The Island was a painful reminder of the abuse blacks endured during Apartheid and how the power of theater can liberate and provoke change.

Returning to Chicago for the fifth time and one of Broadway's longest-running shows in history, The Lion King, has arrived at the Cadillac Palace Theatre — and this theatrical masterpiece is still a thriller.

Elf is a magical journey where believing conquers doubt and how the unconditional love of an elf can change the world, one soul at a time.

All the ladies had lovely voices, and their harmony when singing "Abraham, Martin and John" were amazing — and the audience seemed to enjoy themselves…

Alice Childress's riveting and thought-provoking, Trouble In Mind will have you questioning the soul of your integrity. It compels the audience to ask whether we can see the racism within us —and how we, humanity, can eradicate it. 

What happens when you put a minister's daughter, a kid that liked to play in the mud, two men with an abusive childhood, and a former cotton gin worker together? You get a glimpse of Blue Heaven

Giacomo Puccini's Rent, based loosely on his 1896 opera La Boheme, which tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive, is as relevant today — and Porchlight's performance of Rent is a powerful, tear-jerker. With exquisite vocals and a talented cast, this rock musical is stirringly provocative.

Made into a movie in 1985 and written as a musical in 1993 by Peter DePietor — Mercury Theater's Clue (based on the film), adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, is both suspenseful and hilarious.

Swing State is a refreshing look at the human condition and explores how humanity deals with the realism of traumatic loss and how we examine and comprehend grief. Playwright Rebecca Gilman's touching story will hit home with anyone who has lived long enough to experience pain and the feeling of loss we can never regain.

The music, songs, and singing this night were fantastic. The cast features the incredible Michelle Williams, the phenomenal voice of David Phelps and Randel Keith, with great singing from Sam Tsui and Koryn Hawthorne. I also enjoyed hearing the cast of singers that sang within the auditorium's outer aisle and when the entire cast sang "In The Beginning" at the play's climax.  

Mike Lew takes a comedic look into the dual struggles of blending into a society where Chinese Americans deal with stereotypes, expectations, and perceptions. Tiger parenting is a strategy some Chinese use to help their children be more accepted by American society.

Suppose you have lived long enough, as I have. In that case, you remember some of the great love stories of Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, Roman Holiday, An Affair To Remember, and Titanic — however, only a few love stories will touch you forever, and The Notebook is one of those stories. 

Those attending Wicked were given buttons and asked to write down the number of times they'd seen the play. And no matter how often you've seen Wicked, the enthralling storyline and cinematic production of Chicago's Most Popular Musical will mesmerize you.

Directed by Mark Clements, Milwaukee Rep Theater, Titanic, The Musical runs two hours and 25 minutes. The thirty-eight-member cast performing close to thirty musical songs was outstanding. And although the intense dramatic emotion of life being lost and the suspense from Cameron's film production isn't visible in the musical, the highlights were the solid acting, outstanding broadway-like singing, and the exceptional orchestration by Joshua Clayton.

Luminaire combines the thrill and excitement of Cirque du Soleil and the improv of a comedy club with an elegant nightclub-style atmosphere. However, the night's euphoria is when they bring a random guest into the stage for a hilarious improvisation.

Clyde's brilliantly brings the forgotten to life while showcasing their fragile existence as they strive to regain their purpose within society. Lynn Nottage is a master of opening our hearts and manipulating the audience to look into the mirror of our souls as we witness each character and remove the veil of judgment so we can see their human factor and ourselves. By doing this, we can relate to their struggles and their pain as they pursue to rejoin society — a society that would prefer they stay in prison and forgotten.  

As White stated in an interview, "get ready because it's going to be different." And considering your point of view and ability to comprehend the dark humor message of The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington ― this over-the-top outrageous comedy will be deemed either a stroke of genius or another missed attempt to educate audiences about our prolific yet painful past.

Johnson and Sottile were exceptional in this production. Making her debut, Johnson, who I can't wait to see in more productions, is a talent that directors need to discover. She is a brilliant actor and has a commanding force that I'm waiting to see in a leading role so that she can display her impressive array of skills. Sottile, who is no stranger to performing in Chicago theaters, has captivated audiences and received rave reviews and can add another excellent performance to his repertoire. 

Original Broadway production by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and Directed by Ron OJ Parson, Court Theatre Arsenic and Old Lace (AAOL) is a comical masterpiece.