How delightful to find such an original and amusing “parody-plus-tribute” to the golden age of Broadway musicals. If ever you longed to return to their past glory, now is the moment, and Marriott Lincolnshire is the place.
Read MoreThe interplay between American Brenda (Ginger Lee McDermott) and her adopted Chinese daughter Jade (Christine Bunuan) – told in vignettes that swing from the Jade’s winsome childhood, through her rebellious teens, to her ultimate maturity – reinforces a vivid, compelling look at personal identity.
Read More“Taming of the Shrew” — one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed plays — has survived innumerable incarnations on stage and in film – some more successful than others. While Neil LaBute’s additions do offer humorous and entertaining moments, his version unfortunately damages rather than enhances the drama.
Read MoreTom Williams has won the 2010 James Friend Memorial Award for Criticism for his work as creator and founder of www.chicagocritic.com
Read MoreWhat a brilliant adaptation of this allegorical tale, and what a daring and daunting task to portray such a celebrated story. Following its 1952 debut in Life Magazine (where over five million copies of the magazine sold out in two days), the novella became a Book-of-the Month selection, and, later, received the Pulitzer Prize.
Read MoreWhat enhances this particular tale are all the splendid songs, the spectacular tap dancing, and the highly talented cast. Memorable numbers include “All I Do is Dream of You,” “Good Morning,” “Broadway Melody,” “You Stepped Out of a Dream”” and “You Are My Lucky Star.”
Read MoreIf every resident of Manalapan, Florida descended on the local playhouse, Florida Stage, the theater could accommodate all but 90 of them. According to the 2004 census, Manalapan has a mere 340 citizens (up from 321 in the year 2000) while the comfortable, intimate theater holds 250. These 90 hypothetical patrons, left standing outside, would certainly be missing a brilliant show if they failed to see the current Southeast Florida premiere of Sins of the Mothers.
Read MoreThe light-hearted plot unfolds amid a rapid succession of characters who suddenly arrive and leave, always narrowly missing each other as they scurry behind doors – into the closet, the kitchen, or the bedroom. Timing is everything.
Read MoreWhere Wilde’s play is original, Lauren Wilson’s Chemical Imbalance is a clever, highly comic spoof of Robert Louis Stevenson’s quite serious work on the dual nature of man – the good vs. the evil. And if the story of one split personality is insufficient, playwright Wilson adds identical 10-year-old, twins (played by bouncy, blonde Tiffany-Leigh Moskow) – demonic Penelope vs. angelic Calliope. They not only parallel the Jekyll/Hyde situation, but are integral to the story because a drop of their blood is needed to provide an essential ingredient for the evil venom and its potential antidote.
Read MoreWhat a neat production! What songs and dances! What a talented cast.
The slight story – would-be-dancer/singer comes to the big city, is initially ignored, finally gets big chance and becomes a star – provides a core for a musical extravaganza.