Pictured From Loving Repeating and Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Swan Lake, Dame Edna
Between now and May, more than 200 prime-time plays, musicals, revues and uncategorizable theater pieces will open in playhouses large and small throughout Chicago and its suburbs. And that doesn't count university and community productions, sketch comedy, late-night shows and theater for kids. What to see? What to skip? Naturally, we would like to think that you'll rely on the opinions and recommendations of the Windy City Times' senior theater critics. My Top 10 picks focus on shows I believe may be of particular interest to GLBT audiences. Also in this issue are the top picks from Mary Shen Barnidge and Rick Reed.
Sex-Oh!—This is the newest collection of monologues from Teatro Luna, the gifted and spirited collective of Latina writer-performers, whose shows always have a special spark and a voluptuous heart. Judging from the title, this one gets down to fundamentals. Chicago Dramatists through Feb. 19.
Kiss of the Spider Woman—The gay-themed musical ( by Kander & Ebb and Terrence McNally ) is adapted from the play/film/novel of the same title. Set in an Argentine political prison, it's a testament to the power of film, fantasy and romance vs. the forces of repression. A gay man is the hero, even though he's a total sissy. Bailiwick Repertory, Jan. 16-Feb. 19.
The Well-Appointed Room—A world premiere by Richard Greenberg, who may be our most thoughtful and consistently engaging current playwright, whose manipulation of time and space gives his work mysterious shadows and a fecund sense of deja vu. This newest work from the quietly out author of Take Me Out does not focus on GLBT issues, but that shouldn't keep you from seeing it. Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Jan. 12-March 12.
Bus Stop—Long, long before Brokeback Mountain there was the smashing Broadway and Hollywood success of this tale of a lonely young Wyoming cowboy by desperately closeted playwright William Inge. Yep, this cowpoke is straight and he goes for the girl, but ya' gotta read between the lines, pardner, as he travels the rodeo circuit with his older, wiser, bachelor buddy. There's little doubt that it will receive a first-class staging at Writers' Theatre ( Glencoe ) , Jan. 31-March 26.
Nina Simone: High Priestess of Soul—This is another in the long series of world premiere musical biographies from Black Ensemble Theater. The stories all run about the same: struggle, discovery, exploitation and bad personal choices tempering artistic triumph. The title touts Simone the soul singer, but many of us associate her with sophisticated jazz vocals. Story not withstanding, the Black Ensemble always delivers a great musical bang for your buck. At the Leo Lerner Center in Uptown, from Feb. 5.
Loving Repeating—The words are by Gertrude Stein; the music is by Stephen Flaherty ( Ragtime, Once on this Island, A Man of No Importance ) ; and the concept and direction are by Frank Galati. The original title ( Stein's title ) was A Long Gay Book, which kinda sorta says it all. This official world premiere ( Galati developed it last year at Northwestern University, where he's a professor ) is produced by the folks who gave us I Am My Own Wife, namely About Face Theatre and the Museum of Contemporary Art. At the MCA, Feb. 18-March 12.
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake—It's 10 years old but it's never been seen in Chicago. It's dance treated like Broadway theater. It's the classic romantic fantasy performed to Tchaikovsky's music, but the cast is all-male. No ballerinas in tutus, but there are lots of bare-chested men in—uh—feathers. And Bourne takes it seriously; this isn't a campy send-up. Cadillac Palace Theatre, Feb. 21-26.
Angels in America—Not a year goes by that someone doesn't do another production of Tony Kushner's still-potent, epic two-part 'gay fantasia on national themes.' This time out, it's the highly admired The Hypocrites who tackle the show at Bailiwick Repertory; Part I ( Millennium Approaches ) , March 5-May 7; Part II ( Perestroika ) , playing in rotation with Part I, April 9-May 7 ( dates subject to change at press time ) .
Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance—It's two and a half hours of audacious comedy absolutely guaranteed to knock your socks off with laughter. If you like to have a good time, this is THE show not to miss. It's Aussie writer/performer Barry Humphries, of course, in his outrageous and convincing drag persona. Dame Edna Everage is even funnier in person than on TV. And she's sure to report on how her son, Kenny, is doing with his Halsted Street friends. Cadillac Palace Theatre, March 14-19.
Three Tall Women—Edward Albee won his third Pulitzer Prize for this taut yet often funny drama of a young man—Albee himself—coming of age and coming out to three women, all aspects of his own adoptive mother. It's among his finest works and certainly his most personal. Apple Tree Theatre ( Highland Park ) , April 30-May 21.
Check the Top 10 choices of my colleagues Mary Shen Barnidge and Rick Reed elsewhere in the Theater Section of the paper. We'll be back in the spring with another Theater Special Issue that highlights warm weather fare.
