This year we reviewed over 30 Chicago plays and events. This podcast recaps favorites and highlights of the 2025 season plus a few ideas for 2026.Some productions mentioned include:Iraq But FunnyAmelieTom & ElizaGalileoHedda Gablerand a few more.

The uplifting story of a distinctively red haired, hopelessly optimistic, depression era orphan named Annie is firmly rooted in the early 1930s where the stark contrast between the haves and have-nots was plainly evident everywhere. This was especially true in urban centers like New York City where fortunes large and small were lost in the 1929 stock market crash. 

Part of the success and charm of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is its simple elegance. The story is easy to understand even by the youngest theater goers yet it does not talk down the audience. It’s a kind of secular parable with a strong moral lesson to change your ways before it’s too late and The Goodman Theatre has continued the lesson in Chicago for 48 years.

“Amadeus” presented at Steppenwolf Theatre Chicago is a story of two men, one believed to be beloved by God and one who believed he could negotiate to win God’s love.On the surface it is easy to assume this is a biographical sketch of Mozart, and indeed the story written by Peter Shaffer does allude to the final years of the composer’s life, but actually this is a story of one man’s envy of another man’s apparent God given talent. Podcast theater review and plot summary by Reno Lovison.

Performed in modern dress using original Elizabethan vernacular, Much Ado About Nothing is a quintessential Shakespeare comedy and seminal rom-com that has a little something for everyone.  A humorous love story with a touch of drama that pokes fun at everyone no matter their rank.  Presented by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater Company in their Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier, through December 21st 2025. Run time is about 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. For ticket and information visit ChicagoShakes.com Podcast theater review y Reno Lovison.

For those unfamiliar with the 1886 original story of Jekyll and Hyde - - it is a tale of the strange case of Dr. Henry Jekyll, a fictional 19th century London physician who decides to experiment on himself using what might be described as psychotropic drugs.  In doing so he unleashes his own demon in the person of his alter ego Mr. Hyde. This excellent musical version is presented by Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago.

Written in 1978 by Ira Levin DEATHTRAP holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway, offering multiple plot twists over two acts with one set and five characters.This now classic play presented by Madkap Productions onstage at the Skokie Theatre will capture you in a web of illusion and deceit, with just enough humor to take the edge off the murderous treachery taking place before your eyes.

Taking place in New Orleans around 1813, the dialog by playwright Marcus Gardley skillfully explains that Napoleon has recently sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States and with statehood, the status of many free people of color and those of mixed-race heritage is going to change. This story deals with some dramatic and weighty subjects but the script by Marcus Gardley is not overbearing. If you are interested in seeing an enlightening historic drama well performed don’t miss this.The House That Will Not Stand is at Invictus Theatre Company of Chicago. For tickets and information visit invictustheaterco.com 

Kim Campbell interviews author Wendy B. Correa about her memoir My Pretty Baby to investigate how the author took control of her life using somatic modalities and psychotherapy to overcome childhood trauma allowing her to create the happy loving family she always imagined.

Being blind is not Tim’s story. The fact that he has refused to let his visual impairment dictate his life is what makes him an inspiration to everyone he meets. Listen to learn more.

A dusty TV store on Ashland Avenue in Chicago is the flagging flagship of a once great regional empire that boasted multiple locations.  Over his tenure owner Pete (Francis Guinan) became a local celebrity, famous for his “Crazy Pete” commercials.  He is to be recognized for his forty years of service to the business community. The question becomes whether this publicity bump is truly the end of the road or does it signal the first step of a new journey.Now in his early seventies Pete still has dreams and ambitions but his daughter Sam played by Jenna Fischer known for her role as Pam Beesly on the popular sitcom The Office, has been at Pete’s side throughout her life and is ready for new adventures of her own together with her husband Mike (Chike Johnson).

The Chicago premiere of Amélie the Musical by Kokandy Productions based on the popular motion picture is a musical mosaic, composed by Daniel Messe, whose colorful jagged pieces eventually come together into an enjoyable if not perfectly clear image.Not a musical in the strict sense, but rather an extravaganza of a dozen singer musicians utilizing a myriad of instruments, who perform a dizzying array of Parisian characters, to tell a sweet boy meets girl tale based on the central character of Amélie, charmingly portrayed by Aurora Penepacker.Listen to our entire short audio review.

Over this past weekend I saw two world premieres written by local Chicago women authors. Buddha’s Birthday at the Edge Theater and Sentinels at Theo on Howard Street on the Evanston / Chicago border. Interestingly both plays have an academic connection. Buddha’s Birthday by Amy Crider features two college instructors while Sentinels by Marilyn Campbell-Lowe features five female undergrads.

MadKap Productions live up to their name in this production of Stephen Sondheim’s ridiculous musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at the Skokie Theatre outside Chicago, directed by Wayne Mell.The story ostensibly takes place in ancient Rome spoofing the absurdities of life, particularly romance and sex then and now. Using broad humor, slapstick shtick and endless innuendo this is very much like an extended skit, with music, that might have been performed at a Catskill’s resort. Listen to this entire podcast review by Reno Lovison.

Tragic, hilarious, loud, energetic, fun and heartwarming, The Color Purple on stage at Goodman Theatre in Chicago is nearly three hours of nonstop entertainment featuring an outrageously talented cast featuring Brittney Mack as Celie directed by Lili-Anne Brown with choreography by Breon Arzell.

Tom & Eliza is a fairly brilliant example of absurdist theater written by Celine Song, expertly directed by Aileen Wen McGroddy and beautifully performed by Clifton Frei as Tom and Seoyoung Park as Eliza.Reminiscent of Ionesco and Albee, Tom & Eliza focuses on ideas of existentialism, exploring the psychology of aging, marriage and sexual relationships with an attitude of absurd surrealism.Tom & Eliza at Tuta Theatre Chicago is a challenging and thought-provoking presentation that may not appeal to a wide audience but the entire production is an example of elegant stage craft achieved through the effort of the entire crew and company that will be appreciated by those willing to take a risk to enjoy something a little out of the ordinary.

Podcast review of FOREVER PLAID by Reno Lovison. Presented by MadKap Productions at Skokie Theater, the performance is reminiscent of a nightclub act from the fifties channeling the sounds of singing groups like the Four Freshmen, Four Aces or The Crew Cuts. Limited engagement through June 29, 2025.

Chicago's  Steppenwolf Theatre Company, concludes its 49th Season with Noah Diaz's whimsical, wild, unpredictable and deeply moving Chicago premiere of You Will Get Sick, directed by Artistic Director Audrey Francis through July 13, 2025.Podcast theater review by Kimzyn Campbell for Chicago Broadcasting Network.

A laugh-out-loud comical attack of geopolitical humor invades Lookingglass Theater in “Iraq but Funny.”  Playwright / performer Astra Asdou recalls the history of the Assyrian people through this semi-autobiographical story of five generations of the women in her family.

Feeling controlled by outside forces, two people on the opposite ends of life are each trying to manage their own destiny in the Chicago Premiere of Charles Smith’s “Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues” at American Blues Theater - Chicago.Podcast review by Reno Lovison