This is s disturbing, yet enticing work filled with much subtext, ambitiously cynical take on life, love and self-worth.. In is also a scary story of self-destruction. I’ll say no more so at not to spoil the power of the conclusion. Richard Cotovsky is riveting as the failed writer while Rudy Galvan, in his finest role to date, is thoroughly calculating and intense.
Read MoreAnyone considering a trip out to Oak Park Festival Theatre’s production of Amadeus— English playwright Peter Shaffer’s 1979 black comedy—should know that the grass in Austin Gardens is especially cool on one’s bare feet. And that the birds chirp away well into the early hours of the evening there. And that one should bring an umbrella in the event of inclement weather or bug spray in case of mosquito infestation (there were a few the night I went). But as for Amadeus itself, I’m afraid this production has about as much dramatic momentum as a temperate June breeze, lumbering along with lackluster production design and perfunctory characterizations.
Read MoreSet in a Northside Chicago tavern, Black and Blue is the story of two brothers in a life-long argument over baseball. Jake (Anthony Tournis) is a diehard Cubs fan while his brother Tommy (Greg Caldwell) is a diehard White Sox fan. The play covers the ten years of Inter-league between the two Chicago baseball teams. The brothers bet which team (the Cubs or the White Sox) will more games against the other in a ten year period from 1997 thru 2007. This sports comedy is 90 minutes of screaming, shouting, and arguments between the two brothers and an assortment of bar patrons and the boy’s father.
Read MoreThe Pride reminds us that buried even within the essential question of civil liberties, there remains still more fundamental questions about how gay men connect to one another. Even as we here in the U.S. seem to teeter on unprecedented political victories for GLBT individuals, The Pride doesn’t let us forget that such hard won personal liberties mean nothing if used only as a pretext for further withdrawal and self-isolation.
Read MoreThe charming, witty script of I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change remains as fresh and apt today as in1996! Only a few minimal tweaks update the original musical comedy — like using a cell phone instead of an answering machine. This deservedly is the longest running off-Broadway smash hit! (1996-2008 for over 5,000 performances.)
Read MoreWithout a doubt, Lifeline Theatre’s recent stage adaptation of French novelist Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers contains all the adrenaline-pumping athleticism and quick-turning escapades one may dutifully expect from this timeless adventure story.
Read MoreFor Rick Stone evinces so strong a personality that he’d no doubt overwhelm whatever narrative mold you’d try to squeeze him in, and Taylor’s script at least is broad enough in its outline to give Stone the necessary wiggle room (or rather, crawling room) to do what he does best. Equipped with seemingly limitless energies and an unparalleled ability to seduce us into an easy familiarity, Stone moves breathlessly between musical numbers sung with husky bravado and a narrative affability so cool he might as well be telling jokes in your living room.
Read MoreWith all that being said, let me state that this Non-Equity National Tour is still a worthy and sometimes moving theatrical event. Bernstein’s music and the Robbins’ inspired dances are so exquisite that this production is a terrific show to introduce teens to the magic of classical Broadway musicals. West Side Story certainly captures the angry voice of urban youths in the 1950′s. Much of that angst still resonates today. But in this high energy production – dance and a heart-throbbing score dominate. And that is all that is needed to make WST worth seeing
Read MoreThe highlight of act one is the whimsical witty tune “When I was a Lad” wherein Sir Joseph Porter recalls how he became First Lord of the Admiralty. James Harms is the perfect comic as Porter with his unique blend of lovable slapstick and nice voice to land this difficult song with its long rhyming phrases. He thrills the audience with his wonderful presentation as the entire ensemble repeats his rhymes and gestures
Read MoreFamed poet Sherod Santos demonstrates his skill at dialogue and quirky character development in his 75 minute one act drama, Lives of the Pigeons. Two older men, Gus (Vincent Lonergan) and Max (Done Bender), old friends for years, spend many days in the park playing chess. Theses two exchange stories, social commentaries and observations about such things as the nature of “good behavior.” The quip that good behavior only is rewarded in prison; that in normal life good behavior goes unheralded.
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