Displaying items by tag: Skokie Theatre

The Book of Merman is a delightful musical theater piece that beautifully spins the popular Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon.

When doing home-to-home missionary work, I’m sure no one can predict how the day will go. So many different situations can present themselves whether the expected or least expected. From slammed doors to willing listeners to who knows what, each house approached is certainly a new adventure. Well, this day was no exception as our fearless and faith-led Mormons arrive upon a house only to get the surprise meeting of a lifetime. Elder Braithwaite (Alex Iacobucci) and Elder Schumway (Danny Ferenczi) play the two Mormon missionaries who are doggedly going door to door trying to make converts when they discover that the house they have been welcomed into belongs to none other than the legendary Ethel Merman! After being invited inside by Merman (who mistakes the two as salesman), the story soon evolves into an unconventional, but effective journey that takes us down the path of self-acceptance – a path that in many ways teaches us to embrace every part of ourselves. And this path is often hilarious thanks to a very funny script along with a host of original songs that work incredibly well.     

Julie Peterson, who was the understudy for this role in the off-Broadway production, really steals the show as the leading character with her lively personality and spot on singing in that wonderful powerhouse style that the grand dame Ethel Merman was famous for.  

Although the two missionaries played with great energy by Iacobucci and Ferenczi had to wear their missionary suits the whole show, the period costumes by designer Patti Halajian for Merman kept upping the ante on glamour throughout the almost two-hour show and were so much fun to see Peterson perform in.

I really enjoyed this show produced by MadKap Productions at the lovely, intimate - yet airy and comfortable - Skokie Theater.  The set design worked nicely with lighting by Pat Henderson and sound designer Kevin J. Mell.

The Book of Merman was written by Leo Schwartz and D.C. Cathro, with music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz and I absolutely adored the message of all the songs in this especially "A Little Bit of Me" and "Because of You".

The underlying message of this show has to do with so many current issues regarding loving oneself, success and failure at midlife and how getting the encouragement from even one good friend or true fan of your work can revitalize an entire life whose heart has been broken by loneliness and what one may perceive as failures in an otherwise illustrious past. 

"A Little Bit of Me" is a tremendous number for Peterson to shine in vocally which urges the audience to remember that their uniqueness is of the greatest value in life, that being yourself fully in your art and life, no matter what society or even your fans of your quirky style or belief system, is the best way to fulfillment and happiness on earth. 

It’s clever, it’s entertaining and it’s FUN. Keenly directed by Ty Perry with brilliant Musical Direction by Jeremy Ramey, I highly recommend this production for audiences of all ages who will enjoy the lively song and dance numbers and strong messages of positivity. Also, the Skokie Theatre was a great place to see a show with ample free parking right next to the theater and comfortable modern seating. 

The Book of Merman is being preformed at Skokie Theatre through February 26^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

My favorite writer of all time is Tennessee Williams. He was born into a dysfunctional family in Mississippi 1911. Most of his plays revolve around family dynamics.  My favorite play of his, and of all time is “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. It is an exploration of life, of death, of unrequited love and sexuality, but most of all, it’s about mendacity. The whole play is centered on various family members lying to each other, and in the case of one character, to himself.

“Cat” was written, and it takes place in the present, which would be 1955. A lackluster screen adaptation starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman was done in 1958. While beautiful to view , the movie sanitized the script, taking out the scandalous details, leaving an easily digestible movie for 1958 audience. It has none of the heart or the scandal of the play and Mr. Williams hated it.

I had mixed emotions with MadKap’s production at Skokie Theater. I loved the sound effects and felt they were well-designed. The set was a different story. I liked the hanging moss indicating a southern locale. I would have liked to see more order in the netting surrounding the set. It was extremely thick in certain places and seemed to be thrown onto the backdrop. I understand what the designer was going for. With a little help from the lighting designer this could have been an impressive set, as it is now, it is just functional. The furniture in the bedroom did not suggest a wealthy southern family of means. The vanity was a table with a tablecloth thrown over it, the chaise lounge was a pale gray color, the liquor cabinet was a 1980’s stereo system without the stereo. All these items should assist in telling the audience who these people are.  Set design for this show doesn’t begin and end with a brass bed.

The characters in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” are complicated. They have big personalities and even bigger emotions, but so much more than that, they are real people. They shouldn’t be reduced to goofy accents and characterizations.  Reid Harrisson O’Connell plays older brother Gooper and Emilie Yount plays perpetually pregnant sister-in-law Mae. O’Connell wore an oversized suit, a rare miss in an otherwise excellent costume design by Beth Laske Miller. I never got the impression Gooper was a successful lawyer. O’Connor played at the character. His body language gave H.S. student trying to play older. His big scene in the third act came off as comical. Yount as Mae fared slightly better. I wanted to see more variety in her characterization….more cat, less bitch.

I love what Kent Joseph did with Big Daddy Pollitt. He showed us all sides of this cancerous and cankerous plantation owner. In him we see parallels between himself and Brick.  Like Brick, he believes himself to be surrounded by dishonesty. Also, like Brick, he views his marriage as a sham, and feels nothing but disgust for the woman whom he married. The difference between he and Brick is Big Daddy is being lied to, while Brick is lying to himself.  Joseph gave us an honest portrayal of Big Daddy and he was equally yoked with Ann James’ Big Mama. Hers was a loud, tender, and touching performance.  A joy to watch.

I wish Caleb Gibson matched the energy of Kent Joseph. I couldn’t get past a weird accent he used. It was a cross between Jim Nabors’ Gomer Pyle (who, incidentally, was gay) and Foghorn Leghorn. A dialect coach would have served this production greatly. Act two of the play is the heart of the drama. We learn the problem with Brick, and Big Daddy learns of his problem. The language is very important. It is not the time to break down sobbing. Gibson, while trying to convince his father he is not “a sissy”, is incoherent because of his crying. We miss a lot of information. It was an issue of over-acting in some places while underacting in others.

Sarah Sapperstein did an amazing job as Maggie the cat. She is strong yet vulnerable. She gives as well as she takes. She is determined yet utterly feminine. We could have asked for more onstage chemistry between Gibson and Sapperstein but her Maggie was one point nonetheless.

I recommend everyone see “Cat on A Hot Tin Roof”, after all, this is Tennessee Williams. The world has changed so much since the 50’s. Writers such as Donja Love, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Jonathan Larson, Tony Kushner as well as others, owe so much to Williams. I owe so much to him; he kept me reading and learning.

“You two had something that had to be kept on ice, yes, incorruptible, yes!--and death was the only icebox where you could keep it....”
― Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Through 11/20: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Wed 11/16 1:30 PM, Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln, Skokie, 847-677-7761, skokietheatre.org, $38 ($34 students/seniors)

I remember the first time I saw The Birdcage starting Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. My mother was judged for "exposing" me to such a "mature story." But today it is still one of my favorite films, as is the original play it's based off of "La Cage aux Folles." Knowing the storyline I jumped at the opportunity to see this and wish I brought more people with me to experience this timeless classic.

La Cage aux Folles tells the story of Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction. Things are going swimmingly for the pair until Georges' son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them.

From the moment you walk into the theater and are greeted by the actors in drag, flanking a giant pink cage, you are immersed in La Cage. The marquee sign, cafe tables, and tranquil french music transports you to St. Tropez as George welcomes you to La Cage aux Folles. The play opens with impressive drag numbers as though you are an audience member of La Cage. It's part play, part drag show, all entertaining. Zaza (aka Albin), played by Ginger Minj, star of RuPaul's Drag Race, captivates every time she is on stage. She engages the love audience into her comedy bits, and leaves them speechless when she sings 'I am what I am." The relationship between her and Georges, played by Jason Richards, was captivating, and you were truly rooting for this couple as they had to navigate a tricky situation.

There is something timeless about La Cage. It retains the same devastating undertones of having to change yourself in order to appease some people. But it also challenges these notions in a farcical, yet realistic way depicted in the film of the same name. Opening on Broadway in 1983 La Cage broke barriers for gay representation by becoming the first hit Broadway musical centered on a homosexual relationship. The original production ran for more than four years and won six Tony Awards and after seeing this play for myself the awards are completely justified. Unlike the film the play immerses you into La Cage from start to finish, making the near 3 hour run time seem too short. 

From seeing The Birdcage to now seeing La Cage aux Folles on stage, I cannot imagine a better love story. Now we know this is not a play for everyone, but I would challenge those who might be averse to seeing this play to see it. Georges and Albin are deeply in love, as evident in songs such as “Song on the Sand,” and even their witty married quips back and forth. The challenge they face in the play,while farcical, are representative of the challenges same sex couples face every day, hiding the real you to make others more comfortable. It’s still a challenge faced today despite progress. Like life itself, La Cage will make you laugh, it will make you cry, possibly bring you into the stand up act if wearing the wrong outfit, and it will also continue to stand strong as an unabashedly honest portrayal of love celebrating who we are.

La Cage is the exact remedy we need for these crazy times and a welcome reprieve from post-pa democ art blocks. So grab your boa and a Zazatini in the lobby, and escape to St. Tropez. La Cage aux Folles runs through April 3rd at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, get your tickets tout suite!