Chicago Theatre Review
‘The Rocky Horror Show’… A Theatrical One-Night Stand!
By Cat Wilson
If you are at all familiar with the original musical, or the 1975 film adaptation, you know that there is absolutely nothing like ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, music, book, and lyrics by Richard O’Brien. This is a show designed to have full audience participation where you are instructed to yell out certain responses to frequently repeated lines, hold a mustache up to your nose when the narrator speaks, or even throw items at the stage at certain times. If you are new, it definitely helps to go with a buddy who knows the drill, however you will also be provided with a guide, or you can always follow everyone around you.
Read MoreChicago Symphony – November Concerts
Updated concert information for November 2012 Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents and Civic Orchestra of Chicago programs is now available. View/download November 2012 concert listings and descriptions.
Scent of Edna
By Kayland Smyth
LiveWire Chicago Theatre is starting off their 2012-2013 season with the Chicago premiere of THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE. This wildly funny story of love and dirty people was written by creator and writer of the new hit FOX sitcom New Girl and Heddatron Elizabeth Meriwether and directed by LiveWire member Krista D’Agostino.
THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE tells the story of Edna (Hilary Williams) a personal assistant who develops Ablutophobia, the fear of bathing. Struggling with her job and the unexpected loss of her brother, Buddy (Joel Ewing). She wages a furious and funny war against all things complacent, pampered and clean. As Edna’s smell starts to overwhelm her co-works, Beth (Krista Collins) and Wilson (Chris Zdenk), and many casual lovers, Drake, Blake and Jake (all played by Fred Geyer), the play raises the questions: is dirty living a political act? And is clean living even possible in these times of unrest.
There were a few things that I liked about this production. First, I liked the scenes that showed the interactions between Edna and Buddy. They showed that the two had a very tight and close bond, later giving a better understanding of the effect Buddy’s death had on Edna. And I found it interesting that the two siblings developed the same phobia due to similar causes. Second, I loved the character of Wilson, his crazy antics made for a great comedy release after intense scenes. I also loved the cast; I felt that they did a great job at bringing the characters to life. And lastly I like the use of the scrim (transparent stage curtain) where we could see Buddy working on his writing while sitting in Edna’s bathtub. It was something that quickly caught my eye and took me back to a theatre I took in college.
I would strongly recommend this play to the theatre goers who enjoy a good dramedy (drama and comedy).
THE MISTAKES MADELINE MADE runs October 3, 2012 November 3, 2012 at Greenhouse Theatre Center Upstairs Studio, 2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago. Performances run Thursday through Saturday at 8:00p and Sundays at 3:00p. Tickets are $20 online at www.greenhousetheater.com.
Sunday in the Park with Shakespeare Theater
Sunday in the Park with George
By Colin Douglas
“Art isn’t easy.” This deceptively simple statement of the obvious is the single lyric from Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine’s multi award-winning score that crystalizes the essence of their 1985 Pulitzer Prize winning musical. For those unfamiliar with the piece, the musical fictionalizes the life of French Pointillist Georges Seurat, and was inspired by the artist’s towering masterpiece, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” Indeed, the musical, which focuses primarily on Seurat’s greatest creation, also examines the painter’s isolated, singleminded dedication to his art as well as its effect on those around him.
This musical sparkles with color, comedy and compassion speaking to audiences through very recognizable images and situations. Sondheim reduces the nature of creativity to its basic elements finding parallels between art and ardor. Prolific CST director Gary Griffin, who’s become Chicago’s go-to director for Sondheim’s musicals, follows his last year’s triumph, “Follies” (and a previous production of this very musical) with an emotional interpretation of this often controversial piece. Like Sondheim’s fairy tale-based “Into the Woods,” audiences sometimes view the musical’s two acts as separate plays. But, especially i
n the way Griffin has crafted this very personal production, collaborating with talented scenic artist Kevin Depinet, projection and lighting designers Mike Tutaj and Philip S. Rosenberg and costumer Mara Blumenfeld, the story of Seurat’s 1884 creation smoothly melds into Act II’s tale of a modern-day artist facing the same problems as his Great-Grandfather. The result is a well-balanced production in which the acts complement each other.
And Griffin’s company of actors are all top notch talents. Broadway’s Jason Danieley (“Curtains,” “The Full Monty”) plays both Georges with passion and sensitivity caressing each note and lyric with his beautifully rich baritone voice. Carmen Cusack (“Carrie,” “South Pacific”) is equally captivating as Dot, Georges’ spunky mistress, and Marie, George’s wise grandmother, singing with such clarity and range that audiences will forget anyone else in this role. A talented ensemble that includes Linda Stephens, Ora Jones, Heidi Kettenring, McKinley Carter, Sean Fortunato, Kevin Gudahl, Travis Taylor and many others, accompanied by Brad Haak’s lush, 11-member orchestra, propel this production to the top of Chicago’s must-see list for this Fall.
Runs through November 4
Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 E. Grand Avenue
Tickets – 312-595-5600
www.chicagoshakes.com
Steppenwolf Keeps the Door Open for Good People
While listening to the recent Democratic National Convention, a quote from Michelle Obama stood out to me: “When you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that door of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.” As I listened, I wondered, if one was to make it out through that door, out of the refuse of a thousand broken projects steps and tainted little Cul-de-sacs, out of a sea of debt and endless arrays of hopelessness, what would become of the community and those that have in part been forgotten? The answer to this question, penned by Pulitzer prize winning playwright David Lindsay Abaire, is currently running at Steppenwolf Theatre
Within David Abaire's superbly written drama, Good People, we get to see first hand the slick maneuvers and rhetoric executed by the poor in South Boston's Dorchester Neck community. Referred to by its inhabitants as Southie, it is reminiscent of more than a few of the low income housing projects scattered throughout Chicago's more neglected districts. At the top of the show we find the heroine of the poorly educated and credit -debt ladened working class, Margaret (played sympathetically by Marrian Mayberry), already at the losing end of a high-stakes version of The Game of Life. Within the first scene of the show, she loses her 9 dollar an hour job at the at the hands of a sniffling boss about 20 years her junior. She is forced into a world where enemies may become saviors and old friends are less than empathic to her cause.
In this vibrant production directed by K. Todd Freeman, Margret's struggle slushes out over the audience by way of Marrian Mayberry's tenaciousness and her solid portrayal of Margret as the every man or woman gone awry. The scars of anguish welled up from years of stress, poverty and the burden of caring for a handicapped daughter exercise themselves during her interactions with her cohort Jean(titillating played by Lusia Strus). Jean's empathy extends from the heart but not the pockets. Margrets' land lord Dottie (played whimsically by Molly Regan) also adds pressure with her humorous yet frighteningly business minded practicality.
With our nation in an economic down turn, with jobs lost and an air of desperation circulating in some communities, those that are poor, and those without voices deserve some saint or martyr. With a bit of fine tuning on the part of the ensemble, Margret could quite possibly step up to the task.
Marian never allows herself to flex Margret's full deck of cards. Margret's status as a victim is trumped far too often. To survive so long, in suc
h horrible conditions, Margaret must be a tactician and a carefully calculating opportunist. This slight advantage was ignored in the production and because of this, Margret often seemed pressed under the weight of her lowly economic status and never becomes the superpower she is designated to be within Abaire's beautifully written script. This is seen more concretely when Margret finds herself in the company of Mike, (Keith Kupferer) an ex street brawler turned high-end doctor who has become far too wealthy, exclusionary, and lace-curtain to be bothered with his old Southie stomping buddies and his wife (played byAlana Arenas), who tries her best to widdle away at the fury of Southie – that Mike attempts bury underneath his class.
This slight issue aside, the play is wonderful and without question one of the best shows in Chicago in recent years. As a fan of Abaire's ever since I first encountered his pulitzer prize winning play Rabbit Hole, I can say without question that the man has and will only get better. Good People raises questions concerning class, the dissemination of our countries wealth, the drawbacks of missed opportunities and our human proclivity to forget the things in our lives that bring us the most pain.
If ever there were a time when you yourself were poor, caught in the clangor of economic oppression, dodging sleuthing land lords and stumbling into one minimum wage job after another, Good People is one of the few plays in the city doing you justice. If you haven't gotten the chance to experience these turmoils first hand, then Steppenwolf's production of Good People will do a little more than bring you up to speed. It will unravel for you the complex inner workings of the isolated, tired, often ignored poor, and the desperate singles mothers that you may often drift by on your daily commutes on the L-Train to work. If you do see them, at least, be sure to keep the door open behind you.
GOOD PEOPLE begins previews September 13 (Opening Night is September 23; Press Performances are September 22 at 3pm and September 25 at 7:30pm) and runs through November 11, 2012 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20 – $86) are on sale now (prices are subject to change).
Shawn L. Price
Highly Recommended
‘Equivocation’ is a Beautiful Use of Timing and Wordplay
By Cat Wilson
The witty, sharp-tongued, and fast-paced Equivocation, by Bill Cain, comes to Victory Gardens. While a troupe of actors, led by the great writer Master Shagspeare (played by Marc Grapey) is presented with the challenge of producing a play commissioned by the King’s right hand man, Cecil (cleverly characterized by Mark Montgomery), they are faced with the hard decision of telling the truth and potentially facing execution, or masking history. The play is supposed to promote the government’s perception of Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt to blow up Parliament and assassinate King James I in 1605, however as Shagspeaare interviews the men involved, he discovers the government’s attempt to cover up the real proceedings. Equivocation, meaning the use of language especially with the intent to deceive, or avoiding committing oneself in what one says, becomes the troupe’s saving grace.
In addition to Grapey and Montgomery, the cast includes Minita Gandhi as Judith (Shagspeare’s daughter), Matt Kahler as Armin, Arturo Soria as Sharpe, and Bruce A. Young as Richard. The whole cast brings an amazing energy to the stage as they dart in and out of their characters, dawning a new side character with such conviction. In true troupe style, costume pieces are thrown on and off to transport an actor into a new chara
cter, but they have also captured a personality quirk such as a limp or a flamboyant Scottish accent to separate each persona.
The design elements follow a similarly fast-paced leap between worlds. The audience is thrown from Shagspeare’s rehearsals to performances to Cecil’s offices. With the show’s constant nods to the art of theatre making, the designers embrace theatricality and present a beautifully unified environment. William Boles’ scenic design allows the space to move and flow with the whirling of the action, and provides dramatic entrances aided by Heather Gilbert’s stunning lighting design. The lights provided the instant shift between performance and rehearsal, aided by the intense sound design by Kevin O’Donnell. Janice Pytel created a fun array of costumes that the actors could throw about as they whipped between characters.
With so much political rhetoric today, Equivocation is a great reminder that the theatre can, and often does, capture history and outlast political agendas. Director Sean Graney leads a talented cast and crew in this brilliant production sure to make you laugh, empathize, and celebrate the sometimes morally difficult process of theater making.
Equivocation, by Bill Cain
Directed by Sean Graney
Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre
2433 N. Lincoln Ave
773-871-3000
www.victorygardens.org
Book of Matthew Crash Course
By: Kayland Smyth
In Christianity there are two types of people: those who believe in a God and intensively study the Bible, and those who believe in a God but do not really study the bible. If you fall into the category of believing in a God but do not study the Bible then GODSPELL is a great refresher or crash course on learning the book of Matthew.
GODSPELL is a modern day take on the Gospel According to Matthew. Its score is by Academy and Grammy Award winner and six- time Tony Award nominee Stephen Schwartz and book by John Michael Tebelak. GODSPELL uses improvisation and contemporary themes to illustrate a message of kindness, community and hope that still resonates today. The cast, whom all embodied different biblical characters, includes: TJ Anderson, Jeanne T. Arrigo, Megan Ensley, Veronica Garza, Michelle Limon, Andrew Lund, Jake Mahier, Pavi Proczko, Stephanie Rohr and Nick Shoda.
I found this production to be very unique in a couple of ways
starting with the cast. The members of the cast not only acted and sang they also played the music for each song. Rarely do you see actors playing the musical’s score in a musical production. Normally, the actors just sing and act but I enjoyed hearing live music instead of a pre-recorded instrumental. I also liked the size and location of the stage. The stage was small and in the middle of the audience. It felt as though the audience was a part of the production. It also felt more intimate, giving the actors more to play around with while improvising.
GODSPELL, put on by the Brown Paper Box Company, runs from September 20, 2012 to October 7, 2012 at Collaboraction Studio 300 in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 North Milwaukee Ave. Performances run Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3:00p.Tickets are $20 on Thursday, $25 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Industry cost is $15 at the door with headshot and resume. For tickets visit boxpapertickets.com.
When Was the Last Time You Met a Lizard at the Beach?
Nick Sandys introduces himself as the new Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo with a strong, comical and eye-catching play. Edward Albee’s Seascape looks at the interpersonal relationships of two couples entering transitional periods in their lives. A human couple bickers over what to do now that their children are grown, and whether that means life is over or just beginning. So logically, Albee introduces them to a giant lizard couple, also debating their future; they are exploring the possibility of evolving to become land creatures. This makes for a witty parallel between the couples and the difference between men and women, despite their species.
Read MoreBeloved Christmas Schooner Sails into Mercury Theatre
THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER returns to the Mercury Theater (3745 N. Southport, Chicago), from November 23 through December 30, 2012. The press opening will be on Wednesday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. The whole family will enjoy this heart-warming story of the first Christmas tree ship and the family who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the Christmas spirit. This critically acclaimed production features a powerful, moving story, an exquisite score of original music and traditional holiday favorites, and a company of 25 actors and musician
s. This year’s production commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the historic voyage of the Christmas Tree Ship.
Performances are from November 23 to December 30, 2012. The schedule is: Wednesdays at 2pm and 7:30pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 7:30pm and Sundays at 1pm. Tickets range from $29 to $59. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts of up to 50%. For tickets and information contact the Mercury Theater at 773-325-1700 or www.mercurytheaterchicago.com.
Praise for Gift Theatre
DIRTY : THE GIFT THEATRE
REVIEWED BY : Frank Meccia
How do you take a liberal yuppie investment banker married to a pregnant Eco-friendly social liberal who is now unemployed due to self consciousness make money., in a capitalist world ? For the answer you have to see Andrew Hinderaker's new play “Dirty” at the Gift Theatre. Hinderaker last teamed up with Michael Patrick Thornton in the 2010 premier of Suicide,Incorporated.
Thornton plays an investment banker who no longer can put up with his job, but is struck with a business idea that can net him millions incorporated with his wife, yet everyone thinks his idea is more vile then the job he just left. “Dirty”is a great play that mixes humor and porn into 2hours and 10 mins of great enjoyment.
Led by a great cast, Paul D'Addario (Terry) plays the shrew investment banker with the no-moral side. Hillary Clemens plays Katie his eco-friendly social liberal with a cause wife. And for her Gift Theatre debut Mouzam Makkar as the cover girl Mikayla.
I really enjoyed the Scenic Design created by Courtney O'Neill. This Jeff Award winner shows her talent in this small theater. .Jonathan Berry (Director) who's prior work at Gift include Suicide Incorporated, shows how a good drama with a great cast can work so well in a small theater.
“Dirty” gets a high recommendation
“Dirty” plays till November 18th. Tickets can be purchased at www.thegifttheatre.com .or call the box office 773-283-7071
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