Tom Williams, Author at Theatre reviews

The Black Slot

While The Black Slot has a smart premise, problems stretch credulity as the plot unwinds. Further development of Tim and Beth’s relationship and the ending seems unfinished. But the satire of how regional theatres operate and their beliefs systems as to what and why their core audiences want to see on stage hit home for me.

This work sure has possibilities and with some re-writes, it sure could be terrific. As now presented, it sure has many smart moments. Justin Wade Wilson, as Tim and Amy Kasper, as Pam were particularly effective. The Black Slot is worth a look.

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Tom Williams

Dutchman and TRANSit

These two companion one-acts are riveting, explosive and truthful as simmering racial (and gender) rage explode today as it did in the 1960’s. Both works will upset and get audiences aware of the cancer of racism and gender hatred that eats away at our society. Dramatizing can be the first step toward a solution – hopefully. See these two powerful one-acts.

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Tom Williams

Farewell My Friend: The Tragic Romance of Star-Crossed Lovers

Even if the two stories never coalesce into a bigger idea, one would still expect that each story, solo ipso, would be moving. Yet here, too, the meaning never comes together in Farewell My Friend. The immersive aspects of being in close proximity to the actors and the continual, narrative disturbances of having to change rooms only to see part of the story ultimately work against the production. I found the acting to be overly emotive and childish, without any honest grounding in true feeling. And as for the latter, again, I found the room changes were too frequent and the story too fragmented to be engaging and establish emotional continuity — a problem I don’t see repeat viewings ameliorating as one would only encounter it again.

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Tom Williams

Amour

This one hour and forty-five minute opera has loads of humor, whimsy with enough charm to be appealing. As an opera, Amour is sung through at a brisk pace offering a challenge to the cast of nine. With a range of vocal abilities moving from ordinary to vocally tepid, Amour vocally is uneven at best. But the committed cast works hard to land the difficult score. They are best in the comic numbers and action-plot numbers. Emily Goldberg, as Isabelle, demonstrated her vocal chops in several fine ballads. Scott Gryder was a comic hoot while Kevin Webb was a deliciously evil.

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Tom Williams

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying -Marriott Theatre

Although a great deal has changed over the half century since this musical first showed audiences “How to…,” the sheer lunacy of corporate America is as much a laughing matter today as ever. Corporate bailouts anyone? There are still executives no doubt spending sleepless nights sending out emails about the excessive amount of emails going out of their offices. We still have mindless decisions made by inept committees, although we’re not sure if they are actually human or automated. By the time the next revival of “How 2” rolls out it may in fact be cast entirely with robots. I just hope they can be programmed with a small measure of the vast talent that Chicago area audiences often take for granted.

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Tom Williams

Kinky Boots 2016 National Tour

In short, Kinky Boots simply did not give me that overwhelming, enveloping feeling musicals often give you when the story and the music fill the theatre so fully that your imagination, your emotions — your very being — is held captive in awe and wonder. That is not to say others didn’t experience this: there was, after all, a standing ovation on opening night. However, this same audience applauded at the mere presence of men in drag, so . . . if that sounds like you, this musical is for you.

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Tom Williams

Equity Jeff Nominations for 2015-16

Paramount Theatre led all theatres with 14 nominations, all for musicals in the Large Theatre category. “West Side Story” received seven, “Oklahoma!” four, “Hairspray” two, and “A Christmas Story, the Musical” one. Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, and Porchlight Music Theatre each had 12 nominations. Chicago Shakespeare’s nominated productions included five for “The Tempest”, four for “Ride the Cyclone”, two for “The Heir Apparent”, and one for “Othello”. Goodman’s nominations included five each for “2666” and “War Paint”, and one each for “The Matchmaker” and “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window”. Porchlight, a mid-sized theatre, garnered six for “Dreamgirls”, four for “Sideshow”, and two for “Far from Heaven”.

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Tom Williams

Thee Trinity

Moreover, the sheer number of ideas Mr. Roberts litters haphazardly throughout his play and the pedantically conclusive manner in which they are expounded (without rebuttal from likely contra-dictors, Jesus and the Holy Spirit) further impressed on me that Mr. Roberts’ obvious attempts at “controversy” were intellectually ungrounded and not seriously considered. Merely scattering scientific and philosophical claims like buckshot and mixing in some sexy jokes does not amount to a “controversial” satire — particularly when they all turn against a largely conservative perspective, the perennial scapegoat and underrepresented voice of (Chicago) theatre.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Bakersfield Mist

Maude is a working-class ‘every women’ played here by Janet Ulrich Brooks, one of the finest actress’s working in Chicago theatre today. She uses every female tactic from friendliness, to booze, to sex, to terror to assure that her elitist sophisticated art expert rates her painting a genuine Pollack. To Maude, her quest is about more than money.

92 year-old Mike Nussbaum magnificently delivers a complex performance as Lionel Percy, the New Yank art expert. He deftly explains the essence of art; how he uses “The Blink” to instantly discover if a an art work is authentic. These feelings together with years of examining thousands of art pieces makes his intuitive method of judging art to be accurate.

Music Reviews REVIEWS Tom Williams

Tom Williams

“Oh, Coward!” by Dead Writers Theatre Collective

Filled with the words and songs of Noel Coward (1899-1973), the English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit and flamboyance, Oh Coward! is a sharp 35 song-fest that is nicely performed by Michael Pecas, Joanna Riopelle and Ian Rigg with terrific arrangements by Gerald Bailey with fine piano work by Howard Pfeifer. The non-Equity cast delivered a slick, sophisticated, mostly well sung musical revue.