Displaying items by tag: Liam Quealy

Opening night, February 21, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre brought yet another colorful, energy- charged musical, this time in its latest production, "Mamma Mia!" Always a totally enjoyable night out, this production held tight the integrity of the original production and even threw in a few special surprises. Being a fan of both the movie and the stage musical, I noted early on how the producers of this particular play 'mixed it up' to bring the same story line while using their own style, effectively putting their own stamp on it.

If you are not familiar with the musical that features a wonderful Abba-filled soundtrack, the story takes place on a Greek island where Donna Sheridan, along with her daughter Sophie have made a life by opening a cozy, boutique hotel along the oceanfront. Business is good and their life doesn’t come without the usual problems, but it’s a good life.

The story really begins when twenty-year-old Sophie announces she is getting married. Donna wants to throw an amazing wedding and the planning begins. The only problem is that Sophie really wants her father to walk her down the aisle, but she has no idea who her father is. So…what does she do? She pries through her mother’s journal and narrows her father down to three men that Donna documented sleeping with just under a year before Sophie was born. Now knowing which one of the three is her father, Sophie invites all three – without her mother knowing. The hilarity really begins once the three show up on the island for the wedding and, thus, the guessing game commences.

Rebecca Hurd's performance as Sophie Sheridan, is wonderfully done, and her singing voice extremely good, as her range speaks for itself.  Donna, played by Susie McMonagle, also meets the challenge singing a variety of fun and emotional songs, while coming across nicely as Sophie’s caring and protective mother. Especially standing out was one of Donna's love from the past was Sam, portrayed by Jeff Parker. Unlike 'Pierce Bronson' who minimally sang in the movie, Jeff wows us with his powerful, engaging voice many times during the play.

The song 'Dancing Queen' done by the trio of friends, Donna, Rosie (Elizabeth Ledo) and Tanya (McKinely Carter), a.k.a. Donna and the Dynamos many years earlier, reminded the friends of a time in their life when there wasn't a care in the world – and it comes across throughout the theatre perfectly. The way they sang together couldn't help but make the audience smile. The trio together, and in their individual performances, adds an extra dose of fun to the performance!

Liam Quealy who played Sky, Sophie's fiancé had his friends rallying around him to celebrate the upcoming wedding. One very funny moment is when Sky and his friends dance on stage in full swim gear to ‘Under Attack’ causing the audience to laugh at the antics. The song and dance numbers are many, each time energy, coordination and amazing talent taking over the stage. Compliments to the creative folks behind that act, and so many others during the two-hour-thirty-minute performance.

The entire cast and ensemble are wonderful as the Abba hits keep rolling from beginning to end.  “Mama Mia” is a dreamy, uplifting production that is sure to please.

"SOS" - Get your tickets to see “Mamma Mia” at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace.  Playing from February 21st – April 14th, tickets can be purchased at www.drurylanetheatre.com.

Charming, colorful and inventive, the Marriot Theater’s Madagascar – A Musical Adventure, for young audiences, is a fun-filled ride with themes that will surely resonate with both kids and adults.

Based on the popular 2005 film by DreamWorks Animation, Madagascar centers around four main characters from the Central Park Zoo: Alex the Lion (Russell Mernagh), Marty the Zebra (James Earl Jones II), Melman the Giraffe (Stephen Schellhardt), and Gloria the Hippo (Rashada Dawan).

At first glance this fun-loving group seems happy enough to perform for park visitors, especially the king of the jungle, Alex the Lion, who is in his element prancing around the stage, showing off his perfected “roar”. But when presented with the idea of freedom by a cadre of hilarious and enterprising penguins who say “it’s not natural to be in a zoo,” Marty the Zebra, to the surprise of his friends, makes a run for it.

Having lived their entire lives in captivity, Alex, Melman and Gloria are shocked that Marty would even consider leaving the comfortable life of the Central Park Zoo. But in the spirit of true friendship, they push their misgivings aside and embark on a rip-roaring adventure that eventually lands them in the exotic wilds of Madagascar.

The quirky and pompous lemur King Julien (wonderfully played by Jonathan Butler-Duplessis) is a joy to watch as he tries to incorporate Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria, in his masterplan to rid the island of the fossa who hunt and attack his fellow lemurs. However, this plan goes awry as Alex, who now has to fend for himself in the wild, can’t contain his animal instincts and attacks Marty.

Directed and choreographed by Matt Raftery, Madagascar – A Musical Adventure, hits all the right notes in “crack-a-lackin’” style as Mernagh and Jones also shine in their roles with both chemistry and good-natured fun, as they show that in the end true friendship can overcome even the “laws of nature”.

Perhaps of the best moment of the production is the high-energy rendition of “Move It, Move It!” which gets the crowd clapping and kids, as well as adults, up on their feet.

Colorful costume and props really enhance the performance, bringing this animated favorite vividly to life. “Madagascar is already an established idea,” said Jesus Perez, costume designer and assistant director, “but since this is a live production and not a movie, it has opened up a world of creativity for us. This is the perfect vehicle for me as a designer to bring this fantastical world to life.”

The talented cast, which also includes: Leah Morrow as “Skipper,” Liam Quealy as “Kowalski,” Laura Savage as “Mort and Private,” Elena Romanowski as “Rico,” Samantha Pauly as “Maurice,” and Jed Feder as “Mason,” won’t disappoint as they sing and dance to some of your favorite tunes from the movie.

Recommended

All performances are followed by a question and answer session with the cast.

Madagascar – A Musical Adventure, playing at the Marriott Theater located in the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, runs through April 15 Tuesdays through Sundays at 10 a.m. with certain performances at 12:30 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit www.marriotttheatre.com.