We hear old friends, ex-lovers, estranged in-laws and sworn enemies grapple and whine about how life, indeed, sucks.. The seven souls talk, debate and grumble about their life as loneliness, regrets, and lack of personal ambition has rendered them unhappy. This play has many fine moments and several strong performances by Chaon Cross (Ella), Phillip R. Smith (Dr. Aster0 and Barbara E. Robertson (Babs).
All these weird dysfunctional traits lead to some funny moments but mostly become ‘head-scratching’ actions beyond belief. Andrew is an enabler unable to accept his soulmate is a lesbian; Eric is a weak person who has strange sexual practices; while Angel has substance abuse problems due to low self esteem. Eli, thought of as needing constant supervision, is the most ‘normal’ one of the brothers. The mother’s suicide five years earlier had profound effects on all but Eli.
The plot thickens as Cassius sways Brutus, Caius Ligarius (Matt Hawkins) and Caska (Julian Parker) to take the ultimate resolution to stop Caesar from becoming king. The assassination was vividly presented with red lighting and haunting sounds (lighting by Jesse Klug and sound by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen). This has been buildup by the discourse between Cassius and Brutus. We do hear the obligatory Et tu, Brute? uttered by a dying Caesar.
Helldrivers of Daytona wants to be a spoof of those corny 60’s rock films but its crude sexy references are neither sexy enough , raw enough or funny enough to raise the level of this show from the gutter. If audiences could understand the Broadway pop-rock singing from the boys, who must shout over the much too loud band, maybe more humor would emerge.
But, by far, this shows major flaw is with the girls. They all talk and sing with a silly squeaky high-pitched ‘chipmunk’ sound that is instantly hard to understand rendering the lyrics and much of the humor unintelligible. Few laughs throughout this production
Shepard’s enthralling storytelling and Wiens’ captivating performance make Shattered Globe’s production of True West one well worth seeing. Like watching in slow motion a vicious battle between two starving wolves, horror and awe of their destructive grace grip you and compel you to watch on.
Come and see these dancing feet for yourself! This high energy, passionate performance will have you dusting off your old tap shoes and hoofing around the house. A timeless classic performed with such style and enthusiasm is beyond impressive-just fabulous.
I knew I was in for a treat when the live orchestra directed by Kenneth McMullen, got the theatregoers tapping our feet and humming along with the beautifully played prologue. The cast of 32 performers lit up the stage from the get go leaving you yearning for more.
In their 15th season, The House Theatre of Chicago has a wildly ambitious puppet-filled portrait of a prodigy in peril. This is a hauntingly dark tale of the creation of the legendary Puppets Punch and Judy. Featuring terrific puppet and mask design by Jesse Mooney-Bullock, A Comedical Tragedy For Mister Punch unfolds as a humorous very dark tale of the establishment of puppet shows in 18th Century London. Utilizing The House Theatre of Chicago’s storytelling aesthetic, director Shade Murry and playwright Kara Davidson weave the efforts of Italian puppeteer Pietro (nice work by Adrian Danzig) to bring his street puppet show to London.
The solid cast handles all the complications brilliantly. Special kudos to
Grant and young Grey in portraying the volatile mother/daughter
complexities. Throughout, the family members come together and separate in
violent, angry combinations, achieving a certain amount of sympathy as
well as dismay. Sometimes close to being two-dimensional, they manage to
avoid becoming mere caricatures. The whole, compelling experience is
heightened by the physical arrangements of a stage which intersects the
audience. Twenty-four seats in tiered rows flank either side of the set.
This combination of dining room, living room, and kitchen is merely a
handbreadth away, drawing the audience into the action.
Mamma Mia! is an amazing show in that it is immensely popular despite being a pop-rock score by ABBA of mostly forgettable songs. In a curious way, I enjoyed the event more for its charm and its feel-good elements. I was mesmerized by how much audiences enjoyed Mamma Mia! They simply went wild with enthusiasm throughout. Amazing, since it is full of average rock songs and the story is fine but not overwhelming. I guess audiences come to hear ABBA songs performed on nice sets by talented actors. I guess?
The star, Sally Staats, is not Fanny Brice. Neither is she Barbara Streisand. It doesn’t matter because Staats has made this stage her own with a winsome, touching performance. She and Rob Ibanez, as the gorgeous, gambler Nick Arnstein share a magical chemistry. Even those who may think the 1968 movie version with Streisand and Omar Sharif can’t be topped will be surprised by what the immediacy of a well-done stage production can achieve. Staats and Ibanez are surrounded by a talented ensemble of actors, singers and dancers. Fanny’s long suffering mother is played with verve by Meagan Piccochi, who is especially delightful in interactions with her comedic poker-playing girlfriends. Jessica Noelle Evans nearly steals the show as noisy neighbor Mrs. Strakosh, and stately Bob Sanders is perfect as the often-thwarted showman, Florenz Ziegfield.