Nicole Kidman is having quite a moment. She started 2018 on a high note, with Emmy wins for her contributions to the HBO series “Big Little Lies,” and just kept the momentum […]
Review: Nicole Kidman Transforms in Karen Kusama’s Destroyer
Lisa Trifone
Review: Heart-Wrenching Capernaum Is Essential, If Difficult, Viewing
At the center of Capernaum, the latest film from Lebanese writer/director (and actor) Nadine Labaki (Where Do We Go Now?, Caramel), is one of the year’s best performances, and it’s delivered by someone […]
Review: Barry Jenkins Creates a Masterpiece in Adapting James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk
To those with just a passing awareness of such things, Moonlight may only be known as that film at the center of Envelopegate at the 2017 Academy Awards; the cast and crew […]
Review: On The Basis of Sex Is an Approachable Biopic for an Ambitious American Icon
It could be reasonably argued that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the most important American woman alive today. In a deeply divided political climate, she sits in a pivotal seat […]
Review: Despite Hiccups, Touring Fiddler on the Roof Remains Poignant, Relevant
Fiddler on the Roof premiered on Broadway in 1964, and it was a smash hit. It ran for more than 3,000 performances (a record at the time) and won nine Tony […]
Review: Be Transported by Chicago Shakes’ Magical, Whimsical A Midsummer Night’s Dream
It is perhaps a sign of programming genius that the team at Chicago Shakespeare Theater slotted the whimsical comedy delight A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the middle of a long, cold, dark Chicago […]
Review: Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker Continues Its Chicago 1893 Focus
The bottom line is this: if you find yourself in any seat at the Joffrey’s production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, it is a good seat. Being in the room for this annual holiday […]
Review: Lyric’s Cendrillon Is a Fairy Tale That Dazzles and Delights
Whether it’s Rogers & Hammerstein, Disney, the Brothers Grimm or Charles Perrault, the story of Cinderella, her fairy godmother, the glass slippers and happily ever after is, even in these modern times, […]
Review: Q Brothers Update Dickens With Rap, Rhymes and Plenty of Heart
For a holiday tradition that’s Lin-Manuel Miranda meets Charles Dickens, look no further than Q Brothers Christmas Carol at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, on through December 30. Presented at The Yard, the theater’s […]
Screens Monthly: From Movieoke to Future Oscar Winners, End the Year at the Movies
As 2018 comes to an end, it’s probably possible to spend just about every waking moment in a movie theater. From holiday specials to year-end series and more, there are myriad cinematic […]
Review: As Chicago’s Holiday Traditions Go, A Christmas Carol is Among the Best
Chicago loves its holiday traditions. From classics like the windows and the Walnut Room all dressed up at Field’s/Macy’s to more contemporary additions like Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza and ice skating in […]
Review: Capra Classic as Radio Play in American Blues Theater’s Wonderfully Festive It’s a Wonderful Life
I should disclose at the outset that American Blues Theater’s 17th annual production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! is a bit of a tradition for me. A huge fan […]
