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April Fool’s, But Noone Was Fooled…
By Flo Mano with Wes Hessel On April 1st at the Harris Theater in Chicago, The National Hellenic Museum conducted a mock trial of Themistocles, an ancient Greek hero who was accused of treason. Themistocles was an Athenian politician with proletarian beginnings, who rose to prominence in 459 BC from the populist class, and was […]
Rivendell Lose Momentum at Their 30th? “No Such Thing”
By Nick Nicholas with Wes Hessel Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, a Chicago-based theatre that focuses on exploring women’s stories in an intimate storefront is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the world premier of “No Such Thing”, a new play written by ensemble member Lisa Dillman and directed by Malkia Stampley. No one person or entity would […]
It’s Sunny at Shakespeare
By Cate Rees-Hessel Once again, Chicago Shakespeare at Navy Pier pulls out all of the stops with the North American premiere of “Sunny Afternoon”. This high energy musical tells the story of The Kinks rise to fame and the tumultuous relationship of the band members. There is significant serious drama in the show with elements […]
125 Years of Chicago’s Ruth Page International Dance Legacy
By Nick Nicholas with Wes Hessel Center Stage at Ruth Page was a two day festival celebrating the life, art, and legacy of its founder. Two nights of exhilarating dance to pay tribute to Chicago’s dance icon and choreographer, born 125 years ago. About ten professional companies with a diverse body of works accepted the […]
Rosie is Riveting…
By Nick Nicholas with Wes Hessel The band Rosie and The Rivets at The Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University (GSU) delighted everyone in the audience with its full sound, powerful vocals, as well as genuine and authentic delivery of smash hit songs of yesteryear onwards – songs which made history in […]
It’s “Artrageous”…
By Nick Nicholas with Wes Hessel The “Artrageous” show at The Center for the Performing Arts at Governors State University (GSU) was a high energy, immersive theatre production, a colorful and most entertaining blend of live painting, music, singing, dancing, comedy, and audience interaction. The painter artists are collaborating with the live music band, working […]
“Fact”-Finding Mission
By Wes Hessel with Cate Rees-Hessel The latest play at Oil Lamp Theater in downtown Glenview poses the provocative question, what should be “The Lifespan of a Fact”? Where does one draw the line between artistic license and accuracy? Should journalistic integrity, emotional observation, or potential liability be the deciding factor? This engrossing drama, peppered […]
“Bee” There or Be Square
By Wes Hessel Even before my years of reviewing, I had heard of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, though I had never had the chance to see it. Being many theater groups produce it, I presumed it to be a new modern classic – that doesn’t even begin to cover the great humor […]
Weighty “Winning Works”
By Flo Mano with Wes Hessel The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet has its 15th anniversary celebration of “The Winning Works”, featuring five world premieres at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) from March 14th to 23rd. This year’s anniversary competition has resulted in the selection of exceptional artists whose works embody a pioneering […]
“The School for Scandal” is in Session
By Catherine Hellmann with Wes Hessel Written in 1777 by Richard B. Sheridan (no, that is not a typo for the year), “The School for Scandal” has “social elite who put today’s worst social influencers to shame,” according to the press release. Idle Muse’s exuberant new production makes this old-fashioned comedy of manners a very […]
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