Author: Tom Williams

The Christmas Sander’s show simply doesn’t work as the larger stage and all the ‘testifying’ (preaching and religious storytelling) slowed the show to a crawl. The dated references to the war and the down-home rural traits wore thin over 2 hours. The music also played poorly as many of the songs were difficult to hear as guitars and the piano drowned out some solos.

This isn’t the ballet with Tchaikovsky’s music, rather a winning fantastical deconstruction of the classic Christmas ballet. There is plenty of original pop music and wonderful underscoring music from Kevin O’Donnell and his five piece orchestra. The show is a new adaptation that does contain movement but it is not a ballet, rather a dark story where dolls and puppets come to life to slay the rat king with several smart songs. Jake Minton & Phillip C. Klapperich have created an engrossing re-thought holiday story rich in fun and mystery.

Playwright McManus effectively uses flashback to tell of the brothers bleak background. We see how Fish got his name and how he channeled his rage via fist fighting. Duffy, in awe of his older brothers physical skills, searches for a more tame existence but his fierce loyalty toward Fish demands that he help his spontaneous combustive brother cope with life.

“Home is one of the pure classics of the African-American ensemble movement lead by the Negro Ensemble Company to change the face of American theatre. For a director it is one of those rare plays that you can always return to – always changing, always fresh, always moving, and always fun to work on,” says director Ron OJ Parson.

Paula Vogel’s epic glimpse into Civil War Washington, D.C. in 1864 is a series of episodes with interlocking stories set during Christmas in war weary times. It is more of a play with music rather than a musical. What music there is, and it could use more period songs, is a mixture of period music including marches, folksy patriotic numbers and stirring gospel tunes.

Jose Rivera is a talented playwright whose works are being mounted here in Chicago. His latest, Brainpeople, is a psychological thriller filled with religious references and demented characters. The drama features in depth studies of the psyche of a dinner host and her two guests. This work has superb descriptive dialogue that gives each of the three female characters their opportunity to explain why they are at the dinner party and why they agreed to participate.

Kevin Bellie’s choreography was enthusiastic, varied and creative. It was highlighted by the “Too Darn Hot” act two opening number. Jennie Sophia’s Lily/Kate and Rachel Quinn’s Lois/Bianca were effective. Quinn had the best number in the show as she nailed the sexy “Always True To You In My Fashion” song.