Explore every episode of the podcast Chicago Broadcasting Network

Stephen Sondheim’s vintage musical “Company” presented by Madkap Productions explores the life choices of Bobby (Graham Todd) the only one of his friends still unmarried at a time when marriage by thirty was expected.

The Chicago International Puppet Festival is a 12 day event that has been taking place in Chicago for several years that has attracts about 22,000 audience members who travel from around the world to be a part of the biggest event dedicated to puppetry in North America.  

This is a wonderful interview conducted by Chicago Broadcasting Network contributor Kim Campbell with Sandy Smith Gerding, Executive Director of the Chicago International Puppet Festival and Taylor Bibat, the festival coordinator and Director of Education. 

Listen, not only, for details of the festival events taking place in 2026 but also interesting tidbits about the art of puppetry and the world of puppetry as a creative art form.

#chicago #puppetry #puppets #puppet #festival 

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 Funny
Amelie
Tom & Eliza
Galileo
Hedda Gabler
and 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

The world premiere of “Neighborhood Watch” written by Rehana Lew Mirza and directed by Kaiser Ahmed at Jackalope Theatre is a humorous look at what can happen when curiosity leads to suspicion. Recommended. "There is a lot to enjoy in this sitcom style production that relies heavily on broad humor and predictable stereotypes." Podcast theater review by Reno Lovison includes some insightful historical information about the interesting Edgewater venue.

If robots take over the world what would be their relationship to humans? Would it be a carefree utopia with happy automatons cheerfully laboring away while people enjoy a life of leisure or will the robots develop ideas and aspirations of their own, eventually viewing their human creators as archaic inferior predecessors, in-fact outdated models?
This is the concept behind Bo List’s R.U.R. a world premiere production, freely adapted from the play Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Capek playing now at City Lit Theatre, directed by Brian Pastor.

Chicago's Trap Door Theatre presentation of “Galileo,” stays close to the heart of Bertolt Brecht’s script but is a revised challenging and thought-provoking interpretation. Fragments of the original dialogue featuring translation by Charles Laughton are there but the production has been reshaped and reimagined by director Max Truax into a postmodern avant-garde effort.

This theater review by Reno Lovison includes information about the play, the performance, where to eat nearby and some information about the neighborhood.

Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost provides Chicago with a direct line to the Vatican, and we’re exploring how his roots in the Windy City shaped his journey to the papacy.

Long term friendships can be complicated and messy. Honesty can be dangerous and revealing.  A fourteen-year friendship between three friends explodes over the purchase of an expensive modernist painting in ART, presented by Remy Bumppo at Wit Theatre in Chicago.

Theater review podcast by Reno Lovison

Berlin is a case study of how things can go wrong when a country has suffered losses and trauma. As its citizens and leaders slowly turn away from collaborative solutions and towards stark divisions in power and a dark fascist vision, slow motion disaster unfolds. Everyone can sense it but no one person has the power to prevent it.

Based on the three volume graphic novel Berlin written by Jason Lutes it covers the time period between WWI and WWII  focusing on the conditions needed for fascism to arise. This new theatrical adaptation by Mickle Maher, directed by Charles Newell dives into the stories of 13 characters, illuminating the events through their perspectives.
 
Its world premier was at Court Theatre on Chicago’s southside. 

Listen to this full review by Kim Campbell

A group of bridesmaids find reasons to bond in “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” produced by St. Sebastian Players.
The bonding ritual begins with the common agreement that the dress chosen by the bride is perfectly ridiculous. The bond is further forged by the realization that they don’t even really like the bride that much. As each woman reveals something of herself they traverse a range of emotions; infuriated, anxious, remorseful, exasperated, frantic, exhausted, flirtatious, but overall hilarious. Highly Recommended. 

Charles Dickens’ expose of the French Revolution is cleverly performed and seems a little too close to home in today’s political climate. I would highly recommend this anyone unfamiliar with "A Tale of Two Cities" by DIckens, anyone unfamiliar with the history of the French Revolution and anyone interested in how a political movement run amok can affect the lives of every person involved resulting in unfathomable horrors perpetrated in the name of justice.

MASTERING LIFE. This is a podcast film review of "Rise Above : The Carl Jackson Story. A powerful new documentary by Chicago filmmaker Maryilene Blondell.  Whether you're a golf enthusiast or not, listen to learn what happens when a boy from a segregated Southern neighborhood in Georgia grows up to make golf history—and a woman from Chicago decides it’s time the world knew his name 

Podcast theater review of "The Whole Seamus Thing" at Bramble lofts in Chicago. 

Following on the heels of the success of The Beatles and Rolling Stones, another group of four working-class lads from the outskirts of London called The Kinks made their mark on the history of Rock and Roll. Their first big splash on both sides of the pond was “You Really Got Me” featuring an iconic, fuzzy, five chord guitar riff. This energetic jukebox musical, “Sunny Afternoon,” enjoying its North American premiere here in Chicago, is based on the story of the Kinks as told by lead singer and songster Ray Davies, filtered through the adept hand of playwright Joe Penhall. Theater review by Reno Lovison.

A story of reproach, remorse and reconciliation. The Winter’s Tale has something for everyone. This Shakespeare play performed by Invictus Theatre Company in Chicago has something for everyone. It is both tragedy and romantic comedy with sorrow, absurdity, mirth and fantasy.

Goodman Theatre’s GeNarrations program is a FREE storytelling program that engages adults aged 55 and over in writing and performance workshops that nurture the creative spirit.  Genarrations participants were then encouraged to write their own stories based on themes of lies and betrayal.

This podcast is base on a recent reading of participants from the Wille Whyte Park location on the 1600 block of Howard Street in Rogers Park.

Puccini’s popular opera La Bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago is a story of youth, passion, love and loss where idealism comes face-to-face with life’s realities such as poverty, illness and death. Yes, this is the opera where the young lady with the bad cough dies at the end.  Listen to our synopsis and podcast review.

Music Theater Works production of “Guys and Dolls” at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie is good old fashioned mid-century style musical theater fun.  The story lampoons the idea of middle class morality, lambasting both the good guys and bad guys for taking themselves so seriously.

Guys and Dolls has been performed by numerous companies over the past fifty-plus years but still seems to resonate with both young and more mature audiences because the music is memorable and the show is fun.

In this hilarious musical riff on Romeo and Juliet at the Skokie Theater, Romeo has awakened from a 400-year slumber to find his beloved Juliet long turned to dust. Instead, he finds a teenaged American tourist Bernadette Penza whose mother Camille has brought the family to Italy to get in touch with her Veronese roots. Camille is a descendent of Juliet’s family and Bernadette the very image of Romeo’s lost love. In a desperate attempt to be reunited with her, Romeo follows the family back to Brooklyn finding himself embroiled in a gangland feud.

Hedda Gabler is the self-absorbed, only daughter of a military officer who has an overblown grandiose sense of her own importance, and a lack of empathy for others. She feels trapped in a world of bourgeois values full of expectations she cannot control. It is her perception that the men around her seem to enjoy much more freedom to pursue their own public and private interests with less scrutiny and fewer consequences.

Ibsen's well-crafted story reveals the inadvertent dangers of social pressure and a lifetime of pain that comes to a logical conclusion through events taking place over roughly 48 hours. 

A sparsely furnished motel room dominates the stage. Along the perimeter an empty swimming pool, an imposing neon MOTEL sign, a massive telephone pole and bits of scrub grass suggest this is essentially the bottom of the barrel in the middle of nowhere somewhere at the end of the line. The massive sky in the background adds to the fact that this is a story of two people stuck in a small room focused on their problems while there is a whole big world outside, that like me, really doesn’t care.

“Glassheart” is a modern-day reimagining of the well-known tale of Beauty and the Beast playing through February 23rd 2025 at CityLit Theater on Chicago’s northside near Bryn Mawr and Sheridan Road. 

What are you willing to sacrifice to be the light in someone else’s life? Are you able to look past the superficial and artificial barriers that cause us to disregard and reject those who may be deserving of affection?

Review by Reno Lovison

Holidays have a unique way of punctuating our lives. Through this activity we assess alliances, trade information, and mark the passage of time.

In The Long Christmas Dinner written by Thorton Wilder, presented by TUTA Theatre in Chicago we join an affluent Midwestern family, sometime in the not-too-distant past, at their Christmas table.  

What is unusual is that, this is not just one dinner, it is a sequence of similar dinners seamlessly stitched together in a linear fashion, showing a progression of events that affect this family over multiple generations. 

Mike Royko was an outspoken Chicago journalist, who in the 1960s through 1990s railed against the political machine and championed the cause of the underdog with the same zeal he displayed toward his beloved Chicago Cubbies.

Mitchell Bisschop’s roughly two-hour performance as Royko serves as a reminiscence for those of a certain age, and as an entertaining summary of our recent history for those of a younger generation who might not have first-hand familiarity with events related to the quickly fading recent past.

Reno Lovison, Executive Producer at ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com comments on the documentary Time Passages by Chicago filmmaker Kyle Henry who tenderly reviews his relationship between himself and his mother, whose memory is slowly slipping away due to dementia.

Looking at other people’s lives is always interesting. We can’t help but to compare our experiences to theirs perhaps in a quest to see if we ourselves are “normal.” - -  Are they the outliers, or are we? 

“Time Passages” recently screened at the 60th Annual Chicago Film Festival.

An aspiring African American actress, Vera Stark (Ashayla Calvin) works as a personal maid to fading 1930s movie star Gloria Mitchell (Caitlin Jemison), once known as “America’s Little Sweetie-Pie.” The two have a close relationship and have a shared struggle to find success. However, due to race barriers and prejudices it is clearly more difficult for Stark than it is for Mitchell.

Playing at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Review by Reno Lovison

This is a film review of "The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt's Monument to Ida B. Wells follows the Chicago artist's creation of a monument to the civil right champion and woman’s suffrage leader. The film that premiered at the 60th Annual Chicago International Film Festival in 2024 follows his process as an opportunity to showcase each of their contributions to society while doing so within the greater context of the history of the African American experience. 

Letter writing is more akin to internal dialogue and can have a kind of naked intimacy that is difficult to achieve in the flesh.
Dear Elizabeth is smart biographical drama providing a glimpse into the lives and thoughts of two interesting people who through their own words, demonstrate to us the value of friendship and human connectedness.

The Goodman Theatre reminds us that the more things change the more they remain the same in this production of the classic courtroom drama, “Inherit the Wind.”

Small town school teacher Bertram Cates (Christopher Llewyn Ramirez) is on trial for breaking a state law that prohibits the teaching of evolution.

Lyric Opera of Chicago expounds on Beethoven's message of freedom of expression in this captivating contemporary production of Fidelio. It's interesting to see how easily this 18th Century music transforms to modern times. It is and story of good triumphing over evil and most importantly a story of hope combined with the courage to speak truth to power and taking action to stand up to tyranny and oppression in order to right a wrong. Twenty-first century audiences will appreciate the portrayal of a strong female hero and the allusions to political oppression that continues to be perpetrated throughout the world. Podcast review by Reno Lovison for ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com

Kicking off this popular Chicago ensemble theater company’s 49th season, an incompetent troupe of actors are expertly portrayed by a considerably expert cast, in Steppenwolf’s revival of the classic screwball comedy “Noises Off,” directed by Anna D. Shapiro.