In just over two hours, the Chicago premiere production of Joshua Harmon’s SIGNIFICANT OTHER made me laugh so hard I almost couldn’t breathe and then proceeded to have me very close to tears at the end. Harmon’s alternately hilarious and heartbreaking gem of a play acutely articulates the plight of protagonist Jordan Berman. Jordan is a single Jewish gay man in his late 20s, living in New York City and watching as his three best female friends find love and marriage. On the page, Harmon so beautifully expresses the nuances of shifting friendships and the fear of being left behind by those one holds dear, and he also nails so completely the complex neuroses that come with dating, loneliness, and being lost in one’s own head. Director Keira Fromm and an outstanding local cast bring Harmon’s expertly crafted words to life, finding both maximum amounts of humor and gut-wrenching emotion in the piece.

Continue reading “Review: About Face Theatre and Theater Wit’s Chicago Premiere of SIGNIFICANT OTHER” →

Washed up wannabe rockstar Dewey Finn and his ragtag band of lovable prep school students have arrived in Chicago for a rocking good time. SCHOOL OF ROCK is a faithful and fun-loving adaptation of the 2003 film that starred Jack Black as a “lovable loser” who poses as a substitute teacher and turns his timid class into a band of talented, self-assured rockers. With a score by musical theater icon Andrew Lloyd Weber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and a book by Julian Fellowes, SCHOOL OF ROCK captures the frenetic energy and most of the tongue-in-cheek sass that characterized the original film.

Continue reading “Review: SCHOOL OF ROCK National Tour Presented by Broadway In Chicago” →

Under the direction of frequent company collaborator Brenda Didier, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL electrifies the mainstage at the Ruth Page Performing Arts Center, Porchlight’s new home. Based on the eponymous film about an adolescent boy from a working class British mining town who aspires to be a ballet dancer, this production finds the deep emotional core in its story about community and acceptance. With music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall, this BILLY ELLIOT bursts with heart and passion.

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Timeline Theatre Company has brought Sarah Ruhl’s IN THE NEXT ROOM, OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY back to Chicago in a moment in which it has undeniable relevance and impact—and a magnificent cast to carry out out Mechelle Moe’s direction. This play fundamentally contemplates one woman’s needs and wants in the wake of the invention of the electric light—and a new electrical invention designed to stimulate women’s bodies as a cure for hysteria. Through the journey of Catherine Givings (beautifully played by Rochelle Therrien in a charmingly, spirited, and ultimately deeply felt manner) as she contemplates her husband Dr. Givings’ (Anish Jethmalani) administrations of this new treatment in the next room, Ruhl opens up a window into a timely discussion about making women’s private desires openly expressed.

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Under the deft direction of Audrey Francis, Steep Theatre Company treats audiences to an intimate, intense Chicago premiere of Ayad Akhtar’s THE INVISIBLE HAND.

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As I took my seat for acclaimed director Ivo Van Hove’s production of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, I could see only a rectangular box of sorts on the stage—surrounded by audience members seated on benches on either side. This stark, minimalist presentation reflects Van Hove’s stripped down, Brechtian, and utterly gripping vision for Arthur Miller’s classic play. As the production opens, the box slowly lifts to reveal a grey, open space flanked by a glass border upon which the actors can sit. Though Jan Versweyveld’s set and An D’Huys costumes are artfully simple, they provide the backdrop for an evening of intense energy and uneasy tragic foreboding.

Continue reading “Review: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at Goodman Theatre” →

TREVOR, the soul-stirring and exceptionally executed new musical at Writers Theatre, managed to simultaneously break my heart and make me grin uncontrollably over the course of its two-hour run time. With book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis, and direction by Marc Bruni, Writers Theatre has a surefire hit on its hand with this show based upon the Academy Award-winning short film of the same name. Centered on the titular 13-year-old growing up in 1981 and coming to terms with his sexuality, TREVOR captures all the agony of those rough middle school days without ever feeling cliched. As embodied by Trevor, Collins and Davis have so beautifully articulated both the joys and challenges of discovering one’s own identity amidst the turbulence of adolescence. If you have experienced the trying times of middle and high school, I have little doubt that you will identify with this breathtaking piece of theater.

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Mercury Theater’s revival of the iconic rock musical HAIR infuses some peace, love, and sunshine into this Chicago summer. While Gerome Ragni and James Rado’s lyrics still resonant today, this production stays firmly rooted in the late 1960s. Brenda Didier’s direction, Robert Kuhn’s costumes, and Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s set design all have a “traditional” feel—at least traditional by the show’s standards. Certainly HAIR’s call for peace and embrace of the Tribe’s diverse identities echo the present and remind us of the progress yet to be made, but this staging does not underscore that relevance based on production choices.

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