Regina Belt Daniels

The dynamic cast is simply stellar, as they sing, dance, act and play their own instruments.

Joy is palpable as new community theater seasons approach in Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Elgin, St. Charles and beyond.

The play can’t be pigeonholed. Is it a drama? Is it a comedy? It’s compelling and not to be missed.

Looking for a theatrical diversion this summer? Just north of the Illinois border and a scenic car ride away are three professional theater companies whose seasons are about to raise the curtain and light the sky.

The newly formed Woodstock Shakespeare Players will present two free performances of “A Bit O’ The Bard” this summer in the Woodstock Square.

“Mary Stuart” has two delicious roles for women: Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.

Excellent acting underscores new play exploring thought-provoking territory.

Special Gifts Theatre provides an opportunity for students with disabilities to have a voice and to shine in a safe and inclusive place.

The three leads, all making their Paramount debuts in its BOLD Series at the nearby Copley Theatre, are exquisite.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical” is so new that Raue Center School For The Arts is one of the very first venues to produce the show. Youth will star with professional actors in staging it.

Noel Coward’s wit shines bright in The Black Box Theatre production.

In this outstanding stage comedy, the “Native Gardens” cast sows the seeds of relevant, at times tense, social issues that will grow on you in a very entertaining way.

“Billy Elliot: The Musical” is a stellar, emotional show.

April Noel of Crystal Lake has written the drama “Shutter Speed,” with a read-through planned Feb. 24 in Crystal Lake. Her improv comedy troupe will perform Feb. 17 at Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles.

Featuring a special cast and director, the benefit production of “Love Letters” will be an expression of affection for audiences and for Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles.

The musical is a blockbuster of compelling joy. The Marriott audience’s enthusiastic standing ovation was lengthy, full of cheers and most deserved.

A dramedy, “The Cake” is topical and compelling entertainment.

Rikki Lee Travolta has been racking up awards for his imaginative screenplay creating an alternate history for Elvis.

We raise the curtain on two individuals who play an important offstage role for two of the region’s premier performance venues: Raue Center For The Arts in Crystal Lake and Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

Two exceptional professional resident summer theater companies present high-quality productions of contemporary and classical theater in serene locations.

Tragedy, comedy and drama – from Shakespeare to Sondheim – are all potential enjoyment encounters for area theatergoers in 2024.

Kudos go to the Northwest Herald's theater reviewer Regina Belt-Daniels, who switches to the role of director in her production of this charming holiday adaptation filled with heart.

Regina Belt-Daniels directs “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” for Elgin Theatre Company. Previewing the show is interviewer Rikki Lee Travolta, who just added accolades to his entertainment resume for acting, producing and writing excellence.

The BOLD Series play is an honest, penetrating, very witty autobiography, performed across the street from its sister stage, the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora.

The wistful comedy delightfully showcases the tenderness and nostalgia of an unexpected reunion, and the revisiting of a shared past.

The well-paced drama, by the author of "Doubt," is worth seeing – full of redemption and destruction, monologues and dialogues.

This production – quirky, a lot of fun and even touching – is an entertaining, fast-paced triumph.

When Lucia Spina, who plays the role of Mama Rose, was given a solo bow, there was a roar.

Cheers and a standing ovation from a full house met this cast even before the finale ended.

When it comes to the newly developed show, the fun and spooky musical comedy is looking for somebody to bite.

One of the up-and-coming and finest improv groups in the area is GreenRoom Improv, appearing regularly at The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin and at the Raue Center For The Arts in Crystal Lake.

Illinois native Sean Grennan's fourth world premiere at Peninsula Players, “A Rock Sails By,” is a stellar production.

Janus has always been a creative and engaging source of theater productions. The new season opens June 15.

This show and iambe theatre ensemble’s very existence fill me with a great deal of optimism for the future of small theater and superb quality productions.

This is a musical American history lesson that should not be missed. The production’s huge and luxuriant voice showcases the themes of promise and possibility.

In an interview, playwright Sean Grennan, like his works, turns out to be humorous and very human.

The play that inspired the musical continues on stage through May 21, presented by Elgin Theatre Company.

PM&L production keeps witty comedy fresh.

Surprisingly touching, the musical is another intoxicating extravaganza.

The adaptation is by Ken Ludwig, who expanded the characters’ comedic potential – one of his special trademarks.

There is something so rewarding, so engaging about sitting under the stars in a cedar forest or along a shoreline in natural beauty watching a show.

The Theatre Company is more than a group; it is a family – a source of friendship, support, care and even love.

The writing captures lines that alternate between humor and horror; the characters are well defined and gothically intriguing. It cleverly pays homage to the Brontë sisters.

As for that cast of four who take on 150 characters – they are breathtakingly accomplished and skilled talents.

Jay Geller is an inventive and innovative director.

”The Full Monty” musical is a crowd-pleaser. We know these men, the characters are touchingly identifiable, they’re vulnerable, and they’re human.

Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” is a fantasy, a quest, a musical – and I cannot think of a better venue to present it than the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

It’s a new year, and with that comes the time for theater companies to announce their season’s selections.

This is your chance to understand what “thank you for your service” truly means.

In “The 13th Hour,” Joe Diamond will perform astonishing acts with only 13 people in the audience for a uniquely up-close show offered various dates in 2023.