Goodman celebrates a decade of drama

Seinfeld is coming to the Rialto

Tribune's TribLocal publication is reporting that comedian Jerry Seinfeld will play the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet on Oct. 28.

Chicago Fringe Festival announces 2011 lineup

POSTED BY DOUG GEORGE ... The Chicago Fringe Festival has announced the lineup of about 50 performance groups that will take part in its second annual event; the fest takes places Sept. 1-11 at various venues in Pilsen.

Chay Yew talks about his plans for making Victory Gardens grow

For most of its 37 years of existence, Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater has been synonymous with, and run by, Dennis Zacek and his wife, Marcelle McVay. Beginning this fall, a new artistic director takes over at Victory Gardens, 46-year-old playwright and director Chay Yew.

'En route' extends in Chicago, with a local cast

"En route," the revelatory, four-star, sold-out performance experience staged on and through the streets of Chicago, will be extended through Sept. 17, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is slated to announce Friday.

'Side Man' about jazz, marriage and other troubles; 'Summer' at the Spot

Kerry Reid reviews the latest from Ka-Tet, plus the comedy show "Summer's Cool."

Christopher Sieber will star in 'La Cage Aux Folles'

Christopher Sieber, a widely respected original star of both "Shrek" and "Spamalot," will join the cast of the national tour of Terry Johnson’s 2010 Broadway revival of "La Cage Aux Folles," it was announced Thursday.

Suburban theater for the week of Aug. 12-18

Kerry Reid picks what to see on stage in the Chicago area.

'Pinkalicious' now playing Broadway Playhouse through January

The first downtown foray of the Emerald City Theatre Company has left the children's theater company very much in the pink.

Former Theatre Building Chicago exec resurfaces at Athenaeum

Joan Mazzonelli, the former longtime executive director at the Theatre Building Chicago (now Stage 773) is now running things at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre.

'Doyle & Debbie Show' is bringing its twang to Chicago

A new show from Nashville that spoofs the world of country music is headed to Chicago’s Royal George Cabaret Theatre.

When writing about a lovely like Chicago, it's important to keep it real

THEATER REVIEW: "We Live Here" ★★½ by Theatre Seven ... "We Live Here" is an original, multiauthor homage to the quintessence of the city of Chicago.

The blues of a heady yesteryear in London

THEATER REVIEW: "Pornography" ★★★ at Steep Theatre ... In London over the summer of 2005, the mood could not have been more different from 2011.

For Reggie Watts, defying description is not beside the point

COMEDY PREVIEW BY CHRIS BORRELLI ... The first time Reggie Watts performed in Chicago, about five years ago, he sold 20 tickets.

Stephen Sondheim wins Tribune Literary Prize

Stephen Sondheim is the winner of the 2011 Tribune Literary Prize, an award given specifically for his writing, as distinct from his musical compositions.

Theater openings for the week of August 5-11

We pick the notable opening nights in Chicago and the suburbs.

Jessie Mueller is cast with Harry Connick Jr. on Broadway

A young Chicago actress without a single Broadway credit to her name gets picked for a major new Broadway musical - that alone would be the stuff of dreams. But Jessie Mueller has done much, much better than that.

Suburban theater for the week of August 5-11

Kerry Reid picks show in Chicago's suburbs, including "Sweeney Todd" at the Drury Lane.

Report from Stratford Shakespeare Fest: 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' 'Twelfth Night' and the rest

The Stratford Festival of Canada runs in repertory in Stratford, Ontario through Oct. 30. Here's my report, including reviews of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Twelfth Night." Plus a photo gallery.

New managing director for Next Theatre

The Next Theatre Company announced Wednesday that Jon Arndt is its new managing director. (POSTED BY DOUG GEORGE)

Lauren Ambrose will star in 'Funny Girl'

The upcoming Broadway revival of "Funny Girl" has cast its Fanny Brice. Actress Lauren Ambrose (of the HBO series "Six Feet Under") will play the iconic showbiz climber in the musical's first Broadway revival in almost 50 years. Read the Los Angeles Times story here.

'Black and Blue' channels Chicago's culture of baseball and bars

NINA METZ reviews "Black and Blue" and "Put My __ In Your __" this week in On the Fringe.

What sort of casino suits the city of Chicago?

When Caesars Palace in Las Vegas threw a $95 million party for Celine Dion, it was just to draw in gamers. New Orleans went the other way, allowing no live entertainment in its casinos. Place your bets for Chicago.

Steppenwolf Theatre adds staffers

Aaron Carter is the new literary manager at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

'Krapp's Last Tape' unspools an intimate story; muddled 'Archivist'

KERRY REID reviews "Krapp's Last Tape" ★★★ and "The Archivist" ★½ for the Tribune.

'Chinglish' exits, goes clean, attracts pols

The Broadway-bound Goodman Theatre production of David Henry Hwang's "Chinglish" closed Sunday, replete with sold-out houses and a couple of local theater-loving pols in the house during the final extension weekend: Mayor Rahm Emanuel showed up Friday and Gov. Pat Quinn was in the house Saturday night. 

About Face charts a new century of gay life in Chicago

THEATER REVIEW: "The Homosexuals" by About Face at the Biograph
Evan tries to figure out what it means to be gay when, as his friend observes, "there are no dirty words."

MacArthur: $1 million for international projects

The Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation said that it plans to make an additional $1 million available to Chicago-area arts groups.

Difficult children's theater is the best kind of children's theater

Memories of most shows fade over time. But a very select few seem to stay with you forever.

'Pinkalicious' a musical for the young and the pink-loving

THEATER REVIEW: "Pinkalicious" ★★½ by Emerald City Theatre at the Broadway Playhouse
Pinkalicious Pinkerton, whom you'll detect is the heroine of this little musical fable for the preteen set, has a thing for pink cupcakes.

Next step for Steppenwolf Films production 'The Last Rites of Joe May'

Tribeca Film announced Thursday that it has picked up the Steppenwolf Films production ¿The Last Rites of Joe May¿ and plans to distribute it in October. (POSTED BY MARK CARO)

Chicago cast in L.A. for 'Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity'

The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles is not only planning to stage Kristoffer Diaz's "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity," it says it will do so with two of the original Chicago leads: Usman Ally and Desmin Borges.

Steppenwolf announces 2012 Garage Rep series

Steppenwolf Theatre Company has announced the lineup for its next Garage Rep, running Feb. 3 to April 12, 2012.

At 16th Street Theater, is it 'childless' or 'child-free'?

THEATER REVIEW: 'The Crowd You're In With' ½ ... KERRY REID reviews Rebecca Gilman's play about procreation proclivities.

Between a dead end and an oncoming train at Eclipse Theatre Company

THEATER REVIEW: "The Trestle at Pope Lick
Creek" ½ ... KERRY REID reviews the play about small-town Appalachian life from a season devoted to Naomi Wallace.

Black Ensemble's sweet night of love, love songs

THEATER REVIEW: "All in Love Is Fair" by Black Ensemble Theater
There is a naughty nickname associated with the music of the late Luther Vandross, reflecting the accepted wisdom that his silky voice never fails to leave silky undergarments on the rug. So if you're going to create a show based on vignettes of couples falling in, falling out of and staying in love, you could do a lot worse than using Vandross and other R&B; masters as your soundtrack.

Infamous Commonwealth Theatre closes

After nine seasons and 27 productions, Infamous Commonwealth Theatre is calling it quits, the company said Monday.

Cirque du Soleil: Bugging out extravagantly under the big top

THEATER REVIEW: "Ovo" ½
Insects are such a good match for the Cirque du Soleil, you have to wonder why those scurrying around that famous Montreal hive had not thought of them before.

Complicated and thoughtful, this 'Pinocchio' is no sing-along

THEATER REVIEW: "Pinocchio" ★★★ at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Most people wandering down Navy Pier and seeing a little sign for "Pinocchio" would expect a troupe of chirpy, collegiate-level actors performing "Hi Diddle Dee Dee." In this case, that would be a lie.

The Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater

The temperature in these parts has been sizzling all week. An ideal time, then, for the Chicago Tribune's annual Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater. Class of 2011.

'En route' in Chicago: What if you did a show and one person came?

Early in 2009, a group of theater artists in Melbourne, Australia, reached a fork in their creative road. On the other side was an extraordinary outdoor theatrical event taking place right now in Chicago, titled "en route." But let me start back Down Under, where this all began.

First-class tour of 'West Side Story' sounds an authentic note

THEATER REVIEW: "West Side Story" ★★★½ at Cadillac Palace
I think it's fair to say this is your last chance to take an impressionable young person to the theater and say, "Look, this is 'West Side Story' as I remember it."

Boundless talent in 'Sky's the Limit'

THEATER REVIEW: "Sky's the Limit (Weather Permitting)" at Second City e.t.c. ★★★½
The title is equally infused by an optimistic spirit and the sense that you really can't trust your power to stay on for long these days.

A new season at Theater Wit

Theater Wit, a small Equity company on Chicago's North Side, has announced its 2012 season.

Casting announced for 'My Fair Lady' at Paramount

The Paramount Theatre has announced the cast for its first self-produced musical: Jim Corti's fall production of "My Fair Lady."

Cast is announced for 'Follies' at Chicago Shakespeare

Chicago Shakespeare Theater has announced casting for its upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's "Follies." Hollis Resnik will perform the role of Carlotta (and sing "I'm Still Here") in director Gary Griffin's production.

Walking this 'route' will change the way you see this city - and yourself

THEATER REVIEW: "en route," presented by Chicago Shakespeare Theater ★★★★
Good theater can make the strange familiar. Great theater usually makes the familiar strange.

Just another acrobatic summer for Cirque Shanghai

THEATER REVIEW: Cirque Shanghai Extreme ★★½
If you've never seen the show before, you'll find that Cirque Shanghai offers an enjoyable 90 minutes.

Nathan Lane, Brian Dennehy in 'Iceman Cometh' at Goodman Theatre

Nathan Lane, one of Broadway's most bankable names and star of "The Addams Family," will appear alongside Brian Dennehy next spring at the Goodman Theatre in a new production of Eugene O'Neill's epic drama "The Iceman Cometh," directed by Robert Falls.

Spoken Spanish puts the accent on 'West Side Story'

On the night in December when the first national tour of "West Side Story" opened in Los Angeles, the director David Saint had a drink thrown in his face.

'Love, Loss and What I Wore' to star Nora Dunn

Former "Saturday Night Live" star Nora Dunn will star in the Chicago production of "Love, Loss and What I Wore," producer Daryl Roth announced Thursday.