Dear Golden Girls Celebrate Love

Valentine's Day is over but The Golden Girls continue to spread the love this February through March 10 at Stage 773. Hell in a Handbag has had great success by impersonating a quartet of actresses that many adore from a hit seven season television show.

The cast has evolved a bit and in some ways has gotten better. The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes- The Valentine Editon is written by artistic director David Cerda with a wink and a smile from the classic sitcom.

This production is set in the Miami Senior Center with a cast of colorful characters. A few stand out by taking the moment they are given and running with it. Danne W. Taylor as Nancy Drew is ready for a spinoff and Ed Jones as Rose has a possum story that reminded me of my own country bumpkin family.

Tickets can be found at HandbagProductions.org or by calling 773-327-5252. Thank them by being a friend!

Windy City Playhouse at 3014 W. Irving Park Rd. is quickly becoming the most comfortable and inviting venue to see a play in the city. Noises Off comes hot on the heels of American Gothic and is just as good. Seats are so close that you will expect to get a lap dance and will be practically sitting on the set as we move behind it as an audience during act two.

For those that are not familiar with the story, Noises Off is a play within a play that goes horribly wrong. After watching this you may never want to eat a sardine again!

The cast works hard with a frenetic pace that doesn't let up until the end. I especially liked Rochelle Thieren as Brooke Ashton, but there's not really a weak link in the bunch.

You don't have to enjoy English humor to have a ball with Michael Frayn's Noises Off. Reserve a seat today at WindyCityPlayhouse.com or by calling 773-891-8985.

Dear Evan Hansen finally arrived at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. playing now through March 10 with an upcoming second run July 7- Sept. 27. The popular show is a winner of six Tony Awards and has an outstanding cast in the touring version. The vocal acrobatics and quick dialogue are mesmerizing, but the storyline was where I had my issue. Mental health as a plot device and an excuse for bad behaviour made Hansen so unlikable that I never recovered from it. I am not sure how the family was able to either after being constantly lied to and manipulated using their deceased son as bait by a stranger. Some may feel differently but as an anxiety sufferer I left frustrated.

Bring your sunglasses as the final scene is blindlngly brought to us by lighting designer Japhy Weideman. A little adjustment could fix this problem, unless it's intentional for some reason.

This won't stop the diehards from coming out to a show that says a lot about the world we live in today. Hurry to BroadwayInChicago.com for a hot ticket in town.