Tom Williams

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse

Directed by Jack O’ Brien

Musical Direction by Andy Einhorn

Choreography by Danny Mefford

Produced by Broadway In Chicago

At The Palace Theatre, Chicago

Wonderful young spirited actress leads sweet production of iconic musical

One of the all-time great musicals, The Sound of Music, contains one of the finest musical scores and is the ultimate “feel-good” Broadway musical. Director Jack O’Brien has mounted a fine Equity National Tour production filled with talented performers, including a darling group of children.

The Sound of Music is set in Austria in 1938 and is the story of Maria (Kerstin Anderson), a loving novitiate who is sent to be the governess to the seven van Trapp children. She teaches the kids to sing and wins their hearts with her unconditionally loving spirit and energy. Maria also falls for the Captain (Ben Davis). The family is forced to flee the Nazis before the Captain is forced to join the German navy. Based on a true story, The Sound of Music is a charming, heartwarming musical treat containing some of the best known show tunes and filled with enough goodness and purity to entertain all ages.

Kerstin Anderson is a wonderful Maria, as she is instantly likable with an innocence and bubbling energy and an outstanding voice. Ben Davis is commanding as the stern naval Captain. Terry Hansen and Merwin Foard effectively land “How Can Love Survive” and “No Way To Stop It.” Melody Betts’s stirring “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” soared.

The seven children were marvelous. Paige Silvester as Lisel and Dan  Tracy as Rolf  sang nicely, danced, and flirted in “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” The children were charming, well rehearsed and landed their songs and movements with precision. The “Do-Re-Me” song, led my Anderson’s Maria was special. These kids were so lovable.

The Sound of Music is so sweet, so pure that it can’t help but please. This is solid family entertainment. This National Tour is charming and well executed; it is a star-making role for Kerstin Anderson, still a college student. She anchors a wonderful production. Hurry, you only have through Sunday, June 12.

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By VLADIMIR ZAYTSEV

Translated and adapted by TATYANA KHAIKIN

and ROBERT DUFFLEY

Directed by Alexander Gelman

Produced by Organic Theater Company

At the Greenhouse Theater, Chicago

Shockingly honest gay coming out story defines Russian homophobia

The press notes state: “One year ago, this controversial play about a gay teen coming out stunned audiences in Moscow, leading to warnings of shutdowns, bomb threats, and a government investigation for “Gay Propaganda.”

Having a translation of a contemporary Russian play is unusual, as is a Moscow production of a”gay” play in a country as homophobic as Putin’s Russia. Kudos to the folks at Organic Theater Company for mounting this amazing play.

Playwright VLADIMIR ZAYTSEV’s work, translated by Tatyana Khaikin and Robert Duffley, is  a mixed piece that contains a humorous coming-out narrative by a sixteen year old Russian Boy (played with total honesty by Will Burdin). His narrative of how he discovered that he was gay was funny, truthful, and heart-warming. We see that Boy really tried to fit in by dating girls. Only after he gave girls a try did he realize that they did nothing for him. When he meet the buff swimmer Andrey (the winning Adam Zaininger), he realized that his sexual attraction was, indeed, for boys. Andrey showed Boy the ropes of gay sex and strongly advised him to NEVER tell anyone, especially his parents, about his desires while living in repressive Russia.

Andrey’s survival tactics  seemed not to fit Boy’s bent for honesty and full social acceptance. Boy naively thought both his fellow students and his parents would accept his lifestyle. But his parents, especially his macho military officer father (Bryan Wakefield), couldn’t accept Boy being gay. We see the conflict as the parents fertile attempts  to “change” Boy as funny, at first, but as the parents grow more desperate, their methods to deal with Boy’s “problem” became extreme. Act one ends with a conman doing an exorcism instigated by Babushka (grandmother) (Juliane Sullivan).

At the intermission, I admired this honest, often funny,  coming-out story and I realized that  it is truthful, yet dated for American audiences. But the explanation of how a person realizes that he is attracted to another guy was honest demonstrating that genes determine such things, not personal choice.

In act two, we see how much the parents try to “convert” Boy by setting him up with a hooker and ultimately sending him to a medical clinic for addicts to drug him into submission. This act is scary, as we see how Russia is destroying youthful gay boys. We see, one again, how parents don’t really love their children if they put limits on that love. Love is unconditional or it isn’t love. Period.

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By Richard Bean

Based on The Servant of Two Masters

by Carlo Goldoni

With songs by Grant Olding

Directed by Charles Newell

Music Direction by Doug Peck

At Court Theatre, Chicago

Old fashion laugh fest erupts at Court Theatre

When over-the-top British comedy meets commedia dell’ arte with energetic, totally committed Chicago actors, the result is a manic mix of satire, songs, and physical comedy aimed to please our funny bones. This is the funnest, smartest, and most imaginative comedy to grace a Chicago stage in years!

One Man. Two Guvnors is Richard Bean’s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s 18th Century commedia dell’ arte classic, The Servant of Two Masters. Bean utilizes the British sense of over-the-top physical comedy, smart word play, and satirical songs satirizing pop British from the 1960’s. Utilizing Collette Pollard’s dazing Brighton, England coastal boardwalk set, we meet through song  the eleven member cast who act, clown, sing, and play various instruments as they present the complex story of Francis Henshall (the fabulous Timothy Edward Kane) as he juggles separate employment by two men. One is a local gangster, Roscoe Crabbe ( the amazing Elizabeth Ledo), and the other Stanley Stubbers (the understated comic/musician Erik Hellman). Francis tries to keep the two from meeting and discovering his secret, but Roscoe is really Rachel Crabbe in disguise – her  twin  brother was killed by her lover, who happens to be Stubbers. This, among other complications, gives fuel to the comedy as the parents,  Charlie “The Duck” Clench (Francis Guinan) owes Roscoe money, while Pauline (Chaun Cross), Charlie’s daughter, wants to marry Alan Dangle (Alex Goodrich), an aspiring actor and son of Charlie’s lawyer, Harry Dangle (Ross Lehman). Local friend to most, Lloyd Boating (Alan Gilmore) is the ex-prisoner. Dolly (Hollis Resnik), Charlie’s bookkeeper who falls for the one person who can change her life.

This cast of stock characters were inspired by famed Yale expert in commedia dell’ arte Christopher Bayes and famed comic Allen Gilmore and allowed to exude all the comic bits from each scene by director Charles Newell, resulting in so many funny bits that it was, at times, comic overload. The style allows the players to interact effectively with the audience thus heightening the comic effect.  The clowning was non-stop with generous bits of physical comedy from rollicking jaunts through crooked schemes and general buffoonery that produced many belly laughs!

From Ross Lehman’s pratfalls, to Alex Goodrich’s slapstick, to Chaun Cross’ clowning, One Man, Two Guvnors will impress you with the manic stage craft that includes many catchy pop/rock tunes. But as effective and skilled these comics are, it was the incredible work by Timothy Edward Kane that anchored this amazing show. Kane once more proved that he is the most skilled and fearless actor working in Chicago. Here he combines is spot-on comic timing with his extraordinary physical bits that include facial expressions, and zany movements. His bits serving his two masters food and drink was priceless among other wonderful comic routines.

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Book & Lyrics by Alex Higgin-Houser

Music by  David Kornfeld

Directed by Elizabeth Margolius

Music Direction by Robert Ollis & Tyler Thopson

Produced by Underscore Theatre Company

At The Edge Theater, Chicago

Powerful story of Chicago’s infamous Haymarket massacre soars in a tuneful folk musical

If you wonder where the new voices in musicals are in America, you only have to turn to the creators of the fabulous new folk musical, Haymarket: The Anarchist’s Songbook to see evidence of talent. With Book and Lyrics by Alex Higgin-Houser and music by David Kornfeld, Haymarket is proof positive that the American musical is, indeed, in good hands!

This sparkling new chamber folk musical is featured at the new Edge Theater  (5451 N. Broadway), a terrific venue. Haymarket: The Anarchist’s Songbook is a mature, polished folk musical that creatively and most effectively tells the true Chicago story of the 1886 Haymarket Affair that erupted into a bombing after a labor rally. The story is told from the point of view of Lucy Parsons (LaKecia Harris), the daughter of a slave and the widow of anarchist martyr Albert Parsons (James Smart).

Utilizing slick music direction by Robert Ollis and Tyler Merle Thompson of David Kornfeld’s richly varied score while having the cast members acting as musicians, Haymarket unfolds as a folk operetta. This wonderful score with smartly appropriate lyrics by Alec Higgin-Houser set the proper tone of labor organization,  populist movements, and social unrest as Americans strive for basic worker’s rights. The roaring songs effectively captured the hope, dreams, and spirit of both immigrants and American working class. Featuring guitars, mandolin, piano, accordion, ukulele, harmonica, and trumpet, among other instruments, each played by a cast member to accompany their fine vocals, Haymarket “sings” richly as the mood and spirit of the story soars into our hearts!

The 25 song score is in fine hands here. It is  amazing that the creatives at Underscore found as many excellent actors/singers/musicians as they did to tell the early labor confrontation story.  Just like their terrific Borderlands, Haymarket uses the players as musicians as they strut ballads and traditional melodies to celebratory tunes to protest songs to tell the labor struggles of the 1880’s.

The artistry here is fluid; songs richly both to tell the story as well as underscore the mood and tone of events.  LaKecia Harris anchors the cast with her fine acting and terrific vocals. James Smart (Albert Parsons), Mike Mazzocca (August Spies), Royen Kent (Louis Lingg), David Kaplinsky (Adolf Fisher), Tyler Merle Thompson (George Engel),  each had fine moments while Summer Hofford (Nina Van Zandt Spies), Victoria Olivier (Johanna Fisher) and Khaki Pixley (Mary Engel)  contributed fine solos and rich harmonies.

This two hour folk operetta grabs us from the start and carries us through the events and injustices of the Haymarket Affair. 

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