I was particularly impressed with Stephen Bumtrock’s vulnerability and his rich tenor voice which was a welcome change from the usual baritones cast as DeBecque. He and Lanza had a plausible romantic spark that added depth to the romantic flavor of the story. Bethany Thomas nailed her songs as Bloody Mary while Stef Tovar was terrific as the rascal Seabee Luther Billis
In brief, Korder’s In a Garden is a sophisticated and frequently moving play on the oppressive nature of the state and our often quixotic efforts to be free from it. A lyrical tragedy in the guise of a social drama, theatergoers will be delighted at Korder’s ability to counter our expectations and to keep us on our toes.
There latest revue, their 101st, Let Them Eat Chaos, follows the classic Second City formula that includes improv, sight gags, physical antics, wordplay, and audience involvement, songs, and vivid video images. This topic is chaos and the six performers do their creative best to give us a funny show for two hours. While Edgar Blackman, Holly Laurant, Tawny Newsome, Katie Rich, Steve Waltien were all terrific comics, I was especially impressed with the talent of Ross Bryan
Maria/Stuart’stitle is a pun on the rhetorical tragedy Maria Stuart written in 1800 by Friedrich Schiller (whose bust features conspicuously in Grote’s play). Though beyond perhaps slight similarities to the Strum and Drang school, I’m afraid the reference is lost on me. A more apt precursor here would be the family romances of Sam Shepard, most clearly his Fool for Love. Shepard’s own interests in the incestuous family romance, his uses of magical realism, and the ways in which his plays descend from sadness in a menacing uncertainty foreground much of what Grote seems to be gesturing toward.
In A Permanent Image, now in its Chicago premiere at the Storefront Theater, Carol (Janice O’Neill) has found a strange way to mourn he recently departed husband (Jack McCabe) – shoe painted her entire house, furniture and a all fixtures snow white. When he son Bo (Ed Dzialo) arrives from Is real for his father’s funeral, he quickly concluded that his ‘always-strange’ mother has now gone totally insane
A teacher, a mom, a sister, and some friends cope with the fallout of a sudden loss in this brief but moving Midwest premiere.
Barnum ran two years on Broadway (1980-82) with music by Cy Coleman (Sweet Charity, City of Angels & Will Rogers Follies) Lyrics by Michael Stewart (Bye, Bye Birdie, Carnival & Hello Dolly!) and book by Mark Bramble (42nd Street). In the Mercury Theater production, director Walter Stearns as assembled a fabulous creative team and a terrific “A” list of Equity actors to make Barnum a true theatrical event. The score is a pastiche of toe-tapping marches, ballads, ragtime and Dixieland tunes with several circus-infused show stopping numbers designed to thrill audiences
“Underneath the Lintel” is intriguing to watch perseverance toward a goal with reckless abandon…the librarian’s dogged passion which punishes yet awakens. It leaves you asking the big questions, or reminds you of them. This play offers significant rewards for those patient enough to take the journey….a must see for many!
The best part of this musical was in the fine jazzy, swinging-sixties score by Marc Shaiman played with enthusiasm by the on-stage orchestra. As a non-Equity tour, this one was a tad better than most but you’d think for a top ticket price of $85 they’d find performers who could sing? The voices in this tour were much below what can be heard around Chicago from our non-Equity players in storefront theatres.
In short, A Midlife Something captures many of the emotional frustrations of living listlessly young and broke in today’s America, even as it suffers from an ill-paced narrative and too narrow a sphere of activity. Cardiff’s story obviously means something very personal to him, and that investment is palpable in A Midlife Something’s big heart. Now if only the story might be as equally big.