Death of a Salesman so permeates our American subconscious, it hardly needs any introduction. Willy Loman (Brain Parry) is a husk of a man who has staked his life of 30-plus years of traveling salesmanship in the fruitless soil of unrealistic hopes and impractical s—the pedestrian virtues of being well-liked and wearing a charming smile—to which the world has responded with brutal indifference, literally bricking-out the sun from alighting on his small, urban domain.
Kudos to the creatives at Chicago Shakespeare theatre for commissioning and producing The Book of Joseph from Richard Holland’s publication of his father’s story and the collection of family letters: “Every Day Lasts A Year.” Karen Hartman was commissioned to adapt the Holland letters into a stage play with the help of Rick Boynton and directed by Barbara Gaines. The result is a most compelling and empathetic story
As this fact-paced 85 minute courtroom drama plays out, we witness the parallel these two young woman as they are, in fact, fighting a similar battle to defend their morals, motives and religious freedoms. Playwright Selina Fillinger skillfully presents both side of the argument: should we aggressively prosecute Americans who try to aid terrorist or only after they actually materially and personally commit acts to aid ISIS?
There is nothing to like here. Bootycandy is offensive to gay men, to the black community, to black churches, and to white folks. The production is a series of vignettes that cover much more that the coming of age of a black gay boy. Among the play’s scenes, we hear two women, each playing two women, as they talk about the naming of a child.
Despite early old fashion drawing room structure laced with comedy, Greenberg develops unique characters centering on the two strong ladies–Julie as the charming graceful matriarch and Faye as the cynical realist with bittersweet life views. He weaves an engaging family saga that echos change and loss over time. The dialogue is smart, often cynically funny, the characters interesting and the work effectively presents a family over time coping challenges.
Set in a tiny found space converted to look and feel like a real record shop (wonderfully realized by Michelle Manni), and accompanied by an impressive live band, Refuge Theatre Project’s immersive remount of High Fidelity lives up to its last-year’s acclaim: it is infectiously catchy, cleverly comedic, and distractingly entertaining. Those more interested in heart than spectacle, however, will find themselves bored by intermission and disappointed by the end. The biggest joke, though, is that High Fidelity was made into a musical at all—a genre derided by the spirit of the film. But too few will mind this irony amidst the rollicking pop-rock and belly laughs of its musical successor.
Utilizing a futuristic set (design by John Musical) with creepy lighting (by Mike Durist), The Nether becomes a haunting drama that questions responsibility, both individuality and governmental, as to the limits of entertainment in the new tech realities. The Hideaway goes farther than our present violence-oriented virtual games that many are playing too much.
From the beginning, Norma has a somber tone that becomes intense upon the haunting melodies that work with the extreme bel canto attributes to create a romantic atmosphere that inevitably leads to tragedy. Norma is a wonderful opera that engages, enchants and entices audiences.
Saturday Night Fever – The Musical has mediocre disco dancing that was both uninspiring a tad mechanical. Usually Drury Lance Theatre’s musicals contain more creative and spirited choreography with stronger dancers. I also had a problem with the female singers who seemed flat or so unlike The Bee Gees that it hurt the production.
A Disappearing Number uses mathematics as a framing devise for storytelling. Told in a series of face-paced vignettes that move around in time and place, this love letter to numbers blends math mysticism with personal relationships as well as a story about two giants of math in the 20th century.