Buzz Center Stage

08/28/2026

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story at Drury Lane is a jolt of pure rock ’n’ roll energy - and a reminder of just how young, brilliant, and revolutionary Holly was. A roof‑raising production, a knockout cast, and a finale that hits with real emotional weight. Highly recommended! Full review now live.

Drury Lane Theatre opens its latest musical with a warm jolt of rock ’n’ roll energy as Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, by Alan James, returns to the stage, decades after its 1989 debut at the Plymouth Theatre Royal in England. What began as a modest jukebox biography has grown into a global cr...

08/26/2026

Tim Curry’s legacy is one of fearless transformation, the kind of artistry that reshaped both stage and screen. From his electrifying breakout as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show - a performance that rewrote the rules of camp, charisma, and audience connection - to his commanding turns in Amadeus, Travesties, and The Pirates of Penzance, Curry proved himself a performer who could bend genre to his will. His work bridged worlds: the anarchic joy of cult theatre, the precision of classical training, and the emotional intelligence of a true character actor.

Across decades, he became a touchstone for performers who saw in him a model of fearlessness: a reminder that great theatre isn’t just about craft, but about daring. Whether inhabiting the grandeur of Shakespeare, the bite of Tom Stoppard, or the gleeful chaos of musical theatre, Curry brought a singular presence - magnetic, mischievous, and unmistakably human.

His impact endures not only in the roles he made iconic, but in the artists he emboldened. Tim Curry didn’t just perform characters; he expanded what characters could be. His passing is a deeply sad loss for the theatre community, and he will be truly missed.

08/26/2026

Dolly Parton was the rare kind of artist who turned every stage she touched into a place of joy, generosity, and storytelling magic. Her songs were tiny plays, her performances full of heart, humor, and the kind of truth that made audiences feel seen. She lifted communities, championed kindness, and reminded us that art can change the world one story at a time. Dolly was the best of us - a beacon of creativity, compassion, and courage - and she will be truly missed.

08/26/2026

Playmakers Laboratory Theatre's That’s Weird, Grandma turns 25, and the birthday party is as wild, scrappy, and joyfully chaotic as ever. This long‑running Neo‑Futurist staple transforms real stories written by Chicago elementary school students into a fast, funny hour of pure imagination — from a circus‑dreaming giraffe to a heroic burping bunny. Director Brandon Cloyd and a multigenerational ensemble throw themselves into every sketch with big energy and bigger heart, celebrating the weird, unfiltered brilliance of kids’ storytelling.

Across quick-hit scenes about falling sisters, ocean-sized lakes, and eggs begging for reinforcements, the cast reminds us why this show has survived everything from 9/11 to Covid: young creativity matters. With teaching artists and alumni performers joining forces, the 25th anniversary edition feels like both a tribute to the past and a promise that Playmakers Lab’s delightful weirdness isn’t going anywhere.

If you need an energy boost, skip the can of Monster and get yourself, plus loved ones of any age, to Playmakers Lab’s tasty birthday cake of a show. The very first edition of That’s Weird, Grandma, culled from Chicago elementary school students’ stories, occurred in the spring of 2001. The re...

08/21/2026

There’s a certain kind of summer magic you only find at a drive in. The slow roll through the gates, the glow of the screen against a fading sky, the way families, friends, and strangers settle into their own little setups as the night unfolds. If you grew up with drive ins, you know the feeling instantly. And if you didn’t, McHenry Outdoor Theater - Golden Age Cinemas will show you exactly what you’ve been missing.

Just an hour from Chicago, McHenry has become one of the Midwest’s most enduring moviegoing traditions - a place where nostalgia and modern energy meet in the middle of a wide open gravel lot. You’ll see kids chasing bubbles, dogs trotting happily from car to car, couples stretched out in the backs of SUVs, and regulars who’ve perfected their outdoor living room setups over years of summer nights. Before the first feature even starts, you’ve already lived half the experience.

This season marks McHenry’s 75th anniversary, and they’re celebrating with the kind of creativity that keeps the place buzzing: a John Hughes triple feature that brings fans back to the golden age of Chicago made cinema, the entire Back to the Future trilogy lighting up the screen on crisp fall nights, and Bring Your Dog Night - a tail wagging crowd favorite that turns the lot into a joyful parade of pups and movie lovers. Add in throwback cartoons, retro concessions, themed photo ops, and occasional live music, and you’ve got a drive in that feels both timeless and completely alive.
McHenry is still here. Still glowing. Still gathering people under the stars. And whether you’re listening to Elvis on the radio or streaming your favorite playlist through your car speakers, the feeling is the same: a night that slows the world down just enough to remind you how good it feels to be part of a community sharing a story together.

Read the full feature on Buzz Center Stage and maybe start planning your next weekend night out.

There was a particular kind of magic to seeing a movie outside when I was a kid in 1970s Chicago - a feeling that lived somewhere between summer air and pure possibility. Back then, drive-ins still dotted the map, and a couple sat right at the city’s edge: the Bel Air Drive-In in Cicero and the Ha...

08/20/2026

We’re bursting into theater season, and Chicago’s stages are already showing off. Three productions in particular are delivering the kind of energy, craft, and heart that make August feel like a full‑on celebration of live performance.

Theatre 31 Productions’ Gus and Alice returns to the Greenhouse Theater Center for its final weekend, and it’s a gem worth catching while you can. After five sold‑out shows, it’s clear audiences are connecting with its sharp humor, grounded performances, and the kind of intimate storytelling that storefront theatre does best. It’s warm, witty, and wonderfully human.

At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Music Theater Works' West Side Story brings big voices, sweeping choreography, and a lush, full-bodied production that honors the classic while giving it fresh electricity. The cast fills the space with power and precision, and the emotional weight of the story lands with clarity and care. It runs through August 30, and it’s absolutely worth the trip.

Nova Entertainment's Hail Mary/Maria at Theater Wit offers a bold, contemporary narrative with humor, bite, and a distinctive voice. It’s smart, surprising, and full of the kind of theatrical risk-taking that keeps Chicago’s new‑work scene vibrant.

Support your theaters, grab your tickets, and enjoy the ride - Chicago’s stages are serving up great work right now.

08/20/2026

Chicago theatre fans, did you know? One of the strangest, most delightful twists in American theatre history belongs to Chicago. In 1902, local real estate developer and playwright Samuel Eberly Gross took on the international juggernaut of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac — and won. Gross had written his own play, The Merchant Prince of Cornville, years before Cyrano debuted, and when Rostand’s masterpiece exploded in popularity, Gross became convinced the French playwright had lifted not just themes, but entire comedic beats, character dynamics, and plot turns straight from his script.

A court official compared the two plays side‑by‑side and agreed, calling Cyrano “a clear and unmistakable piracy.” The ruling was so serious it temporarily halted U.S. productions of Cyrano and awarded Gross a symbolic $1 in damages - a tiny sum attached to a massive legal statement.

So yes: one of the most celebrated works of French theatre was, at least according to American law, a rip‑off of a Chicago script. It’s a reminder that Chicago theatre has always been bold, scrappy, and unafraid to shake the canon - even if it means dragging a world‑famous playwright into federal court.

08/20/2026

Big news for Chicago theatre fans — rising star (“Elle”) joins Kowalski as Marlon Brando, alongside Johnny Galecki as Tennessee Williams. Gregg Ostrin’s celebrated new play, directed by Colin Hanlon, arrives at Lookingglass Theatre Company September 15–October 25, diving into the electrifying night in 1947 when Williams first met the young actor who would change A Streetcar Named Desire forever.

Tickets are on sale now at http://www.lookingglasstheatre.org/.

08/19/2026

Music Theater Works' West Side Story is lighting up the North Shore Center with big voices, sharp choreography, and all the heart you want from a classic done right. It’s vibrant, it’s polished, and it’s only running through August 30 — catch it before the Jets and Sharks tear up the stage in one last, glorious showdown.

08/19/2026

Director and Former Trapezist Shana Carroll Shares Her Inspiration for The 7 Fingers' The Attic.
At Goodman Theatre September 5 - October 4

From the primal vista of her childhood bedroom springs Shana Carroll's wildly imaginative, ground-breaking memoir that takes theater to new heights. Inspired by the Tony Award-nominated former trapezist's mesmerizing life story, a company of fearless performers transforms memory into daring aerial feats that are as moving as they are breathtaking. In the air, on the floor and from the heart, Montreal's multidisciplinary creative collective, The 7 Fingers, brings its "thrillingly modern brand of circus" (Time Out New York) to The Goodman in this moving new work that embraces the fear and courage of being human.