Tom Williams

MUST SEEREVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

The Audience

The Audience is terrific theatre. Two hours of riveting acting with many telling scenes told with wit, humor and stinging retorts. Nick Bowling’s staging in-the-round with an all-white set give an intimacy to those meetings. We become a ‘fly-on-the wall.’

The Audience makes history and powerful historical figures come to life, foibles and all. We see that Elizabeth II is more than a smiling lady with a handbag. Brooks is wonderful here. This is a gem!

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REVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

The Veil

I could probably state what the story was from the many press notes but I approach a new show as if I was an audience member. By the way, I asked an audience member both at the intermission and after the show if he had trouble understanding some of the characters? The young man said he could not understand the woman and the estate manager (Ross Frawley) because they slurred their words and spoke too fast to be understood. He was most dissatisfied with the play. He Asked me why they speak so fast? I told him to ask the director.

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MUST SEEREVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Somehow the creatives at Red Theater Chicago delivered a comical yet physically demanding satirical parody of wrestling and a unique take on the American Dream, From the players warming up the audience to groan and cheer to the wrestlers taking prat falls everytime the cross the ropes of the full-sized ring, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity is two hours of entertaining theatre. This comic satire works better on the intimate staging of Strawdog’s new diggs on west Bernice street.

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REVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

Machinal

What makes this drama sizzle are two main factors. One, the strong yet subtlely nuanced performance by Heather Chrisler. She makes us feel how trapped his is. And the brilliant staging and ensemle wotk from the cast. The tiedum and repitious ‘machine’ of office work and the roles each play in society as marvelously presented here.

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MUST SEEREVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

Hair at the Mercury Theatre

The first great rock musical, it has some of the most rousing and soulful songs ever written for the stage, including “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Good Morning Starshine,” “Aquarius,” and the memorable title song, “Hair.” This cast led by Matt Keffer (Berger) , Lliam Quealy (Claude) and Michelle Lauto (Sheila) effectually understood what was the mindset of the hippies. They sing, dance and create chaos in tune with their tribal sense of freedom, love and doing what feels good.

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MUST SEEREVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop)

But the real star here is the ensemble of dancers who manically translate Echoles’ varied choreography into a sweeping rhymthic movements worthy of appreciation. I always thought that the Black Ensemble needed stronger choreography to compliment the terrific orchestra and the fabulous singers. And this year, under Rueben D. Echoles.’ leadership, dance has found its place at the Black Ensemble. Kudos!

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REVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

In The Wake

It seems that playwright Lisa Kron tries to write several plays here. The result is a long-winded bore! For 2 and a half hours we are stuck with Ellen reciting the liberal political agenda without many rebuttals until Kelli Walker’s Judy retorts with a cynical unhopeful look at the state of the American dream. Kron even creates a character with homophobic beliefs that leads to another lecture. In the interest of clarity, pick one idea and develop that.

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