Death Tax suffers from a too extreme plot that necessitates us believing that nurses are easily corrupted and that nursing home can keep an unhealthy patient alive for more than twenty years. Also, no one seems willing to consider that Maxine’s paranoia is a delusion. Since Maxine is so nasty,I couldn’t care what happens to her. Death Tax is simply to contrived. The performances were terrific, especially from Deanna Dunagan and J. Nicole Brooks.
Read MoreThis show is wildly entertaining as Tony explains how important painting birds has been to him. He quotes Wallace Stevens’ poem “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, ” a meaningful poem to Tony. To visit several artists and urban personalities to get an unique view of their take on Chicago, birds and, of course, artistic mentors. Tony and Stan are folks worth getting to know. Their honesty, outspokenness and talent shines in this special show that easily makes us laugh and appreciate these characters. I guess Tony will always be a “Chicago legend” even if he leaves for the Big Easy.
Read MoreCATS has a small story, but wonderful messages within many of its songs, and the creative brilliance of Paramount’s show makes it a must see. With CATS, all the superb singing and exciting dancing plays out the characteristics of different cats, which parallel people you probably know. And which cat do you most closely resemble? Find out with this breathtaking production at the Paramount Theatre only now through October 12, 2014.
Read MoreWe learn about the nerdy, deep-thinks twenty-five year old Isaac Newton (Jurgen Hooper) as he is committed to becoming famous as a innovative scientist in the mid 1600’s in England. Told in contemporary language in modern cloths, Lucas Hnath engages us into the thinking-man’s world of science and philosophy or “natural philosopher” as it was known then, the physicist and mathematician Issac Newton became known as one of the greatest “thinkers” of all-time. Hnath playfully creates the young, ambitious world of Isaac as he believes that his ideas came directly from God despite his challenging revisionist Christian beliefs.
Read MoreSet in the 1790’s, Lucidus Culling (terrific performance by Brian Plocharcyzk) is a cowardly young gentleman who hate violence as he just wants to study bugs and butterflies to his father’s dismay. Nathaniel Culling (the intense Stephan Walker) demands that his son protect the family honor by dueling with anyone who insults the family. So when the hapless Lucidus initiates a duel, father is pleased but Lucidua is terrified at the thought. His foppish pals, Gavin (Ian McLaren) and Robert (Spenser Davis) understand Lucidus’ fear. Robert suggest that he hires a common criminal to fight the duel in his place.
Read MoreI would be challenged to even guess how many separate jokes and zingers Neil Simon wrote for Memoirs, and they sneak up or slide into some of the most dead serious moments. Neil Simon wrote remarkable dialogue, and Fox Valley Repertory gives an outstanding winning performance for a funny funny good time. Try “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and enjoy!
Read MoreAnd the subtext concerning all character’s interest in the 1968 Baseball World Series and the personal crisis of faith by both Clare and Father Lentine and Miracles in the Fall is surly a miracle in that this awful play ever got mounted. Once sparks fly between the priest and the nun, we start rolling our eyes in disbelief. And later when we learn that Father Lentine, at age sixteen (who allows a teenager to join the priesthood at 16 years old? And since when are Jesuits – a teaching order – doing parish work?), enter the seminary because he believed that his asthma was cured because he entered the seminary. Ridiculous! Clearly, playwright O’ Connor didn’t do enough research.
Read MoreThe wacky events with ample Shakespearean quotes and madcap movements is both a comedy treat and a fine mystery. Ken Ludwig tries hard to blend the two styles and he takes a tad too long to ties up lose ends but we laugh and enjoy the journey especially by such a terrific cast lead by Hasenstab and Robertson. Purest of the mystery or farce genre may be offended by Ludwig’s smart plotting and nimble characterizations carries the day. Why not have a few laughs while being scared? It’s all in good fun.
Read MoreWhen a sperm whale morifs into a dangerous leviathan, the Essex is fatally wounded. The crew is left with few provisions onto three whaleboats. Their survival demands deciding how to use the winds to navigate the 2,000 miles or so to the nearest land. The story becomes an adventure of survival at sea as the vastness of the Pacific becomes their enemy. The physical and moral dilemmas suffered by the crews of each boat reflected the strength and beliefs of each character. These scenes were marvelously performed as we quietly cheer for our favorite players to survive.
Read MoreThe themes of conflicting traditions, suffering, beauty and self-identity are explored quite dramatically. Lawrence Grim effectively mores from the father to the Rebbe to the stern mentor Jacob Kahn while Danica Monroe plays the women. What holds our interest is the empathetic honest performance by Alex Weisman. He neatly underplays Asher’s passion while releasing that passion emotionally when it explodes to the surface. Weisman delivers a fabulous performance as the conflicted artist. He is in award territory here.
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