Latest from Chicago Critic

Thee Trinity

September 1, 2016August 30, 2016 by August Lysy

Moreover, the sheer number of ideas Mr. Roberts litters haphazardly throughout his play and the pedantically conclusive manner in which they are expounded (without rebuttal from likely contra-dictors, Jesus and the Holy Spirit) further impressed on me that Mr. Roberts’ obvious attempts at “controversy” were intellectually ungrounded and not seriously considered. Merely scattering scientific and philosophical claims like buckshot and mixing in some sexy jokes does not amount to a “controversial” satire — particularly when they all turn against a largely conservative perspective, the perennial scapegoat and underrepresented voice of (Chicago) theatre.

Bakersfield Mist

October 22, 2022August 28, 2016 by Tom Williams

Maude is a working-class ‘every women’ played here by Janet Ulrich Brooks, one of the finest actress’s working in Chicago theatre today. She uses every female tactic from friendliness, to booze, to sex, to terror to assure that her elitist sophisticated art expert rates her painting a genuine Pollack. To Maude, her quest is about more than money.

92 year-old Mike Nussbaum magnificently delivers a complex performance as Lionel Percy, the New Yank art expert. He deftly explains the essence of art; how he uses “The Blink” to instantly discover if a an art work is authentic. These feelings together with years of examining thousands of art pieces makes his intuitive method of judging art to be accurate.

“Oh, Coward!” by Dead Writers Theatre Collective

September 11, 2017August 27, 2016 by Tom Williams

Filled with the words and songs of Noel Coward (1899-1973), the English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit and flamboyance, Oh Coward! is a sharp 35 song-fest that is nicely performed by Michael Pecas, Joanna Riopelle and Ian Rigg with terrific arrangements by Gerald Bailey with fine piano work by Howard Pfeifer. The non-Equity cast delivered a slick, sophisticated, mostly well sung musical revue.

Rose

August 27, 2016August 25, 2016 by Tom Williams

Linda Reiter grabs us and hold us throughout her 90 minute sole performance. My generation can still tell you where they were when John Kennedy was shot, so we still have a fascination with all things ‘Kennedy.’ Reiter channels Rose as she unflinchingly speaks of the triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy clan. Along the way, we gain insights into Rose’s character, her subtle strength and her devotion to her family, especially her boys. We also become aware of the extreme influence of Joe Kennedy on the family.

After Over 535 Chicago Shows

September 6, 2017August 21, 2016 by Jacob Davis

After writing three-hundred and fifty-one reviews in two years (and seeing another 185 shows), I have decided to leave ChicagoCritic.com. I would like to thank Tom Williams for giving me this opportunity, the friends I’ve made among the other reviewers, Jeff committee members and Saints, and, most of all, the theatre practitioners for welcoming me so graciously and treating me so kindly

MAME at Light Opera Works

September 15, 2017August 21, 2016 by Tom Williams

The creatives at Light Opera Works, under the determined direction from Rudy Hogenmiller, have mounted a fabulous production of the1966 Broadway musical Mame, the show that necessitates a lady who can do comedy, act, sing and dance- a rarity in a middle aged performer. Rosalind Russell in 1957 in the comedy Auntie Mame , Angela Lansbury in 1966 Broadway musical, Lucille Ball in 1974 in the movie version of Mame. That character is one of the most charmingly lovable, vivid and endearing characters to grace the stage. Finding all the attributes in one person is difficult leading to few productions of Mame onstage.. My best guess is that Mame was last mounted in Chicago at Marriott Theatre in 2001.

Bloodshot

September 11, 2017August 19, 2016 by Jacob Davis

A one-man noir story? It’s a strange idea, but the British drama Bloodshot has been touring Europe to critical acclaim since 2011, and is now making its American debut at The Greenhouse Theater Center as part of the Solo Celebration series. Unlike the other Solo stories thus far, which were about real people, and often drawn from the performers’ own lives, Bloodshot is entirely fictional. Its twisting story and diabolical atmosphere are reminiscent of the murder mysteries of the mid-twentieth century, such as Ira Levin’s Death Trap, which recently played at Drury Lane. Simon Slater, the actor who takes on the role in this unusually long and demanding production, is a top-level performer, and over the course of the show, he demonstrates not only his strength as an actor, but in several other types of performance, as well.

The Good Person of Szechwan

October 22, 2022August 18, 2016 by Jacob Davis

By Bertolt Brecht.

Translated by Tony Kushner.

Directed by Ernie Nolan.

Produced by Cor Theatre.

Playing at A Red Orchid Theatre.

A Production Can Be Good Even If a Person Can’t.

Ernie Nolan’s production of The Good Person of Szechwan could be a pivotal point for Cor Theatre. The young company, which claims as its mission to tell stories about courage, has, for the past few seasons, presented strange pieces such as Love and Human Remains and Christina the Girl King in the Frontier space on Thorndale. But now, the company is renting A Red Orchid’s Old Town space, and presenting a fresh take on a world-famous classic. Nolan and his cast have a firm grasp on Brechtian aesthetics, and have localized the story to fit the economic malaise of Chicago’s struggling neighborhoods. The result is a play which is sure to resonate with its viewers, despite its age having changed its meaning.

A Hero’s Journey

September 16, 2017August 17, 2016 by Jacob Davis

By Christian Stokes and The Forks & Hope Ensemble.

Directed by Aileen McGroddy.

Produced by The Forks & Hope Ensemble.

Playing at The Frontier, Chicago.

A Hero’s Journey Can Be Quite Convoluted.

The Forks & Hope Ensemble are a relatively new group dedicated to devising and adapting works suitable for all ages. Their latest offering, A Hero’s Journey is a strange, but oddly touching piece, in which each of the six performers combine one of their favorite stories from mythology or folk tales with episodes from their own lives.

Flight – Chicago Musical Theatre Festival

August 14, 2016 by Jacob Davis

The Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, now in its third year, is a new-works festival produced by Underscore Theatre Company. We created CMTF for one reason: there’s a wealth of musical theatre creators and performers in Chicago, but the high risks of producing new musicals means that few companies are willing to take a chance, especially on new authors. CMTF is designed from the ground up to keep costs low by sharing resources, return half of all ticket proceeds to producers, and to showcase emerging authors from Chicago and beyond.

Flight.

Book Music, and Lyrics by Michael Potsic.

Directed by Allison Hendrix and Allison Shoemaker.

Music Direction by Kevin Reeks.

Choreography by Gloria Mwez.

Produced by Kokandy Productions.

New Musical Ready for Debut.

It’s always a pleasure to see people make the most of a genre. Flight, a new musical by Michael Postic, has been floating around the script development scene for a few years, and the current version being produced by Kokandy Productions as part of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival is ready for a full production.