Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
HAIR The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical – – is it a nostalgic romp or does it have relevance to a contemporary audience? Whether you intend to see this Kokandy production at the Chopin Theatre or just want to know more about this historically pivotal musical …
Have you ever heard the name or term Scaramouche? Maybe you remember it in the bohemian rhapsody or maybe you’ve seen the 1952 film? The 18th century tale set on the eve of the French Revolution, based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini’s may not have …
A widowed father informed that his child has been killed during a protest, forces him to consider whether a cash settlement can possibly soothe his grief – in the process, we witness how public institutions and policies, in an attempt to remain impartial, reduce tragedy to a transaction while ignoring the emotional needs of individuals.
This somewhat mystical world premiere production by Tarell Alvin McCraney, features Michael Potts as Mr. Mano receiving advice from Glenn Davis (Steppenwolf Theater’s Co-Artistic Director) as the father’s dead son Marcus, who urges him to take the money and run.
Windfall at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1646 N. Halsted Street, Chicago is recommended and playing through May 31st, 2026 — runtime is about 2 hours with one 10-minute intermission. Visit Steppenwolf.org for tickets and information.
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The Cast
Eli – Esco Jouléy
Henri ‘Mr. Mano’ Tamaño – Michael Potts
First Lady, Miss Second, The Last One – Alana Arenas
Marcus – Glenn Davis
Nurse, Cori – Jon Michael Hill
Officer, Brother 1 – Namir Smallwood
A review of The Ally by Itamar Moses at Theater Wit in Chicago. Directed under the steady hand of Jeremy Wechsler, this is a provocative, sometimes humorous look at activism, identity, and what happens when good deeds lead to bad outcomes. A look into the …
Set circa 1927 — at the height of the Great Migration, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is rooted in personal trauma, systemic racism and economic exploitation. Ma Rainey is the leading artist of a struggling Chicago based blues label. Four of her backing musicians sitting in a rehearsal …
The Sugar Wife, is a compelling and emotionally charged drama by Elizabeth Kuti, presented by Artistic Home at Theater Wit. This episode explores a story where faith, repression, privilege, and desire intersect inside the home of an affluent Quaker couple in mid-nineteenth century Dublin.
When a formerly enslaved African‑American woman and her companion arrive for a ten‑week stay, their presence disrupts the household’s carefully maintained façade. What follows is a revealing examination of integrity, sexual power, and the quiet bargains people make to reconcile their beliefs with their actions.
With standout performances from Annie Hogan, Todd Wojcik, Ashayla Calvin, John LaFlamboy, and Kristin Collins, all guided by the sensitive and intimate direction of Kevin Hagan. This U.S. premiere production offers a rich meditation on renewal, moral struggle, and the complex social expectations of the 19th century.
Running through May 3, 2026, at Theater Wit in Chicago, The Sugar Wife is a highly recommended experience for theater lovers seeking thought‑provoking storytelling and powerful ensemble work.
Be sure to click through to listen to the entire podcast review (~6 minutes).
🎧 Subscribe to Chicago Broadcasting Network for more Chicago theater reviews, arts coverage, and cultural insights — and stay tuned for upcoming episodes, including a review of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Goodman Theatre.
White Rooster a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit, draws from a personal family story rooted in early 1900s China. The inventive and haunting play with original music reimagines an American ghost town, weaving together puppetry, movement, and song. …
This episode is a review of “Changing Channels”, a fictionalized look at the 1950s TV blacklist, inspired by Jackie Gleason and The Honeymooners, exploring the historical roots, standout performances, and modern relevance. Listen to the full audio review to learn more about this production and …
The latest premiere from Thompson Street Opera Company, offered Chicago audiences a campy, queer operatic cabaret production filled with drag performance, bel canto vocal artistry, and a delightfully unconventional storyline.
Presented at Bramble Arts Loft in Andersonville as Off-Nights at the Sometimes Café, the production featured seven sexually ambiguous characters navigating romance and artistic expression during the week day nights of an otherwise bustling drag club.
Narrated by pianist Kingsley Day, whose dry wit and androgynous presence set the tone for this humorously dramatic cantata that showcased exceptional voices including Katherine Petersen, Jade Dasha, Brian Pember, and Alexander Quakenbush.
Composer Dave Walther’s score evokes early 20th‑century operetta while embracing a modern queer sensibility, resulting in a performance that is both nostalgic and boldly original.
With drag‑infused choreography by Jordan Ricks and a finale that builds to a chaotic, contrapuntal climax, Off‑Nights proves that opera, especially in the hands of adventurous companies like Thompson Street Opera, can be accessible, humorous, and irresistibly compelling.
Be sure to use the link above to listen to the complete review.
Music Theater Works’ production of CATS at Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is a nonstop “catcaphony” of frenzied feline fun. With elements of musical theater, dance, opera and acrobatics there is definitely something for everyone. CATS is a must-see for anyone looking …
UPDATE: The 10-time 2025 Jeff Award–nominated musical JEKYLL & HYDE will make its Broadway In Chicago debut at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut St.), September 8 through October 25. Visit https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/jekyll-hyde/ for tickets and information. For those unfamiliar with the …
The highlight of The Dance of Death at Steppenwolf is the outstanding set design of Collette Pollard, that dominates the stage. Featuring an impressive, ancient, oppressive, dimly lit three story plaster and brick edifice, that apparently was a former jail, it is now the military home of a company commander and his wife located on an offshore island.
Set in Scandinavia sometime in the late 19th or early 20th Century, Alice (Kathryn Erbe) and Edgar (Jeff Perry) will soon be marking the 25TH anniversary of their mostly unhappy marriage. The structure serves as a physical representation of the couple’s own feelings of entrapment and isolation.
The two are alienated from their community, their extended family, their teenaged children and most importantly from each other.
Edgar is an aging soldier who only feels alive when there is conflict in his life, while Alice a former actress requires constant drama.
The arrival of an old friend Kurt (Cliff Chamberlain) offers an opportunity for distraction as each try to engage him as an ally, but ultimately, they treat him more like a mouse that has wandered in and is unable to find his way out, becoming simultaneously an object of amusement, intrusion and torment.
Details: Dance of Death at Steppenwolf, 1650 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, through March 22, 2026. Runtime about 2 and a half hours with one intermission. For tickets visit Steppenwolf.org or call (312)335-1650.
Be sure to click through and listen to the entire podcast.
There are two more plays coming up this weekend so if you are a current subscriber there will be a flurry of activity in your inbox from us. But keep in mind we drop podcasts as things occur rather than on a regular schedule so it can be rather uneven in terms of frequency.
My goal is also to keep my podcasts short ( around 5 to 7 minutes or so) to provide informative, actionable, informative and hopefully at least occasionally entertaining advice and insight.
Reviewer: Reno Lovison