This is the 11^th Anniversary Tour of their self-titled album. It was supposed to be the 10^th Anniversary Tour, but Covid messed that up. They play the entire album from start to finish. Some of the songs they never played live, so it is a true treat for fans of this album.

Late in the night, they roll out the piano. Everyone leaves the stage except for the lead singer and the drummer, who is there for backup vocals. It’s a giant sing-a-long to “Miserable at Best.”  “I can live without you, but without you I’ll be miserable at best,” sings the entire audience. It truly is a special moment!

Next, they play “Piece of Your Heart”. Again, everyone sings along. “I’ve got a piece of your heart, but I want the whole damn thing!” All the couples hold each other tight. It’s a romantic emo moment. Mayday Parade is a band that has the gift of being able to connect with their audience as their writing is emotionally-driven, full of depth and meaning. In a world that can sometimes feel complex and confusing, we yearn for clarity and direction. Tonight, Mayday Parade provided an outlet for their fans to connect with their emotions and experience a sense of belonging.

During the concert, there was a moment where a fan did not feel well and the band stopped playing to prioritize and ensure the safety of their fans. This exemplified that their depth goes far beyond their writing and love for music, but that it is a core component of their integrity and dedication to their fans. Once the situation was addressed, they resumed the concert. 

To close out the show, they play “Jamie All Over”, which has over 92 million streams on Spotify and it is their biggest hit to date.  “I’ll take this Cali sunrise with me, and wake up with the fondest memories”. Everyone is jumping around and there is a lot of crowd surfing. It’s a great happy rocker that sends everyone out with a giant smile on their face. 

Cost of a ticket: $29 plus fees
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

To begin the show, the entire cast takes the stage. One by one, they say where they are originally from (or where their ancestors are from) and where they live now. It’s a very odd way to start a show having the actors first appear as themselves before becoming the characters.

Country Y owns Country X and the citizens of Country X are not happy about it. Can a citizen from Country Y be friends with someone from Country X? Can they treat each other as equals? Or, is the political baggage too much? Q is moving from Y to X to start a new life. She meets a fellow immigrant, F, and they agree to explore the caves together.

Having the names of the characters and countries does have the effect of removing any ethnicity or bias from a name. But it also makes the play feel like characters are variables in computer code. It makes them completely generic and thus it is hard to relate to them. Still, the play does bring up some interesting ideas. Christopher Chen, the playwright, was inspired by E.M. Forester’s “A Passage to India” about the British Raj and the Indian Independence movement in the 1920s Due to the current events taking place in Europe, it is easy to see Country Y as Russia and Country X as Ukraine.

Charin Alvarez (La Ruta, Lettie) is excellent as B, dealing with a horrible boss. Patrick Agada (The First Deep Breath) is great as F, trying to settle into a new country. Leyla Beydoun is good as Q, struggling to find new friends. Adam Poss is a big personality as Q’s husband, always explaining his thoughts thoroughly. Peter Sipla (Cambodian Rock Band) plays the host. Lastly, Carolyn Hu Bradbury and Tiffany Renee Johnson (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) are solid in their supporting roles.

Cost of a ticket: $30

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It –

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Passage through April 10^th.

Quinn Delaney

Get Xfinity Links for a $100 Visa Prepaid Card here!

Ramon Novarro is the toast of Hollywood after staring in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Billy Haines is also a silent film star who is often called the #1 box-office draw at the time. Everything is going great for them until the Motion Picture Production Code brings an end to Hollywood’s acceptance of gay stars. They are forced to choose between love and their career.

Trey DeLuna is excellent as Ramon Novarro, struggling to not become a has-been after his early success. Adam Jennings is charming as Billy Haines, a star who is always the life of the party and handles challenges well. Kyle Patrick (The Boys in the Band) is so likeable as Billy’s lifelong partner. Abby Lee is great as Lucille LeSueur, aka Joan Crawford, who called them the “the happiest married couple in Hollywood.” Max Stewart is sold as Louis B Mayer, Herbert Howe, and Weber. It is a little confusing have him play all these characters.

Cost of a ticket: $55 and up

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It –

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Sons of Hollywood through April 16^th!

Quinn Delaney

Get Curb Coupon Codes for $5 Off on WeThrift!

Tonight is the Robert Battle 10^th Anniversary Program. All the pieces are choreographed by Robert Battle, except for Revelations.

Mass (2004)

This piece is very spiritual and features the dancers in flowing church gowns. It goes well with Revelations.

IN/SIDE (2008)

Choreography by Robert Battle

Solomon Dumas is excellent in the piece. He is so athletic and graceful.

For Four (2021)

Music by Wynton Marsalis

This jazzy piece is so fun. It would fit right in with Giordano Dance Chicago’s repertoire. It matches their talent and their style.

TAKADEME (1999)

Music by Sheila Chandra

The song uses vocals in a very percussive manner and the dance is perfectly choreographed to match. Patrick Coker does an impeccable job visualizing the speed of the song and also the humor in it. The crowd is absolutely delighted.

Excerpt from LOVE STORIES (2004)

Music by Stevie Wonder

This piece is so fun and colorful. It’s a joyous piece that is exactly what we need right now.

Revelations (1960)

Choreography by Alvin Ailey

This is a full company piece that is met with a loud applause right when it starts. It’s gospel music that plays which gives the piece a religious feel. It’s happy, sad, and beautiful. Since its premiere, it has been performed continuously around the globe and it has become the most widely seen modern dance piece in the world.

This program will be repeated on Saturday at 8pm. The other performances will include different dances.

Get tickets now for Alvin Ailey through Sunday!

Cost of a ticket: $112 (Back Orchestra)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price (I’d recommend the cheaper seats on the sides of the orchestra)

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Get Instacart Coupon Codes for $10 Off and Free Delivery on WeThrift!

It’s 1938 and three women live in a hotel on the South Side of Chicago. They don’t have any dialog, but they tell their stories through the songs of Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn, Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith, and more. The singer in the hotel also has a few songs. Lastly, a dancer interacts with all the women as the subject of many of their songs.

https://vimeo.com/671301324

Felicia P. Fields is so powerful and charming in her performance. Just like in Sophisticated Ladies, Donica Lynn’s singing is impressive. As Fields says during the show, Clare Kennedy proves the following saying is wrong, “White women can’t have the blues”. Evan Tyrone Martin (Dreamgirls) is superb and funny as the saloon singer. Lastly, Terrell Armstrong (A Chorus Line) is outstanding as the dancer conveying more with his movement at times than the lyrics to the song.

Blues in the Night is more of a concert performance than a musical. It was nominated for the Best Musical Tony in 1983.

Cost of a ticket: $54 to $66

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price + (Note: Discounted tickets are available on the day of the show)

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Blues in the Night through March 20^th!

Quinn Delaney

Creature is brought to the High Arctic for a series of trails. They are testing his mental and physical abilities to withstand the extreme cold and isolation. This is to determine if he will be able to survive a journey to another planet. Creature is in love with his keeper, Marie. When he discovers the Major forcing himself on her, he erupts in rage.

The dancing is absolutely fantastic. The entire company is excellent. The highlight is Jeffrey Cirio as Creature. He is incredibly expressive on stage.

This performance is very intense. The music by Vincenzo Lamagna is constant and very haunting. It also perfectly matches the dancing. As he says in the video, sometimes the music comes first and sometimes the choreography comes first.

Cost of a ticket: $35 to $140

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It (for the $35 seats)

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Creature through February 26^th.

Quinn Delaney

Marielle Kraft’s mother never approved of her ex. She never asked about him, for 2 years. She put this into the song “Everyone But Me”. “My mom stopped asking how we are. My friends don’t want you at the party.” Her lyrics perfectly explain the feeling of dating someone who your friends and family don’t like.

When things finally end with this ex, he asks if they can stay friends. She says no, because as her next song title clearly says, “We Were Never Friends”. It’s a great breakup song that lays it out so clearly.

Next, she sings “Toothbrush” about the next guy she dates. “I hid your toothbrush this morning… I think it’s too much too soon to be falling in love again.” She nails it again about getting into a new relationship too soon after a long one just ended.

On the day she is moving to Nashville, she runs into her ex at the coffee shop They don’t talk, but she notices he leaves with two coffees. It’s a gut punch that she perfectly captures in “Second Coffee”.  “Who’s that second coffee for? Will you leave it at her door?”

Before she introduces the next song, she says she has figured out why she has had such trouble with men. “I’m gay!” she declares. The audience erupts in supportive applause. She goes on to play her brand new song, “I kissed a boy” about her journey to discovering that she was gay. It would pair perfectly with Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”.

These five songs paint such a clear picture of this time in her life. It’s such a great narrative that she could easily turn it into a musical. She is truly a great singer-songwriter.

Cost of a ticket: $13

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value +

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Cory and the Wongnotes open with the 20th Century Fox Theme and immediately the audience know they are in for quite a show. They launch into the first song and the party atmosphere begins. Cory dances all over the stage as he wails on his guitar with catchy melodies and sizzling solos. He’s constantly checking in on all the members of his band: the six piece horn section, keyboards, bass, and two drummers. At the end of his first set, he brings out the opening act, Sierra Hull. She fits right in and they proceed to rock out to a few songs together. This would have been a perfectly satisfactory end to the show, but Cory says to stick around for set two!

To begin the next set, Cory does an intro speech to introduce Antwaun Stanley who enters the stage to great applause. He grabs the mic and with his voice he starts the party back up right away. A highlight of this second set is the not yet released, “Where Are We Now”. It blows the audience away. They also do a great cover of “Isn’t She Lovely?” by Stevie Wonder.

Cory has created his own style of music that blends rock, funk, jazz, and dance. Being from Minneapolis, Minnesota, he isn’t afraid to tour during the winter. All the fans in Chicago are sure glad he came to play an amazing show at the sold out Vic Theatre!

See the setlist from the show two nights before here.

Cost of a ticket: $31

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value –

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

A father and son have gone into the woods to go camping. It is right before the wedding of the son’s mother and the father’s ex-wife. The son came out as gay a long time ago and is currently exploring the dating the world. While they are camping, they hear bears nearby.

If you don’t want any minor spoilers, skip this paragraph. While this setup could lead to some strong conflict, there isn’t any in this play. The father is very supportive of his son and is openly asking questions about a potential boyfriend. He also supports his ex-wife getting remarried and finding happiness. Also, no bear ever causes any harm. It’s a very G-rated family friend performance.

Terry Guest plays the son, searching to figure out himself. Andre Teamer (Sweat) plays the father, looking for connection.

Cost of a ticket: $41 – $62

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Queen of the Night through March 13^th.

Quinn Delaney