Chicago Theatre Review
Merrily is a Miracle
Merrily We Roll Along
The new production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Merrily We Roll Along, which just premiered at the Reginald Vaughn Theatre, is a reminder of everything that live theatre is, or should be, all about. In a shoebox-sized black-box space on Thorndale Avenue, the Blank Theatre Company has conjured up a poetic miracle of a musical production, with hardly a wrong note at any moment from beginning to end, and with a wonderful surprise at its conclusion. In a long lifetime of theatre-going, I don’t think I have ever seen a better or more heartfelt small-theatre production, nor even a better musical of any size.
Read MoreTommy, Can You Hear Me?
The Who’s Tommy
The Who’s Tommy started life in 1969 as a concept album, was made into a 1975 movie, and was turned into a Broadway musical in 1992. It tells the story of young Tommy, traumatized by events in his childhood into near catatonia. The only thing that seems to reach him is a chance encounter with a pinball machine as a teenager. He’s a virtuoso and it changes the course of his life. The Broadway show was written by The Who’s Pete Townsend and co-author Des McAnuff. McAnuff comes to Chicago to direct Goodman’s amazing new production.
Read MoreAn Aimless Expedition
Arabia! Arabia!
Arabia! Arabia! is the kind of play that happens when a playwright doesn’t have a clear idea of what he hopes to accomplish and what effect he wants to have on the audience. Presented by The Plagiarists at the Jarvis Square Theatre, Alexander Utz’s world-premiere play, loosely based on an actual historical event, concerns itself with a group of explorers and scientists commissioned by the Danish government to explore the Middle East — “Arabia Felix,” or “Happy Arabia” — in the mid-18th century.
Read MoreA Lukewarm Domestic Drama
Another Marriage
Steppenwolf’s world premiere production of ensemble member Kate Arrington’s first play, Another Marriage, is hardly unworthy of Steppenwolf’s well-deserved reputation as America’s greatest ensemble theatre. But neither is it destined to go down in history as one of Steppenwolf’s classic productions — not without some redevelopment and rethinking.
Read MoreYou’ll Want to See Being Seen
Being Seen
The more one thinks about the aptly chosen title of Richard Gustin’s play “Being Seen,” the sadder it seems. The term refers directly to an actor’s audition process; to “be seen” means to receive an audition or a call-back and, from there (one hopes) to receive a part in a movie, play or TV show. But in a broader sense, virtually everyone wants to “be seen,” to be heard, to feel as if they matter to others, to have at least a modicum of confidence that their status as a unique human creation is recognized and respected by some few others of their fellow human beings. This deeply resonant play is about how, in every sense of the word, that basic human desire is denied, disregarded, degraded, derided, and rendered an utterly absurd fantasy by the arrogant and unfeeling forces that surround us and that express interest in us only as a source of money for whatever often-spurious enterprise or object they are attempting to sell us.
Read MoreA Second City for Everytown
Second City: Don’t Quit Your Daydream
Second City these days strikes me as a “Chicago institution” not so much in the sense that it’s an annual must-see for native Chicagoans, but rather that it’s an essential stop for out-of-towners on their three-day itineraries, right up there with Lou Malnati’s, Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Read MoreRenegades on the Run
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon
A very funny, quirky, offbeat and totally unique musical comedy is playing at Lookingglass Theatre and it’s an absolute winner! With an unusual story and script, plus an original Country/Western score, both written by Artistic Associate, Matthew C. Yee (“Treasure Island,” “Moby Dick,” at Lookingglass Theatre) I can guarantee that theatergoers will not only laugh their faces off, but also delight in discovering a completely new theatrical experience.
Read MoreTelling the Audience What It Wants to Hear
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon is an ambitious evening of multi-genre theatre that semi-successfully combines a tall tale about two recently married, bumbling, small-time Chinese-American robbers with figurative and literal brain freeze; a somewhat serious and well-intentioned narrative about human trafficking; expertly timed rapid-fire comic dialogue; honky tonk musical interludes played by a live, onstage C&W combo; and pandering and patronizing messages about the stereotypes faced by Asian-Americans. If you can manage to overlook that last element — and you should — you’ll have a great time at this world-premiere Lookinglass Theatre production in the theatre’s beautiful Water Tower venue.
Read MoreA Classic Returns to the Lyric
West Side Story
The Lyric Opera of Chicago is reviving West Side Story, last staged by them in 2019 at the Civic Opera House. I’m going to spoil the rest of the review by simply stating you should definitely get a ticket before the show closes on June 25th.
Read MoreLucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon
Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon is the story of two Asian American self-styled “renegades.” Bucking the high expectations of their families, they met at a dive bar a week ago and decided to get married. Now they need an equally impromptu honeymoon, starting with knocking over a gas station to get the money for one. Comic hijinks, of course, ensue.
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