Displaying items by tag: Patrick Mulvey

It’s a rainy night in Edinburgh, a divorce lawyer name Helena is sitting alone in the corner of a pub. She has just been stood up by her lover who so happened to be married to another woman. Across the room is a petty criminal named Bob who’s reading Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky to cheer him up, somber from a life he feels is unfulfilled. Helena takes a chance and approaches Bob with a bottle of wine in her hand. From there, the characters catapult the audience into a chaotic weekend and will give you a theatre experience that will have you filled with bliss and laughter.

David Greig’s 'Midsummer (A Play with Songs)' is a delightful retelling of a weekend Bob, and Helena never expected to be the weekend that would change their lives forever. They grab the audience by the arm and pull them into the lives of two middle-aged adults tormented by an unsatisfaction with the outcome of their lives. Two lost souls that clash together out of desperation to feel a connection. After a one night stand, they conclude that they can never be compatible, but, of course, life has a funny way of keeping them together.  

In this unconventional romantic comedy, Bob and Helena not only poke fun at themselves and the dozen characters they interact with, but they take moments to rant away the misgivings of life. They do so in such an elegant and humorous way that doesn’t force the audience to feel sorry for them but rather feel connected to them. Midsummer is a play that calls for the two main actors to play sixteen parts between them, play an instrument, act and sing wonderfully and do this all in a Scottish accent. A challenge well accepted by Chicago celebrated Chaon Cross and Patrick Mulvey. Both actors show a chemistry that comes across as natural as two college buddies taking a night out on the town. 

Chaon Cross is a joy to watch. A force that draws you in with her passionate performance. In a production where the actors simply move to the side, rather than leave the stage, while the other takes the spotlight. Chaon Cross calls for your attention even in the shadows of the background. 

In saying that, Patrick Mulvey, who this past spring played the title role in David Auburn’s The Adventures of Augie March, performance is not to be overlooked. He will have you laughing out loud from beginning to end and absorbs the character of Bob so well it’s hard to imagine anyone else filling in that role. 

By calling itself a play with songs and not just a musical, the play strips away the notion that you will be sitting through a dry tale that forces long musical numbers in your ears. Instead, Midsummer offers easy listening acoustics with quirky lyrics that enhances the story rather than push it along. Certain songs will follow you well after the show is over. One may bubble up in the back of your head after waking up to a nasty hangover; "The Hangover Song" or you may find yourself quietly singing the chorus of a song called "Japanese Rope Bondage" in the shower (I mean, the play has a song called "The Song of Bob’s Cock"). This alone should give you an indication that this production will take you to a place you may have never been before.   

If you have ever watched a Hollywood produced rom-com in the last twenty years, you will find 'Midsummer’s' world familiar. The plot hits all the points you’ve seen in almost every romantic comedies. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It wouldn’t be a romantic comedy if there weren’t a risk of the relationship to never be or a secret Bob and Helena hide from each other to keep you involved. Despite its familiarity, the characters will also lead you into refreshing avenues as they tell their story. One example is when Bob leads you into his mind as he battles with his consciousness with the fact that his youth is long gone. 

In a theatre where you could sit on the top row and toss a quarter onto the stage with a flick of the wrist, there’s seem to be no limit on what the actors can do on and off the stage. Bob and Helena invites you into the bedroom they shared, inside their minds, and they will hand you their heart. They dare you to not only listen but to part take. To join in as they sing and dance and interact as they stumble around the stage in a hangover haze. They’ll have you looking left and right and out your chair to get a better view of the moment even if you’re sitting in the front row. 'Midsummer (A Play with Songs)' is a smart and exciting gem that would be a shame to miss. 

'Midsummer (A Play with Songs)' runs through October 6, 2019, at Greenhouse Theatre Center on Lincoln Ave.

The “For the Record” series brings John Hughes’ films back to life with a combination of memorable soundtracks and classic scenes from TheBreakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, Some Kind of Wonderful, and 16 Candles. Dear John Hughes is a Broadway concert that showcases talented actors and actresses as they take on the roles of some of our beloved movie characters, all falling under the Hughes’ teenage classification system of the Basket Case, the Athlete, the Brain, the Princess, and the Criminal.

Despite the band being situated on center stage, the cast still makes it seem like they have all the space in the world to perform. They make the stage their own, utilizing its remaining space to the fullest. Ensemble members also make good use of the theater, pushing their way through aisles and high-fiving excited audience participants.

In the costume department, all the obvious steps were taken to make the era come to life - flannels tied around the waist, while leather jackets, suspenders and John Lennon glasses are as vital as ever. Watts is never without her drumsticks as portrayed in Some Kind of Wonderful and there are plenty of Molly Ringwald-esque floral patterns and floppy hats.

Which classic scenes were brought back to life? “Anyone? Anyone?” Ferris’ romp around Chicago in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to Andrew Clark’s tear jerking monologue in The Breakfast Club and Blane’s “forgotten” prom date leading to a humiliated Andie in Pretty in Pink.

Michael Thomas Grant perfects Duckie’s solo in Pretty in Pink, “Try a Little Tenderness”. Grant’s voice has that quality which allows him to sing any style of music, and this talent makes him shine. He has the most range from character to character and convincingly delivers the over-confident lines of Ferris, immediately followed by the timidness of Anthony Michael Hall’s classic series of “nerd” types.  

Rumer Willis rocks out on the drums during a medley of songs that includes a haunting rendition of Suzanne Vega’s, “Left of Center”.  Jackie Seiden and Patrick Mulvey, the “narrators”, help in guiding us through Hughes’ catalog of films and add strong vocal performances of their own along with timely comic relief in between the heartbreaking scenes. After a highly colorful and visual journey into the world of John Hughes, the show finally goes out with a bang ending with The Breakfast Club’s signature Simple Minds number "Don’t You Forget About Me”.

Encore! Encore! Dear John Hughes is highly recommended. This is an exciting, all around fun production that actually deserves a larger stage with a larger audience - and a louder round of applause!

For the Record: Dear John Hughes, is playing at Broadway Playhouse (Water Tower Place) until March 15th. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices or by calling the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800)775-2000. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

*(Note that Evan Rachel Wood will be stepping in for Rumer Willis starting March 12th)