Reviews Archives - Page 134 of 259

Improbable Frequency

February 27, 2013 by Anthony J. Mangini

Improbable Frequency is set during WWII—or “The Emergency” as it was then known to neutral Ireland—and recounts the adventures of Tristram Faraday (Mike Dailey)—a British code breaker, spy, and cruciverbalist (meaning one who compiles crossword puzzles). Being dispatched to Dublin in 1941 to investigate a series of implausibly portentous radio broadcasts, Faraday there encounters a colorful cast of IRA revolutionaries, mad scientists, and double agents. Infiltrating their nefarious ranks, Faraday comes face to face with an insidious scheme to…well, best not get into that now. Let’s just say that Improbable Frequency carries on in the absurdist vein (think James Bond meets early Tom Stoppard), humorously stretching the limits of plausibility as far as they can go.

From Doo Wop to Hip Hop

February 25, 2013 by Anthony J. Mangini

From Doo Wop to Hip Hop, Black Ensemble Theater’s current confectionery treat, is so sweet it’ll cause a cavity. Executive Director Jackie Taylor and Associate Director Reuben Echoles have collaborated to bring us a remarkable showcase of some of Chicago’s biggest and brightest voices, belting through a panoply of favorites for both young and old alike.

Completeness

October 23, 2022February 24, 2013 by Tom Williams

What makes this cute and eye-popping techno production work (despite a computer crash) work is the terrific charming and totally honest performance by Matt Holzfeind as the nerdy wholesome nerd. We easily relate to Elliott as he works out his personal foibles involving his inability to sustain a romantic relationship. His possible soul mate, Molly, played with truthful ambivalence by Kristina Valada-Viars, seems also befuddled by her mixed feeling about romantic commitment.

Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet

February 24, 2013 by Tom Williams

Romeo and Juliet is an ideal gateway to the world of William Shakespeare for many a young theatergoer, and those wishing to inoculate wee ones early in the wonders of the Bard might do significantly worse than with Chicago Shakespeare’s 75-minute rendition of this much-loved tragedy.

Tristan and Isolde in Concert at the CSO

February 23, 2013 by Gabriel Kalcheim

If the CSO wants to play Wagner is has to start to take the musical challenge seriously. It is likely that Asher Fisch, a regular opera conductor, will offer up something slightly more palatable in next months’ “Mahler and Wagner” program, but, in truth, I am loath to trust this orchestra with Wagner’s music any time soon.

25 Saints

February 22, 2013 by Tom Williams

25 Saints is a gritty, well paced, action-packed 75 minute one-act drama that depicts how desperate ignorant people can easily become violent when pushed to their boiling point. It is a grim look into the world of poverty that makes folks resort to crime and violence that we choose to ignore. 25 Saints is filled with powerful, well-executed stage combat and fine actin

Teddy Ferrara

February 22, 2013 by Anthony J. Mangini

In the last analysis, I find myself sympathetic to Shinn’s project. As DOMA goes to the Supreme Court and as states for the first time reject constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, insisting too stridently on inherited narratives of “queer victimhood” feels forced and disingenuous. Queer people—no longer uniformly marginalized to the closet—have an opportunity to recast themselves as committed agents of social change. The implications for queer storytelling are immense. Unfortunately, Teddy Ferrara doesn’t quite pick up on them.

A Soldier’s Play

February 19, 2013 by Anthony J. Mangini

Without Davenport serving as a much-needed emotional anchor, there is little to bring us into the story’s unfolding details. Even tensions between Davenport and the white Captain Charles Taylor (played by Tim Walsh with a Gomer Pyle-esque boobery) fail to elicit anything more than a few reactionary chuckles from the audience. Major plot points feel as though they’re mumbled through

The Fox on the Fairway

February 19, 2013February 18, 2013 by Tom Williams

Fox takes audiences on a sidesplitting romp which pulls the rug from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private golf country club. The 43rd annual grudge match between rival golf clubs is thrown for a loop when the best golfer switches teams on the eve of the competition. It’s a hilarious romp with classic elements like mistaken identities, huge consequences riding on the match’s outcome, marriages on the brink of disaster, and secret romantic shenanigans that recalls the Marx Brothers in their heyday. Add over-the-top characters, a furious pace, terrific physical comedy with brilliant plotting and fabulous comic touches by the expert cast and Fox is a well-oiled comic farce.

Rachmaninov and Sibelius at the CSO

February 17, 2013 by Gabriel Kalcheim

The highlight of the evening is surely Garrick Ohlsson magisterial performance of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30, often dubbed by its many admirers “The Rock 3”. The first movement, “Allegro ma non tanto” is remarkable particularly for the surprising restraint, and the over all excellent taste of Rachmaninov’s sumptuous orchestration.