Reviews

Veteran Piven Theatre Workshop member Bernard Beck not only gave a tour de force performance as Leo Gold, a fictional Holocaust survivor but he also gave a masterclass in acting.

…Theo Ubique’s production made an effort to give the show some heart. That mostly came from Maggie Portman’s fine singing and engaging performance as Florence the main love interest for the two Chess champions.

The Artistic Director of the Silk Road Theatre Project, Jamil Khoury’s idea for a series of short plays centering on the genealogical DNA test has produced an intriguing evening of theatre. The seven plays contain humor, fantasy, personal revelation and poignancy.

This rambling work about a group of dispossessed folks squatting in an abandoned urban lot is a cliche ridden muddled story that tries to cover too much in 90 minutes.

We watch black and white film footage that introduces us to each character except for the two women and the man who take over the space and set up camp.

Playwright Olnek has weaved a well crafted comedy that deftly skips around in time and space, switching narratives in an energetic and clever comical exploration of Dickinson’s life, her poetry, and her possible forbidden love.

The cast tries to push the comic elements too hard replacing comic timing with screaming, physical gestures and strange accents. The cast acted like players on meth or speed.

This journey into our obsession with our ‘need-to-know’ mindset contains much spot-on timing and verbal acumen from the entire cast…The media, the message, the facts, and the need to be dramatic converge to make us question why we feel the need to open doors we know are better left unopened?

These two Broadway stars offered a wonderful lesson on how to land a song in character. No one can “sell” a song better than Mandy Patinkin, except for Patti LuPone! These two work hard and with their arranger and pianist, Paul Ford, deftly accompanying on piano offer a rare treat. The song book is interesting and fresh, the singing fine for the most part but the energy and stagecraft by Patti and Mandy is dynamic and thrilling.

Featuring a lovely score by Harvey Schmidt with poetic lyrics and dialogue by Tom Jones, The Fantasticks a is beloved icon that generations cherish. Many terrific productions have emerged on Chicago stage through the years. The Promethean Theatre Ensemble, under the leadership of director Beth Wolf, got much of the musical correct. Her Fantasticks is worth a look.