Feature Column: Talkin Broadway
07/06/2011 - Middletown
John Olson reviews Middletown at the Steppenwolf Theatre
06/22/2011 - The Homosexuals
John Olson reviews About Face Theatre's 'The Homosexuals'
06/08/2011 - The Outgoing Tide
John Olson highly recommends The Outgoing Tide, at Northlight Theatre
06/01/2011 - Porgy and Bess
John Olson highly recommends Porgy and Bess, at the Court Theatre
05/18/2011 - Aces
John Olson recommends Aces at Signal Ensemble Theatre
05/11/2011 - Peter Pan
John Olson recommends Peter Pan at the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center
03/16/2011 - The People's Four Seasons
John Olson reviews The People's Four Seasons
03/09/2011 - Working
John Olson reviews Working at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower
02/23/2011 - Les Misérables
John Olson highly recommends Les Misérables at Cadillac Palace Theatre
12/01/2010 - A Christmas Carol
John Olson recommends A Christmas Carol at the Goodman
11/10/2010 - To Master the Art
John Olson highly recommends To Master the Art
11/03/2010 - The Seagull
John Olson highly recommends The Seagull at the Goodman
10/27/2010 - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
John Olson recommends Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
10/13/2010 - Company
John Olson recommends Company by Griffin Theatre Company
09/30/2010 - Sunday in the Park with George
John Olson recommends Sunday in the Park with George
09/08/2010 - Jailbait
John Olson recommends Jailbait at Profiles Theatre
07/28/2010 - A Guide for the Perplexed
John Olson reviews A Guide for the Perplexed at the Victory Gardens
07/07/2010 - The Sins of Sor Juana
The Sins of Sor Juana at the Goodman Theatre through July 25th
06/02/2010 - The Good Negro
John Olson recommends The Good Negro at the Goodman through June 6
05/26/2010 - A Streetcar Named Desire
John Olson highly recommends A Streetcar Named Desire
05/05/2010 - Spring Awakening
John Olson recommends Spring Awakening
04/21/2010 - Into the Woods
John Olson recommends Into the Woods from Porchlight Music Theatre
04/14/2010 - Billy Elliot: The Musical
Billy Elliot: The Musical, arguably better than the Broadway version
04/07/2010 - Hello Again
John Olson recommends Hello Again at the BoHo Theatre
03/31/2010 - A Life
John Olson reviews A Life, playing now through April 25th
03/24/2010 - Trust
John Olson reviews Trust at the Lookingglass Theatre through 4/25
03/17/2010 - Chess
John Olson reviews Chess performed at the No Exit Café through 4/25
02/17/2010 -
11:11, a world premiere comedy about counselors at a summer bible camp
01/27/2010 - Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls shows how the magic of stagecraft can surprise
01/20/2010 - Funny Girl
Funny Girl, a new & authentic take on the vaudeville star Fanny Brice
12/22/2009 - Icarus
Graceful imagery seems poorly matched against pretentious speechifying
12/16/2009 - The Addams Family
The Addams Family delivers in big Broadway style
12/23/2008 - The Seafarer
John reviews The Seafarer at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
11/25/2008 - Dublin Carol
Dublin Carol at Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, review by John Olson
10/15/2008 - Amelia Earhart: Jungle Princess
The New Colony's Amelia Earhart, aspires to be more than we'd expect
08/27/2008 - Love in the Middle Ages
Love in the Middle Ages contains a lot bright moments and sincerity
04/30/2008 - Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd a classic piece performed by a top-rate cast
01/30/2008 - This is How It Goes, Profiles Theatre
John Olson reviews This is How It Goes at Profiles Theatre
01/16/2008 - Sex, lies and videotape in Catholic schools
Reviews: Bailiwick's bare and Good Boys and True at the Steppenwolf
11/14/2007 - The Phantom of the Opera, Cadillac Palace Theatre
John Olson reviews The Phantom of the Opera at Cadillac Palace Theatre
10/30/2007 - Jersey Boys, Lasalle Bank Theatre
John Olson reviews Jersey Boys playing at the Lasalle Bank Theatre
10/11/2007 - Altar Boyz, Drury Lane Water Tower Place
John Olson reviews Altar Boyz at the Drury Lane through 11/25
09/26/2007 - Phantom, Porchlight Music Theatre
John Olson reviews Phantom at Theatre Building Chicago through 11/11
08/29/2007 - Love Is Dead: A NecRomantic Musical Comedy
John Olson reviews Love Is Dead: A NecRomantic Musical Comedy
07/12/2007 - August: Osage County
John Olson reviews August: Osage County at the Steppenwolf
07/05/2007 - It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman!
John Olson reviews It's a Bird! It's a Plane!, It's Superman!
05/09/2007 - The Color Purple
John Olson reviews The Color Purple playing at the Cadillac Palace
04/29/2007 - The Diary of Anne Frank
John Olson reviews The Diary of Anne Frank at Steppenwolf through 6/10
03/07/2007 - The Wiz
John Olson reviews The Wiz at Theatre Building Chicago through 3/25
02/28/2007 - The Drunkard
John Olson reviews The Drunkard at The Blue Theatre through 3/25
02/01/2007 - Execution of Justice
John Olson reviews About Face Theatre's Execution of Justice
12/28/2006 - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
John Olson reviews The Hypocrites' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
12/13/2006 - The Snow Queen
John Olson: The Snow Queen at Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre
12/01/2006 - Argonautika
John Olson reviews Argonautika at the Lookingglass Theatre Co.
10/18/2006 - Altar Boyz
John Olson reviews Altar Boyz at Lasalle Bank Theatre through 10/29
10/03/2006 - The Pillowman
John Olson reviews The Pillowman playing at the Steppenwolf
08/22/2006 - Keep Ishmael
The White Horse Theatre Company production of Keep Ishmael
08/10/2006 - The People's Pinocchio
John Olson reviews The People's Pinocchio running through August 20
07/14/2006 - Chicago's Outstanding Theatre Scene
John Olson's theatre picks for you to enjoy during Gay Games week
06/25/2006 - Movin' Out
John Olson reviews Movin' Out at the Auditorium Theatre through July 9
05/16/2006 - Fiorello!
John Olson reviews Fiorello! by the Timeline Theatre Company
05/10/2006 - Love Song
John Olson reviews Love Song at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
05/01/2006 - The Secret Garden
John Olson reviews The Secret Garden by Porchlight Music Theatre
03/30/2006 - autobahn by Neil LaBute
John Olson reviews autobahn by Neil LaBute at Profiles Theatre
03/19/2006 - Dame Edna: Back With A Vengeance!
Dame Edna is back with a vengeance! John Olson reviews the show.
02/20/2006 - Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein
John Olson reviews Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein
01/24/2006 - The Well-Appointed Room
John Olson reviews the World Premiere of The Well-Appointed Room
11/29/2005 -
A Still Life in Color performed at Chicago Dramatists Theatre
11/10/2005 - after the quake
A review of after the quake at the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre
10/17/2005 - Gypsy
John Olson reviews Gypsy through Oct. 30 at Theatre Building
10/06/2005 - Recent Tragic Events
John Olson reviews Uma Productions Recent Tragic Events
09/01/2005 - Wicked
John Olson reviews Wicked with Ana Gasteyer
07/31/2005 - I Sing
John Olson reviews the White Horse Theatre Company's I Sing
07/30/2005 - Band Geeks: A Halftime Musical
Band Geeks: A Halftime Musical Single Box Turn Production
07/28/2005 - The Wild Party
Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
07/14/2005 - A Kiss from Alexander
The Bailiwick Pride Series continues with A Kiss from Alexander
06/27/2005 - Marlowe
Marlowe at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre through July 17
06/13/2005 - Planet of the Bisexuals
Planet of the Bisexuals, part of the Bailiwick Pride Series
05/09/2005 - Take Me Out
Take Me Out, extended through May 22nd, catch it while you can
03/22/2005 - Reparation by David Schulner
John Olson reviews Reparation by David Schulner
03/05/2005 - Sweet Charity
Christina Applegate stars in the Broadway-bound Sweet Charity
02/04/2005 - Closer Than Ever
Closer Than Ever, not a surprising choice of material for Porchlight
12/22/2004 - Robert Altman's A Wedding
A Wedding makes a good case for contemporary opera
12/16/2004 - Tennessee Williams’ One Arm
One Arm by Moisés Kaufman is pure Tennessee Williams
11/22/2004 - Cherry Orchard
Cherry Orchard now at the intimate Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre
07/30/2004 - I Sing
John Olson reviews the White Horse Theatre Company's I Sing
08/30/2002 - The Wild Party
John Olson reviews the Bohemian’s production of The Wild Party.