REVIEWS BY Archives - Page 16 of 215

Resolution

It is New Year’s Eve and Jack and Hannah decide to stay at home to celebrate the new year. They give the staff, including Hannah, the rest of the day off including New Year’s Day. Hannah is given a cash bonus in an envelope just before her husband Harrison (Edward Fraim) arrives to take her home. The two couples have a drink to celebrate the new year. After Margaret and Harrison depart, Hannah discovers that Margaret forgot her bonus envelope. She put the envelope on the drink stand where Margaret will easily find it when she returns to work.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

LEAVINGS

LEAVINGS explores how a history of trauma impacts generations of African-American families. We meet Mama Bea (RjW Mays), the 111 year old matriarch of a Chicago family while in her final days becomes obsessed with uniting with the white Governor Skinner of Mississippi (Richard Engling) in order to set to rest the spirits that have haunted her family over 180 years. She has evidence that she and the governor are both descended from a nineteenth century slave owner who left the White half of the family with a heritage of privilege and economic security while the Black half with a history of familial separation, segregation and violence. Mama Bae knows that only by uniting the White and Black sides in a ritual of reconciliation can the tortured spirits that haunt the family be put to rest.

REVIEWS Sally Jo Osborne Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

Billy Elliot The Musical – Highland Park Players

Taking place during the UK miner strike in the 80’s in North Eastern England. A young boy named Billy Elliot (a very talented Cade M. Pearlman), not so well at boxing, accidentally finds himself dancing among a dance class filled with young ladies in tutus. Although, he is the only boy there is something about that class that makes him feel at ease.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

The Bottle Tree

In Beth Kander’s world premiere drama, The Bottle Tree, the focus is on the rural Southern (Mississippi) gun culture. We meet Myrna Mason (Kathleen Ruhl) who is the matriarch of the poor-white-trash Mississippi Mason clan. Myrna is an old maid aunt to Rhoda (Christina Gorman) and her surviving daughter Alley (Katherine Acosta). Myrna is obsessed with the ghosts of her family. She believes in the hoodoo folk magic rural tradition. She has a Bottle Tree in her yard to help trap bad ghosts so that they will not influence her family.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Multitudes

British playwright John Hollingsworth has penned a cautionary tale that exposes the conservative view of multiculturalism that believes that brown people, especially followers of Islam, can never really be “British” even if they are born in the UK or have been there since childhood. The fear Englishman express from those of color and those who embrace Islam have started raising their ugly heads in Bradford, England.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Hamilton

Hamilton lives up to the hype as it is engaging, high-energy and an emotionally thrilling theatrical experience. It is an opera, a rap show, and an accurate history lesson that presents as dazzling entertainment. In this breakthroughs work, Lin-Manuel Miranda has moved the Broadway musical (opera) into new areas. It is terrific storytelling that bravely takes pop culture into the world of opera and Broadway musicals. The good news is that he has brought a new audience to musicals as young folks love this show.

MUST SEE Opera REVIEWS Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Lucia Di Lammermoor

But Lucia Di Lammermoor rests on the performance and vocal acumen of Lucia and Edgardo. Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova’s mad scene (one of the most famous in opera) was powerfully sung and acted by Shagimuratova. She is becoming the finest Lucia in the world! Also Polish tenor Piotr Beczala is known as thee Edgardo in the world today. Together these two propel this opera to the heavens. Add the fine coral work and the fine work from Romanian bass Adrian Sampetrean as chaplain Raimondo and this opera plays as a triumph bel canto opera

MUST SEE REVIEWS Sally Jo Osborne Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

“Young Frankenstein”

The set is inventive and effective, the wigs are a plenty and the tap shoes are tapping with this large cast of Transylvanian characters. What a magnificent effort by all to take on this show and just in time for Halloween.

The townspeople of Transylvania are attending the funeral of Dr. Frankenstein—relief at last. Lead by Officer Kemp (Tony Calzaretta) let the celebration begin.

Back in NYC, a young doctor receives a telegram; “It’s Frohnk-en-steen not Frankenstein,” he says when informed about his grandfather’s passing. Young Frederick (Nick Miller), must head to Transylvania to settle the estate and leave his finicky, yet fantastic fiancé Elizabeth (Christie Burgess-Martino) behind–which may not be such a bad thing anyway

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Pirandello’s Henry IV

One of the main reasons to see Pirandello’s Henry IV is to enjoy the fantastic work by Mark L. Montgomery as the possibly mad Italian nobleman. Montgomery is one of the most skilled actors working on Chicago stages. His ability to articulate and dominate the stage leaving much doubt if his character is cured from his insanity or still mad or possibly playing games with his enablers? With Pirandello there is always doubt as to where fantasy and reality end. Questions of identify, truth and psychology receive unique treatment by Pirandello

Cabaret Music Reviews MUST SEE REVIEWS Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Let Me Entertain You: Jule Styne’s Greatest Hits

Tunes from Funny Girl (lyrics by Bob Merrill) with like know shows that produced songs that became standards, this songfest produces one tuneful song after another. we remember songs like “The Party’s Over,” ” Don’t Rain on My Parade,” I’ve Heard That Song Before,” “It’s Been A Long Time,” “Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week, “It’s Magic, ” “Time After Time,” and “Make Someone Happy” and “People” are among the wonderful tunes that not only were sung expertly but presented with their meaning or spirit.