The razor-thin book only gave sketches in telling Gaye’s life story. With repetitive scenes depicting Gaye’s drug use, low self-esteem, womanizing and inconstant work ethic, we sure see Marvin Gaye’s personal demons still left him the ability to accomplish outstanding musical success. We see both sides of Marvin Gaye – the smooth artist and the self-destructive flawed human often paralyzed by drugs and a painful past.
I have never heard anyone take nearly so fast and sustained a tempo as Van Zweden does here, and that includes Toscanini’s 1939 recording with the NBC Orchestra. It all seems to work rather well in the opening introduction ,marked Allegro sostenuto: This beautifully simplistic introduction so often feels lifeless and dull, sacrilege to what are some of the most brilliantly serene passages in the entire work.
The characters here are colorful, eccentric and so Irish. From Mammy (Kathleen Ruhl) Johnnypateenmike’s 90 year old drunken mother – to Kate who talks to a stone -to cruel Helen who enjoys breaking eggs over her brother’s head -to Billy who has to endure the savage jokes and nasty name calling–all are struggling to escape the boredom of rural life. Josh Salt’s empathetic Cripple Billy and Brian Parry’s hilarious turn as the town gossip are the featured performances among the fine ensemble work contained here.
The two hour plus history is lively, humorous ,and at times, dramatically impacted. Seldom to you see as finer ensemble performing Shakespeare as found in this worthy production. Nick Lake leads the way and John Arthur Lewis guides us through the intricate goings on as Henry V proves his leadership ability while also capturing a French bride. Promethean Theatre Ensemble’s Henry V is sure worth a look.
Jeff and Hunter are two struggling writers who decide to write about their problem trying to find something to write about. They also add the foibles of their two theatre oriented female friends. The show features the tone of how folks actually talk -hence – the use of several f-bombs. This much too self-aware show uses ‘talk-songs’ – think William Finn as his Falsettos. Those atonal talk-songs are trying to emphasize the mundane with familiar vernacular speech
Conroy uses interlocking story lines and smartly constructed flashbacks to humanize the issue and effects of corruption and coverup on all players. Who is responsible and how is justice corrupted by use of torture is vividly depicted. All sides of the issue are explored including references to the guilt or innocence of Otha and other torture victims
Writers’ Theatre creative prowess and strong attention to production values gives their production of A Little Night Music the elegance and presence that exudes enough charm to warm the soul. Writers’ A Little Night Music is a major tour de force not only for Jonathan Weir but for the production itself. This may be the finest production of Sondheim’s chamber operetta yet to be mounted on a Chicago stage! This gorgeous work begs to be seen. You’ll not hear finer singing anywhere.
Recast with Chicago-natives, Freud’s Last Session has been extended by popular demand to July 15. It’s well deserving of its popularity with its riveting look at two great intellects of the 20th century giving a lesson in impassioned discourse to the 21st.
From Peggy Roeder’s Edith Bunker-esque turn as the mother, to Craig Spidle’s copacetic father to Joe Foust’s flamboyant loser son to Erin Noel Grennan’s liberated woman persona to Kevin McKillip’s saintly priest – we empathize with the foibles of this honestly presentation of the ‘average’ middle class American family
Before he wrote RENT, Jonathan Larson wrote and performed tick, tick…BOOM! as an autobiographical look at his dream of leaving his mark on musical theatre. Some would argue that tick, tick, BOOM! is Larson’s best work even though RENT is his most well known rock opera. I have always liked tic, tic…BOOM! better than RENT mainly because it is structured more like a traditional Broadway musical.