Belleville
A smart script, tense direction, and masterclass performances make this a must-see summer thriller.
Theatre Reviews
Beaten
What makes Beaten so compelling are the terrific performances by the cast. Conor McCahill, once he slows down and stops mumbling in several of his monologues, is most empathetic. Kristin Collins and Kathryn Ascota were excellent in the troubled mother-daughter dynamic. Kathy Scambiatterra is a hoot as the tough, foul-mouthed pot-smoking grandmother. We empathize with the characters and we see the flaws within each as we try to decide what and who is best for Chloe. You’ll be surprised at how it all plays out. Beaten is a worthy play.
Thom Pain (based on nothing)
It’s not especially out of the ordinary in the theater for there to be bouts of nervous laughter. But usually, it’s unintentional—the awkward byproduct of jokes gone awry, actors gone off-key or whole plays gone sadly off the rails. Rare is the play which demands nervous laughter. Insists upon it. Nay, even feeds off of it.
The Jungle Book – The Musical
The Jungle Book is a major new work that contains am amazing range of artistry. From the innovative musical arrangements by Doug Peck wherein he using jazz and Indian musicians with trumpets, clarinets, trombones, saxophones with Sitar, veena, carnatic violin and tablas to create a unique music; to the outstanding costumes by Mara Blumenfeld; to the sharp lighting by T.J. Gerckens to the imaginative staging by director Mary Zimmerman, we experience a delightful story filled with jubilant sangs and dances and populated by spirited characters led by the outstanding performance by young Akash Chopra. The Jungle Book is stylized, refreshing new musical that is amazingly polished and near finished and ready for Broadway. I’m begging that Chicago will export another hit show to NYC with The Jungle Book. This family friendly show will please all with its honesty and its polished stage craft.
Tartuffe
Set in Chicago’s highly affluent Hyde Park/Kenwood neighborhood, there is something terrifyingly relevant about the evangelist Tartuffe’s efforts to dispossess Orgon of his property, ensnare his daughter in abject bondage, and ultimately cuckold Orgon before finally sending him off to be incarcerated for crimes against the state. The racial undertones of Newell’s production, featuring a black man threatened with prison, leaving his wife and two children to fend for themselves, is a narrative sadly all too familiar to modern American audiences.
Big Lake Big City
We meet two old-time Chicago detectives, Getz (Danny Goldring) and his wound-too-tight partner Bass Podaris (Phillip R. Smith) both use extreme methods to solve cases. Bass has troubles: his partner is a knucklehead, his boss is a hard-nose and his cases are being overturned and his bimbo wife is cheating on him, To make things worse, he’s chasing a prep who has a screwdriver stuck in his head! His world also has an assortment of shady folks: cruupt corners, a TV-personality doctor, and, of course, a femme fatale.
The Little Dog Laughed
This is a darkly funny romantic comedy filled with unique, yet livable characters, each striving for their identity, love, and fulfillment. Only one is a sincerely noble person who ultimately is true to himself. This production delivers.
The Half-Brothers Mendelssohn
The Strange Tree Group usually does works by Emily Schwartz but the have expanded by mounting a new work by ensemble member Elizabeth Bagby – The Half-Brothers Mendelssohn. Featuring a clever set (designed by Kate Nawrocki & Emily Schwatz) with a terrific “time machine” designed by Emily Schwartz,etc, The Half-Brothers Mendelssohn is a quirky, funny , and clever take on time travel and it’s complications.
The Pirates of Penzance
An always classic Gilbert and Sullivan gets a twist as the tall ship Windy sets sail from Navy Pier with a merry band of misfits!
Shakespeare’s Cymbeline A Folk Tale With Music
The world premiere of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline A Folk Tale With Music is a sheer delight! Combining the lyrical words of The Bard with tuneful, expert music and lyrics by Michael Keefe and David Rice and putting Cymbeline in Appalachia during the American Civil War adds punch to the tale making more folk than fairy (tale). With 10 songs accompanied by a jug band, this Cymbeline is a tale with music but it is darn-near a hillbilly musical.