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I Do! I Do!
A Musical about marriage…Chicago Style
Music by Harvey Schmidt, Book and Lyrics by Tom Jones
Directed by Michael Weber
Musical Direction by Doug Peck
Choreographer Laura Scheinbaum
At American Theatre Company (ATC)
1909 W. Byron
Chicago, IL
Call 773-929-1031, tickets $30 - $35
Thursdays & Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 4 & 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through November 11, 2007
Warm hearted musical a tribute to marriage
American Theatre Company (ATC) begins its 2007-08 season with world premiers of an updated, re-imagined remounting of the Jones & Schmidt’s (The Fantasticks) romantic chamber musical about marriage, I Do! I Do!’s It is a sweet feel-good musical that has loads of heart, warmth and nice melodies. Under Michael Weber’s fine direction with his Chicago updates of the script with fine video design by Mike Tutaj, I Do! I Do! captures a glimpse of 50 years in the Chicago world of Agnes (the amazing Heidi Kettenring) and Michael (the tender, everyman Stef Tovar).
The chamber piece blends a nostalgic look at the traditional, lifelong marriages that begun in the 1950. Based on The Fourposter by Jan de Hartog, I Do! I Do! is a two character musical following a couple through the up and down flows of an American Chicago marriage. Jones & Schmidt wrote I Do! I Do! as a star vehicle for Robert Preston and Mary Martin. Michael Weber got permission from Jones & Schmidt to update the musical from the 50’s to the present. Audiences will enjoy the Chicago references both in the script and the video projections. Riverview, Bozo’s Circus, Fahey Flynn to Herner’s Playboy Club are among these references. We see the couple advance from Wrigleyville to the Goldcoast.
Jones & Schmidt’s score and lyrics contains a nice blend of story songs, love ballads and a few cute comic songs. Heidi Kettenring is the sweet real 50-60’s wife/mother (Agnes) loyal to her man while Stef Tovar is the nerdy, thoughtful good guy husband, Michael. Each are terrific actors conveying the highs and lows of 50 years of marriage. Kettenring delivers her songs with a lilting sincerity with her excellent vocal chops. The terrific love song “My Cup Runneth Over” is a beautiful romantic love song nicely sung by both. Duets rule her and the show is sprinkled with funny tunes like Michael’s “It’s a Well know Fact” reflects the male chauvinism of his generation. Agnes responds with her strong “Flaming Agnes.” Both offer realism with the duet “Nobody’s Perfect.”
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We laugh with the empathetic couple’s struggle to maintain family life in an ever changing world. We see how each survives and rediscovers what makes a marriage work. The musical covers (with humor and song) the changes necessary for each partner in order for the marriage to continue. Love, friendship and commitment and forgiveness are nicely presented in this show. Kettenring nails her “What is a Woman” song that laments her loss of purpose as her children leave the nest. Both answer with “Someone Needs Me” the anthem that explains how Agnes and Michael need each other. Could that be love?
It is refreshing to see a musical that combines a sweet, sentimental—yet real ode to the millions of marriages that survived the test of 50 years. This tuneful piece has terrific singing and outstanding piano work from Sandy Lind and Doug Peck. This perky show is refreshingly entertaining and smoothly presented.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2007
Jeff Recommended
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