Reviews Category
Sixty percent Water
the ripple, the wave that carried me home
Told both in the “present,” actually in 1992, and the “past,” 1960’s Kansas, Janice plays a dual role. She’s simultaneously the narrator of her story and the principle character, seamlessly sliding back and forth throughout the memories of her childhood and adolescence. The story Janice tells always revolves around water. She begins by confessing how, to this very day, she keeps a glass of water beside her bed to drink upon waking up in the morning. Janice hates the taste of water but she also realizes that it’s a necessity of life since, as she reminds us, our bodies are sixty percent water. And, as a child and teenager, she remembers how water was always at least sixty percent of her parents’ lives.
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Is It Nice?
The Birthday Party
At the top of the play, a reticent, middle-age man named Petey ambles into his house and sits down at the table, buried in his newspaper. From the kitchen serving window, his wife Meg calls out to whoever just entered, “Is that you, Petey?” At first he doesn’t respond; then, finally, he confirms that, yes, he’s back from work. She brings him his breakfast which is cornflakes, continually asking, “Is it nice?” He finally answers her. Then Meg brings in a surprise entree: fried bread. Again she asks, “Is it nice?” Her constant, repetitive questions are probably the same exchange of small talk that’s taken place every single morning of their married lives. But the broken record of questions evokes laughter, especially as delivered by the two talented, beautifully directed actors in this production. However, this ambivalent opening scene also sets the tone for the rest of this three-act play.
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All That Jazz and Much More
Chicago
“Ladies and Gentleman,” announces an ensemble member bathed in a spotlight, “You are about to see a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery—all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.” And then suddenly the stage becomes ablaze with sexy, bluesy music and a cast of brilliant performers, singing and dancing their hearts out, all ready to set this story in motion. In pure Brechtian style, the fourth wall is shattered and the audience becomes included in the telling of this cynical, satirical story. This is “Chicago”!
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An Explosion of Talent
tick, tick…Boom!
Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of the powerful, popular hit musical, “Rent,” wrote this piece in response to a host of life-changing events: a lackluster reaction to his first New York musical workshop, his live-in girlfriend, Susan, had made the decision to leave him, and Mike, his best friend since childhood, confessed to Jonathan that he’d contracted AIDS and was dying. Larson was hearing the clock loudly ticking away as he was about to turn 30 years old. The young artist was having strong, nagging doubts about his own career choice in theatre. Larson was watching as his peers and those closest to him were either becoming more successful or simply moving on to more promising, lucrative venues. He felt frustrated that he was wasting away simply waiting tables while treading water as an artist.
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You Can Always Count on Me
City of Angels In Concert
Two stories play side-by-side in this 1990 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, book and score. Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s sultry music and smart lyrics add so much to Larry Gelbart’s sassy homage to film noir motion pictures and Hollywood screenwriters of the 1940’s. The first story puts the spotlight on Stine, a popular author of detective stories who’s butting heads with a movie producer/director over artistic integrity; the second plot focuses on a private detective named Stone, the product of Stine’s imagination, and the character the author has created for his successful series of books. Both men share the same frustrating experiences with women, while being pushed around by a bunch of bullies, thugs and criminals. In Artistic Director Jeffrey Cass’ stellar concert staging, the real world meets the reel world. The result is a smart, exciting show that celebrates those wonderful B-movie film noirs from Hollywood’s Golden Era.
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Thank You For Being a Pal
The Golden Gals Live!
With the Ball dropping and a New Year beginning, the 2023 theatre season kicks off at Mercury Theater Chicago with a brand new production. Most of the cast is also brand new to Chicago audiences, but the characters they play and the stories they share are old favorites to most every audience member. Anyone who’s a fan of the 1980’s television sitcom, “The Golden Girls,” now in syndication on cable and streaming on Hulu, will know Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia, the Golden Gals who are sharing a house in Miami, Florida. Faithful viewers will also recognize many of the familiar storylines, plot twists and bizarre complications that have been melded together in this fresh visit with the quartet of sassy, brassy senior citizens.
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A Wintry Wonderland of Delight
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Music Theater Works’ newest production is a holiday offering. The 2004 stage adaptation of the 1954 film classic, written by David Ives and Paul Blake, brings this season to a close. But, I’m thrilled to report that the noteworthy company is back again, in full force, with this beautiful, sparkling Christmas confection. MTW’s gorgeous production features a genuinely gifted cast of singer/dancers, plus the return of much-missed musical director and conductor, Roger Bingaman. His talented 18-member pit orchestra is gorgeous and richly full-sounding. Clayton Cross also returns once again to ply his creative talent, choreographing this old-fashioned musical with 1950’s flair and savoir-faire. This Christmas production is a warm, wonderful, old-fashioned family show that brims with both favorite performers and fresh, new faces, and dazzles the audience with colorful spectacle and heart.
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A Hard Candy Christmas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
“Texas Has a Whorehouse In It, Lord have mercy on my soul!” Don’t try to get that catchy refrain out of your head after leaving this raucous, rousing country/western musical. It’s impossible to forget, much like Theo Ubique Theatre’s entire wonderful, effervescent, toe-tapping production. It’s simply delectable! The show is full of rowdy, provocative homespun humor, some haunting, heartbreaking ballads and several songs that inspire the audience to clap along. It also sports some bodacious, bawdy characters and lots of standout performances. All of this adds up to a grand evening of good, adult fun.
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People Are Bitches
Bald Sisters
Every individual is the product of his or her family. There’s no escaping it. Each of us are the sum total of our background, our upbringing, our choices and all of our life experiences. This includes our culture, particularly if we’ve immigrated to the United States from another country. In Vichet Chum’s latest play, now enjoying its world premiere in Chicago, the audience is introduced to a Cambodian/American family, now living in Texas. In his 100 minute one-act, Chum presents an emotionally wrenching, yet unexpectedly hilarious, portrait of three women trying to deal with everything that life throws at them.
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You Will Be Found
Dear Evan Hansen
By now, this angst-ridden musical is pretty well known, especially among younger aficionados. But for the few theatergoers who aren’t familiar with the story, Evan Hansen is a painfully shy high school senior who suffers from a host of personal problems. The young man has very few friends, is terribly insecure and suffers from a poor self image. Heidi, Evan’s single mother, works as a nurse’s aid while studying at night to become a paralegal. Somehow she finds the money to send her son to a therapist, on a weekly basis. Heidi has to work hard to provide for both herself and Evan, while strictly budgeting her money and the time she can spend with her son.
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