Critics notebook

Here is a look at currently running plays recently reviewed by the Daily Herald.

"Altar Boyz," Drury Lane Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago. This high-energy, spot-on sendup of prefab boy bands and Christian pop has an ecumenical appeal. You don't have to be a member of the congregation to get the joke in a show that's pure fluff, but very well-done. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 5 p.m. Sundays; through Jan. 6. Running time: About 90 minutes, no intermission. Parking: Discounted parking in Water Tower Place garage with validation. Tickets: $45-$55. Rating: For teens and older, contains sexual innuendo. Box office: (312) 642-2000 or www.altarboyzchicago.com. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 stars

"Between Barack and a Hard Place," Second City Theatre, 1616 N. Wells St., Chicago. Second City sends up Illinois' junior senator in its 94th revue featuring requisite jabs at pop culture and politics. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays; open run. Running time: About 1 hour, 45 minutes, including intermission. Parking: Paid lots nearby. Tickets: $17-$25. Rating: For adults. Box office: (312) 337-3992 or www.secondcity.com. Reviewed by Scott Morgan. 2 1/2 stars"Bourbon at the Border," Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Eclipse Theatre concludes its Pearl Cleage season with her drama about the lingering effects of the brutal and bloody civil rights movement on two activist participants. The show is sluggish in spots and Cleage telegraphs the outcome early. But the competent production benefits from good casting and a moving performance by Lynette Mance -- who overcomes her initial tentativeness to blossom in the second act -- as a survivor of racial violence married to a man still coming to grips with it. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15; 3 p.m. Dec. 16. Running time: About 2 hours, including intermission. Parking: Reduced parking in the Childrens' Memorial Parking Hospital parking lot with ticket stub. Tickets: $18-$30. Rating: For adults, contains strong language, adult subject matter. Box office: (773) 871-3000 or www.eclipsetheatre.com. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 2 stars"A Christmas Carol," Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. After 30 years, Goodman's production of the holiday classic -- marking the debut of the expressive and ebullient Larry Yando as Scrooge and Rob Rains as the salt-of-the-earth Bob Cratchit -- is as good as ever thanks to a stellar supporting cast and top-notch production values. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 29. Also, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 24; 2 p.m. Dec. 26 and 27. Running time: About 2#189; hours, including intermission. Parking: Paid lots nearby; $13 in the Government Center on Lake Street with validation. Tickets: $20-$70. Rating: For all ages except very young children. (312) 443-3800 www.goodmantheatre.org. Reviewed by Pam DeFiglio. 3 1/2 stars"A Christmas Story," Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. Steel Beam delivers an earnest, modestly successful production of the stage version of Bob Clark's classic 1983 film about a young boy's schemes to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 23. Running time: About 2 hours, including intermission. Parking: Street parking available. Tickets: $25, $23. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (630) 587-8521 or www.steelbeamtheatre.com. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 2 stars"Defiance," Next Theatre Company, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. Next Theatre delivers a blistering Chicago-area premiere of John Patrick Shanley's drama, follow-up to his Pulitzer- and Tony-winning "Doubt," about a couple of career officers dealing with racial unrest and personal misconduct on a North Carolina base. A sharply written examination of power, duty and loyalty set against a backdrop of race and religion, it features terrific work by Steve Pickering, in his first performance for next in 10 years and newcomer Osiris Khepera. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 23. Running time: About 90 minutes, no intermission. Parking: Metered and street parking available. Tickets: $23-$38. Rating: For adults, contains sexual references, strong language. Box office: (847) 475-1875, ext. 2 or www.nexttheatre.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 1/2 stars"Ella," Northlight Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The charismatic E. Faye Butler delivers a masterful, honest performance in this bio-musical about "First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald that includes Butler and the crackerjack quartet of Anderson Edwards, Ron Haynes, Walt Kindred and John Whitfield performing the Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and Mercer tunes Fitzgerald made memorable. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 1 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays; through Jan 6, also 7 p.m. Dec. 30 and Jan. 6. Running time: About two hours, including intermission. Parking: Lot adjacent to theater. Tickets: $38-$58. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (847) 673-6300 or www.northlight.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 1/2 stars"Every Christmas Story Ever Told!" Pheasant Run Resort Spa, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. Noble Fool's clever revolt against traditional holiday shows pares down classics like "The Nutcracker" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," adds TV ephemera like Santa riding a Norelco shave to create a mostly mirthful production. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 29. Running time: About 100 minutes, including intermission. Parking: Free lot adjacent to theater. Tickets: $27-$38 (dinner-theater packages from $49 to $60). Rating: For teens and older, includes a disillusioning discussion of Santa. Box office: (630) 584-6342 or www.noblefool.org. Reviewed by Scott Morgan. 2 1/2 stars"Hunchback," Redmoon Central, 1463 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. Redmoon reprises its 2000 spectacle featuring masked actors, marionettes and puppets adapted from Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, "Notre Dame de Paris" about a malformed bell-ringer in love with a beautiful gypsy girl. "Hunchback" is a beguiling, innovative theatrical event exquisitely directed by Leslie Buxbaum Danzig and infused with the kind of humor, pathos and loveliness I've not experienced since "The Sparrow." Showtimes: 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays; 4 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 20. About 90 minutes, no intermission. Parking: Street parking available. Tickets: $15-$35. Rating: For teens and older. Box office: (312) 850-8440, ext. 111, or www.redmoon.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 1/2 stars"It's A Wonderful Life," American Theatre Company, 1909 W. Byron Ave., Chicago. Staged as a radio broadcast, this production of the Frank Capra film brims with color, life and good cheer from the cast-led sing-along that precedes the show to the play itself briskly directed by Marty Higginbotham and featuring a cast who create memorable characters using only voice, body language and expression. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3 and 6 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 30. Running time: About 90 minutes, no intermission. Parking: Some street and metered parking available. Tickets: $40. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (773) 929-103 or www.atcweb.org. Reviewed by Pam DeFiglio. 3 stars"Jersey Boys," LaSalle Bank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago. The superb touring production of this exuberant bio-musical about the rags to riches to wreckage to reconciliation tale of The Four Seasons delivers on its promise as one of the season's most anticipated shows. The show looks and sounds great thanks to the Broadway design team, songwriters Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, and Jarrod Spector, Drew Gehling, Michael Ingersoll and Jeremy Kushnier, who play the Seasons with charisma and conviction. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; through July 13, 2008. Running time: About 2#189; hours, including intermission. Parking: Paid lots nearby. Tickets: $30-$150. Rating: For adults, includes explicit language and sexual references. Box office: (312) 902-1400 or www.ticketmaster.com. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 1/2 stars"Lord Butterscotch and the Curse of the Darkwater Phantom," Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph St., Chicago. This British-style farce by Chicago playwrights Lisa Dillman, Rebecca Gilman and Brett Neveu is rather less than the sum of its parts. Nothing much distinguishes this clumsy, repetitious comedy -- complete with mistaken identities, a curse, romantic entanglements and sexual innuendo and a madcap chase -- that unfolds at the ancestral home of the dandy Lord Butterscotch who gathers friends and family together in an attempt to exorcise the phantom from his estate. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 6. About one hour, 40 minutes including intermission. Parking: Paid lots nearby. Tickets: $20, $18. Rating: For adults, contains sexual situations. Box office: (312) 742-8497 or www.dcatheaterorg. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 2 stars"Machos," Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Latina actresses convincingly portray men in this Teatro Luna production which reveals men's feelings on gender roles, stereotypes and sexual preferences in a humorous and unflinching manner. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15; 6 p.m. Dec. 16. Running time: About 90 minutes, no intermission. Parking: Street parking in available. Tickets: $15, $10. Rating: For adults, contains strong language. Box office: (773) 878-5862. Reviewed by Elena Ferrarin. 3 stars"Meet Me in St. Louis," Drury Lane Oak Brook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. This pleasantly bland 1989 musical fails to translate the simplicity and charm of Vincent Minelli's original 1944 film, despite the classic tunes like "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and enjoyable performances by Jessie Mueller as the spunky Esther (the Judy Garland role) and Justin Berkobien as the boy-next-door. Showtimes: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 14; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Dec. 15; 2 and 6 p.m. Dec. 16. Running time: About 2 hours, 10 minutes, including intermission. Parking: Free lots adjacent to theater. Tickets: $25-$50. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (630) 530-0111 or www.drurylaneoakbrook.com. Reviewed by Scott Morgan. 2 stars"Old Wicked Songs," Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago. Vincent L. Lonergan plays an eccentric Austrian professor instructing Shawn Pfautsch's American piano prodigy at a professional impasse in Signal Ensemble's solid production of Jon Marans' sentimental, formulaic drama underscored by Robert Schumann's "Dichterliebe" song-cycle. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Dec 14 and 15. Running time: About 2 hours, 20 minutes, including intermission. Parking: Metered and street parking available. Tickets: $20, $15. Rating: For teens and older. Box office: (773) 347-1350 or www.signalensemble.com. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 2 1/2 stars"The Phantom of the Opera," Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago. The flaws of this long-running show (stock characters, a repetitive score, overdone special effects) have been well-documented. But it has undeniable appeal, captivating audiences with its spectacle including Maria Bjornson's period costumes and Harold Prince's cinematic staging. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; through Jan. 5. Running time: About 2 hours, 45 minutes, including intermission. Parking: Area garages. Tickets: $28-$85. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (312) 902-1400 or www.broadwayinchicago.com. Reviewed by Scott C. Morgan. 3 stars"The Philadelphia Story," Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. It would be hard to eclipse the performances of Hepburn, Grant and Stewart from the 1940 film version of Philip Barry's comedy of manners. Remy Bumppo's laudable cast doesn't try. Instead Erica Elam's Tracy is softer; Grant Goodman's Dex more aloof and Steve Key's Mike more prickly than their big screen counterparts. All are thoroughly credible and enjoyable in Shawn Douglass' polished and pleasurable production. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 6, also 7 p.m. Dec. 31. About 2#189; hours, including intermissions. Parking: Discounted parking with ticket stub in the Children's Memorial Hospital parking garage. Tickets: $25.50-$40. Rating: For teens and older,. Box office: (773) 871-3000 or www.remybumppo.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 stars"Princess Donkey-Head: A Christmas Tale," New World Repertory Theater, 923 Curtiss St., Downers Grove. New World Rep deserves credit for bypassing standard holiday fare to stage the world premiere of this unconventional fairy tale about polar opposite stepsisters who are really the best of friends who find themselves competing over visiting princes. However the production's pacing is off and the comedy is somewhat beyond the abilities of some cast members. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22. Running time: About 95 minutes, including intermission. Parking: Street parking available. Tickets: $10-$20. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (630) 663-12489 or www.newworldrep.org. Reviewed by Scott Morgan. 2 1/2 stars"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," Circle Theatre, 7300 W. Madison St., Forest Park. Circle Theatre's entertaining, judiciously staged revival of this high-spirited 1954 movie musical benefits from efficient, exuberant direction and choreography by Kevin Bellie, who pays homage to original choreographer Michael Kidd yet still puts his own stamp on the show. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 23. Running time: About two hours, including intermission. Parking: Street parking available Tickets: $26. Rating: For all ages. Box office: (708) 771-0700 or www.circle-theatre.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 2 1/2 stars"Some Girl(s)," Profiles Theatre, 4147 N. Broadway, Chicago. Neil LaBute's play about a man who tracks down former girlfriends hoping to right some wrongs, gets a taut production from Profiles, a company specially suited to the writer's caustic humor and lean, unsentimental style. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15; 7 p.m. Dec. 16. Running time: About 90 minutes, including a deleted scene. Parking: Limited street parking. Tickets: $25, $30. Rating: For adults. Box office: (773) 549-1815 or www.profilestheatre.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 stars"The Sparrow," Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Imaginative and beguilingly told, this coming-of-age fairy tale about a young girl with a wounded spirit and special gifts who helps a town heal after a tragedy features a muted but eloquent performance by Carolyn Defrin in the title role; arresting visuals by Tracy Otwell and Lucas Merino; inventive staging by creator and director Nathan Allen; and winning choreography by Tommy Rapley. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 31. Running time: About two hours, including intermission. Parking: $10 valet. Tickets: $34.50-$49.50. Rating: Suitable for teens and older. Box office: (773) 935-6100 or www.thehousetheatre.com or www.broadwayinchicago.com. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 1/2 stars"The Turn of the Screw," Writers' Theatre (at Books on Vernon), 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe. Kudos to actors LaShawn Banks and Kymberly Mellen and director Jessica Thebus for a gripping, evocative revival of Jeffrey Hatcher's taut, two-person adaptation of Henry James' classic ghost story about a governess who suspects malevolent spirits have targeted her two young pupils. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 6 p.m. Sundays; through March 30, 2008. Running time: About 90 minutes, no intermission. Parking: Street parking available. Tickets: $45-$58. Rating: For teens and older. Box office: (847) 242-6000 or www.writerstheatre.org. Reviewed by Barbara Vitello. 3 1/2 stars