Theater & Performance Search
The Pirates of Penzance
6/22-7/13: Sat 7:30 PM
312-451-2700Theater & Performance
Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera. $30-$65
Unbridled
Thursdays, 10:30 p.m.Theater & Performance
There's a forced sort of energy to Untitled, the so-hip-it-hurts "speakeasy" in River North, and it pervades Unbridled, a performance series featuring burlesque dancers, fire-eaters, contortionists, and more (the lineup changes weekly). It's a gorgeous space, perfect for showcasing the beautifully dressed young couples who inhabit it, the servers in period costume, and emcee Madame Barker on an odd-looking motorized podium. Oh, and the performers. With everything else going on here they end up feeling like an afterthought, sandwiched between dance parties led by go-go girls and accompanied by a black-and-white movie that plays constantly in the background. The couple seated next to us barely even stopped making out long enough to watch the performances. Which is too bad, because some of them were very good—particularly a number involving a blazing hula hoop. You'll get an unforgettable view of some of the dance routines if you sit at the long table in the middle of the room, since they take place on top of it. —Julia Thiel $10
Supernatural Chicago
Open run: Fri 7:30 PM, 800-979-3370Theater & Performance
Watching Supernatural Chicago in any month that isn't October is kind of like visiting Santa at the mall in June. But even in early spring, you might find more people than there are seats at Neil Tobin's one-man magic-act-cum-local-history-lesson, in the dark former storage area (I mean, Indian burial ground) of Excalibur Nightclub's basement. I wouldn't trade the off-season showing for anything—there's nothing else like 20 strangers holding hands to conjure up the spirit of a dead suburban teenager, while Tobin walks around waving his hands over everybody. Yes, the show is cheesy, and, no, it didn't convert me, but that's what makes it good theater. After all, it wouldn't be any fun to hear a haunted rehash of the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre if you really suspected that Al Capone's ghost was in the seat next to you. — Hannah Gold $25 (includes two drinks and admission to dance club)
Bally Hoo
Open run: Fri 7 PMTheater & Performance
The supper-club floor shows in vintage movies always look like such elegant fun, with Adolphe Menjou sitting ringside in his tux while spunky chorines tap and a smiling tenor croons. I've wondered why something like that couldn't happen now. The people behind Untitled obviously wondered the same thing, and have revived the concept in Bally Hoo. Still, the night I saw this 90-minute, "1930s-style" production, it was more a promising work in progress than a fantasy come true. Richard Strimner had the right voice, style, and application of pomade for his role as emcee; the seven-piece band was clean if not hot; and the four-member chorus line hit their stride doing a cute number about exercise. But the details were often off. Anachronistic belly-dance and musical-saw acts wrecked the mood. The contemporary look of the musicians created dissonance. And while she had some alluring moves, stripper Lady Jack was occasionally betrayed by her costuming. I hope Untitled tightens things up, because this could be delightful. Reader food critic Mike Sula has commented on the dining experience. —Tony Adler $25, food and drink not included, reservations required
