Wooden Breeks at Lookingglass

Scotty: "Aye, Captain, I'm giving it all I can...."

Unfortunately, not quite enough. The chance you take with Lookingglass...

Richard Thompson

The ever fabulous Richard Thompson at a theater deep, deep somewhere in the suburbs. Luckly, Mr. P's workmate, Mr. B drove. A good time had by all. And Ms. S was obliged to get the massive RT disk set for Mr. P for his birthday.

Work Trip to NYC

Mr. P was on a work trip to NYC. Took in two shows. Spring Awakening, which was disappointing, and reminded me how much the House Theatre in Chicago has going on, and Company, directed by John Doyle, with all the actors doubling as musicians, which was terrific.

The Sparrow at House Theatre

A great, great show. Carolyn Defrin was...amazing...

Excerpt from Chris Jones review below...

Chicago Tribune: A stirring, heart-wrenching 'Sparrow' takes flight
Chris Jones
January 15, 2007

To see "The Sparrow," the fantastic new show by the House Theatre of Chicago, is to experience the same kind of goose bumps currently available (at much higher prices) at the Broadway production of "Spring Awakening."

You can smell and taste something new, something passionate, something original, something strong, something fresh, something true and, above all, something young.

And God knows, the American theater needs something young. That's why "Spring Awakening" is rousing theater-loving New Yorkers from their bored stupors. Here in Chicago, we never sunk quite so far into our dotage. But we still need shows like "The Sparrow," the stirring, heart-wrenching original tale of a small-town Illinois teenager with telekinetic powers and gaping emotional wounds, to smack us in our sedentary chops and re-engage with the vital spirit of the Chicago theater.

And here we have it. This show is among the very best original theater pieces I've ever seen in this town. It is a thrilling, riveting celebration of the power of imagination that adults and teens can enjoy, and understand, together.

Uncle Vanya at Court

The translation was loose and "modern vernacular," the set was by SOM, and the result was energetic and vibrant. Was it really Chekhov? Who knows. Kevin Gudahl was absolutely terrific as Vanya.

Prince Plays Superbowl Halftime!

Oh, yeah, and the Chicago Bears were playing football. I think Devon Hester scored a touchdown or something.

Three Musketeers at Chicago Shakes

They sing! They Dance! The Whole Thing Runs A Little Long in the Second Act!

Noism07 at the Dance Center

"Thirty-one-year-old choreographer and dance Jo Kanamori is at the vanguard of Japan’s new generation of dancemakers and serves as Artistic Director for Noism07, the only residential dance company in Japan. The company will present NINA – materialize sacrifice-simple version, an amazing physical performance that requires sustained tension between black costumed dominant male dancers and mannequin-like female dancers moving slowly and stiffly in nude-colored leotards. This full-evening work is set to music by Vietnamese-French composer Ton That An."

A little obvious at the end, but...