Review: Joffrey Academy’s Winning Works Presents Fresh Work With Classic Twists
The 14th annual Winning Works is an evening of fresh work and twists on classic techniques that will thrill dance audiences in the coming performances. The Joffrey Academy of Dance’s […]
Review: Cirque du Soleil Performs a Holiday Thrill Ride in ‘Twas the Night Before
As we were making our way to the Chicago Theatre on Thursday, my friend asked me how I thought Cirque du Soleil was going to pull off their feats of […]
Review: Not Much Warmth in This Chilly Touring Production of Company
The American musical theater has been graced with another revival of Company, Stephen Sondheim’s and George Furth’s 1970 musical about our basic human need for togetherness. In this 2021 Broadway […]
The Return of Ringling (Nov. 3-5)—A Chat with Circus Artist Jan Damm
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey have risen from the ashes once again, rekindled. Showcasing a huge, diverse cast of young performers from around the world, they are coming to […]
Review: Cirque du Soleil Puts a Life of Wonder Before Our Eyes With Cortéo
Cirque du Soleil is always a treat to watch. There are acrobatics, aerial thrills, and juggling all done with a full serving of whimsy. Cirque is known for tributes and […]
Review: ProTraining Showcase at the Actors Gymnasium Steps It Up
A look at this year’s graduating circus class from Actor’s Gym–a talented pool of actors gained new circus skills!
Review: Lyric’s Carmen Features Strong Performances, But the Plot Can Be Troubling
Georges Bizet produced some of opera’s most memorable music for Carmen, his 1875 composition, set in Spain and sung in French, about a wildly free-spirited woman whose fickle and domineering […]
Preview: Let’s Get Physical at the 9th Annual Physical Theater Festival July 16-24
Chicago’s Physical Theater Festival returns for the ninth year with in-person, indoor and outdoor performances, plus four workshops by festival artists, July 16-24, following the 2020 virtual festival. The week features performances by […]
Preview: Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival Premieres April 21-24
Life’s been a circus over the last two years, so we might as well lean into it. Welcome to the Chicago Circus & Performing Arts Festival, the Windy City’s newest multidisciplinary […]
Preview: REFLEX Unravels 4,000 Years of Juggling
The world premiere of REFLEX, a solo juggling show by renowned performer Jay Gilligan, (produced by Hideaway Circus) recently had its world premiere in Brooklyn’s Mitu580, an art and performance […]
Review: Cirque du Soleil is Back in Town With ‘Twas the Night Before… a Holiday Spectacle
After a long dark night in circus and indeed performing arts history, Santa is back on stage, and his elves and reindeer are there too, full of hype for the […]
Preview: Fall Beckons and Chicago Gets Its Circus On (with Two Tours—CirqueUs and Midnight Circus)
“High-flying, knot-tying, gravity-defying aerialists, loopy jugglers, musicians that pull at your heartstrings, and comedy that will leave you in stitches!” It happens every summer now for the past few years […]