Disgraced
It seems that Amir is trapped between his identity as a Muslim American and his personal identity as simply another American. The collusion of these identities are dramatically played out in Disgraced.
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REVIEWS BY
The Girl in the Yellow Dress
Add the blandness of Celia who without warning or set-up confesses her secrets to Pierre. I never once felt that Celia would be sexually attractive to the passive Pierre. It seems that playwright Higginson wants to show how two troubled and emotionally damaged folks can find connections despite their racial baggage. But I never for a moment believed these two have any deep connection
Read MoreClutter: The true Story of the Collyer Brothers who never threw anything out
What doomed Clutter for me was the contradictory style of the piece. Clutter, at first, plays as a police procedural mystery then abruptly becomes a comedy featuring two eccentric brothers and several zany supporting characters. The parallel stories about two sets of brothers didn’t work since the play’s hook is the wacky recluse Collyer brothers who live together and never threw anything away
Read MoreEnron
Rockwell’s engaging production makes the rise and fall of a business giant come to life with action as we meet and see the interactions and personalities of the principal players who guided and manipulated questionable business practices into an elaborate and sophisticated shell game that produced the illusion of a profitable company. Enron became the most infamous scandal in financial history of American commerce.
Read MoreLegally Blond at Marriott Theatre
Audiences…seemed to enjoy Legally Blond more than I did. Its the style and content I dislike but I must say that Marc Robin did make the show a wonderful, light-weight escapist musical comedy that most folks will enjoy.
Read MoreGypsy at Drury Lane Theatre
The ambitious, driven ultimate stage mother, Mama Rose is one of the great characters in all of American Broadway musicals. Any production of Gypsy depends on who plays Mama Rose. New Yorker Klea Blackhur’s booming voice channeled Ethel Merman takes over as the determined stage mother.
Read MoreAida – An Opera
Besides Verdi brilliant score, the voices sing with passionate emotions. Tenor Marcello Giordani commands the stage and soars to the heavens while Sondra Radvanovsky – a Chicago native- raises to the demanding role of Aida. She triumphs in her first time as Aida at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The audience cheered her performance! Jill Grove’s mezzo effectively demonstrated Amneris’ heartache and Gordon Hwkins strong baritone rules his scenes.
Read MoreA Chorus Line at Paramount Theatre
Another stunning production featuring 27 actors/dancers with 13 Equity plays and 17 stop-shelf musicians at Paramount Theatre in Aurora. It still holds audiences with its stunning honesty and emotionally exhilarating heart…A Chorus Line is so strong a piece that nothing can dent its emotional impact. Judging by the full house for Wednesday matinee, musicals have found an audience in the Far Western Suburbs.
Read MoreMamma Mia! 2012 National Tour
This lightweight fare is a delight for everyone, especially those between 40 and 50 years old. ABBA was their group. ‘Dancing Queen,’ ‘Honey, Honey,’ and ‘Take A Chance On Me’ recall the 70’s when romance, sensuality and adventure reigned.
Read MoreRace
In this cynical world, the cyclical words of Mamet’s characters are frustrating in that they are unrepentantly bleak. As a piece about racism in America, that makes a sad sort of sense. Maybe we are just talking in circles without moving forward. As a piece about the law, it falls into another tired (and not nearly as true as Hollywood would paint it) stereotype of the scheming, soulless lawyer that is forgiven only for the performances. It’s not really about the law anyway. It’s a springboard to a race discussion that for some will seem tired and played out
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