COCKED at Victory Gardens Triggers Both Shock and Amusement in Spot-On World Premiere Production

One of the most pervasive images in Sarah Gubbins’s play COCKED, now in its world premiere production at Victory Gardens under the direction of Joanie Schultz, is an incredibly shiny silver pistol. This prop pistol reveals itself at the end of the first scene in the play–and while it then quickly disappears, we know that it lingers–and that it has a high probability of going off at some point in the play. Likewise, Gubbins’s timely play, which is set in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood and examines our relationship with guns, strikes a balance between tense and frequently hilarious. Gubbins’ natural, laugh-out-loud funny dialogue for all three characters in the play never ceases to entertain but the tension underneath those moments of levity also stays present.

Continue reading “COCKED at Victory Gardens Theater” →

CABARET Makes For A Truly Beautiful Theatrical Experience

The touring production of Roundabout Theatre Company’s CABARET dazzles just as much as it did on Broadway—where it was a critical and commercial success both from 1998-2004 and more recently, when it was remounted from March 2014-March 2015. Now Chicago audiences have the opportunity to witness original director Sam Mendes and co-director/choreographer Rob Marshall’s stunning, beautifully constructed musical revival—undoubtedly one of the best I’ve ever seen. Robert Brill’s Broadway set design is replicated almost exactly here, setting the stage with a powerful mix of glitz and decrepitness. The split-level stage showcases a large, lopsided frame with bright shining bulbs—though some are conspicuously missing. Like John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical itself (with book by Joe Masteroff), this tour staging captures the vivacious and entertaining atmosphere of 1930s Berlin while also allowing us to clearly see the cracks beneath the surface. William Ivey Long’s masterful costumes also strike this balance. And, of course, so do the performances. When the Kit Kat Klub ladies (portrayed here by Alison Ewing, Margaret Dudasik, Hillary Ekwall, Aisling Halpin, and Dani Spieler) walk onstage during CABARET’s famous opening number “Willkommen,” they execute their choreography with precision—but the looks of disdain and apathy on their faces indicate they’d rather be elsewhere. And yet, these captivating performances keep audiences engaged.

Continue reading “CABARET Presented by Broadway in Chicago” →