Author: rachelrweinberg
Stephen Adly Guirgis’s 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning play BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY, now in its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, focuses on issues of racism and indignity that are searingly of this moment. But RIVERSIDE is, at its core, also rife with humor and heart.
Both Melissa James Gibson’s play THIS and Windy City Playhouse’s production exist on a precipice. For the characters in Gibson’s script, they stand on the ledge approaching forty and the onset of middle age, while also waxing nostalgic about the good old college days.These college friends—Jane, Marrell, and Alan (plus Marrell’s spouse, Tom, and Jean-Pierre, a new, misplaced member of the circle)—stand firmly in that liminal space. The characters must navigate both the loss of a loved one (Jane is recently widowed) and the creation of new life (Marrell and Tom are parents to a newborn son). And while Gibson’s characters seem to be contemplating major life experiences, she also paints them as exceedingly privileged and self-absorbed—in such a way that it becomes rather difficult to sympathize with them. Similarly, Windy City Playhouse’s production (with direction by Artistic Associate Carl Menninger) occupies an in-between status—partly entertaining (with an occasional laugh-out-loud funny line delivery), partly striving towards deep emotional complexity. Unfortunately, THIS never swings far enough in either direction to be memorable.
Continue reading “Windy City Playhouse’s THIS Muddles in the In-Between”
Delightfully quirky and darkly comic, BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL makes its Chicago premiere in this Griffin Theatre production with direction by Scott Weinstein. The Den Theatre proves an ideal venue for this strange and wonderful musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming. And Griffin Theatre’s ensemble delivers with vocal expertise and keen acting, milking the show’s material for maximum comedic value and audience delight.
Continue reading “BAT BOY Provides Delectably Peculiar and Dark Musical Entertainment”
Broadway In Chicago’s engagement of THE SOUND OF MUSIC national tour makes for a pleasant and tuneful evening at this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. Under the direction of Jack O’Brien, this production teems with a lively and joyful energy. In Kerstin Anderson, O’Brien has found a stunning anchor for the the leading role of Maria Rainer. Anderson, a current undergraduate studying Musical Theater at Pace University, exudes optimism and youthful vivacity onstage. And from the moment she begins singing the show’s title song, it becomes evident that audiences are in good hands.
Continue reading “The Sweet SOUND OF MUSIC Fills the Cadillac Palace”
In the opening moments of Nick Payne’s new play CONSTELLATIONS—now in its Chicago premiere in the Upstairs Theatre at Steppenwolf—the playwright presents audiences with an archetypal “Boy Meets Girl” story. But then that moment occurs again and again, each time playing out in a different universe. And thus, in a swift 80 minute run-time, Payne crafts the love story of Roland, a bee keeper (Jon Michael Hill), and Marianne, a theoretical physicist (Jessie Fisher). Each time Roland and Marianne “meet” in the first scene, the outcome varies—sometimes closely mirroring the first “universe” that audiences see, other times radically diverging from that first encounter. Over the span of the play, Payne plots seven sequences in Roland and Marianne’s relationship—from the awkward first moments to those of deep connection, heartbreak, and unimaginable suffering.
Continue reading “CONSTELLATIONS at Steppenwolf Tells A Universal, Intimate Love Story”
American Theater Company’s production of the musical XANADU (based upon the flop of a film bearing the same name) bursts with infectious energy and non-stop fun. The ensemble radiates joy throughout the show’s duration. And while the 1980 XANADU film may have been unsuccessful, the movie’s soundtrack proved a smash hit—Jeff Lynne and John Farrar’s songs are all here, with a book by Douglas Carter Beane. And the cast delivers each of these famous songs with aplomb. Under Lili-Anne Brown’s spirited direction, the ensemble takes many a gleeful spin around Arnel Sancianco’s groovy roller rink.
Continue reading “American Theater Company’s XANADU Offers Unadulterated Musical Theater Joy”
The Broadway In Chicago presentation of the musical revue DISENCHANTED! offers a 90-minute spoof of the classic fairy tale princesses, as made famous to most audiences by Walt Disney. With music, lyrics, and book by Dennis T. Giacino and direction by Christopher Bond, DISENCHANTED! provides some fun. That said, the satire stays surface-level—it’s more of a gentle poking than a true skewering of the gender stereotypes deeply embedded within Disney’s tales. DISENCHANTED! presents itself as a pro-feminist musical comedy, but despite some clever moments, the material doesn’t quite reach the level of sophisticated satire. Continue reading “DISENCHANTED! Serves Up Sassy Princess Parody”
The national tour of CHICAGO that arrived at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre Tuesday night has glimmers of the shine and glitz at the heart of this musical about Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly’s ruthless journey towards fame and notoriety—timely themes that have allowed the current Broadway revival to play on for two decades. But this touring rendition of Kander and Ebb’s musical about the bloodthirsty quest for celebrity (literally in the case of wannabe vaudeville star Hart and her Cook County jail counterpart Kelly) overall plays it safe. While the design elements for this production capture the alluring nightclub atmosphere, this CHICAGO needs more of an edge. William Ivey Long’s iconic black shimmering costumes add some sensuality in the wardrobe department, and John Lee Beatty’s set design creates a sparse cabaret space that seems glitzy underneath Ken Billington’s glamorous lighting. With music direction by Rob Bowman (who also conducts), CHICAGO’s orchestra sounds swell—allowing us to luxuriate in Kander’s score. Continue reading “Sleek CHICAGO Has Plenty of Polish But Lacks Grit”
American Blues Theater’s triumphant LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS will have Chicago audiences clamoring to head downtown to Skid Row. This intimately staged production has a full sound (with music director Austin Cook leading a four-piece band, you can feel the vibrations of the bass in the floor) and provides an all-encompassing, fully entertaining spectacle. Grant Sabin’s set design presents a perfectly dilapidated Skid Row setting, with Mr. Mushnik’s decrepit, garish flower shop as the centerpiece—even some of the “bulbs” in the neon lights in the “Flower Shop” sign are missing, while the letters “L,” “O,” and “W” tellingly remain. And yet when ensemble members Jasondra Jackson, Camille Robinson, and Eunice Woods bust out onstage and begin the show’s title number as Skid Row’s “Greek Chorus” Ronnette, Crystal, and Chiffon, the immense joy in this production is deeply felt. This LITTLE SHOP fully inhabits the hilarious and heartfelt nature of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s exceedingly clever musical.
Continue reading “LITTLE SHOP at American Blues Theater Makes for A Delectable Evening on Skid Row”
For Strawdog Theatre Company’s final production in its Broadway home, the company fittingly presents George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s 1930 comedy ONCE IN A LIFETIME—both play and production are rife with charm and sly winks to the audience. Director Damon Kiely’s choice to stage this particular Kaufman and Hart comedy is also an intriguing one. ONCE IN A LIFETIME chiefly concerns itself with the changes to the entertainment industry after the appearance of the first “talkie” (a film with spoken dialogue) and a frantic trio of three former vaudeville performers—May, George, and Jerry—who scramble to Hollywood hoping to strike it rich. And just as Jerry contemplates what these new “talkies” will mean for the future of the “legitimate stage,” so too do we now find ourselves on the precipice of immense change for the film and entertainment industry.
Continue reading “Strawdog’s ONCE IN A LIFETIME Offers Up Comedic Nostalgia”
Rachel Weinberg Reviews 