A Love Song in Three Movements

The Last Wide Open

A familiar Polish phrase, “Jakos to bedzie,” simply translates to doing something that’s out of the ordinary or taking a chance. It means getting out of your comfort zone, rolling the dice, perhaps even leaving your homeland and moving abroad in search of a better life. And that’s exactly what Mikolaj did. He left his native Krakow and traveled to America for a better life. Here in Chicago he landed a job as a dishwasher at Jana’s, a tiny Polish restaurant and bar. But in this love story, told in three movements, we’re reminded of the optimistic viewpoint that, sooner or later, the universe conspires to eventually bring all of us together.

This captivating, thought-provoking new play features a book & lyrics by Audrey Cefaly, as well as Music by Matthew 

M. Nielson. It’s skillfully directed by American Blues Ensemble Member Gwendolyn Whiteside, with Musical Direction by Company Member Michael Mahler. Illustrating the universality of Ms. Cefaly’s one-act, American Blues Theater was granted permission for Katarzyna Muller to adapt the play, from an Italian restaurant and main character, to a Polish diner and leading man, which is a more Chicagoan scenario. 

This Chicago premiere is also the Theater’s first production to be staged in their intimate studio theater space. Inspired by both Smakosz, in Jefferson Park, and Podhalanka, the wonderful Wicker Park Polish eatery on Division Street (where I’ve enjoyed a delicious meal), Co-Scenic Designers Grant Sabin and Marcus Klein have created an immersive, authentic-looking restaurant setting for the production. Audience members are seated comfortably at tables, decorated with lit candles and detailed menus, and served tasty appetizers by hostess J.G. Smith. She also serves as the show’s Stagehand, assisting the actors in this two-hander with props and costumes, as needed.

Renewing our faith in the positive power of love and real human connection, Audrey Cefaly’s two-character, 80-minute drama stars the multi-talented husband and wife acting team of Dara Cameron and Michael Mahler. The duo will be remembered for their powerful performances in so many Chicagoland productions, including American Blues Theater’s annual holiday classic, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: LIVE IN CHICAGO! In addition, these two gifted actors have shared the stage in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, as well as in Marriott’s delightful original musical, HERO. 

Dara skillfully and intensely plays Lina, a lovable, enthusiastic waitress at Jana’s Restaurant, who’s filled with ambitions and a strong belief in Love. On her first day of work she meets Mikolaj, a recently immigrated Polish gentleman, who’s just been employed as a dishwasher. He’s beautifully portrayed with passion and sincerity by Michael. The two actors make smart choices in creating these characters. They’re so realistically portrayed and completely in sync, working well together to complement one another’s performances. Both actors are musical talents and get a chance to show off their choral and instrumental chops in this play with songs.

The drama is intriguing because it plays a bit with magical realism. The story takes place in three different alternative realities, and resonates with repetition and “What ifs.” Cefaly’s play toys with the theory that, just maybe, every choice we make spawns a separate universe in which another version of ourselves are doing something different. 

Similar to the premise of the musical, IF/THEN or the film “Sliding Doors,” this love story weaves its way through the multiverse. The characters begin the play when Mikolaj has been in Chicago for two years; then, in the 2nd Movement, we go back in time to when he was in America for only two days. Finally, in the 3rd Movement, Mikolaj and Lina reunite at the restaurant fifteen years later. This unusual love story is multi-layered and so lovely.

Nicely staged in an immersive, realistically-detailed replication of a Polish diner, this is a refreshing and provocative love story that makes audiences both think and feel. It’s a story that features two talented Chicago actors performing at the top of their game. To get into the mood, theatergoers should bring a beverage in from the lobby bar and enjoy an appetizer at their table, before the play begins. Then sit back and enjoy a ride through time and space with Lina and Mikolaj, two attractive, appealing and amiable characters whose multiverse journey audiences will remember for a long time to come.  

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented July 5-August 18 (and will return again October 2-26) by American Blues Theater, 5627 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 773-654-3103 or go to www.boxoffice@AmericanBluesTheater.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.