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Lisa Trifone

ARTICLES: 562
Stages, Theater

Review: Despite Hiccups, Touring Fiddler on the Roof Remains Poignant, Relevant

Picture of the author

  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 […]

Lisa Trifone /
Stages, Theater

Review: Be Transported by Chicago Shakes’ Magical, Whimsical A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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, […]

Lisa Trifone /
Dance, Stages

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 […]

Lisa Trifone /
Opera, Stages

Review: Lyric’s Cendrillon Is a Fairy Tale That Dazzles and Delights

Cendrillon

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 […]

Lisa Trifone /
Stages, Theater

Review: Q Brothers Update Dickens With Rap, Rhymes and Plenty of Heart

Q Brothers Christmas Carol

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, […]

Lisa Trifone /
Film, Film & TV

Screens Monthly: From Movieoke to Future Oscar Winners, End the Year at the Movies

Inquiring Nuns

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 […]

Lisa Trifone /
Review, Stages, Theater

Review: As Chicago’s Holiday Traditions Go, A Christmas Carol is Among the Best

A Christmas Carol

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 […]

Lisa Trifone /
Review, Stages

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 […]

Lisa Trifone /
Film, Film & TV, Review

Review: Searching for Ingmar Bergman Delights in Discovering an Icon of Auteur Cinema

Searching for Ingmar Bergman

Last year, I had a bit of an adventure as an extra on a movie set. And not just any movie set, either. I ended up as an extra in […]

Lisa Trifone /
Film, Film & TV, Review

Review: La Divina Tells Her Own Story in Maria By Callas

Maria by Callas

I’ve attended more opera in the last year than I have in all my years of attending theater (and that’s a lot of years!). I’ve been able to see several […]

Lisa Trifone /
Film, Film & TV, Review

Review: Duo in Green Book Make It a Film for Everyone This Holiday Season

Green Book

Bolstered by two knock-out performances, Green Book may just be the crowd pleaser of the holiday season. Directed by Peter Farrelly (yes, of the Farrelly Brothers and their gross-out comedies of […]

Lisa Trifone /
Film, Film & TV, Review, Uncategorized

Review: Hal is Filmmaker Hal Ashby’s Work and Life From Those Who Knew Him

Hal

Cinematic blindspots, those gaps in our film viewing history that mean we have to sheepishly admit to having not seen a certain classic or a hot new release, are a […]

Lisa Trifone /