Tom Williams Topol’s Chicago opening resulted in a resounding standing ovation from the packed house. It isn’t only Topol’s voice – which is as strong and mesmerizing as ever — or his acting ability — which is finely honed – it is all the little touches that make up a great role – the innuendos inherent in a raised eyebrow, a shrugged shoulder, a sly grin.
5th of July moves along breezily with biting humor in the early moments yet it builds dramatic tension as each person come to grips with facing the present and putting the past to rest. Wilson populates his plays with full rounded characters with whom we care about.
Michael Halberstam has conceived and directed a marvelous new operetta based on Shaw’s 1894, Candida. In a collaboration with Austin Pendleton (adapter), Jan Tranen (lyrics) and Josh Schmidt (music), A Minster’s Wife, now in a world premiere at Writers’ Theatre in Glencoe is stunning work of art
Third tells the story of Laurie Jameson (Robin Lewis-Bedz), a middle aged college professor whose well-ordered life as a wife, mother and daughter is thrown into disarray when she accuses a student of plagiarism
Tom Williams discusses the following stage plays with Carl Amari: The Arabian Nights at Lookingglass Theatre, The Crowd You’re In With at the Goodman Theatre, Pump Boys and Dinettes at Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre [audio: https://chicagocritic.com/newsite/audio/0606TOM.mp3]
A Little Night Music contains a lush, romantic waltz-time score by Sondheim. Director Rudy Hogenmiller has cast superb voices to sing Sondheim’s romantic lyrics. A Little Night Music is a work of theatrical art that appeals to operetta lovers and pure romantics.
The concert sings quite expertly, with Hearn actually singing Arthur’s numbers with deep emotions. The concert format allows the large orchestra to overwhelm us with the lush score while we still get a glimpse of the story and the interaction of the characters.
Overall, the opera seemed like it was written by a gifted composer who had not yet solved all the dramatic problems set up by the unholy marriage of punk England to ancient Greek drama.
Set in a Lakeview Chicago neighborhood in the backyard of a two-flat (terrific realistic set by Kevin Depinet) on July 4, 2007, we find two 30something married couples and their older landlord couple having a barbecue. They are intelligent, liberal yups engaging in light banter that turns into a heated debate about how are life choices in times of transition shape out entire lives.
The Village Players can’t seem to make up their minds if they are a community theatre company or a professional troupe. Their production of Bat Boy: The Musical is peopled with a collection of rank amateurs who can neither sing, act or dance