| Good afternoon. Happy Non-Equity Jeff Awards day! You'll find all the winners in the Tribune tonight. I'm hoping to pop along to the ceremony at the Harris Theater downtown. The big news this weekend was the celebration for TimeLine Theatre in Uptown. I went to the marquee lighting on Thursday night. As someone who has watched this company from its beginnings more than 25 years ago, it was a thrilling night. It will be one of four major new venues opening in the coming weeks, alongside The Hand & The Eye, a magic venue just off Michigan Avenue downtown; Northlight's new Evanston theater; and "Theater of the Mind," opening this week in the Reid Murdoch Building on LaSalle. Lyric Opera of Chicago opened “El último sueño de Frida y Diego” (“The last dream of Frida and Diego”), a fascinating and visually beautiful exploration of two great artists and their complex mortality. Librettist Nilo Cruz was there on Saturday night; his play
"Two Sisters and a Piano" is currently running at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. Ana María Martínez and company in “El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego” at Lyric Opera of Chicago. (Cory Weaver) Other new reviews this week include the charming revival of
"The Drowsy Chaperone" at Theo Ubique Theatre, now added to Chris Jones Recommends. Coming tonight: "Giant" on Broadway, starring John Lithgow. The American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association has announced the finalists for its Steinberg award for new plays. Among the six honorees are Mickle Maher's "Berlin," first seen at Court Theatre; Zach Barr's "The Pilon," first produced by Chicago's Red Theater; and
"Things With Friends" by Kristoffer Diaz, first produced by our American Blues Theater. Congrats to all. Congo Square Theatre ensemble members have been getting more of their point of view out on what appears to be the venerable theater's dissolution after a long dispute with its controlling board of directors. I've reported on this several times; it
's a confounding situation for one of Chicago's most talented ensembles. Marriott Theatre has announced the cast for
"Heartbreak Hotel." The upcoming Elvis bio musical will star Charles Adler Bischoff as “Kid Elvis,” Colton Sims as “Teen Elvis,” Rob Lindley as “Colonel Tom Parker,” which will be interesting, along with Elizabeth Telford as “Gladys Presley” and Amanda Walker as “Priscilla.” Ivan Bracy Jr., Anna Louise Bramlett, Melanie Brezill, Jake Busse, Trevor Lindley Craft, Jackson Evans, Karl
Hamilton, Naiqui Macabroad, Leah Morrow, Alexandra Palkovic, Hannah Remian, Zac Richey, Lucas Thompson, Elaine Watson and Frederick Webb Jr. are all in the ensemble. Finally, a reminder that you can get $10 tickets for
"Hamilton" in Chicago, if you are lucky. Entries in the digital lottery open each Friday and close the following Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances. — Chris Jones, chief theater critic Kelsey MacDonald as Janette Van de Graaff and Colette Todd as Drowsy Chaperone in “The Drowsy
Chaperone” by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Evanston. (Brett Beiner) Our current list of Chris Jones Recommends: “Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till” through March 29 by Collaboraction in the Kimball Arts Center; “Hamilton” through April 26 at CIBC Theatre; “Madama Butterfly” through April 12 at Lyric Opera of Chicago; “El último sueño de Frida y Diego” through April 4 by Lyric Opera of Chicago; “The Drowsy Chaperone” through April 19 at Theo Ubique Theatre. | 
