Chicago Archives - 1 Minute Critic

Megan Mullally (center) and the cast of "Iceboy!"

‘Iceboy!’ at the Goodman: two Emmy winners and one very cold script

Lauren Emily Whalen Jun 30, 2026 0

Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman headline 'Iceboy!' at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, but the show around them never quite thaws.

(l-r) Anna Bortnick, Max Thomas, Riley Woollen, Chas Lilly, Annie Sullivan, and Kennedy Baldwin.

Reviews

In ‘Reality Detox,’ The Second City turns audience confessions into comedy gold

Lauren Emily Whalen Jun 27, 2026 0

Real audience secrets fuel the comedy in The Second City's "Reality Detox." Plenty of laughs and a few misses.

Gary Cole and Audrey Francis in Steppenwolf's "Catch as Catch Can."

Reviews

Gary Cole plays both mother and son in ‘Catch as Catch Can.’ And that’s just the beginning

Lauren Emily Whalen Jun 16, 2026 0

Gary Cole plays an Italian mother and her son in Steppenwolf's "Catch as Catch Can"—a gripping Chicago premiere that's funny,…

Jordan Arredondo and Courtney Ricki Green in "Untitled Vampire Play."

Reviews

‘Untitled Vampire Play’: the romcom Chicago didn’t know it was dying for

Lauren Emily Whalen Jun 15, 2026 0

Lookingglass Theatre's world premiere is a sharp, funny vampire play with a near-perfect cast and one ill-timed tonal detour.

Jack Cameron Kay and Harrison Ball in "Brokeback Mountain." Photo by Kyle Flubacker.

Reviews

Music brings ‘Brokeback Mountain’ to life in Chicago Shakespeare’s North American premiere

Laura Zornosa Jun 9, 2026 0

'Brokeback Mountain' lands at Chicago Shakespeare—intimate, gorgeous, and nearly capturing Ennis and Jack's love.

Reviews

The devil’s in the details, and Goodman Theatre’s ‘Covenant’ has plenty

Lauren Emily Whalen May 12, 2026 0

York Walker's 'Covenant' at Goodman Theatre earns its 5 stars: an all-Chicago cast, a killer twist, and a deal with…

Brendan Hunt in "The Movement You Need."

Reviews

Inside Brendan Hunt’s Beatles obsession lives a love letter to his mom

Lauren Emily Whalen Apr 29, 2026 0

Emmy winner Brendan Hunt brings the Beatles and his late mother to Steppenwolf in a bittersweet solo triumph.

Esco Jouléy (front), Namir Smallwood, and Jon Michael Hill in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s world premiere of "Windfall."

Reviews

What is a life worth? Steppenwolf’s ‘Windfall’ makes the question burn

Lauren Emily Whalen Apr 22, 2026 0

Tarell Alvin McCraney's 'Windfall' dazzles at Steppenwolf with an ensemble that's on fire, even if the finale loses its footing.

Reviews

‘Theater of the Mind’: David Byrne knows you better than you think

Lauren Emily Whalen Mar 28, 2026 0

David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar's immersive "Theater of the Mind" invites you in, shakes you up, and sends you home…

Art

Why ‘Matisse’s Jazz’ hits different in 2026

Lauren Emily Whalen Mar 9, 2026 0

Why does a 1947 art book feel urgent in 2026? "Matisse's Jazz: Rhythms in Color" at the Art Institute of…

‘Iceboy!’ at the Goodman: two Emmy winners and one very cold script

In ‘Reality Detox,’ The Second City turns audience confessions into comedy gold

Gary Cole plays both mother and son in ‘Catch as Catch Can.’ And that’s just the beginning

‘Untitled Vampire Play’: the romcom Chicago didn’t know it was dying for

Music brings ‘Brokeback Mountain’ to life in Chicago Shakespeare’s North American premiere

The devil’s in the details, and Goodman Theatre’s ‘Covenant’ has plenty

Inside Brendan Hunt’s Beatles obsession lives a love letter to his mom

What is a life worth? Steppenwolf’s ‘Windfall’ makes the question burn

‘Theater of the Mind’: David Byrne knows you better than you think

Why ‘Matisse’s Jazz’ hits different in 2026

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‘The Potluck’ conjures ghosts of the Greensboro Massacre that fade too soon

‘The Whoopi Monologues’ is a triumph, even divided five ways

Inside the boot camp training America’s next theater critics

Bonnie Tyler dies at 75, leaving behind pop’s most unlikely vampire anthem