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"I Am Going To Change The World" (Chicago Dramatists): Powerful Deconstruction of a Dream

"I Am Going To Change The World" (Chicago Dramatists): Powerful Deconstruction of a Dream
#122.  Once upon a time, I had a my whole life planned.  At age six, I was going to marry Chris Scalise and become a ballerina.  At age fourteen, I was going to marry Steve Dibley and become a teacher.  At age twenty-two, I was going to marry Bill Hodges and become a public defender. ... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
today at 11:22 am
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"Cirque Shanghai Year of the Dragon" (Navy Pier): Phenomenal Triple-Dragon-Dare!

#121.  I got shanghaied for the first time last summer.  I went to see Cirque Shanghai Extreme(my review) in 2011.  The show was amazing.  For about the same price as an IMAX movie virtual experience inside, Cirque Shanghai Extreme provided a mind-blowing, live performance outside.  No 3-D glasses required, the action was in the flesh, in the room, and... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
today at 10:52 am
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"The Jammer" (Pine Box Theatre): Clever Moves

"The Jammer" (Pine Box Theatre): Clever Moves
If you can’t play nice, play Roller Derby. Just ask the  Chicago Windy City Rollers. #121.  Pine Box Theatre presents THE JAMMER.  It’s the 1950s.  Roller Derby is all the rage.  It’s drama on wheels as colorful personalities slam each other for the big win.  Jack is transfixed by the theatrics.  He idolizes Charlie Heartbreaker... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
Saturday at 8:40 am
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Off Book Chats Up Raven, Northlight, Hell in a Handbag, Mortar and 2012 Jeff Award Predictions

Today, Chicago Theatre Off Book is a *SPECIAL DOUBLE* edition.  First, we review openings at theatres around the area: “Bang the Drum Slowly” at Raven Theatre, “[title of show]“ at Northlight Theatre, “Sexy Baby” at Hell in a Handbag, “Bombs, Babes and Bingo” at Mortar Theatre.  Then, our special guests predict the 2012 Non-Equity Jeff Awards.  Awards to be announced on June 4th at Park West.  And coming soon…... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
Friday at 1:29 pm
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"The Twelve Tenors" (Riverfront Theater): A Dozen Charming Crooners

#120. I have always had a thing for Irish men.  They have a playful nature and twinkling eyes. And if they can sing, it’s ‘Katy, bar the door.’ Riverfront Theater presents THE TWELVE TENORS.  A dozen good looking guys croon for the swoon.  It’s not your grandma’s opera roster.  These fellas are young.  Impeccably suited... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
Thursday at 8:04 am
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"Living Large in a Mini Kind of Way" (Teatro Luna): Big Helping of Little Life-defining Moments

"Living Large in a Mini Kind of Way" (Teatro Luna): Big Helping of Little Life-defining Moments
#119.  As a server, I’ve worked with many Latinos over the years. That statement sounds politically incorrect but it’s true.  Whereas Americans find the restaurant industry beneath them, Latinos are willing to work as dishwashers, food runners, bussers, or whatever job is open.  They have arrived, often by questionable means, in the U.S. to seek... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
Tuesday at 1:00 pm
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"Take Her to See the Maco Lights" (Prologue Theatre): See It This Week

I do believe in ghosts.  Not the terrorizing banshee types or the cemetery back-from-the-dead spooks, I believe my present is interconnected with the past and the future.  A deja vu or prickly sensation is tethered to something that already happened or will happen.  A friend once told me that he saw one of my crying... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
Monday at 7:20 am
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JAPAN: Day 7 - Tokyo - when we buy decorative sushi, see some Harajuku girls and visit the back alleys of Shinjuku

JAPAN: Day 7 - Tokyo - when we buy decorative sushi, see some Harajuku girls and visit the back alleys of Shinjuku
All the world is a stage… Reviewed by Jennifer Herlein It was our last day in Tokyo and our last chance to catch the (many!) things we hadn’t yet been able to.  The truth is, Tokyo is a huge city with loads to do and in one visit, it just wasn’t possible to see everything. ... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
Monday at 7:03 am
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"Crooked" (Rivendell Theatre): Straight-up Superb!

"Crooked" (Rivendell Theatre): Straight-up Superb!
#117.  High school!?  A four year quest for peer acceptance.  Egads!  As I get older, the torture, the embarrassment, the awkwardness is muddled.  The experience becomes less “Breakfast Club” poignant original and more “Facts of Life” silly reruns. Now, deformities and all, I go to all my class reunions. I banter with everyone.  There are... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
May 27, 2012 at 9:18 am
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JAPAN: Day 6 - Tokyo - When we leave the city for noodles, visit a cat café and see why Japanese bartenders are so cool

JAPAN: Day 6 - Tokyo - When we leave the city for noodles, visit a cat café and see why Japanese bartenders are so cool
Because all the world is a stage… Reviewed by Jennifer Herlein After two nights in Kyoto, it was time for us to make the trip back to Tokyo.  We enjoyed another peaceful, tasty breakfast at our ryokan, Kikokuso, and the proprietor was so kind as to give us a ride to the train station.  The... Read more »
By Katy Walsh,
May 26, 2012 at 10:09 pm
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