Displaying items by tag: Buzz News Chicago

If/Then is a contemporary musical that deals with the challenging question of “What if…?”. Through powerful singing and dynamic staging, it tells us two parallel stories of Elizabeth, a divorcee moving back to New York City after many years away. One day, in Madison Square Park, she has to make a decision – go to a show with a new friend, or to a protest with an old friend. From there, the musical takes us through both story lines, swapping back and forth with quick costume changes and the spin of a set. The two story lines are distinguished in part by Elizabeth adopting the nickname Liz and glasses, or Beth and contacts but as each story takes off in its own direction, you need to pay attention to avoid getting mixed up.

Just as If/Then takes us through two side by side stories, there are two varied perspectives on the show overall. On one hand, the show tells a unique story, is cast with incredible singers who bring heart to the music and it challenges you to really think about how much weight we put on that question of “what if…”. On the other hand, it lacks story development and never establishes a connection with the audience to really care about any of the characters, even Elizabeth as she tackles the age old problem of “can women really have a career and a family”.

The show oozes the New York superiority complex and the sets and costumes ensure that you do not forget that fact. The set design is made up of movable industrial pieces that could be rearranged to move us from the park, to the subway, to offices and apartments. Maps of NYC were projected on the back screen helping to transport us around the city as we follow Liz/Beth on their adventures. Costumes were simple, capturing day to day looks of people of the big apple and fitting in perfectly with the look and feel of the show. The choreography varied between structured and intentional movement around the stage which worked well to breathy, modern moves that felt overly choreographed and out of place.

What carries this show along with the polished set design and costumes is the singing. Jackie Burns as Elizabeth sung her heart out. Beyond her, the entire cast were all phenomenal singers including Tamyra Gray as Kate, Matthew Hydzik as Josh and Janine DiVita as Anne. There were multiple times during the show that their voices saved emotionally flat scenes.  

Initially this show has everything on the surface that one might expect to get out of a Broadway musical and the execution of the production was flawless however, all of these qualities of the show lie on the surface with nothing beneath it. Outstanding vocals and set design will only go so far when both the story and characters are lacking any kind of true depth. 

If/Then is playing at the Oriental Theatre through March 6th. Concerned about what you are missing if you don’t go? Buy your tickets here. Choose not to go? Then it won’t change anything for the worse and you likely won’t be asking yourself, “What if?”

Pop Waits, currently being performed at the Neo-Futurarium, is a smart and innovative production that takes audience members on a journey into the psyche of rock stars Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. Co-created by Molly Brennan and Malic White, the two are also featured in this well-written play/musical, each giving dynamic performances that are as much high energy as they are genuine and nothing short of sensational. 

Upon entering the theatre, one is met with a couple musician dudes strolling around the stage with guitars area joined in song by a female accomplice whose velvety smooth voice is immediately attention grabbing. Song lyrics are being written on a chalkboard that creates the stage’s background.  Brennan and White casually sift about nearby talking with audience members before taking their seats, possibly even at the two-top tables set up along the edge of the stage. It’s casual yet interest in what will happen next already peaks. Not long after, the band kicks in and we are thrust into the minds and makeup of Waits and Pop as interpreted by the show’s creators.   

Brennan and White delve into the depression and pain of each rock icon explaining how it is transferred into music of which so many of us have identified. The possibility is thrown around that each have hidden behind their rock personas to avoid being…well, themselves – everyday people. 

Brennan more than admirably portrays Tom Waits (raspy voice and all) while White plays a keyed up Iggy Pop that can be electrifying at times. Aided by a fantastic band that features Elisa Carlson, Nick Davio and Spencer Meeks, the production often alternates from an engaging, and often humorous piece of storytelling to a full on concert in what we can imagine would be CBGB’s in its heyday – crowd surfing and all. Making the show even more entertaining is the fact that Carlson, Davio and Meeks frequently trade instruments and add a few other sounds such as the violin and accordion, showing a great range of musical versatility. 

Though drawing several laughs and musically pleasing, serious topic matter is explored in depth such as deep depression and suicidal ideation. What do you do when you fear seeing a therapist because an expert opinion on how fucked up you are will only confirm that you’d rather be dead than numbly plowing through this world? Yes, there are a few hard-hitting moments but plenty of laughs and music make this an extremely balanced production. 

As the show begins, we are alerted that the right to five Tom Waits songs for use in the show have been denied for the time being. That said, a handful of songs (and very good ones at that) written by Molly Brennan and Spencer Meeks are inserted into the production that fit ever so perfectly into the Pop Waits’ theme such as “Heaven’s A Bar in Chicago”, “Witches” and “Ode to Gretel”. There are also several Iggy Pop favorites that are performed including “The Passenger”, “Search and Destroy” and “Lust for Life”.

Directed by Halena Kays, Pop Waits is a very unique theatre experience that is thought provoking, darkly humorous and even audience interactive at times. Brennan and White pour their hearts into their roles taking on these tortured rock stars with a raw passion that Pop and Waits themselves would certainly be proud of.

Highly entertaining, Pop Waits flat out rocks. Pop Waits is being performed at the Neo-Futurarium through March 12th. For more show information visit www.NeoFuturists.org.    

Kinesics. As defined in the programs that are handed out at Marc Salem’s Mind Over Chicago, kinesics is a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (such as blushes, shrugs, or eye movement) and communication. In other words, Marc Salem knows when you are lying despite what might come out of your mouth. Claiming that you can actually receive more information via body language than actual verbal communication, Salem sets the stage for some mind-blowing experiments that you will no doubt attempt to try (and most likely fail at) when you get home from the show.

A student of the human mind for over thirty years, Salem uses a combination of kinesics, mentalism and magic tricks to stun the audience over and over again for ninety straight minutes. Using jokes that often hit or miss (as Salem even has fun with a few of the bombs – making them successful after all) along with savvy mind-bending techniques, crowd members are in for a very unusual and entertaining evening. Salem is not shy about gathering volunteers from the audience, searching out doctors for some experiments and police officers for others. Though people, phrases and words are picked at random for nearly every segment, Salem is never fooled always stunning the audience with a correct prediction (written on paper ahead of time) to the quiet murmurs of “how could he possibly know that” or more simply put, “wtf!?”.  

In one of my favorite Salem “tricks” or “observations”, the master of non-verbal communication picks five audience members to join him on stage. Each person then draws a picture while Salem looks the other way. The pictures are then collected and shuffled and given to Salem. Of course, when we are shown the not so artistic pictures that the volunteers rushed to draw, that’s funny in itself. Salem then tells the five audience members to deny that they drew the picture that he holds in front of them whether they drew it or not and goes down the line, one denial after another. In a matter of seconds, Salem hands the picture with its matching artist, explaining that the slightest tell gave them away. Truly fascinating. Just as amazing, in another demonstration Salem also predicts a single word randomly picked out from an entire newspaper by a volunteer. “This is the stuff!” The man behind me excitedly told his friend. That’s pretty accurate.

Likeable and quick–witted, Salem’s quirky sense of humor and entertaining audience interactions could almost be a show in itself. But when combined with just the right amount of intrigue and inconceivable feats, Salem’s arsenal is lethal. Each portion of the show is as interesting as the next never leaving a dull moment.

Performer, magician, mentalist, comedian – whatever you want to call him, be prepared to laugh and be especially prepared to get stupefied. Marc Salem’s Mind Over Chicago is also filled with clean humor, so it’s the perfect show that an entire family can enjoy.

My first question after seeing Salem read people so accurately was, “Why hasn’t he been approached by the F.B.I. or something of that nature?” Well, he has. Salem has served as a consultant to both law firms as well as law enforcement agencies as one of the chief experts in Kinesics, of which he works closely with its founder Ray Birdwhistell. He has also been featured on many television programs including 60 minutes, Regis, Motel Williams and CNN. Touring around the world to the tune of sold out Broadway and off-Broadway productions, Salem should find the same success at his new home in Chicago’s Apollo Theater.

Whether you are a fan of having your mind blown or just want some good laughs, Marc Salem’s Mind Over Chicago comes highly recommended as a show that will truly entertain from beginning to end. Marc Salem’s Mind Over Chicago is being performed at The Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park. For more show information visit www.ApolloChicago.com. 

This excellent stage production of the 2013 musical Far from Heaven was based on Todd Haynes‘ 2002 motion picture of the same name. 

Far from Heaven is set in 1957 Hartford, Connecticut, well before the advent of the sexual revolution. Cathy Whitaker played by Summer Naomi Smart discovers that her handsome, successful businessman husband Frank is having affairs - with other men! Frank was played very well and very selfishly - if not compassionately - towards his wife whose world is crushed unexpectedly by actor Brandon Springman. 

After a time of trying to convert her husband back to heterosexuality by a psychologist, Cathy and her husband realize the emptiness and futility of their sexless and coldly critical relationship continuing just for the sake of the children.

Cathy's new gardener and widowed single father of a ten-year-old daughter, Raymond Deagan (Evan Tyrone Martin), becomes her friend and the scandal of her own life in spite of their necessarily platonic enjoyment of each other's company.

Evan Tyrone Martin has a wonderful rich smooth voice, arguably the best in the show and a nice natural quality to his acting. Summer Naomi Smart is stunning to look at as the real life "Stepford Wife" whose world comes crashing down when she tries to surprise visit her husband on a night he is "working late again" and gets the shock of her life when she finds him in the office in the arms of another man.

I've seen Ms. Smart in many musical comedies but this is the first time I have seen her really let loose in a dark way, especially in the scene when she confronts her husband about his homosexual affairs and lets out a terrifying and mournful wail that truly came from deep inside her character’s psyche. It was nice to see her tackle then take the reigns on this multi-dimensional role.  

Grant Saban‘s set seemed too much like a doll house to me, very one dimensional in color and shapes but perhaps that was intentional in terms of the subtext of the repressive 1950's. However, William Morey‘s gorgeous period costumes, which reminded me of a cross between Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore's beautifully tailored and colorfully designed outfits in their respective series, brought the whole set to life.

Bri Sudia‘s performance is rich and dynamic as Cathy’s best friend Eleanor, who is very sympathetic about the sexless and lovlessness of Cathy's picture perfect marriage yet deserts her best friend over the issue of an interracial friendship. All of the supporting characters and girlfriends of Cathy Whitaker in this production do an excellent job in their respective roles and deliver as many ironic laughs as possible with subject matter that really is just a lot of sad statements about the wasted loves of many marriages in the fifties - marriages, which were built on lies and social and financial convenience rather than genuine love and real sexual attraction. 

Turning this subject matter into a musical may have made it more fun and palatable, but also detracted from the seriousness and tragedy of a woman who has given birth to two children and ends up totally alone, a single mother in the fifties, because of years and years of lies from a man who was supposed to be her best friend and true love. Yet the accompaniment of a great live orchestra really brings this sometimes somber score to life when needed. 

Finely directed by Chuck Larkin, Porchlight Musical Theatre's Far from Heaven is playing at Stage 773 through March 13th. For more show information on this absorbing and well-pieced-together production, visit www.prochlightmusictheatre.org.  

It's hard to make popcorn look unappetizing, but "The Flick" succeeds. Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize winning play, begs the question, are you actually friends with the people you work with? Under the direction of Dexter Bullard, The Steppenwolf Theatre confronts this challenging new play. 

The play begins in the dark with a grand overture like in the epic films of yore. The Flick is a rundown, single showing room, movie theater in a small New England town. When twenty-year-old Avery takes a job at The Flick, he unknowingly disrupts the dynamic between the lifer employees: Sam and Rose. Avery is a young man struggling with depression. In almost annoyingly repetitive scenes steeped in film trivia, he opens up to his co-workers who he hopes are his friends. 

With the prevalence of multiplexes, independent movie houses have been forced to retire 35 mm film in favor of digital projectors. Instead of the bulky reels, movie theaters are basically just pushing play on a DVD. Avery is appalled at the idea of digital film and the future of the art form. Baker argues an intriguing point about the future of movies and in a way, the future of the world.

Baker also seems intimately familiar with the struggles of working class America. She's careful not to satirize it, or let her characters off too easy. The most bittersweet moments of her lengthy script occur while the characters perform menial tasks. There's a great deal of comfort in consistency, and it's in these long hours that people reach out to whoever is around them. Often the working world is disappointing, and there's really nothing more depressing than listening to someone complain about work. "The Flick" asks if we're more loyal to our paychecks than our co-workers. 

Like "Gone with the Wind" this play takes a great deal of patience. The plot slowly unfolds in scenes lengthened by silence. While some may find this pacing difficult, it's in the stilted lines and long pauses that the emotional honesty of this script lives. Baker spends a lot of time exploring her character's life philosophies. 

Performances are strong in this small cast. Caroline Neff as the alt-chic Rose is hilarious and heartbreaking. Danny McCarthy as middle-aged Sam, plays the everyman with such likable charm, that the nihilist ending sneaks up on you. "The Flick" is a play you'll spend a lot of time with both in and out of the theater.  

What happens when a 1970s dance diva goes into hiding as a nun in a neighborhood parish, you might ask? Well, let’s just say she definitely makes an impact. After Delores witnesses a murder by her boyfriend (a gangster who is married), the sassy disco queen is thrust into a witness protection program by the Philadelphia Police Department where she assumes the identity of a nun, much to the dismay of Mother Superior. Two completely different worlds collide, as the strict and disapproving Mother Superior is forced to work side by side with Delores, who is more about living on the wild side and prefers beer and cheesesteak sandwiches over the church served mutton. Though completely at opposite spectrums from each other the two eventually teach each other valuable life lessons, which plays out nicely in this humorous and charming script.  

When we first hear the weak, out of key singing by the nuns, it doesn’t take us long to figure out that Delores, a seasoned vocalist, will serve a useful purpose in her new surroundings. We just don’t’ realize how amusing the journey will be.   

Based on the Whoopi Goldberg hit film, Sister Act is a ton of fun. Not only does the production nail the 1970s, parodying the era to perfection with spot on costume design and stereotypical character traits, but it is plenty funny and has a slew of enjoyable song and dance numbers such as “Take Me to Heaven”, “It’s Good To Be A Nun” and “Sister Act”.

Pairing perfectly are Hollis as Mother Superior and Broadway veteran Stephanie Umoh as Delores. Umoh is absolutely adorable in the role while Resnik displays an acting presence that of the talented veteran she is. It is not Resnik’s first run at the role as she had played Mother Superior is national touring productions in the past. Umoh and Resnik’s chemistry make this production work ever so smoothly as they play off each other flawlessly. And though both Resnik and Umoh each provide show-carrying caliber performances, they get a lot of help from a wildly hilarious and talented ensemble.    

Every time gangster Curtis Jackson and his band of cronies come onto the stage you can expect a few good laughs. Mark Hood as lead thug, TJ, often steals the show with his far out boogie-like moves and 1970s jive talking while Todd A. Horman as Joey also makes several splashes as the wannabe hard ass sidekick. The gang hits the audience full throttle and are highlighted in their very funny number “Lady in the Long Black Dress”, a smooth ode to the ladies where they each think they are God’s gift to women.   

Mary Robin Roth, Marya Grandy and Lillian Castillo add a lot of oomph and personality to the flock of nuns while Johnathan Butler-Duplessis shines and Eddy otherwise known as “Sweaty Eddy”, the Philadelphia cop whose rich vocals really come to life in “I Could Be That Guy”.  

Don Stephenson’s directorial debut at The Marriott Theatre is “right on” while Melissa Zaremba works her magic on the show’s choreography, making this a well-rounded production that has a bit of everything one would look for in a musical comedy. 

Thoroughly entertaining, Sister Act is playing at Marriott Theatre through April 3rd.  For tickets and/or more show information visit www.MarriottTheatre.com.  

I haven't enjoyed a full night of dance as much as these three pieces presented by Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre in a very long time, the first a world premiere and two marvelous pieces back by popular demand.

The world premiere is Ashley Page’s Tipping Point. Page refers to Adès’ music as the “primary investigator”, transforming its dark, dramatic tones into physical form. “It’s not easy to write so specifically about an abstract dance work that hasn’t been created yet,” he said, “but I want to stress that this will not be a narrative ballet… My task as choreographer is to try to harness this complex, often powerfully dark material and make it ‘visible’ to the audience.” And Ades does just that.

In Tipping Point twelve dancers, sometimes in pairs or groups of three, sway and are swept away by the music in beautiful free flowing gowns which reveal a hint of red or orange colors each time they leap, which is very powerful to watch. 

Although Page mentions this piece is not a "narrative" one, it does seem to allow the audience to unleash our own inner narratives while watching especially as it ends with a couple "trapped' or perhaps "saved" in what seems to be a box made entirely of white light. 

With lush, yet melancholic music by Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem, Jiří Kylián’s 1981 creation (performed by the Joffrey four years ago) its inspiration is Edvard Munch’s Dance of Life portrait from 1899 of a group of women staring hopefully at the sea.

In "Forgotten Land" six couples move in and among each other, sometimes dancing with modern and complex movements of joy and other times pulling apart in anger. It seems that all are haunted by some memories of loved ones and sometime delight and revel in their memories - while other times they are overcome with despair defeated or aggravated by the same ghosts floating like foam put of the gray seas  painted on the massive backdrop behind them.

The story ballet RAkU is artistically honest and truly narrative with a smashing score by Shinji Eshima. RAkU retells with beautiful video screens and exquisite choreography the torching of Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion in 1950, the work of an evil monk sexually obsessed with the Emperors wife. With the emperor away engaged in battle, the Monk takes advantage of the lonely Empress and after a frantic dance to get away from what seemed a dance meant to comfort her, she is raped by the priest, thrown finally way up against a giant white wall like a butterfly finally pinned into a glass case. Then the monk sets fire to her castle which was also her temple and their home. 

When her dutiful soldiers return and find her in this bedraggled state, using her last sword as a cane in order to crawl across the stage as if she still believes she has the strength to avenge her family, they have the awful duty of presenting her with a box full of the ashes of her own home and possibly the Emperor himself.

It is a moment in ballet that I will never forget when the Empress, played with magnificent emotion and perfection to craft and detail by the phenomenal Victoria Jaiani, takes down her jet black hair and pours the white ashes her own face and body before succumbing to her wounds with one last graceful breath and the deathly uncurling of her graceful white fingers and legs. Brava! 

I highly recommend seeing the well-chosen pieces in "Bold Moves" for a full night of dance that will leave you feeling both refreshed and deeply moved at the same time. 

How do you categorize a musical that is part comedy, part drama, and part burlesque? The answer is: you don't need you. Like Kander and Ebb's later popular Broadway hit Chicago, Cabaret uses flashy and often funny nightclub performance as a device to embellish and expound upon the more serious and sometimes grim events of the story. In Chicago, shameless homicide by two murderesses is explored through jazzy nightclub acts, while in Cabaret, the grisly beginnings of WWII and the anxious pall it casts over the characters' lives is explored through fearless, garter-brimming club performances.

Cabaret is a unique musical, one that will sneak up on you and knock you in the chin if you try to pigeonhole it. The songs are inordinately catchy and the story turns unpredictably. On opening night at the inaugural show of the newly named Private Bank Theatre, I was surprised to hear so many shocked reactions from the audience around me. Every Nazi reference was met with gasps, one short scene of drug use left the audience deadly silent, the never-even-mentioned-by-name subject briefly implied by Sally's doctor visit caused an audible "Oh my God!", and Cliff's apparent bisexuality was received with total confusion. "But he kissed a boy. How could he fall in love with a girl?" Please. If audiences could survive it in 1962, they should certainly be able to handle it now. The reactions only serve to prove that Cabaret has a timeless impact.

When American self-described "starving novelist" Cliff (a capable if slightly bland Lee Aaron Rosen) travels to Berlin in pursuit of literary inspiration, he discovers it in the form of the buoyant and provocative English cabaret dancer Sally Bowles (a character brilliantly committed to by Andrea Goss) and the seedy nightclub crowd with which she surrounds herself. They soon begin living together and befriend landlady Fraulein Schneider (a subduedly wise Shannon Cochran) and fellow tenant, the Jewish Herr Schultz (a cute and gentle Mark Nelson), the latter of whom begin a sweet but eventually controversial romance. Sally and Cliff's lives are an ecstatic chaos of gin and sexual liberation until Cliff's friend and confidante Herr Ludwig (flawlessly portrayed by Ned Noyes) reveals his disturbing true colors, triggering the destruction that floods the characters' lives from that point on and effectively bursting their bubble of delusion. The omniscient Emcee of Berlin's sordid Kit Kat Club (a delightfully snarky Randy Harrison) guides the viewer between the actual plot events and their corresponding cabaret acts.

My favorite of the over-the-top club performances cleverly mirroring the real life drama is the titular showstopper "Cabaret." Many folks, likely many of the shocked theatre-goers seated around me, may associate this song with a charismatic, triumphant Liza Minnelli from the 1972 film (or even an older, sequined-out Liza cheerily vamping her way through a showtune medley) and thus were not expecting the heavier tone rendered in the stage version. At this point, Sally has lost everything. She's alone, she's ill, she's broke, she is out of a job after this final performance. Her life has spiraled into a living hell. Goss made a powerful impression as Sally throughout and nothing showcased her acting talents more than her raw, enraged delivery of this song. The eerie juxtaposition of Sally's unabashed ruin with jaunty lyrics celebrating a wildly fun, carefree lifestyle gave me chills, the last line all but screamed at the audience before she knocks down the mike stand in her fury.

This is a musical that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. It will not meet your expectations, in the best way possible.

Cabaret is playing at the Private Bank Theatre at 18 W Monroe now through February 21st. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster or by going to BroadwayInChicago.

After thirty years of bringing Chicagoans some of the city’s finest theatre, Mary-Arrchie will be closing their doors after its current and final production, American Buffalo. In this sharply written piece by David Mamet, Mary-Arrchie co-founder and jack of all trades Richard Cotovsky is joined by Stephen Walker and Rudy Galvan, creating a strong cast fully capable of pulling off such a dynamically written script. And that’s exactly what they do.

Taking place in a rundown resale shop, owner Don (Cotovsky) along with his young hired help and “go-fer” Bobby (Galvan) have hatched a scheme to burglarize a nearby residence in the hopes of stealing a valuable coin collection. But when Don’s longtime pal Teach (Stephen Walker) gets wind of the “thing” he pushes to replace the kid with himself, a man of more experience. Everything happens in a single day as the three small time crook wannabees run through a gamut of emotions with each other in trying to get on the same page. Teach is pushy and talks the big talk but clearly has little experience while Don is more laid back and subdued, often influenced by Teach’s strong presence and facade of confidence. Slow-witted Bobby just wants in for some quick bankroll – or maybe just wants to be a part of something. As the plan progresses it snowballs back and forth until its inevitable unraveling – and the journey is nothing short of hilarious.

When entering the theatre, we are met with what appears to be an authentic resale shop. “Don’s Resale Shop” is printed backwards on the large picture window so as to face correctly for those to read on the outside. Worn shelves are filled with dented gas cans, ratty knickknacks, old toys and assorted vintage items. Power chords hang from the wall with other random merchandise for sale behind a battered counter that supports an antique cash register. Quickly immersed in the set’s genuineness, one really gets the feeling they are inside a dingy thrift store that could be located on any given Chicago street.    

Richly directed by Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, Mary-Arrchie’s American Buffalo offers incredibly talented performances, generally a given with this veteran theatre company. Delivering Mamet’s cutting and quick-fire dialogue with the true essence of how it was intended, Walker knock’s the role of Teach out of the park. Whether generating laughs with the simplest use of body language, convincingly overusing repetitive hood lingo or completely erupting like Mount Saint Helen, Walker rolls up his sleeves and puts forth a gutsy, no-holds barred performance that should long be remembered. All the while, Walker successfully displays his character’s vulnerability beneath the blanket of false self-assurance, making Teach believable, creating someone with whom we can really emphasize. Within moments of Walker’s first appearance where he loses his cool and takes out his frustrations out on a beat up refrigerator over something pretty insignificant, it is apparent we are about to take a pretty bumpy ride. 

Cotovsky, the seasoned pro that he is, also provides an outstanding performance going toe-to-toe with Walker on many heated, sometimes humorously nonsensical and profoundly funny dialogue exchanges. The two pair together like butter on toast, getting a nice occasional boost from Galvan who contributes many of his own well-timed lines. Like a freight train taking off, the production gets stronger and stronger as it progresses. The more we get to know the characters the more we can’t help but take a liking to each of them, regardless of the fact that they are small-time crooks bent on pulling off a caper that comically unstitches more and more the closer the job gets. 

Mary-Arrchie is going out on a high note with this must-see presentation of American Buffalo. The prestigious Chicago theatre company will certainly be missed and we can only hope to continue to see its talented players in future productions around the city. Jeff Award winner, Chicago theatre staple and all-around talent Richard Cotovsky was recently given the honor of having an Honorary Way dedicated in his name that can be seen at the theatre’s intersection of Sheridan and Broadway. An honor well deserved.

American Buffalo is playing at Angel Island (735 W. Sheridan) through March 6th. Honest, funny and thoroughly absorbing, it is with strong recommendation that I urge theatre lovers to catch this final production from this talented company in their apropos farewell. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.maryarrchie.com or call 773-871-0442. 

Truth should be at the heart of every good drama piece. Truth, honesty, a bit of realism, something that makes the audience connect with the story, or the characters. Terrence McNally's Mothers and Sons playing at Northlight Theatre in Skokie attempts to reach a truthful depth, but leaves audiences shrugging with indifference wondering what exactly to take away from the play.

Nearly twenty years after her son’s AIDS related death, Katharine (Cindy Gold) pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of his former partner, Cal (Jeff Parker), who is now married to another man and has a young child. Over the course of the play Katharine and Cal exchange stories, sass, and sarcasm as they awkwardly interact and attempt to reconcile. Katharine remains judgmental and curt throughout her visit to the apartment, portraying the stereotypical conservative, old fashioned, bitter woman well. Cal, on the other hand, attempts to be gracious and overtly friendly in the face of this judgmental woman. Things heat up when we meet Cal’s partner Will (Benjamin Sprunger) and their son Bud (Ben Miller). Katharine’s disdain for the household and the situation is apparent but predictable as are the interactions with the two men. The remainder of the play is both forced and at time self-righteous and does nothing to move the needle on the many themes it attempts to tackle.

At the heart of the play is a conservative, judgmental woman “challenged’ to accept that her son was gay and that a same-sex couple is raising a child. This theme might have been provocative ten years earlier, but now is played out. Mothers and Sons also touches on homosexuality, AIDS, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenting, loss of a child, loss of a husband, and tries its best to address all of them within the 90 minute run time. There are so many themes that we forget that the son was the driving force that brought this woman to this apartment. He is used more as a prop, much like the journal that was hardly mentioned - though we come to find was the reason for Katharine’s visit. What’s more is the themes and how the play chooses to address them are not profound or thought provoking. Nothing is said that the audience doesn’t already know, or even what the characters don’t already know, which borders on the preachy versus clever. And these themes don’t do anything to change the characters or bring them closer together. At one point, Will’s character is so offended that he asks Katharine to leave, though she stays, shares a self-indulgent “woe-is-me” story that highlights her selfishness more, and suddenly Cal is embracing her as if he understands her after all these years. This sentiment is entirely lost on the audience. Will, the character who was ready to throw the woman out, is suddenly calm, cool, and collected. The young boy offers cookies and milk to everyone, refers to this strange woman as grandma and they all sit around and all but sing Kumbaya. And that is where the play ends. 

Isn’t that truth? That in a matter of a single awkward visit, a selfish, self-loathing, gay-hating conservative becomes accepting of gay marriage, same-sex parenting, and her son’s death? And that her son’s former partner who felt the cold sting and shun of this woman would be so moved as to invite her into his home and his family? It isn’t truth. It’s trite and contrived. Call me a cynic, a millennial, jaded, what have you. The truth might be that people like Katharine still exist in the world, but would someone really be swayed in such a short amount of time? Was it out of sheer loneliness on her part and pity on his end that these two characters accepted one another and will move forward? Mothers and Sons did not offer us this depth, so it’s hardly worthy of such deep analysis.

Truthfully, there isn’t much one could take away from Mothers and Sons. You could reach and say it was a profound dialogue about how the definition of family continually changes and evolves. You could speculate that people in mourning can come together to find comfort and support in one another. But Mothers and Sons does nothing to challenge the audience or the characters, or create a worthwhile dialogue in today’s world.

Directed by Steve Scott, Mothers and Sons runs through February 27th. Tickets are available at http://www.northlight.org/.