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Shear Madness
Adapted from the German Scherenschnitt (Cutouts)
By Paul Portner and further developed by
Marilyn Abrams & Bruce Jordan
Directed by Bruce Jordan
At the Chicago Theatre’s Downstairs
175 N. State Street
Chicago, IL
Call 312-462-6300, tickets $42.50
Mondays at 7:30 PM including drinks before and during intermission
Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 PM
Saturdays at 6 & 9 PM
Sundays at 3
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Limited open run
Hilarious madness cuts up once again in Chicago
From September, 1982 through March, 1999 Shear Madness played at the Mayfair Theatre in the old Blackstone Hotel for 7,220 performances making it the longest running show ever in Chicago. It only closed because the venue was torn down. Shear Madness has had long runs in Boston for 26 years, 19 years in Washington D.C. and the show has 64 productions worldwide. It plays in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Turkish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic and Norwegian. It has had over 44,000 performances since it’s 1979 Boston premiere. Shear Madness is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running play in American theater history.
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What makes Shear Madness last is its humorous simplicity, its whodunit comic elements and the audience participation as well as the clever lovable salon proprietor, the swishy hairdresser Tony Whitcomb. We love his over-the-top antics as he causes mischief, mayhem in this updated comic murder mystery. Veteran Shear Madness actor John McGivern is a hoot as the gay-as-hell hairdresser whose hilarious antics anchor the show. After world-famous pianist (and upstairs landlady) Isabel Czerny is found dead in her apartment, the wacky company of customers and stylists find themselves suspects in a murder. The audience gets to sift through the clues, interrogate the suspects and help solve the crime as they vote to determine who the killer is making each show unique.
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The early setup work produces many laughs as local Chicago and current events references are smartly interjected to both introduce the characters, plant clues and reap the wild humor. From the gay salon owner (John McGivern) to the sexy hairdresser Barbara (Robin Long) to the sinister art dealer Edward Lawrence (Mick Weber) to the daffy old socialite Mrs. Shubert (Glory Kissel) we see folks who easily could be involved in the murder of the pianist. They are interrogated by two bumbling Chicago Police detectives Mike McFarland (Benjamin Reigel) and Nick Pulaski (Christopher Tarjan) who deftly become the brunt of and initiate much of the humor as they actually lead us through solving the whodunit.
You’ll laugh yourself silly at this clever show which stays fresh due to its audience input and the improv freedom the actors use to keep the laughs flowing and to keep the suspenseful. Even if you’ve seen Shear Madness, you’ll still laugh at it since it is markedly different each night. That is the genius to this show.
It takes smartly intuitive actors who can stimulate both their fellow actors and the audience in the direction that garners the most laughs. The unexpected antics, quips and adlibs adds much to the humor. This fresh new production is peopled with terrific comic talents anchored by John McGovern, a veteran of thousands of performances of Shear Madness. His supporting cast adds much to make this show a real treat. It is perfect for groups, tourists and those who want light funny entertainment. Get to the Chicago Theatre downstairs for a funny treat.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2006
Jeff Recommended
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