keep us rooting for his inevitable comeuppance. From his larger-than-life grand entrance to his humbling demise, Simon delivers a flawless performance and rightly receives a glorious and genuinely warm last laugh for his efforts, sprinkled with a tender touch of finality for one of Shakespeare’s most enduring characters.

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Navy Pier
through May 3, 2026

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