We get a glimpse into the lonely characters’ lives whose need to be heard and connect with one another is fueled by the drink. When Finbar brings Valerie to the pub, she becomes the center of attention. At Finbar’s instigation, Jack starts telling a ghost story from 1911. This is the first of several wonderfully scary Irish ghost stories deftly told first by the engagingly skillful talents from Brad Armacost–who is Chicago leading Irish actor.
Read MoreThis play has much to say. These over educated, egotistical teens have too much time (and money) on their hands. The play centers on an actual weekend event when this group of pure Romantics challenged each other to a game of who could write the scariest horror or ghost story. It is on this weekend that Mary Shelley conceived her Frankenstein novel.
Read MoreFrost/Nixon, the play, nicely packages the historical events of the Nixon Presidency with a glimpse into the world of TV journalist. We see one ambitious man trying to use a failed world leader and a frustrated ex-President striving to be understood and vindicated. they each need the other. The dynamics of Frost’s interviews, that included a mostly ‘no-holds barred’ agreement, were unprecedented at the time.
Read MoreThe 60 minute play involves revelatory exchanges between Teya and Luke that forces Teya to examine his life and his failures as a writer. This unique memory play dissects how we can experience a sort of willed amnesia to thwart bad memories and personal failures. Teya’s real legacy is threatened by Luke’s meticulous documentation of his life and his words.
Read MoreSignal Ensemble Theatre’s spiffy new theatre (at 1802 W. Berenice in the old Breadline Theatre building) opens with a well acted funny early (1968) Tom Stoppard farce – The Real Inspector Hound. This 75 minute one act is a hoot! It pokes fun at theatre critics, stage mysteries such as Mousetrap, and is a lesson in absurdism satire.
Read MoreFor those who have not seen David H. Bell’s master work – Hot Mikado – trust me on this one – get to Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook to witness the most energetic, funny, toe-tapping musical comedy you’ll ever see. It is a tour de force comic satire: it is a dazzlingly spirited dance spectacular; and it is musical treat. In short, Hot Mikado deserves mention as one of the great all-time musicals. Amazingly, despite being a world-wide hit, this Hot Mikado has never played Broadway!
Read MoreThe core of the show’s energy came form the strong supporting cast led by the Michael Weber’s exuberant Charlie Davenport, the Wild West show’s manager. Weber and George Hearn (Buffalo Bill) and Michael Accardo (Wilson/Pawnee Bill) deftly landed the show’s tribute to show biz with their wonderful “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”
Read MoreAmong the things that made this work a long 80 minutes are: the entire cast mostly spoke their dialogue in such a fast pace with their words running together that it was hard to understand much of it especially with that Southern drawl. What has happened to enunciating? Southern folks speak slowly – they do not machine gun their speech even when upset.
Read MoreFeaturing the fully lush sound of the full Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Women’s Board 2010 Gala sponsored another birthday celebration (his 80th) for Stephen Sondheim in a concert that featured a rich assortment of Sondheim’s songbook with emphasis on his terrific wordplay lyrics.
Read More