REVIEWS BY

REVIEWSTom Williams

Eroica

Alex’s Eroica is a 75 minute morality play about secrets and hypocrisy. Victor (Felipe Carrasco) is the popular 20something basketball coach at the town’s local high school. He has a medical deferment from the draft, but he is a pro-war patriot. His wife Sally (Sara Pavlak McGuire) is a super-patriot who lost her father before she was born to WWII and now has her brother MIA in Vietnam. She laments that Victor can’t serve. Why?

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MUST SEEREVIEWSTom Williams

Between Riverside and Crazy

Add the wonderful, two-level apartment set (designed by Collette Pollard) based on the look and feel of playwright Guirgis’ Manhattan apartment and the set becomes a character in the play! Riverside is filled with several monologues that are full of social commentary. Quotes like this one from Lulu: “I may look how I look, but that don’t mean I am how I look” add rich insights and honest humor and some sex.

Without giving away more, Between Riverside and Crazy is a master work, a terrific night of theatre as well as a timely honest look at racial issues especially dealing with cops. We see Eamonn Walker as the Battalion Chief on the TV series Chicago Fire-now see Walker in a fabulous live turn as the flawed ex-cop. Between Riverside and Crazy is one of the best plays of 2016, don’t miss it.

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Music ReviewsMUST SEEOperaREVIEWSTom Williams

The Cousin from Nowhere 2016

One of the joys at this operetta is in the fabulous 22 member orchestra, conducted by Anthony Barrese that sounded magnificent! The cast of classically trained singers projected and enunciate expertly despite no amplification. The cast has professional singers from both the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Choruses. I was particularly impressed by the skilled comic chops from Nicholas Pulikowski who carried the lead with immense empathy. He gave one of the strongest performances seen on a Chicago stage this year!

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MUST SEEREVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

Man of La Mancha at Marriott Theatre

The dignified gentleman, Miguel de Cervantes, played with honest and geniuse charm by Natheniel Stampley, gradually yet unflinchingly wins the souls of his cellmates as he effectively weaves the story of Don Quixote. From Stampley’s powerful opening number “I, Don Quixote” we know we’re on an amazing journey. When Stampley nails the memorable anthem “The Quest (The Impossible Dream),” the show penetrates directly into our hearts.

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Music ReviewsMUST SEEREVIEWSTom Williams

An Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse Songbook

This cast creates a spell both with their acting/singing skill making this 80 minute show into a polished art piece that Beckett would enjoy as well as Newley and Brisusse. An Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse Songbook is a most entertaining revue with energetic singers covering a sophisticated songbook of almost forgotten composers. This review is a showcase for a fresh, youthful and amazingly talented newbie – Graham Thomas Heacock.

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REVIEWSTheatre ReviewsTom Williams

Company at Writers Theatre

Company rests on the shoulders of Bobby and I must state that Thom Miller played him with a proper detached and enigmatic turn just as the script necessitated. Miller has the good looks and the reserved smile that women find alluring. Miller’s strong vocals made “Someone is Waiting” and the pivotal “Mary Me a Little” his benchmark. Miller’s Bobby contains charm, comic aplomb and a controlled distance from his married counterparts. “Being Alive” demonstrated Miller’s vocal acumen. This anthem made Company truly Bobby’s show!

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MUST SEEREVIEWSSally Jo Osborne

The Sponge Bob Musical

So what would you do if there was only one day left to live and the world was going to be taken over by an unpredictable overflowing volcano? This is the premise of the show. There are scammers like Plankton (Nick Blaemire) who claims to want to save the world in order to make money. The hoarders of money like Mr. Krabs (Carlos Lopez) who thinks money is more important than family and tries to claw his way to the top (no pun intended-no yes it was). His daughter Pearl (Emmy Raver-Lampman) is always trying to get his attention without much success. However, when in sync, the two of them together can really belt out a tune Daddy Knows Best (Alex Ebert of Edward Share and the Magnetic Zeros).

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