Review: Court Theatre Puts a Feminist Twist on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew
I have contemplated the versions of The Taming of the Shrew that I have seen over the years. I never liked the premise that a woman should be trained to […]
Kathy D. Hey writes creative non-fiction essays. A lifelong Chicagoan, she is enjoying life with her husband, daughter and three dogs in the wilds of Edgewater. When she isn’t at her computer, she is in her garden growing vegetables and herbs for kitchen witchery.
Review: Genius, Envy and Madness on Display in Amadeus at Steppenwolf Theatre
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whenever I speak or hear the name, his glorious and stirring Requiem is the first thing that springs to mind. Sir Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus is now playing […]
Review: Ensemble Español’s 50th Anniversary Performance Is ¡Fantastico! But Marred by Stage Effects
Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday at the Auditorium. It is another treasure in Chicago’s glittering and vibrant cultural scene, .yet another distinguished dance company […]
Review: Echoes of Excellence Carries the Legacy of Black Artists in Opera
Some of the finest singers in opera today performed last Saturday on the newly christened Robert and Penelope Steiner Parquet at the Civic Opera House. The concert was a product […]
Review: Chicago Repertory Ballet Brings the Drama Before the Balcony with The Capulets
The Capulets is a new ballet created and directed by Wade Schaaf, artistic director of Chicago Repertory Ballet. This world premiere is a multimedia collaboration with fantastic projection design by […]
Review: The Joffrey Ballet Delivers Classical and Soul/Funk Ballet in Matters of the Heart
One of the things I love most about humanity is that there are so many paths in tune with spiritual matters. I am not talking about religion. I am thinking […]
Interview: Funding the Future and Filling the Gaps—A Conversation with 3Arts Executive Director Cat Tager
3Arts traces its roots back over 100 years to Jane Addams and her work on behalf of women and immigrants. The 3Arts Club was one of eight clubs spanning the […]
Review: Lyric Opera Stages a Double Bill of Love, Passion, and Rage With Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci
The Lyric Opera of Chicago gives us a fall doubleheader with two classic Italian operas rooted in the verismo tradition. Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (1890) and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (1892) […]
Review: An Exuberant Nova Linea Musica Evening with Owls at Guarneri Hall
I felt an extra sense of excitement about going to Guarneri Hall on a windy evening. Nova Linea Musica presents the finest chamber music experience in Chicago, and the performers […]
Review: Herbie Hancock Is Still a Jazz Master in His Fifth Symphony Center Performance
Herbie Hancock landed in Chicago for his fifth appearance in a Symphony Center Presents Jazz performance. His band included another jazz master, Terence Blanchard on the trumpet, James Genus on […]
Interview: Maestro Enrique Mazzola Shares his Vision for the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Maestro Enrique Mazzola is now entering his 5th year as music director and conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mazzola is the third music director since Bruno Bartoletti, when […]
Review: It’s a Revival! Music Theater Works Revisits Godspell Over 50 Years Later
The musical Godspell was a colossal hit off-Broadway, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by John Michael Tebelak. It was 1971, and the news trumpeted stories about […]