Afterwork Masterworks: Beethoven 7

Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Beethoven

Program

• Shostakovich  Chamber Symphony
• Vaughan Williams  Concerto in F minor for Tuba and Orchestra
• Beethoven  Symphony No. 7

What one has to admire most about Jaap van Zweden, the young guest conductor for this weeks CSO offering, is his great seriousness of musical purpose, expressed keenly from the podium, and largely executed by an ensemble that is, perhaps unfortunately, not his own. In fact, the Dutch van Zweden has been music director of the Dallas Symphony since 2008 and is due to take up a position in Hong Kong later this year.

Nowhere is this better displayed than in the evenings’ first offering, Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony for Strings in C minor Op.110a, actually an arrangement by Rudolf Barshai, of the composer’s String Quartet no.8. It is a kind of surrealist fantasy, ascending from the very much grounded though eerily poignant statement of the principle theme, heard first in only the basses and celli, and then, little by little, introduced in the higher strings, with sections being added in ascending order. The harmonies are very warm and clear. The theme itself, really a mere 4 note motive, is Shostakovich’s musical monogram: The letters D S C H is represented by their tonal equivalents in the German system of musical notation: Since S is our Eb and H, our B natural, the monograph comes to D Eb C B. In the opening Largo, this is nearly all we hear. The motive is developed very tenderly—especially by 1960s standards—and in multiple keys, even, for a short time, in a serene, heart warming major key. Before long, we are thrust into a torrid, racing sort of Bridge section, much more of what we think of as typical Shostakovich. It is almost a re-start of the melodic development of the Largo, but in an entirely different idiom. But, “ ah, that is hardly suitable for so a warm-hearted piece”, the composer seems to be saying, “let us be merry!”

Gene Pokorny

Thus, we move into the allegretto which, for all its mirth, cannot quite conceal a tincture of the sinister. Indeed, the penultimate Largo is bookended by an often repeated, haunting passage in which the first three notes of the monograph are sounded, but instead of settling comfortably on a B natural, we are thrust a perfect 5th upwards, before descending a half step for 3 riveting repeated notes, with many of the strings playing in unison, and probably marked double-forte. The final Largo is melancholic: It is as if we have no more energy left to fight the great battles of life, and so we settle down into a final, grateful rest, though perhaps not as serene a rest we might have hoped. This piece alone is worth the entire evening.

With Vaughn Williams’ symphonic music one is almost tempted to say, dismissingly, if you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all. That is not to say they are not often very pleasant to listen to, and this rarely heard Tuba Concerto, with the CSO’s own Gene Pokorny as soloist, is no exception. One has to stop oneself from laughing at the sound of the solo Tuba, particularly in the low register. But comedy is certainly not antithetical to nice music. The fact that the strings are hardly ever playing without some sort of wind or horn accompaniment lends a distinct suavity to the sound—apparent in much of Vaughn Williams.

From the jolly march that is the opening prelude, and allegro moderato, we feel convinced that Vaughn Williams is determined to write everything in good cheer. In the Romanza, however, we revert back to Vaughn Williams’ usual realm of the unflinchingly nostalgic. Even without conjuring any particular memory, Vaughn Williams’ idiom seems to carry with it a sort of quintessential nostalgia. It is the feeling that in a turbulent, unreliable, and sometimes ugly world, there is always a warm fire to come home to, and memories of childhood—perhaps of old England—to keep in our hearts. It is certainly not one of more profound sentiments ever evoked in music, but can hardly be called un-pleasant.

In some ways the marquee presentation of the evening, Beethoven’s Symphony no.7 in A major, opus 92, was the least impressive. Perhaps it is because we all have heard it countless times before, particularly the second movement Allegretto, most recently a prominent backdrop to the climactic scene of the Academy-Award winning film The King’s Speech (2011). I have never heard anyone take nearly so fast and sustained a tempo as Van Zweden does here, and that includes Toscanini’s 1939 recording with the NBC Orchestra. It all seems to work rather well in the opening introduction, marked Allegro Sostenuto: This beautifully simplistic introduction so often feels lifeless and dull, sacrilege to what are some of the most brilliantly serene passages in the entire work. Yet Van Zweden, by virtue of his fast tempo, and grand impetuosity of musical drive, manages quite well. I was particularly impressed by the sense of forward motion lent to the first movement vivace theme, which out of context could easily be mistaken for a 4th movement Rondo. In van Zweden’s version, one gets the sense there is more to come; and of course there is.

However, the incredibly famous allegretto is much less successful. Here the fast tempo feels inappropriate, even destructive at times. Although van Zweden appears very intent on getting good articulation out of the strings, it comes, at least on this occasion, at the expense of a rich and satisfying tone. Unlike the 5th Symphony, the main interest of Beethoven’s 7th is not rhythmic or motive-based, but harmonic, and melodic. It is not the clever ways in which Beethoven treats the second-movements ostinato theme that excites us, but how this is melodically built upon and developed, and how accompaniment lines of very different timbres and textures are added to it. In this sense the 7th is one of Beethoven’s more accessible symphonies.

The third movement scherzo-trio, marked Presto, was still less successful . The orchestra, even more so than in previous movements, sound as if there are about to trip over themselves. All sections, but particularly the strings, seem uncertain of being able meet Van Zweden’s unorthodox tempo demands, and either attempt to anticipate their entrances, or come in slightly behind, as if to avoid the greater pitfall of being early. Above all, the music does not sing, and at such a tempo, it hardly breaths either.

Whatever anyone wishes to say to praise CSO strings’ virtuosity, and particularly the depth of their brass, they certainly do not have a warm sound. And the strings don’t always have an extraordinarily full one either. Particularly in the high register the strings can sound rather stark. For Vaughn Williams, this is not largely un-problematic. For Shostakovich, it is quite possibly the ideal. Yet in Beethoven, it can be rather grating. All things considered, however, the program is extremely rich, and very much recommended.

Recommended

Gabriel Lord Kalcheim

Date Reviewed: May 16, 2012

At the CSO.org

By Martin McDonagh

Directed by Kimberly Senior

At Redtwist Theatre, Chicago

Wicked humor and savage truths mark dark Irish comedy

The folks at Redtwist Theatre continue to mount fine shows featuring terrific sets (here by Jack Magaw), expert Irish brogues (dialect coaching by Eva Breneman) and tight staging by Kimberly Senior with an outstanding cast. We are taken back to one of the Aran Islands off the Irish coast at Inishmaan in 1934 as an American film crew shoots “Man of Aran” around Inishmaan. Kate (Jan Ellen Graves) and Eileen (Debra Rodkin) run a little store on the island.  Johnnypateenmike (Brian Parry) is the village gossip who barters “news” for eggs. His daily visits relieve the boredom of rural Irish life.

When Johnnypateenmike tells about the arrival of the American movie makers, Helen (Baize Buzan) and her brother Bartley (Patrick C. Whalen) are determined to get Babbybobby (Chris Rickett) to row them ashore to Inishmaan so they can audition for the Yanks. Cripple Billy (Josh  Salt) is also determined to leave the island and search for a new adventure as a possible film star. He congers up a plot to motivate Babbybobby to allow him aboard the boat to Inishmaan. Billy is tired of all the verbal abuse and ridicule from the villagers concerning his deformed hand and crippled leg.

This often darkly funny story is filled with vicious drama, extreme truths with doses of poignant humanity and violent reactions. We see the realistic side of the ignorant rural Irish. McDonagh’s plays are devoid of the idealistic rustic sentimentality often associated with Irish drama. The Cripple of Inishmaan contains several surprising turns among twists of fate. The work contains mythic Irish fatalism as it uses lyrical language to convey cruel yet heartwarming events. McDonagh blends humor with brutality to tell his honest slice-of-life Irish stories.

The characters here are colorful, eccentric and so Irish. From Mammy (Kathleen Ruhl) Johnnypateenmike’s 90 year old drunken mother – to Kate who talks to a stone  -to cruel Helen who enjoys breaking eggs over her brother’s head -to Billy who has to endure  the savage jokes and nasty name calling–all are struggling to escape the boredom of rural life. Josh Salt’s empathetic Cripple Billy and Brian Parry’s hilarious turn as the town gossip are the featured performances among the fine ensemble work contained here.

It is a pleasure to see a major work being so well staged and performed as The Cripple of Inishmaan is at Redtwist Theatre. They continue to mount outstanding works at their intimate Rogers Park theatre. No wonder that their last eight shows have been Jeff Recommended.

Highly Recommended

Tom Williams

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast

Date Reviewed: May 13, 2012

Jeff Recommended

For more info checkout The Cripple of Inishmaan page at theatreinchicago.com

At Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago, call 773-728-7529, www.redtwist.org, tickets $25 – $27 -$30, Thursdays thru Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 3 pm, running time is 2hours, 10 minutes with intermission, through June 24, 2012

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Brian Pastor

Produced by Prometheaan Theatre Ensemble

At the Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago

Worthy storefront Shakespeare speaks The Bard’s language with respect and clarity

My problem with most non-Equity storefront productions of Shakespeare is that the actors have no clue as to what they are saying. The seem to always place the emphasis in the same place no matter what they are saying. That indicates they they were merely  memorizing words devoid of meaning. But, I’m happy to report that director Brian Pastor’s production of the seldom produced history, Henry V  is a worthy, articulate and heartfelt production. Text coach and narrator John Arthur Lewis leads the way with a well-spoken rendering of Shakespeare’s verse. He has the cast performing in a richly clear and easily accessible diction garnering the action and motivation an easy to understand quality.

The history play is devoid of sets possessing a neutral time period with fine war video projections (by Daniel Carlyon & Paul Edwards). This gives the audience a close up of what war can feel like. We meet the young English King, Henry V (a winning turn by Nick Lake), who tries to put his wild teen past behind him as he must invade France to win honor and credibility. He is still hounded by his past pals from his time spent drinking at the Boar’s Head Tavern. Intrigue, betrayal, and colorful characters populate Henry V.  The Battle of Agincourt is vividly enacted resulting in a victory for Henry over his French rivals.

The two hour plus history is lively, humorous ,and,  at times,  dramatically impacted.  Seldom to you see as finer ensemble performing Shakespeare as found in this worthy production. Nick Lake leads the way and John Arthur Lewis guides us through the intricate goings on as Henry V proves his leadership ability while also capturing a French bride. Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s Henry V is sure worth a look.

Recommended

Tom Williams

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast

Date Reviewed: May 12, 2012

For more info check the Henry V page at theatreinchicago.com

At Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, Chicago, IL, call 773-935-6875, www.athenaeumtheatre.com, tickets $20, Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm, running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes with intermission, through June 2, 2012

Music & Lyrics by Jeff Bowen

Book by Hunter Bell

Directed by Peter Amster

Music Direction by Doug Peck

At Northlight Theatre, Skokie

Pretentious backstage musical about the writing of a musical falls flat

[title of show] is a one-act musical with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and a book by Hunter Bell. The show chronicles its own creation as an entry in the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2004, and follows the struggles of the author and composer/lyricist and their two actress friends during the initial three-week creative period. The show also covers subsequent events leading up to the show’s production.

Jeff and Hunter are two struggling who writers decide to write about their problem trying to find something to write about. They also add the foibles of their two theatre oriented female friends. The show features the tone of how folks actually talk -hence – the use of several f-bombs. This much too self-aware show uses  ‘talk-songs’ – think William Finn as  his Falsettos. Those atonal talk-songs are trying to emphasize the mundane with familiar vernacular speech. If you want audiences to care about you, your characters, your concept,  and your show, give them witty lyrics and clever songs with nice melodies. Include ballads, a love song or two and a couple of show-stoppers. But do more than dialogue songs.

This style leads to sing-song sound-alike tunes that are not only forgettable but irritating after the first two or three. With song names such as “Two Nobodies in New York,” “Monkeys and Playbills”  and “Die Vampire, Die,” you can imagine how bland this show becomes. While this tedious and too long one-act (by 20 minutes) tries to be a love letter to the musical theatre, it emerges as an example of how two untalented writers actually got their moments of glory but getting their foul-mouthed, self-aggrandizing show produced.  [title of show] ran on Broadway in 2009 for  only 115 performances.

This  razor-thin premise wares out after we experience the actual show-within-a-show leading to several false endings that only further frustrates audiences. After about 50 minutes, with each Montage song , audience members left they show and once they show ended, a short mild applause greeted the production. The cast, McKinley Carter, Matthew Crowle, Stephen Schellhardt and Christine Sherill tried too hard to impress. Crowle, in particular, came off as obnoxious while Sherrill screamed her anthems. In fairness, the cast had such light-weight material to work with that they had to force things. Doug Peck, as music director and accompanying pianist, also had little to work with. I’m  amazed that Northlight Theatre picked  such a weak and tuneless musical, they usually select terrific shows.

Not Recommended

Tom Williams

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast

For more info checkout the [title of show] page at theatreeinchicago.com

At Northlight Theatre, 9501 N. Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL, call 847-673-6300, www.northlight.org, tickets $25 – $65, Tuesdays thru Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at  2:30 & 7 pm, matinees on Wednesdays at 1 pm, Saturdays at 2:30 pm, running time is 100 minutes without an intermission, through June 10, 2012

My Kind Of Town by John Conroy

Directed by Nick Bowling

At TimeLine Theatre, Chicago

Truthful drama puts a human face on police torture in Chicago

Investigative journalist John Conroy’s cover story for the Chicago Reader in 1990 – “House of Screams” alleged use of torture on suspects in major crime investigations by the Chicago Police Department.  (Full disclosure: I was a Chicago Police Officer in the 1970′s working in Patrol, Traffic and Training.) Over the course of that time, I heard rumors of a rogue bunch of detectives and their lieutenant using torture as a means to getting confessions. Since I never worked as a police officer on Chicago’s South Side,  I had no direct knowledge or contact with homicide detectives.

But I must say that John Conroy’s world premiere My Kind of Town aptly captures the police mentality that was used to justify the use of torture. After being conditioned by the Vietnam War, some officers became so mean and so hateful of violent criminals that they used torture among other “means to justify their ends.” Rather than doing legitimate investigate police work, these rogue officers resorted to physical and emotional torture  to both garner confessions and to inflict punishment on suspects.  More than once, as a rookie cop, I heard things like “that gang-banger deserved and got a beating after all he did…” Conroy’s play covers both sides–the victims and the detective’s point of view.

A man sits on death row after being convicted of murder based on limited circumstantial evidence and hiss confession to the police and to the  States Attorney.  Otha Jeffries (terrific work by Charles Gardner) is an angry, loud-mouthed petty criminal who riles everyone he encounters making it easy for sadistic, close-minded cops to use torture on him to get him “to come clean” about a murder. We meet his family: his mother Rita (Ora Jones) who is determined to help prove Otha innocent. Albert Jeffres (Trinity P. Murdock) is Otha’s estranged father and Chicago Police officer – he is not sure of Othra’s innocence.

We see an attorney, Robert Morales (Derek Garza), doing legal defense work as part of an anti-death penalty group. He endures much anger as he tries to get a new hearing for Otha. Next, we get glimpses into the home life of detective Dan Breen (David Parkes) one of Otha’s tortures.  We see that Breen is a human and a family man who hides his evil tactics from his wife. He is part of those who believe that have a mission to rid the world (and Chicago) of all evil. In his mind, Breen justifies torture as necessary. Breen’s sister and wife eventually wonder what Dan did as the stories become public.

We also see how the Felony Review States Attorney, Maureen Buckley (Maggie Kettering) while visiting the police station neither witnesses nor wants to know how the police got Otha to confess. She only wants to hear his confession. A veteran black police detective George Dawson (A. C. Smith) goes along but doesn’t participate in the dubious interrogation tactics.   He is among many who don’t want to “rock the boat” about immoral practices.

Conroy uses interlocking story lines and smartly constructed flashbacks to humanize the issue and effects of corruption and coverup on all players. Who is responsible and how is justice corrupted by use of torture is vividly depicted. All side of the issue are explored including references to the guilt or innocence of Otha and other torture victims. Is society better served with keeping possibly guilt people , especially those with a long history of violent actions, behind bars  despite their convictions being tainted by police misconduct? In today’s culture of fear that asks for more law and order, My Kind of Town presents the human cost of immoral police tactics. We see that all sides of the question are destroyed by use of torture–guilt from those cops who went along to get along; to the cops families who question the humanity of their spouse; and, of course, to the incarcerated and their families. The social cost of torture demands that justice be served. Thankfully, new training and oversight mechanisms by the Chicago Police Department make such practices difficult to be used today.

But, My Kind of Town is a power, yet balanced, drama that is free of  polemic, rather it should stimulate a means of provocation and catharsis that can be helpful in placing moral responsibility to those who were a part of those terrible days. We never really know the end of Otha’s story yet we do.  I can see this play as a film or a cable TV show.

Highly Recommended

Tom Williams

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast

Date Reviewed: May 11, 2012

Jeff Recommended

For more info checkout the My Kind of Town page at theatreinchicago.com

At TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington, Chicago, IL, call 773-281-8463, www.timelinetheatre.com, tickets $32 – $42, Wednesdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 & 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm, running time is 2 hours, 20 minutes with intermission, through July 29, 2012

A Little Night Music at Writers' Theatre

Book by Hugh Wheeler

Directed by William Brown

Music Direction by Valerie Maze

At Writers’ Theatre, Glencoe

Elegant, charming, superbly sung intimate chamber operetta – A Little Night Music – unfolds as a sumptuous celebration of romance

Writers’ Theatre’s intimate space on Tudor Court in Glencoe is the perfect venue for Stephen Sondheim’s gem of a chamber operetta, A Little Night Music. With a cast of  superb actors with gorgeous voices, director William Brown’s musical soars to the heavens.  It is so refreshing to hear every word enunciated and sang so fully in character exuding all the wit, cynicism of 1900 Sweden without any amplification. Yes, it is possible to mount a musical without mics – but – it takes singers who can belt and project. This cast sure does – and – they produce wonderful harmonies and coral work as needed.

Stephen Sondheim’s 1973 musical–operetta really–A Little Night Music – won 6 Tony Awards yet it only played Broadway for 601 performances! With a smart, witty book and biting dialogue by Hugh Wheeler, A Little Night Music contains a lush, romantic waltz-time score by Sondheim.  Based on the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, the play is set in Sweden at the turn of the century.

We meet Madame Armfeldt (Deanna Dunagan) who tells her grand daughter Fredika (Shannon Corey) that the summer night “smiles” three times: first on the young, second on fools, and third on the old. Fredrika vows to try and watch the smiles occur. Next, comes Fredril Egerman (the commanding  and golden voiced Jonathan Weir), a middle aged lawyer and his trophy wife–the 18 year old and still virgin Anne (Kristen French) with Henrik Egerman (Royen Kent)–the son who struggles with religion and lust.

Add Desiree Armsfeldt (the fabulous Shannon Cochran) lost love, rekindling romance and passion.

The costumes (by Rachel Anne Healy) on Kevin Depinet’s original set with Jesse Klugr’s lighting made a sensual atmosphere to a long Swedish summer night in the country. Sondheim’s eloquent score contains songs like “Remember,” “The Glamorous Life,” “A Weekend in the Country” and the signature tune “Send in the Clowns.”  Jonathan Weir, Shannon Cochran, Brandon Daahlquist, Brianna Borger (as Petra) easily nailed their songs with aplomb and heart. I especially enjoyed the honest performance by Deanna Dunagan as the wise old grandmother. Brianna Borger, as Petra, delivers “The Miller’s Son” in a movingly emotional tone.

But, ultimately, A Little Night Music, is a most romantic chamber piece devoted to the awakened passions of the players as they evoke the harmonies of Sondheim’s waltz time score. Valerie Maze has her five member orchestra nimbly  extolling the hauntingly beautiful score.  The signature song, “Send In The  Clowns’ (one of my all-time favorite show tunes) was marvelously sung by Shannon Cochran as she landed all the emotions, all the angst, and all the nuances of Sondheim’s appropriate lyrics. Cochran sent chills down my spine with her rich rendition.Where are the clowns?

Writers’ Theatre creative prowess and strong attention to production values gives their production of A Little Night Music the elegance and presence that exudes enough charm to warm the soul. Writers’ A Little Night Music is a major tour de force not only for Jonathan Weir but for the production itself. This may be the finest production of Sondheim’s chamber operetta yet to be mounted on a Chicago stage! This gorgeous work begs to be seen.  You’ll not hear finer singing anywhere.

Highly Recommended

Tom Williams

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast

Date Reviewed: May 10, 2012

For more info checkout the A Little Night Music page at theatreinchicago.com

At Writers’ Theatre. 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, IL, call 847-242-6000, www.writerstheatre.org, tickets $45 – $65, Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 7:30, Thursdays & Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 & 8 pm, Sundays at 2 & 6 pm, running time is 2 hours with intermission, through July 8, 2012

Written by Mark St. Germain

Directed by Tyler Merchant

At the Mercury Theater, Chicago

A mesmerizing look at two extremes that brims with wit and humor.

Note: Recently extended due to the extremely successful run of this dual portrait that has been a smash with audiences and critics, Session has been recast with Chicago natives, replacing the original New York cast (read Tom Williams’ review of the original Chicago premiere here). Full disclosure: Keen observers may note that I also reviewed it for another publication. That review can be read here. This makes it a fascinating look at how a recasting can oh-so-subtly change the dynamic of a show even while retaining the same director. I think it’s safe to say it’s an expert hand-off. 

There’s a website devoted to images of influential people in encounters both chance and intended. They range from Dean Martin and John Wayne to Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali. We can only imagine what it could have been like to have been flies on the wall at those encounters. It is just such a moment that is framed in Freud’s Last Session at Mercury Theater, which imagines two titanic celebrities at their most intimate, and gives us a studied glimpse into opposing forces clashing over equally titanic topics.

Called to the study of the dying Dr. Freud (Mike Nussbaum), the atheist-turned-Christian-apologist C. S. Lewis (Coburn Goss) arrives on the same day England declares war on Germany. He believes he has arrived for a dressing-down from the esteemed father of psychoanalysis for a recent parody he wrote of the good doctor. Instead, the middle-aged Lewis finds himself inadvertently embroiled in his own psychoanalysis. Freud wants to study specifically the manner in which a vehement non-believer like Lewis could become a devout Christian. What ensues is a delicate, often humorous philosophical parlay of sorts as the stakes of being proven “right” (or at least, of having the most sound logic) mount higher as the conversation delves into sex, life, good v. evil and the mysteries of the universe. All the while, the anxiety mounts for both men as they check the radio for news of the outside world, waiting breathlessly to see how events unfold. These same events feed back into the conversation itself, serving as a means of further exploration into the nature of Man and Existence.

St. Germain has taken the classic “what if they had met?” scenario and used it as a simple device through which to grapple with the questions that haunt so many of us. Like Plato inhabiting his mentor Socrates to pen a Dialogue, St. Germain speaks through these avatars to bring us a fascinating glimpse into the sort of civilized discourse (though never dispassionate, rest assured—these two crackle with zeal) so rare in the current national rhetoric wherein the participants express themselves with emotion and respect. Rather than solve any of the questions presented, he seems to want to illustrate the method by which minds are kept open to analysis rather than being shut down to avoid dissenting opinions. Lewis and Freud are never portrayed as anything less than simply sympathetic humans bound together by antagonism and a surprising amount of tenderness. Neither man is let off the hook, but it is Freud’s ever-so-slight obeisance to humility in the face of the mysterious that is most moving.

The legendary veteran of the Chicago stage Mike Nussbaum takes up the role of Sigmund Freud (originated by Martin Rayner) with a masterful inhabitation of the legendary icon. It never borders remotely on caricature. His rasping voice (afflicted by the oral cancer that lead him to commit euthanasia two weeks later) and stilted movements have done nothing to dampen his dry humor and eviscerating analysis. Taking over as C. S. Lewis from Mark H. Dold, Coburn Goss has a slightly easier task because Lewis is known more for his written work than his personality. This doesn’t diminish from the skill needed to go toe-to-toe with the towering intellect twice his age and much more renowned, and Goss is adept at bordering between respect for his elder and a steadfast desire to not back down from his stance.

With studies about critical analysis dampening feelings of faith, a political arena entrenched in doublethink and a world flooded with so much information that people are shutting down to avoid confrontation, Freud’s Last Session could not be more timely. By going back to our recent past, it portrays a present we wish we had. One where ideological conflict ends in a respectful handshake instead of a sound bite. That it does this in just over an hour is all the more astonishing. If all debates could be this real and riveting, maybe a few minds would change. Sure to prompt some interesting discussions, one can only hope it’s the lesson in an open-minded journey that persists on what may be an endless path of questions.

Highly Recommended.

Review by Clint May

Date Reviewed: May 9, 2012

For more info checkout the Freud’s Last Session page on http://mercurytheaterchicago.com

At Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave, Chicago, IL; call 777.325.1700 or visit http://mercurytheaterchicago.com; tickets $45-69 (discounted student and group rates available); performances Wednesdays at 2pm and 7:30pm, Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 1pm and 5pm; running time 85 minutes with no intermission. Extended through July 15.

By Sean Grennan

Directed by William Pullinsi

At the Theatre at the Center, Munster, IN

Inspired by the Woody Allen joke: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

Cute, smart and well performed familycomedy pleases audiences

Sean Grennan’s Making God Laugh is a touchingly heartwarming family comedy that is so well cast and so well performed that we do actually believe we are witnessing an actual family saga. The impressive middle class family home set (by Angie Weber-Miller) sets the tone for the holiday tradition that finds the ‘empty nester’ parents – Jimmy (Craig Spidle) and Ruthie (Peggy Roeder) as they welcome their grown children home for various holidays. Thanksgiving 1980 finds Richard (Joe Foust), the son and former high school football star with the losing entrepreneur bent ( he bought a Pacer car and invests losers like  Yugo cars, Enron but spurns winners like Google). Maddie (Erin Noel Grennan) is the actress daughter who is constantly nagged by her mother Ruthie for being an actor and not being married. Thomas (Kevin Mckillip) is the the golden son because he is a Catholic priest.

This family comedy moves from 1980 Thanksgiving to Christmas 1990 to New Year’s Eve 1999/2000 to the present day. We see the parents and the children age with the terrific wigs (designed by Kevin Barthel) and through the period correct costume designs by Brenda Winstead. Among the ongoing gags is Ruthie’s horrible “Fantasia” dip that smells lousy and tastes worse. No one has the guts to tell Ruthie that her specialty sucks.  During the four scenes, we see how the family has changed physically over the decades and how tensions flare up as unresolved issues re-emerge and unspoken past issues linger. The smart writing by Sean Grennan is well executed by the team of outstanding “A” list cast members. This is one quite funny show. Each decade is framed through this middle class family.

From Peggy Roeder’s Edith Bunker-esque turn as the mother, to Craig Spidle’s copacetic father to Joe Foust’s flamboyant loser son to Erin Noel Grennan’s liberated woman persona to Kevin McKillip’s saintly priest – we empathize with the foibles of this honestly presentation of the ‘average’ middle class American family. This family could be our family, that’s why their peculiarities could be ours. What family doesn’t have to endure a terrible dish from a relative? Fantasia dip anyone?  You’ll laugh plenty at this honest, well staged family comedy.

Recommended

Tom Williams

Tslk Theatre in Chicago podcast

Date Reviewed: May 6, 2012

Jeff Recommended

Fro more info checkout the Making God Laugh page at theatreinchicago.com

At Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN, call 219-836-3255, www.theatreatthecenter.com, tickets $38 – $42, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 2 pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm, select Thursdays evenings and Saturday matinees, running time is 2 hours, 10 minutes with intermission, through June 10, 2012

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

Directed & Choreographed by Adam Pelty

Music direction by Diana Lawrence

Produced by Porchlight Music Theatre

At Stage 773, Chicago

Earlier Larson musical hints at RENT

I must state upfront that over the years, and especially since I’ve been covering opera over the last five years, my toleration for an appreciation of pop/rock style music and singing have drastically deteriorated.  Maybe it’s the lack of melodies or the stutter-style singing that hardcore rockers call “Broadway rock” that I find offensive?  Add the muddled singing that renders much of the lyrics difficult to understand and I find such shows as RENT or tick,tick, BOOM! hard to swallow. But since there is a large audience for pop/rock shows, let me state that Adam Pelty’s tick, tick, BOOM! contains enough energy, heart, and tunefulness to satisfy the core audience.

Before he wrote RENT, Jonathan Larson wrote and performed tick, tick…BOOM! as an autobiographical look at his dream of leaving his mark on musical theatre. Some would argue that tick, tick, BOOM! is Larson’s best work even though RENT is his most well known rock opera. I have always  liked tic, tic…BOOM! better than RENT mainly because it is structured more like a traditional Broadway musical.

The angst of turning 30 years old become tragic for Jon. Really, I though adulthood starts at 3o?

tic, tic…BOOM! is a musical look at holding onto one’s dreams in the modern world when all your friends are ‘selling out’ to lucrative corporate careers and abandoning the arts. We meet Jon (Adrian Aguilarl) and his best friend Michael (Bear Bellinger) and Jon’s girl Susan (Jenny Guse) just before Jon’s thirtieth birthday and his showcase of his new musical, Superbia. Jon is desperate to make it on Broadway as a playwright but impending marriage, career changes and his girl’s desire to live in suburbia all threaten his ‘real’ dream. Does he sell out or persevere?

Set in 1990 in New York City, this youthful fast-paced show contains enough pop and rock tunes to suggest Larson, indeed, is out to change musical theatre. There is a Sondheim influence that serves the work well. Tic, tick…BOOM! isn’t a great show, yet it is an entertaining early look at the struggles of chasing one’s dreams.

Adrian Aguilaris most empathetic while Bear Bellinger is quite versatile. Jenny Guse needs to project more during her numbers. The music was fine but the percussion could be toned down a tad  since it dominates.

Tic, tic…BOOM! unfolds as an ode to Jonathan Larson and to all struggling artist who steadfastly hold onto their dreams. Porchlight Music Theatre’s production is engaging and tuneful. It hints at the style that would make RENT into a hit rock opera. Pop rock musical fans will enjoy this show. Lovers of  RENT and pop/rock musicals will enjoy this worthy production – lovers of old-time Broadway may resist.

Somewhat Recommended

Tom Williams

Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast

Date
Reviewed: May 6, 2012

Jeff Recommended

For more info checkout the tick, tick, BOOM! page at theatreinchicago.com

At Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL,  call 773-327-5252, www.porchlightmusicaltheatre.org, Fridays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm, special Friday, June 1 performance at 10 pm, running time is 95 minutes without intermission, through June 10, 2012

Written by Bathsheba Doran

Directed by Jess McLeod

At Theater Wit, Chicago

They’re the people we love, flaws and all.

For every couple, there’s an entire solar system of people orbiting them. Pulled in by the gravitational attraction of vested interests and familial connections, these people typically have quite a bit to say about said couple. It is primarily through this lens that we learn about the central pair in Bathsheba Doran’s Kin. Rarely do we see the actual couple together. Instead, it’s the people on both sides who have been there for them through thick and thin from past to present who provide the critical insight into the complexities of relationships and what it means when two become one. It’s a nuanced—if at times messy—look that spans seven years and two continents to tease out the connections that make us who we are—for better and for worse.

An episodic narrative that skips about several lives to focus on moments grand and small to study their resonance, it begins with a defining moment for one half of the couple at the core. Anna (Stacie Beth Green) is a promising grad student being dumped by her poetry professor (Tim Musachio) with his babbling whirlwind of self realization about the nature of relationships. Her best friend and comfort since boarding school is the flakey would-be actress Helena (Ann Sonneville) with whom she has bonded over mutual misery for years. When happiness enters Anna’s life in the form of the Irish personal trainer Sean (Shane Kenyon), it threatens not only her relationship with Helena but creates a ripple effect that extends outward to her family and his. Back in Ireland Sean’s agoraphobic mother (Susan Monts-Bolongna) worries about her son across the pond but assures her brother Max (Sandy Elias) that since she was sure to set the bar for happiness low, her son has nowhere to go but up.

Over the course of the seven year arc, Anna’s faith in relationships is tested when the truth of her parent’s mutual infidelity is exposed, while Sean wonders about whether or not he’ll ever stop dreaming of other women. Anna’s growing success, the exposure of her parent’s infidelity, her father’s coldness, Sean’s insecurity, Helena’s depression, Anna’s father’s mistress’ cancer…it’s all a lot to track and follow. There’s a few extraneous scenes and perhaps a one  too many characters in Doran’s script and at times it threatens to derail from its core, but thankfully we are quickly pulled back by the emotional gravity at the center.

Like The Last Five Years, Kin dabbles a little with nonlinear time and keeps its oblique viewpoint of the couple intact for much of the production. The scenic design by Scott Davis is a fascinatingly surreal mix-up of indoor and outdoor spaces blended together, perfectly allowing for a multi-layered story to take place within. As a whole it’s an interesting conceit through which to illustrate the fitful and complicated path towards happiness. A path undertaken by two people with no small amount of baggage, and it’s fascinating to see that baggage’s point of origin and wonder if it can ever be surmounted.

Sublime performances abound in Kin—everyone is at the top of their game (even the somewhat overly ancillary characters I mentioned earlier are redeemed—particularly Maggie Cain as a dying former mistress). This is no more apparent than in Susan Monts-Bolongna as Sean’s wryly drunk Irish mother who has a painful past of her own. It’s a lovely, endearing performance suffused with subtle nuance even when she’s brimming and brash. As the couple, Green and Kenyon are studies in conflict and chemistry with everyone around them. McCleod deserves credit for keeping the ensemble so tight in the light of such complicated and idiosyncratic source material.

There’s the family we get and the family we make, and Kin has the audacious goal of studying that dynamic from the inside out. It does this more successfully than not—and not without a deference to those aforementioned performances, staging and direction. All endings are beginnings for this constellation. With plenty of insight, humor and honesty, Kin is a sympathetic look at the ties that bind and also set us free.

Highly Recommended.

Review by Clint May

Date Reviewed: May 6, 2012

For more info check out the Kin page on www.theaterwit.org

At Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago, IL 60657; call 773.975.8150 or visit www.theaterwit.com; tickets $25 (discounted student and group rates available); performances Thursday thru Saturday 7:30pm, Sundays 3pm; running time 2 hours with intermission.