An old dog learns some new tricks in Mary-Arrchie’s post-Steppenwolf production of the Chicago-set story of Superior Donuts. Its casting and direction help raise an otherwise sitcom-esque premise to a genuine tale of redemption and new beginnings.
What can I add except that Chicago Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a family-friendly comedy that is a perfect first Shakespeare experience for young folks. Kane, Ledo and Orbach lead the gifted cast on their dream adventure.
Show Boat is filled with humor, powerful drama (miscegenation and family abandonment) while telling the story of a nation struggling with social, political and economic change. With sweeping melodies, smart lyrics and a host of spot-on performances, the Lyric’s Show Boat is the musical event of 2012!
Prolific Chicago playwright Jon Steinhagen’s latest work is a deliciously cunning dark comedy inspired by the real life case of Drew Petersen. It is a wicked take on our tenancy to prejudge celebrity news events, especially when we know someone involved with the hated celebrity.
Besides the hilarious exchanges between Betty and Charlie, we see how all the characters openly speak in front of Charles since they believe he doesn’t understand their words. The folks grow to love and trust Charlie mostly due to Shue’s clever characterization and Rod Armentrout’s tour de force performance. He invents a pig-Latin language , gloriously pretends he doesn’t understand anything and he ‘learns’ their language in a series of funny imitative scenes.
Written by Neil Simon Directed by Michael Leeds Comedy about Hot Lover Hasn’t Cooled Overweight owner of a fish restaurant, 47-year-old Barney Cashman (Ken Clement) has been married to the same women — his high school sweetheart — for 23 years. He has been faithful throughout the marriage and, in fact, has had only one … Read more
Playwright Mark Schulz begins his weird horror comedy with: “I got an idea,” Brian (Mike Tepeli) says to wife Stacey (Meghan Reardon). “Don’t laugh. We are a little stressed — the money, the kids. I think we should sell the kids.”
So, who is the audience for American Idiot? Lovers of punk rock and Green Day? If so, why not promote American Idiot as a punk rock concert? That way, us lovers of traditional book musicals will not have to suffer through 90 minutes of theatre hell.
The righteously indignant tone that pervades so much of the production seems to be that of the “last angry man” at open-mic night. Ultimately it’s a disappointment to see so much effort spent reminding us to have empathy for a weary world. It offends by putting us on the offensive by aggressively assuming we lack it.
In a long sequence of screaming, screeching and foul-mouthed dialogue, coke snorting and champagne drinking scenes, the three dysfunctional women show their crude, raw make up. When they spent time talking about the strategic use of oral sex on men to get an advantage, I was totally turned-off. These three unhappy and self-destructive losers were painful to watch and their loudness made me want to bolt the theatre.