| Happy sizzling Monday. Lots of new reviews this week, including a knockout performance by Bri Sudia, headlining a surprisingly fabulous
"Always... Patsy Cline" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, as well as the welome return of Amy Morton in "You Will Get Sick" at Steppenwolf Theatre and a moving and timely reprise of
"An Iliad" at Court Theatre. All three of those shows belong in Chris Jones Recommends. Bri Sudia in “Always… Patsy Cline” at Drury Lane Theatre. (Justin Barbin Photography) I also had a great time at Liz Callaway’s tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the Studebaker Theater. It was one night only, alas, but let's hope she comes back for a reprise performance. Kudos, by the way, to that particular venue for
the vast improvements in the sound system. Shows sound great there now. The Paramount Theatre is getting ready to launch its 14th season of homegrown Broadway musicals, beginning with
"Come From Away." As reported some weeks ago, “White Christmas,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and "South Pacific" are also on deck. Single tickets go on sale Thursday for the Lyric Opera's Oct. 10 opening concert featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Laura Benanti. Marriott Theatre's summer attraction is "Arthur and Friends Make a Musical," with lots of daytime performances ideal for parents looking to get their kids out of the heat. Saturday sees the opening of Invictus Theatre's "Angels in America," to be staged at the Windy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road.
On Broadway, it's goodbye to "Smash," "Real Women Have Curves" and, alas,
"Dead Outlaw." That last show, directed by David Cromer, is an ideal match for Chicago. Fingers crossed for it coming here. These are the last three weeks for "Titanique," which docks July 13. Code ICEBERG gets you a buy one, get one free ticket discount until then. And this past weekend, the Goodman Theatre's production of "The Color Purple," directed by Lili-Anne Brown, opened downtown. Also on tap starting this week: A new 1980s musical at the Marriott Theatre (more on that next week) and a new play at Writers Theatre set in an Indian restaurant on Chicago's famous Devon Avenue. So there's lots to see in the AC. Have a great week and see you at the theater. — Chris Jones, chief theater critic Namir Smallwood, Amy Morton, Cliff Chamberlain and Sadieh Rifai in “You Will Get Sick”
at Steppenwolf Theatre. (Michael Brosilow) Our current list of Chris Jones Recommended shows: “Titanique” through July 13 at Broadway Playhouse; "Always ... Patsy Cline" through Aug. 3 at the Drury Lane Theatre; "You Will Get Sick" through July 20 at Steppenwolf Theatre;
"An Iliad" through June 29 at Court Theatre. Sign up for the Theater Loop newsletter: Our weekly newsletter has the latest news and reviews from America’s hottest theater city. Theater critic Chris Jones will share a behind-the-curtain look at what you need to know. | 
