Tom Williams

Tom Williams founded ChicagoCritic.com in 2001 and spent decades reviewing theatre and live performance across Chicago and its suburbs, from Broadway tours and major institutions to storefront theatre, opera, cabaret and classical music. In 2010, the Society of Midland Authors honored him with the James Friend Memorial Award for Literary and Dramatic Criticism (our 2010 announcement). Concord Theatricals quotes his reviews on its licensing pages for shows including Crazy for You and City of Angels.

Tonya & Nancy The Rock Opera

October 22, 2022December 1, 2016 by Tom Williams

This is a wildly paced and extremely loud production that tells the story of the 1990’s ice skating scandal that marred the rivalry between American Olympic ice skaters Tonya Harding ( Amanda Horvath) and Nancy Kerrigan (Courtney Mack).

The production take a tabloid approach to the story of rivalry and desperation as the quest for Olympic stardom overtakes each skater. We see the role of the mothers both played by Veronica Garza as she belts her way through the opera.

Pygmalion – Remy Bumppo think theatre

September 27, 2017November 30, 2016 by Tom Williams

Pygmalion. Shaw’s most popular play was written in 1912 and first performed in 1914. It became the great musical My Fair Lady in the 1950’s that used much of the original Shaw script including much of the dialogue in the song lyrics. Pygmalion, in its initial script, had a different ending that many producers and Shaw himself changed several times. This production used Shaw’s original ending which may be a surprise to My Fair Lady and fans of the 1930’s film of Pygmalion. Kudos to Remy Bumppo for sticking to the initial ending. They did use a framing device that has an older Eliza visiting Higgins’ Whipple Street flat after his death in the lat 1940’s. This didn’t effect Shaw’s ambiguous ending.

Don Quichotte (Don Quixote)

October 22, 2022November 26, 2016 by Tom Williams

Jules Massenet’s (1842-1912) Don Quichotte is “comédie-héroïque” with sweepingly lush score composed in 1909-10 while the composer was ill and after he has a failed opera (Bacchus). Don Quichotte features a lighter take on the idealistic, delusional knight and his squire Sancho than the 1964 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha. Both are excellent takes on Cervantes’ classic.

Finding Neverland – 2016 National Tour

October 22, 2022November 24, 2016 by Tom Williams

After many changes, Finding Neverland, opened on Broadway in March 15, 2015 and closed on August 15, 2015 playing to 62% of capacity – losing much of the $20 million production cost. Upon closing, Finding Neverland played 33 previews and 565 performances. Executive produced Harvey Weinstein (the film producer of many hit films) makes his lead producer debut on Broadway with Finding Neverland. After only a four month run it is now touring the USA and is now playing at the Palace Theatre until December 4, 2016. While there are some fine moments, especially with the four boys, Finding Neverland comes of as an over-staged and over-produced musical filled with unremarkable and unmemorable songs in a overlong show (2hours, 40 minutes) filled with sentimental fluff.

Roz and Ray

October 22, 2022November 21, 2016 by Tom Williams

Karen Hartman is foremost political playwright with the skills to take a human crisis and make that into a powerful drama as she blends the struggle of two people to keep folks alive during a crisis from a new medical problem. Hartman weaves a most personal view from a father who struggles to keep his twin hemophiliac boys alive and their dedicated doctor who prescribes a new miracle drug to solve the ‘clotting factor’ that is needed to stop bleeding. Effectively using a documentary style to explain about hemophiliac and how medical science advances treatment as pharma companies create a product to eliminate the need for blood transfusions

Turtle

October 22, 2022November 20, 2016 by Tom Williams

The storyline is wacky as it plays out as a long “so what moment.” Molly (Emily Tate0 is a housewife whose world is very small. She spends her days with her tender aged two children. She has her kids watch PBS nature documentaries such as those about turtles. At night she watches TV with her husband Sloan (Drew Johnson), a good loving guy and a moderate Republican. Molly follows politics but she is not obsessed as her Republican in-laws. Molly is content with her life – she appears a happy person in her small world.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

November 19, 2016 by Tom Williams

We meet the outspoken, studious, and ever-dependable Mary Bennet (the spirited Emily Berman). Miss Bennet is the middle sister who’d rather read a scientific book that socialize. She doesn’t have any of the romantic escapades that her sisters enjoy. That Christmas, Mary meets a nerdy, studious young Lord, Arthur de Bourgh (a fabulous tern by Erik Hellman) who mirrors Mary’s interests and lifestyle. Is de Bourgh only an intellectual match for Miss Bennet or is there love in the air?

King Charles III

September 6, 2017November 17, 2016 by Tom Williams

British playwright Mike Bartlett’s very British comedy-drama, King Charles III, is both a ‘could happen’ future history and a satire of the British monarchy. This compelling play appeals more to the English than to American audience sensibilities. Bartlett imitates Shakespeare’s language with blank verse and rhymed couplets in contemporary words. He finds ways to match his characters as classic Shakespearean players. Written in 2014 before major events in England (and the current US election) King Charles III opens with the death of Queen Elizabeth II after a more than 60 year reign.

Les Troyens (The Trojans)

September 15, 2017November 15, 2016 by Tom Williams

Many opera companies considered Hector Berlioz ‘s (1803-1869) Les Troyens epic musical drama too difficult and to expensive to produce as it contained a cast of 22 singers, a large chorus (here 94 members), with two ballets, a large orchestra and an ambitious set with several locations. Berlioz never was able to mount a complete 5-act version of his opera in his lifetime. Even today, the requirements by solo and duet vocalists, , conductors, choruses, orchestras, instrumentalists, stage directors, lighting, projection and set designers make Les Troyens simply too difficult to mount. Kudos to the creatives at the Lyric Opera of Chicago to have the determination and vision to mount Berlioz’s masterpiece. This is a rarely mounted and extremely creative opera that needs to be experienced.

Crazy For You -Drury Lane Theatre

November 11, 2016 by Tom Williams

Crazy for You is a modern take on the classical Broadway format that weaves many of the greatest songs of the 2oth Century by the Gershwin’s with outrageous humor, excellent singing and spectacular tap dancing. Crowle’s ensemble worked hard in respecting the material. Crazy for You is a ‘must see’ musical. The sheer joy of this family friendly entertainment will have you saying: “Who could ask for anything more?” This production of Crazy for You reminds me why I love musicals. Crazy For You demonstrates the magic of Gershwin tunes as well the joys of old fashion musical comedy. It is extremely family entertainment for the holidays.