Sunday, 30 August 2026 11:27
City Lit’s Shane Saddles Up a Classic Western With Fresh Heart
Written by Angelo Campos
City Lit Theatre’s world premiere of Shane, adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Pracht, brings a fresh, nostalgic perspective to Jack Schaefer’s classic novel - a story immortalized by Alan Ladd in the memorable 1953 film. Pracht, who has been developing this piece since the 2000s, crafts the…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Saturday, 29 August 2026 13:29
In Sisters, Barrie Turns an AI Fable into an Impressive Character Study
Written by Angelo Campos
The rise of artificial intelligence raises many questions about its effect on humanity. What does it mean if we become increasingly reliant on AI to think for us, create for us, and entertain us? What happens if this tool encroaches into our lives in ways it never should? Matthew Libby’s…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Thursday, 27 August 2026 14:56
Buddy Holly’s Brilliance, Reawakened on the Drury Lane Stage
Written by Kimberly Katz
Drury Lane Theatre opens its latest musical with a warm jolt of rock ’n’ roll energy as Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, by Alan James, returns to the stage, decades after its 1989 debut at the Plymouth Theatre Royal in England. What began as a modest jukebox biography has…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Buddy Holly
- Buddy The Buddy Holly Story
- Drury Lane Theatre
- Alan James
- jukebox musical
- Matthew D Carney
- Kenny Ingram
- Joey Chelius
- Alek Boggio
- Grant Alexander Brown
- Elliot Coe Esquivel
- Richie Valens
- The Big Bopper
- Waylon Jennings
- Samantha Sayah
- Eric Andrew Lewis
- Marta Bady
- Russell Mernaugh
- Peggy Sue
- Oh Boy
- 1950s music
- rockabilly
- Rock and Roll
Tuesday, 25 August 2026 19:25
Playmakers Lab’s That’s Weird Grandma’s 25th Birthday is a fine place to giggle
Written by Susan Lieberman
If you need an energy boost, skip the can of Monster and get yourself, plus loved ones of any age, to Playmakers Lab’s tasty birthday cake of a show. The very first edition of That’s Weird, Grandma, culled from Chicago elementary school students’ stories, occurred in the spring of 2001.…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 18 August 2026 13:05
‘Anatomy of a Suicide’ Is Hard to Watch, But Not Because of the Subject
Written by Bill Esler
Perhaps surprisingly, Anatomy of a Suicide is not an overwhelmingly emotionally gripping play, nor is it horrifying. Instead, it vividly portrays the slow drip of suffering for Carol, a woman in the grip of depression, living always with suicidal tendencies. It also presents the impact of an intergenerational transference of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 17 August 2026 12:40
Hail Mary/Maria at Theater Wit – A Welcome New Slant on Crossing Over into Adulthood
Written by Mitchell Oldham
Coming of age stories resonate more profoundly when they mirror the lived reality of a real person. That’s why the firecracker of a play, Hail Mary/Maria, that’s just begun its far too short run at Theater Wit, is must-see theater for just about anybody who counts themselves as a member…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Monday, 17 August 2026 14:36
Oil Lamp's I Love You Because has heart, despite lukewarm romance
Written by Angelo Campos
Finding love has always been a challenge. In Jane Austen’s day, a time governed by strict rules of courtship, couples had to avoid mistakes that could potentially ruin a reputation. One might think that the complexities of dating would have eased over time, yet modern romance remains just as fraught…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Sunday, 16 August 2026 12:41
Bernstein’s Score Burns Bright in Music Theater Works’ West Side Story
Written by Kimberly Katz
Some musicals carry such cultural weight that every new production feels like a referendum on how well a company can honor the original while making it feel alive again. West Side Story is one of those titles - a towering achievement in American musical theatre, a work whose emotional force…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- West Side Story
- Music Theater Works
- Leonard Bernstein
- Stephen Sondheim
- North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
- Skokie
- Romeo and Juliet
- Shakespeare
- Jerome Robbins
- Isabella Ruano
- Pauleth Jauregui
- Luke Nowakowski
- Emmanuel Ramirez
- Kameron Rojas Schueneman
- Connor Ripperger
- Eric Desnoyers
- Officer Krupke
- Maria
- America
- live theatre
- on stage
- Musical theatre
- chicago theatre
- Chicago events
- Skokie Theatre
- classic
- timeless
Monday, 17 August 2026 01:20
Otherworld Theatre Boldly Goes Again with Starship Edsel Season 4
Written by Ken Payne
Otherworld Theatre blasts back into the cosmos with Season 4 of Starship Edsel: An Improvised Star Trek Parody, the latest chapter in its long-running improvised Star Trek satire. Now in its fourth outing, the misfit crew of the USS Edsel once again shows why the production remains a reliably funny…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- Otherworld Theatre
- Starship Edsel An Improvised Star Trek Parody
- Star Trek
- Starship Edsel
- second city
- Wanjiku Kairu Oliver
- Edward Neequaye
- Matt Kawa
- Carlos Rivera
- Mike Mazzella
- Anthony LeBlanc
- Brandon Brylawski
- Parody
- Satire
- Camp
- Improv
- live theatre
- on stage
- Chicago events
- chicago theatre
- De Maat Theatre
- Trekkie
More...
Theatre 31 Productions’ Gus and Alice has returned to the Greenhouse Theater Center this month. Written by Chicago playwright Mike Rago, the light‑hearted slice‑of‑life comedy follows an elderly married couple whose days revolve around avoiding gluten and surviving a game of Trivial Pursuit. As they enter their next chapter, Alice wonders…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Friday, 14 August 2026 12:58
From Subway Cars to Chicago Stages: Marcus Monroe at The Comedy Bar
Written by Ken Payne
Sometimes the best way to find a comedian who’s new to you is by stumbling onto a clip that stops your scroll cold. That’s exactly how I first encountered Marcus Monroe: a burst of chaotic silliness on Instagram that made me immediately wonder what his full stand-up looked like beyond…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tuesday, 04 August 2026 01:08
ETA’s for colored girls Honors the Enduring Power of Ntozake Shange
Written by Wesley David
Nearly fifty years after its groundbreaking premiere, Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf remains one of the most important works ever written for the American stage. Neither conventional play nor musical, Shange called her work a "choreopoem," a seamless fusion of…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Tagged under
- ETA
- ETA Creative Arts Foundation
- NTOZAKE SHANGE
- For Colored Girls
- for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf
- Black theatre
- Donn Carl Harper
- Nina Simone
- Madison Savannah
- Tina Marie
- Margo Harper
- Deborah Ross
- Tracey Renee
- LA Holts
- Kennedi Coleman
- live theatre
- chicago theatre
- Chicago events
- on stage
- Chicago plays
- powerful plays
Thursday, 06 August 2026 11:40
Love and Time On Our Side: The Notebook: The Musical at Broadway in Chicago
Written by Kendall Royzen
In times of stress, we often turn to familiar and comforting things: a favorite song, a dog-eared book, a movie we’ve seen twenty-seven times. We’re drawn back to the things we know because they have a certain salve to the severity and uncertainty around us. There’s a comfort in knowing…
Published in
Theatre in Review
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
Operation Mincemeat: A Smart, Scrappy Musical That Shines When Its Cast Takes the Wheel
Written by Maddie BurroughsIn the 2019 film Yesterday, a struggling musician wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed. A similar theatrical case study could be done with every musical that might not exist without Hamilton; Operation Mincemeat should be first… -
MAMMA MIA! and HADESTOWN Return to Chicago in Spring 2027
Written by Buzz Center StageBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce two fan-favorite shows are returning to our stages this year: MAMMA MIA! and HADESTOWN. Current subscribers can add these to their season package when renewing by clicking here or calling (312) 977-1717. Group… -
SANCTUARY STORIES - A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT October 9-18 at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture
Written by Buzz Center StageThrough music, documentary video, sound, photos and live actors, “SANCTUARY STORIES: A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT” captures in words and images the lives and communities deeply connected with — and affected by — immigration in Chicago. This “living documentary” is a…
-
Red Theater presents the world premiere of CHURCH HURT October 24 - November 21, 2026
Written by Buzz Center StageRed Theater is thrilled to announce the cast and production team of the world premiere of Church Hurt by Brynne Frauenhoffer and directed by Jessica Love, running October 24 - November 21, 2026 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago’s…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.