There’s no denying that Smokey Joe’s has immense commercial appeal. Dispensing altogether with the narrative conventions of a book musical, Smokey Joe’s is all revue, featuring near forty pop standards from the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller—responsible for such leviathan-sized hits as “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Stand By Me,” and “On Broadway.”
chicago shakespeare theater
Re-imagining the world of Shakespeare’s Venetian army as that of a vast hip-hop empire, the traditional Moorish general is here recast as MC Othello (Postell Pringle), who rises up from the ghetto to reach the heights of music stardom and the full extent of the “American dream.”
As the story progresses, we learn to love the characters, hate the hypocritical American film makers and we feel the pain as we hear about the desperate action of one young lost Irish soul. Humor and heartbreaking situations give Jones’ script depth. You’ll laugh and be amazed at the stage craft of David Ivers and Brrian Vaughn – they even do some expert Irish dance steps!
J & H relies too much on style, staging and video and lighting gimmicks to convey the dreadful murderous acts of Hyde. We don’t get to know, much less like Jekyll, so when Hyde emerges, we are not surprised. Constantine Maroulis shouts and screams his songs relying on increased volume to convey dread and angst.
La boheme is not the greatest opera ever composed, but it is perhaps the quintessentially atmospheric operatic experience; it justifies its reputation not by overwhelming the audience with dramatic power but by sweeping us up into the many small currents of life and emotion that run through it and depositing us at its heartrending yet intimate conclusion. Such a work needs a really sensitive performance to make its full effect, and that is just what can be heard at Lyric this month (aided by Michael Yeargan’s warmly evocative set).
Theo Ubique’s recent staging of Aspects of Love thankfully avoids the demonstrable mistake of over-producing Webber’s most “high-minded” operetta. With little more than a piano, a violin and an assortment of woodwinds in the orchestra pit, director Fred Anzevino and musical director Jeremy Ramey are eager to let this immensely talented cast of musical performers show us what cynical audiences had long thought impossible in a Lloyd Webber show—namely, nuance of character and complexity of theme. Stripped to its bare narrative bones, this is Aspects of Love in close-up. Yet while it is clear that Theo Ubique’s cast and crew are up for the challenge, one cannot help but feel that Aspects of Love itself is not
This emotionally packed drama with music grabbed the opening day audience and kept them transfixed throughout. This may be Hershey Felder’s finest show. Certainly it is his most unique historical work that fills us in on an unknown historical figure as it is Felder’s most challenging acting role. It is a tight, powerful, and expressive glimpse both into history and 19th Century America culture. Hershey Felder once again proves that he is a master of stage presence. He is the finest storyteller of our time. Don’t miss his stunning work.
Brewed is the story of six sisters inextricably obligated to stir a magical brew in order that one of them, Babette (Stevie Chaddock Lambert), may live. Cursed by necromancer parents for her sins, Babette’s life is now bound to the perpetual motion of the brew—held in an imposing crucible in the middle of their basement. Should at any moment the stirring stop, Babette—who is already a below-knee amputee—will die. Or at least it is believed that she will die.
In short, for all its ambitions, Amleth feels confused and without a clearly articulated vision. Pushing its source material beyond all recognition, we stop to wonder at its motives for adapting such a well-known work. Indeed, “more matter with less art” might have proven a helpful maxim.
Essential to a successful Fiddler is the acting of Tevye, a milkman and the father of five daughters. Imagine the audience reaction when it learns that on opening night the leading role needs the understudy, David Girolmo, for at least a week. His first monologue immediately says that we are in good hands, and if there is any doubt, his first solo song, “If I Were A Rich Man” wins everyone over. His subtle style and a lazy rolling motion causes audible chuckles from most listeners.