Ravinia Festival’s 2010 Gala Benefit Evening honors the 80^th birthday of the great American composer Stephen Sondheim with a program featuring an evening of Sondheim’s “greatest hits,” starring Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, George Hearn and Michael Cerveris on Saturday, July 31. Conductor Paul Gemignani leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lonny Price will direct. The program will include highlights from past Ravinia Festival presentations of Sondheim shows including Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Passion, Sunday in the Park with George, Anyone Can Whistle and Gypsy.

Awaken your inner “Dancing Queen” as the largest touring ABBA tribute band in the world, Arrival from Sweden, returns to the Ravinia stage at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 30. This concert will feature a live video screen on the lawn. Following the show, the band will participate in an artist signing in front of Ravinia Gifts.

Eclipse continues its Arthur Miller season with a brilliant production of Miller’s 1964 autobiographical masterpiece, After the Fall. Living in a hotel, his second wife and mother dead, Quentin looks back on his life’s journey in the context of contemplating a new relationship, asking himself what, if anything, he can bring to that new love. Centered on one man’s psychic journey through his life, the tale is told in non-linear fashion with the various characters playing out moments of importance with both Quentin and each other.

Of no small significance to the baring of the character’s soul is his role in acting as a friend’s attorney in a McCarthy hearing before the United States Senate and the internal and external devastation that this involvement imposes. Both Quentin’s struggle with the expectations laid at his feet and his personal internal distance from various events in his life are painfully compelling, but especially so when addressing these issues. It is apparent that his friends who were Communist party members when they were young are all disdainful of their involvement—the issue of  breaking faith in naming names addresses not any loyalty to the Communist party but rather the bounds of human friendship and interaction, all of which are issues with which Quentin mightily struggles.

The material is stunning on so many personal and interpersonal levels, and the Eclipse ensemble deftly wrings every nuance from it, serving up a gripping performance that will have you talking long after you walk out of the theater. As difficult as it may be to come out of that languid summer stupor for something this intellectual, it is worth it for this one.  Through August 22, 2010 at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln, Chicago.  Go to www.eclipsetheatre.com for more information.

A Streetcar Named Desire - Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the third—and final—extension of Tennessee Williams’ critically-acclaimed A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by David Cromer. Due to unprecedented demand, the production has been extended an additional two weeks, through August 15, at Writers’ Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.

One of Chicago ’s foremost directors takes on one of the country’s greatest plays.  After staging last season’s acclaimed production of Picnic, David Cromer returns to Writers’ Theatre.  Blanche DuBois, an aging southern belle, arrives unexpectedly on the doorstep of her sister Stella and her explosive brother-in-law Stanley.  Over the course of one hot and steamy New Orleans summer, Blanche’s fragile façade slowly crumbles, wreaking havoc on Stella and Stanley’s already turbulent relationship. Embodying the turmoil and drama of a changing nation, A Streetcar Named Desire strips Williams’ tortured characters of their illusions, leaving a wake of destruction in their path. Tickets are on sale through the Writers’ Theatre box office, 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org.

Lookingglass Alice - The theatre proudly announces the extension of its popular, family-friendly production, Lookingglass Alice. The limited run of Lookingglass Theatre Company’s Lookingglass Alice has been extended by two weeks, through August 15, 2010 at Lookingglass Theatre Company, located inside Chicago’s historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave.

Lookingglass Theatre Company’s hit Lookingglass Alice, which inspired the founding of the Theatre more than 20 years ago, tumbles its way down the rabbit-hole for its fourth smash-hit run at Chicago’s historic Water Tower Water Works.  When it premiered in February 2005, Lookingglass Alice became an instant hit, played to sold-out audiences, and enjoyed two extensions.  When the production returned home to Chicago in summer 2007 following a successful East Coast tour, it again played to sold-out houses and was twice extended. This year, the production traveled to The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Syracuse Stage and the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta; the 2010 Chicago production marks the tenth time Lookingglass Alice has been produced since 2005. Tickets are available on www.lookingglasstheatre.org or by phone at (312) 337-0665.

Broadway In Chicago, in partnership with the City of Chicago, will present the annual BROADWAY IN CHICAGO CONCERT AT TASTE OF CHICAGO, hosted by ABC/7 Janet Davis on Monday, June 28 at 6:00 pm @ the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park (235 S. Columbus Drive).  The concert will features some of Broadway’s hottest shows during the festival and continues the celebration of Broadway In Chicago ’s 10 Year Anniversary.

This year’s concert includes an extraordinary lineup of special performances, from Billy Elliot, Shrek, Rock of Ages, The Lion King, Traces, Wicked, Hair and Million Dollar Quartet.  Audiences will also catch an exclusive first look at the newly imagined Stephen Schwartz musical Working, premiering next year at the new Broadway Playhouse, and Not Wanted On, the American Music Theatre Project’s newest undertaking, performing this summer at Northwestern University. Nowhere else in the world is this kind of entertainment available for free to an audience of over 10,000.

A special appearance by the 2010 NHL Champion Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the Stanley Cup will be the core of the concert as Chicago continues to celebrate the win.

For more information about the concert visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

by Rhonda Walker

Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole has never been quite as enticing!  This adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass will equally delight fans of the books and those unfamiliar.   After her tumble, the production finds Alice stepping from chess square to chess square, encountering beloved characters from the books at each move in her quest to grow up and become a queen.

The production is a return to the company’s circus inspired theatre and finds Alice’s story taking a gymnastic turn as she flies through the air, falls from the sky and seemingly defies gravity, all the while delighting the audience with moments of absolute hilarity and stunning beauty as she encounters the likes of the Red Queen, Humpty Dumpty and the Mad Hatter.  Molly Brennan is fabulous as the Red Queen.  This character defines the word mercurial and Ms. Brennan is able to convey it all with the slightest expression.

The staging is compelling and the music simply lovely.  While the environment itself is spare, this allows for emphasis on creative and clever ways to bring the fairy tale to life including a magical interlude wherein the Red Queen is blown out to sea on a red umbrella.

The material is that rare commodity that appeals to all ages on different levels.  In its fourth year, this production is no less magical then any of its prior stagings.  With each year, the company finds new depth and interest in the material rendering a production sure to appeal to all kids, whether 8 or 80.  The theatre’s home is in the Water Tower.  Water Works at 821 N. Michigan Avenue, making this perfect for a lovely evening in a historic building and perhaps a quick trip to Ghiradelli or Bistro 110, both of which are just across the street.

Through August 1, 2010. For more information visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org.

by Rhonda Walker

Mississippi Charles Bevel, Felicia Fields, Gregory Porter and Sandra Reaves-Phillips shine in Northlight’s production of Low Down Dirty Blues. Set in a blues nightclub, the artists weave commentary with blues numbers in superb fashion. With an emphasis on the dirty, the chosen songs are bawdy, delivered with just the right note of double entendre that keeps the audience deliciously amused.

The performance is heavy on music. While light on commentary, any that is made is on-point. When Charles Bevel’s character comments on the tourist call for the same songs over and over, which he has come to think of as the seven minutes of hell, blues lovers can all relate.  Those numbers are thankfully absent

While some great blues standards such as Booker Jones’ Born under a Bad Sign and the perennial blues classic popularized by Muddy Waters, Got my Mojo Working, are weaved into the performance, the repertoire is heavy on songs not performed as often as they should be.  Felicia Fields delivers a sublime performance of Good Morning Heartache. Billie Holiday is a hard act to follow, but Ms. Fields makes this song her own, delivering a lovely and touching performance of it.  Charles Bevel’s performance of Grapes of Wrath is simply mesmerizing. Ending the night with gospel standards, including Lord I Tried, is just the right note, with the performers’ rich voices joined in an unforgettable chorus.

Looking at the biographies of the actors, it becomes understandable why the performance feels so authentic.  These are four music and stage industry veterans with stellar credentials and experience with the repertoire. The history of the blues is so intertwined with Chicago that anyone living here should know some of its history. This performance is a slice that alludes to the early history of the blues, one that is largely gone with the death of many of the early performers.

Music fans will delight. Through July 3, 2010 at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Illinois.  Go to www.northshorecenter.org for ticket information.

by David Cohen

From the creators of the original Broadway hit sensation Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy comes a new journey of nighttime dreamers whose imaginations are ignited within a landscape of towering buildings and infinite possibilities.

Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams ILLUMINATION is simply dazzling and electrifying! I warn you guys, you will be drooling over and over again looking at these incredible bodies doing the impossible.

Under the law of physics, these body movements are simply impossible and way too risky. This is for sure a good reason for anybody to stand up and cheer for all the talent on stage.

This international cast of world-class acrobats, athletes, musicians and dancers are bringing to the stage an original music score with great tempo, many inventive costumes and breathe taking magical acrobatic moves that transform the landscape of a city into thrills and disbelief.

Illumination is an excellent choice for any age. It is a journey to the impossible and you will witness what the human body can do with balance, energy and how it can redefine the risks of flight in an array of astounding occurrences that transform the ordinary into extraordinary. This show is simply outstanding. Bravo!!!

June 2-6, 2010 at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 w. Monroe. Tickets from $25-$75, For more information visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com

by Rhonda Walker

Court Theatre concludes a Chicago celebration of Athol Fugard and its own season with Sizwe Banzi is Dead.  Set in South Africa, the play originally premiered in 1972, but remains politically relevant today in exploring universal themes of self-respect, identity and freedom.  The story initially takes place in the photographic studio of Styles, a self-made man whose running commentary on newspaper headlines, his patrons and their lives, in the context of apartheid South Africa,  is warm, funny and at times, painfully observant.  The last client who presents himself at the shop, Robert Zwelinzima, seems almost uncomfortable in his own skin.  As the play progresses, and the scene shifts to the tale of Sizwi Banzi, we learn that he and Zwelinzima are one in the same and learn of the torturous impositions that have led to this forced transformation.

As it becomes apparent that the only way Banzi can keep he and his family alive is to, in effect, die and assume another’s identity, the intimate details of apartheid become very real. This is a world in which you are required to have a native identity book assigned to you and the stamps in that book inform where you can live and work. The fact of starvation in the absence of jobs in your assigned area is of no consequence.

Fugard collaborated on the play with  actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona who had  become domestic servants for him after quitting their jobs to become full-time actors.  Otherwise,  because the South African government did not recognize acting as a legal profession for blacks, they would have been relocated.   In a true case of art imitating life, the play rings a visceral chord.   Despite the elegant, humorous writing, there is no denying the palpable desperation prompting Sizwe’s decisions and the uncertainty of his future.

Through June 13, 2010 at Court Theatre, 5535 W. Ellis Avenue, Chicago.  Go to www.CourtTheatre.org for details.

by Rhonda Walker

Profiles concludes its 21^st season with the Midwest premiere of Body Awareness by Annie Baker.  Set in a Vermont town on a small liberal arts college campus, it is Body Awareness Week and the college has scheduled various events on the topic.  Coordinating these efforts is Phyllis, a psychology professor who with her partner, Joyce, host a guest artist in their home.  Their guest, Frank, is a photographer who specializes in portraits of nude women of all ages and body type.  Rounding out the cast is Jared, Joyce’ son who obsesses over the Oxford English Dictionary, works at McDonalds, has no friends and more than his share of body dysmorphia.

Over the course of the week, Phyllis, allegedly offended by Frank’s portraits and more likely,  by Joyce’s open-minded reaction to them, is shown in sharp contrast:  by day an open-minded liberal and by night,  dogmatic and reactionary with her reactions to Frank both as a man and an artist, highlighting her prejudices. Her reactions to Jared, in labeling him as suffering from Aspergers Syndrome  are contrasted with Joyce’s non-commital attitude on the subject and Frank’s dismissive one, insisting that Jared just needs male guidance. The result is a quirky, slice of life play which is heart-felt.  The ensemble is terrific with kudos to Eric Burgher for his incredibly convincing and heartbreaking performance as Jared. While Ms. Baker’s characters sometimes lack a certain nuance that makes some reactions seem without basis, the overall collision of the themes presented,  result in a play that is funny, sometimes sad and quite thought provoking.

Through June 27, 2010 at Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago.  Go to www.profilestheatre.org for more details.

by Rhonda Walker

Fuerza Bruta brings its dynamic performance art to the Auditorium Theatre from Argentina by way of a world tour.  The mood is set the minute you walk in the door.  The lobby, opened one hour before the performance, has been transformed into a lounge with modern, low slung furniture, mood lighting and club music with the bar serving cocktails and truly delicious empanadas.

This mood continues as you walk into the theater and up the stairs to the stage.  Enter the curtain and you are enveloped by fog and music.  The performance has no story line.  As you stand on the stage, you are immersed in visual art as various scenes are performed in, around and above the audience.  Platforms with performers periodically move through with a D.J. in the corner choreographing the music, lighting and effects. A water filled platform above the stage is used to great effect with the performers sliding through the water on see through vinyl and at times, using the water itself to create interesting visual patterns.  This platform is suspended high over the stage and is gradually lowered to within touching distance. One of the more sublime pieces of the evening involves the use of a mylar-type curtain stretched across the width of the stage and against which two performers on wires tumble back and forth in front of the curtain.

This is participatory theater. Water is sprayed, horns blare, strobes flash and the fog rolls.  The original music is fabulous, alternating between throbbing dance selections, and sublime chill music which is slightly tribal.  You can’t help but move and want to be a part of the art, all of which is encouraged.

Artistic Director, Diqui James describes the concept, in part,  as brutally happy.  This is an apt description.  Think about your best, sweaty club night, but G rated- in all your clothes- and with great, abstract performance art.  Perfect for a summer evening, get your groove on and get primed for a night of club hopping with a stop at the Auditorium to see Look Up.

Through July 25, 2010 at the Auditorium Theatre.  go to www.fuerzabruta.net or www.BroadwayInChicago.com for more information.