A husband and wife move to London from Chicago. They are trying to escape from ghosts that haunted the wife. However, it seems they have followed her to England. 

This production is extremely well done with a very high production value. They built a two-story house on the stage. The combination of the dim lighting and the sound design are excellent. It’s truly terrifying and definitely not for children. It’s perfect for the Halloween season. 

The acting is world class. Cher Álvarez is great as the woman being haunted by her past. Patrick Heusinger is superb as the husband who doesn’t really believe his wife is seeing ghosts.  Kate Fry is great as the medium who comes to their house to help them. Shannon Cochran is outstanding as the mother of the husband, who acts in a very unexpected way. 

It’s an impressive list of collaborators on this production. It’s a co-production with Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles), American Conservatory Theater (San Francisco), and Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC). It was written by Levi Holloway and Felix Barret (Punchdrunk, Sleep No More). It has illusions from Chris Fisher (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Harry Potter & The Cursed Child) 

Cost of a ticket: $68 (Lower Gallery)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value +

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Paranormal Activity through November 2nd! 

Quinn Delaney

The Sound of Music is based on the 1949 book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp. The musical opened on Broadway in 1959 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It was the last musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The film version was released in 1965 starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. 

The musical is about Maria, who isn’t fitting in at the abbey as a nun in training. So, they send her to be a nanny for the seven von Trapp children. Also, at this time, the Nazis are planning to annex Austria and the father has no plans of joining them. 

This production is absolutely Broadway worthy and very professionally done. The music is fantastic and you’ll surely recognize most of the songs, of which many are repeated in the show. It’s a true classic and the Nazi scenes are even more harrowing given the current political climate. 

Cost of a ticket: $107 (Orchestra Center)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for The Sound of Music through November 2nd! 

Quinn Delaney

Early in the set, Neon Trees play “Animal” from their 2010 Album, Habits. “Oh-oh, I want some more / Oh-oh, what are you waiting for? / Take a bite of my heart tonight”. This is such a fun and joyous song and it has the entire crowd dancing along. 

They follow this with “1983”. The lead singer, Tyler Glenn, says he kinda regrets putting the year of his birth in this song, because now everyone knows how old he is! “It’s coming all back to me / Nineteen-eighty-three / The year I was born”. 

Soon afterwards they play “Songs I Can’t Listen To”, which was released as a single in 2015. “I’ve got a list of songs I can’t listen to / And it’s all because we’re through”. Wow, the emotion of these lyrics is so raw. For anyone who has felt this, it hits them right in the gut. 

Glenn comments on how the crowd is a bit small, since it is a Monday night. Then he asks if anyone has had the experience of thinking about someone sexually, but not telling them. After a small response, he asks  “is it too early in the week to be sexual?” He then launches into “Secret” from their latest album, 2024’s Sink Your Teeth. 

In the middle of “Bad Dreams”, he sings a bit of “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan after saying it’s about to get gay in here. At the Metro two nights ago, Jukebox the Ghost played the full song. Another similarity to that concert is that on both nights, it was the drummer’s birthday and the lead singer had everyone sing “Happy Birthday”. 

To close out the night, they play their supermassive hit, “Everybody Talks” from their 2012 album, Picture Show. This song has over 1 billion streams on Spotify. “It started with a whisper / And that was when I kissed her / And then she made my lips hurt / I could hear the chit-chat”. This song is pop rock perfection and it sends the crowd out with a giant smile on their face. 

See the full setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $40

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

In the middle of the set, they play the distinctive riff of “Blister In The Sun” from their self-titled 1982 album and the audience erupts. “Let me go on / Like I blister in the sun / Let me go on / Big hands, I know you’re the one.” This is such a fun song and it’s their most popular one on Spotify with over 313 million streams. 

They follow this up with “Kiss Off”. The whole crowd sings along “And eight, eight, I forget what eight was for / But nine, nine, nine for a lost god / And ten, ten, ten, ten for everything, everything, everything, everything!” It’s truly a great moment of unity at the Salt Shed.  

Next up is “Please Do Not Go”. These three songs also appear in this order on their album. It begins with staccato chords and then a fantastic bass line.  “Tell you, man, I’m stuck on this lovely girl / ‘Cause to me, she mean all the world / But then she like another guy / I fall down dead, she never see the tears I cry / Said, Please, please, please do not go”. The lyrics are heartbreaking in this exceptional song.  

Soon afterwards is “Good Feeling”. “Good feeling, won’t you stay with me / Just a little longer? / It always seems like you’re leaving / When I need you here just a little longer”. This track has a much different feel than most as it’s a slow song. 

They close their set with “Add It Up”. “Why can’t I get just one fuck? / Why can’t I get just one fuck? / I guess it’s got something to do with luck / But I waited my whole life for just one”. The emotion is so raw.

The hits just kept coming and all the songs have stood the test of time. What a fantastic show!

See the full setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $102

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Concert Pick:

Deep Cut and Jam Productions Present Parcels with The Lemon Twigs at the Salt Shed (October 19)

This tour is in support of Parcel’s latest album, LOVED. 

Check out the opening track, “Tobeloved”. 

Parcels formed in 2014 in Byron, Bay, Australia. Later that same year, they moved to Berlin, Germany. They describe themselves as a mix between electropop and disco-soul.  

See their most recent setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $94 

Get tickets here. 

Interactive Pick:

Open House Chicago (October 18-19) 

https://www.architecture.org/open-house-chicago

This festival provides free access to over 200 buildings, many of which are not normally open to the public. 

Theatre Pick:

Veal at A Red Orchid Theatre (Through November 9)

Cost of a ticket: $55

See our review here. 

Quinn Delaney

A soldier (Aaron James Mckenzie) has gone AWOL and the military police are looking for him. He reunites with his girlfriend (Alysia Velez) who helps him evade them. His father (Al’Jaleel McGhee [Noises Off, To Catch a Fish]) was also an outlaw, who would rob pimps and thieves. He was kicked out for defending himself against a sergeant. While working as a janitor, he meets his future wife (Jackie Burns), who is working as a teacher. His other son (Jakeim Hart) is a musician who just wants to be left alone, but is pressured to use his talents for good, to protest the world’s evils. 

The book was written by Zayd Ayers Dohrn with Music & Lyrics by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave). It’s an interesting story about protest, with a lot of guitar solos. 

At times, it is hard to understand the lyrics, which is fine at a concert, but makes it hard to follow the story at a musical. Also, there are a lot of story lines going on at once, which results in all of them feeling underdeveloped.

There is a moment where the soldier’s parents come out while the rock music is playing with guns and trenchcoats that is just like the end of The Matrix, which ends with the same imagery and “Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine. 

Get tickets now for Revolution(s) through November 16th.

Cost of a ticket: $74 (Main Floor)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Discounted +

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Three friends go to visit the Queen of North America, who was their friend in middle school. The Queen has become a totalitarian ruler. The friends have come saying they are just there to hang out, but they are actually just trying to get insulin for a family member. 

Jojo Jones has written a very fun and interesting play. It really picks up steam and gets dramatic when they all re-enact significant memories from their childhood. 

The audience can’t help but compare the Queen to our current nation’s leader, who everyone sucks up to and often acts childish in his desire to be liked. 

At 90 minutes, it would be nice to have an intermission. There are plenty of scene changes where it could be easily added.  Join the Pro-Intermission movement here. 

Alexandra Chopson (In Quietness) is devilishly excellent as the Queen ordering everyone around. Jasper Johnson is spot on as the concubine, doing everything she says quickly. Jojo Brown, Carmia Imani, and Alice Wu are all superb as the three friends. 

See the program here. 

Cost of a ticket: $55

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Veal through November 9th. 

Quinn Delaney

Jess has just returned from the Afghanistan war after suffering severe burns from an IED explosion. Her sister throws her a welcome home party. Soon afterwards, she goes to see her ex-boyfriend, who works at a local gas station. He doesn’t recognize her at first, because of her burns. 

Lindsey Ferrentino has written a great play that has a good balance of comedy and drama, light-heartedness and heaviness. 

At 90 minutes, it would be nice to have an intermission to digest this complex play. There are plenty of scene changes where it could be easily added.  Join the Pro-Intermission movement here. 

Christina Gorman (London Road, The Moors) puts on a great performance in the difficult role of Jess. Christopher Acevedo (Plano) is excellent as her ex, who often doesn’t know what to say. Cyd Blakewell (Obliteration, The Locusts)  is splendid as her very caring sister. Eddie Martinez (Rightlynd, Fade) is so friendly as the sister’s boyfriend, despite the opposition he faces from Jess. Lastly, Barbara Figgins is solid as the voice at Jess’s therapy sessions. 

Cost of a ticket: $40

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Ugly Lies the Bone through November 15th! 

Quinn Delaney

Morgan James opens with “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC. It’s the opening track on her latest album, Soul Remains the Same. She later describes this album as what would happen if Aretha Franklin and AC/DC went into the studio together. 

She follows this up with “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots. With this new soulful arrangement, the first few notes will give you goosebumps. This is because these soulful versions of alternative rock songs work so well. Since Stone Temple Pilots are touring without their original lead singer, they should consider hiring Morgan! 

Later in the night, she sings “Tonight, Tonight” by the Smashing Pumpkins. James sounds fantastically soulful. Billy Corgan and the Lyric Opera of Chicago are also reimagining this song and the entire iconic 90s album, Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness. 

Soon afterwards is “Better Man” by Pearl Jam. This version is hauntingly beautiful and would make Eddie Vedder proud.  

She plays a lot of great original songs as well. She introduces this one as a happy song called “Drown”, which definitely doesn’t sound like a happy title! 

Morgan James sometimes just plays with her husband, other times with a full orchestra, and tonight with a full band. They drive all over the country. Most recently they went from Knoxville to St. Louis to Chicago! With talent like this, they’ll surely continue to cris-cross the country for a long time! 

See the full setlist here. 

Cost of a ticket: $45

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Constellations is the story of Marianne and Roland, played by Kaylah Crosby (Pro-Am) and Christian Davis Aldridge (Barefoot in the Park), across multiple universes. In the first universe, they meet at a BBQ while Roland is in a relationship, so they don’t connect. In another one, they are both single and they get together. Then, in one world, Marianne sleeps with another man. In an alternate world, Roland is the unfaithful one. The play goes on like this exploring the infinite possibilities of their relationship. It’s just like the improvisational game “Change” where whenever a bell is rung, the actor has to change their last line of dialog, which in turn can change the entire scene. As the options present themselves, the audience can’t help but hope for best possible outcome.

There are many big themes that emerge and big questions to ponder in this play by Nick Payne.  Does free will exist? Or, are we controlled by fate?  Do our choices matter in relationships, or will most things end up the same no matter what we do? Can a relationship survive infidelity? Can it survive a life threatening illness?

At 80 minutes, it would be nice to have an intermission to digest this complex play. There are plenty of scene changes where it could be easily added.  Join the Pro-Intermission movement here. 

The actors perform fantastically.  They expertly navigate multiple universes. With just a slight change of tone and a new word or two, they manage to create a completely different feeling for each world. Sometimes they repeat a lot more words than is necessary. The set is also unique. It looks like constellations with all the handing lightbulbs.  The entire production is world class.

See the program here. 

Cost of a ticket: $52

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Constellations through October 19th at the Athenaeum Theatre!

Quinn Delaney