Tom Williams Directed by Marie Cisco produced by MPAACT At the Greenhouse Theatre, Chicago Hauntingly beautiful saga of letting go of life and it’s attachments is a gem I must confess that I am among the Chicago reviewers who somehow don’t cover the terrific work of MPAACT like we do other local theatre companies. Shame on us! … Read more
Hello Dolly! contains a funny, romantic and innocent book by Michael Stewart adapted from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker. Director Rachel Rockwell plays it for all the laughs contained. David Lively deftly plays Horace as as the grouchy store keeper with his spot-on comic timing and grim malice. We see Horace as a cranky, unloved miser and ½ millionaire who runs a feed store in Yonkers, New York. Dolly Levi is determined to marry Horace but she must help some loved starved folks while she eliminated her competition for Horace’s hand. The result is a bewitchingly cute tuneful romantic musical comedy.
Jones uses the technique of having Grimm speak as the chimpanzee that only us audience members can understand-and- Trevor, the chimpanzee can’t understand the humans, But, of course, we can understand both. This ingredient garners much humor as we hear Trevor verbalize his thoughts, dreams and desires. We also see his loving mother figure, Sandra (Mierka Girten) as she struggles to maintain Trevor as her housemate rather than a caged animal.
During the 90 minute production, we witness how some boys can go wild and play to their most base instincts. We see how a contemporary flash mob or football game rivalries can elicit the group savage instincts in youths like these English boys did. That potential wildness impulse is explored vividly that hopefully the youths who see this timely production will begin to understand. They learn that such violence is not just a game as these English boys proclaim upon being rescued.
Celtic Thunder offers a brand new show “Mythology”, which tells the history of the Celtic People, their legends, culture and stories. Mythology recounts the heritage of modern-day Celts and the influences from their Celtic past which make them who they are today
John Guare’s 1982 play Lydie Breeze is the third play in his Nantucket cycle. Guare seems to be channeling Eugene O’Neill here with the long flowery speeches and the ghost references hint at Ibsen. This is not one of Guare’s better works.
Directed by Anne Kauffman At the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Stage A drama of life and love ponders the question is life worth living? Playwright Noah Haidle’s Smokefall is a tedious affair that is structured like Thornton Wilder’s Our Town with a surreal absurdist tone similar to Samuel Beckett’s work. Set in Grand Rapids, Michigan, … Read more
Both playwright Rinne Groff and Meyer Levin each shared a strong connection to Anne Frank’s story. Groff took Levin’s passion for getting the Frank diary published in the USA and his determination to write the definitive stage adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. The long battles inspired Groff to write Compulsion. Meyer Levin (1905-1981) was the model for Sid Silver (Mick Webber).
But, Master Class is essentially Maria Callas’ biography as well as her thoughts about the essence of performing art. Kelli Harrington commands the stage as the fickle diva whose mere presence strikes terror into her students. She delivers Callas biting sarcasm, her vivid facial expressions as well as her glowing love of the beauty in bell canto singing when her students do it correctly – with feeling and respect for the music. Harrington’s performance justifies seeing Master Class- she , indeed, gives her own ‘master class’ on acting.
The haunting tunes together with several rousing show stoppers, makes Once a contemporary folk musical celebration of life and love. Once is original, innovative in its simplicity, yet it is a sophisticated and understated work filled with daring honesty. Anyone who has ever felt the pain of heartbreak will relate and empathize with Once’s tone. This beautiful musical is well staged, well sung and well acted