Displaying items by tag: Victory Gardens Theater

There are plenty of holiday plays, but how many plays are specifically about Passover? For that matter, how many people really know what Passover signifies? Victory Gardens premieres Ali Viterbi’s new play “In Every Generation”, which tells the story of one Jewish American family’s journey from 1940s Europe through the new century.

The play jumps time between various Seder dinners. Director Devon de Mayo makes a wise staging choice with the performance space at Victory Gardens. Including a seating section on stage asks the audience to look at one another, the same as though you were sitting around a Seder table.

While the family isn’t given a last name, we know from the grandmother, Paola’s (Camen Roman), thick Italian accent that this is as much an Italian-American home as it is Jewish. The first act takes place in the present day as the granddaughters argue over the modern elements of Judaism and slowly reveal why their own mother Valeria (Eli Katz) would rather avoid Passover altogether.

The second act probably can’t function without the first, but the play really gets going after the intermission. In the second act, there are three distinct time jumps. The most charming vignette tells the story of Paola and Davide’s first Seder in America, ten years after they survived the Holocaust. Carmen Roman is the heart of this play, and each scene she commands nearly all the attention. This scene in particular is the warmest moment of the play. The action then moves to 2050 and we can only assume by the conversations between now middle aged Yael and Devorah that being Jewish has become dangerous in America. This is a bleak and unpleasant prediction by the playwright, but it’s no question that Jewish institutions are being targeted by hate groups and supremacy organizations. The third vignette takes us back to the inception of Passover, in the desert, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This is a nice counter for the somewhat unresolved nihilism of the second vignette.

Playwright Ali Viterbi makes a really interesting choice by blending Italian American heritage with Jewish heritage. The popular assumption is that Italy is a Catholic country, and while the Vatican does sit in Rome, it’s not to say there aren’t Jewish people in all regions of the world. It helps builds empathy. Adopted daughter Devorah is Asian American, this is another interesting aspect of how Viterbi builds empathy. Just because you’re not born Jewish, doesn’t mean you can’t be accepted by the community.

If nothing else, this play asks for understanding. Through understanding we build tolerance. If audiences can see themselves, Jewish or not, in these characters then more can be done to protect the future of Judaism. Viterbi also points out that apathy within a minority group ultimately leads to its demise. “In Every Generation” might just be the definitive Passover play in that it fully contextualizes the history of Passover but it also gets to the point of all holidays, and that’s family and celebration.

Through May 1^st at Victory Gardens. 2433 N Lincoln Ave. www.victorygardens.org

Before seeing the co-world premiere (with Actors Theatre of Louisville) of Liliana Padilla’s How to Defend Yourself, read their program note. In it, they reflect on their fear that the play might be “harmful and re-traumatizing” (it might). They also state their aspiration “to be in the truthful chaos—to hold a space of pain and grief and complexity.” This it certainly does. With forays into montage and speculation, clearly delineated by shifts in light and sound, the truth is not in the reality, but in the emotional journeys of the characters. Padilla has an ear for realistic dialogue that cuts to the quick, despite a good dose of situational humor. Directed by Marti Lyons with a cast that physically and emotionally throw themselves into the highs and lows of the fraught relationships they navigate, How to Defend Yourself is a taut and powerful, if ultimately frustrating examination of sex, sexuality and consent in a world where #MeToo and Tinder hookups coexist. As one of the characters points out, it’s hard to express one’s desires if one isn’t sure what they are (and whether they are acceptable).

The play begins when a young college student, Susana, is hospitalized after a brutal sexual assault. Her sorority sister and mentor Brandi, a black belt, decides to act and host a self defense class. She recruits her sorority sister Kara to help. However, despite the emotion that the crime elicits, only three students show up—Diana and Mojdeh, who seem as eager gain access to the sorority they hope to pledge, and painfully shy Nikki. Diana is disappointed in the lack of firearms. Mojdeh is distracted by her upcoming date. Nikki struggles to speak audibly. After an empowering session of punching, Brandi introduces the fraternity men who have agreed to assist with the workshops, the overbearing Andy and the well-intentioned Eggo. It soon becomes clear that all the participants are bringing their own baggage and attitudes to the workshop, and a fair amount of guilt. The characters are well-drawn and well-spoken; all articulate their views with clarity, though emotions soon run high as they prove to have some irreconcilable differences. Despite the reason for their meetings, most of the conversation revolves around sex: communication, consent, and sexual desire. There are no villains, but sides are chosen and there is no way to avoid the feeling that complicity in the rape culture that led to Susana’s victimization takes many forms.

Reinforcing Padilla’s script, director Marti Lyons has assembled a cast that is diverse racially, ethnically, and in body type. The contrast between the leggy, confident sorority sisters and the shorter, less secure would-be pledges and the mousy Nikki serves as a constant reminder of the power dynamic they inhabit, as does the difference between the powerfully built Andy and the less physically imposing Eggo. In addition to the physical types, which serve as a reminder of the typical dynamic between victim and attacker, the characters cannot escape their skin or their backgrounds. For example, it is clear that part of what has shaped Eggo’s considerate attitude toward sexual partners—besides the fact that he’s a nice guy—in contrast to Andy’s gladiatorial attitude, is the fact that, as an African-American male, he needs to be more concerned about mis-read cues than Ken-doll Andy. Lyons keeps the rapid-fire dialogue tight and pulls no punches with the heavy themes that underscore the play. Yu Shibagaki’s scenic design transforms the Victory Gardens space into a photo-realistic gym. Christine Pascual’s costumes show the evolution of the characters in athletic wear, as well as giving insights into their transformations outside of the safe space, and, in an extended sequence of evolving parties, traveling through time and developmental stages. Paul Toben’s lighting design and Thomas Dixon’s sound design shape the focus on the play between intimate exchanges, amped up training sequences and resonant emotional asides. Movement director Steph Paul, fight director Matt Hawkins and intimacy director Rachel Flesher work seamlessly to show the relationship between fighting, friendship and sex. Training violence spills over into real violence, which gives way to an easy physical camaraderie, a simulated attack leads to the recognition of a spark of attraction. The balance between violence and sexuality that is explored in the script is well represented by this movement design team and the actors who realize their work.

The cast not only looks perfect, they fearlessly commit to Padilla’s vision, which is not always comfortable. Though on the surface, the characters are the sort of enviable success stories of college, the assault on their sorority sister reveals doubts and fears that are impossible to shake. As Brandi, the woman who tries to teach her peers how to defend themselves, Anna Crivelli is poised and self-possessed until the questions from her trainees start chipping away at her surprisingly brittle veneer. Crivelli portrays Brandi’s downward spiral initially with gritty resolve, then with frightening vulnerability. Isa Arciniegas’ Diana struggles to fit in, but her role as outsider makes her a sounding board for the other characters’ fears; Arciniegas finds the insecurity behind her character’s survivor mentality. Ariana Mahallati’s Mojdeh is awkward and desperate, trying to achieve the comfort in her own skin that the other characters seem to have by adopting the script that she thinks she is supposed to learn, whether or not it is her own. Andrea San Miguel’s Nikki goes from barely visible and audible, hiding behind a baggy sweatshirt, to embracing her physical and verbal power, with heartbreaking results. San Miguel navigates this journey in an often hilarious portrayal as her character surprises herself moment to moment. In a powerful and complex performance, Netta Walker as Kara defends her desires while recognizing that they might give license to men who extend them to other women. It is arguments like the one between Kara and the solicitous Eggo that most powerful convey the difficulty of effective communication. Invited into the space by Brandi, the men in the story struggle with their role there, as they find themselves cast alternately as attackers, objects of desire and representatives of masculinity. Jayson Lee’s Eggo brilliantly encapsulates the dilemma faced by men who want to care for women the way they want, while Ryan McBride’s Andy articulates the need for positive consent but disparages Eggo’s version of this as less masculine, calling him an Incel at one point. McBride somehow balances his character’s entitled self-confidence with a desire to do the right thing. All the characters do their best to communicate and ensure a sense of safety, but even with the best of intentions safety proves elusive.

Liliana Padilla’s How to Defend Yourself does not give any insight into how to do this. In fact, it clearly shows the difficulty in doing so when attackers are often people one knows, when even shifting attitudes and the ability to clearly and openly talk about desires and sex do not necessarily get to the point, and when one is smaller or less well-armed than potential aggressors. Padilla’s play articulates that, with all the progress that appears to have been made, there are still entrenched attitudes about gender, sexuality and communication that make this world no less dangerous than the one that fostered Harvey Weinstein. Under the incisive direction of Marti Lyons, supported by a crack team of designers and an ensemble that mines the script’s humor while committing fully to the underlying themes. Often raucously entertaining, How to Defend Yourself finally arrives at the conclusion that learning self-defense may not be as effective as one would like, and, more importantly, it should not be what we learn.

How to Defend Yourself runs through February 23 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Performances take place Tuesdays – Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 3 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 3 pm. Regular performances are $31 - $65. Tickets can be purchased at www.victorygardens.org or at the box office. 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. 773-871-3000.

The title is a huge clue that Bill McMahon’s new play about Nancy Pelosi, The Adult in the Room, is not going to be a balanced political commentary. If you are a Trump supporter, be warned that he is cast as Voldemort to Pelosi’s Dumbledore. For anyone looking for a dissection of the venerable Speaker of House’s political history or an incisive examination of the dynamics of the office that she holds, this is not it. If you are looking for an entertaining hour or so with a political pioneer that gives a reverent overview of her entrance into politics and her evolving position, both ideologically and professionally, this is a very pleasant way to spend an evening. In the course of an online chat with the members of Running Start, a group of aspiring female politicians, Orlagh Cassidy’s unflappable Pelosi—elegant in a white pantsuit even when stress-eating chocolates or downing an emergency cold beverage—calms down her high-strung assistant who relays the latest tweets from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, schools members of the CPC “Squad” on the importance of procedure, and inspires her young online interlocuters, who lob softball questions for Pelosi to knock out of the park. As directed by Heather Arnson and Conor Bagley, Cassidy nails Pelosi’s sense of humor, her understanding of the performative aspects of politics (especially as a pioneering congresswoman), and her passion for and faith in the Constitution and the government it informs.

There is no denying that Bill McMahon has done his homework on Nancy Pelosi. The Adult in the Room is a concise and entertaining biography of the sometimes-polarizing politician, recounted in the historical moment before the House embarked on impeachment proceedings. His Pelosi covers a lot of ground in the brisk 70-minute run-time, beginning with her introduction to politics as child watching her father campaign for and win a series of elected offices, and watching her imposing mother organize his campaign staff and rally supporters. She discusses her Catholic faith, her rejection of her mother’s desire that she enter a convent, and how she reconciles the tenets of the Church with her liberal views, including her unflagging support of gay and reproductive rights. She outlines her own relatively late entrance into the political arena after raising five children, inspired by Sala Burton, whom Pelosi succeeded in the House of Representatives after her death in 1987. McMahon does an excellent job of showing how her early inspirations shaped her uncompromising ideals and progressive values. With a strong actor in the title role, which this production certainly has, McMahon’s play makes a strong argument for the continued importance and legacy of the 79-year-old Representative. However, what little dramatic tension is generated is promptly buried in chocolate, drowned in diet Dr. Pepper, postponed, or dropped in a system reboot. The Instagram device gives Nancy Pelosi a great reason for telling her life story and outlining her political philosophy, but the scrolling questions that don’t get answered give a hint of what is missing, an antagonist in the room. The apocalyptic vision of a divided America that prefaces the coda of the play does not serve to add tension, and also seems out of keeping with the optimistic, consensus-seeking Pelosi who has been mildly scolding the Squad and her online acolytes throughout the play, even when she resorts to naming her would-be nemesis. 

Directors Heather Arnson and Conor Bagley have created a sleek, streamlined look and feel for the event, which serves the play well. Ann Beyersdorfer’s set reflects the no-nonsense Pelosi and affords opportunities for perching and pacing as needed. David C. Woolard takes his inspiration from the white pantsuit that Pelosi wore to Trump’s inaugural address in a show of solidarity with suffrage campaigners from the past and current female Representatives, while a costume change for the final scene mirrors the Congresswoman’s articles of impeachment black. Jamie Roderick’s lighting design is unobtrusive but highlights important moments and allows Brian Pacelli’s media-savvy projections—often ironic chat-heads, emoticons and screen names, along with a nod to the Constitution—to take focus when they should. Christopher Kriz’s sound design complements the action of the play, with nods to the onstage references and electronic interruptions. It is Orlagh Cassidy’s portrayal that makes The Adult in the Room worth a visit. Cassidy fills every moment and knows how to allow both the comedy and the somber moments to come alive. Though she does not mimic Pelosi’s voice, her vocal cadences combined with her elegant, yet energetic, physicality and a weaponized smile make Pelosi a figure that we want to listen to. As a bonus, Cassidy also slips into spot-on imitations of the voices that inspired Pelosi, and, in one well-curated moment, Donald Trump. Approachable, empathetic and intimidating at once, Cassidy’s Pelosi embodies the qualities that have enabled her real-life counterpart to forge her remarkable career.

Bill McMahon’s The Adult in the Room is not going to rock the world, but it is an entertaining tribute to Nancy Pelosi and a reflection of the current political moment. Orlagh Cassidy embodies the Congresswoman with passion, dignity and humor under Heather Arnson and Conor Bagley’s stylish, brisk direction. Nancy Pelosi’s journey from political neophyte to House Majority Leader, all the while espousing causes from AIDS advocacy, gun control, and health care to varying degrees of success, is a worthy playbook for her would-be successors to study. Pelosi’s mantra in McMahon’s play is “organize, don’t agonize.” There is not much agonizing in the play, but this leaves room for a plea to make things better for the next generation—and for the next generation to take up the mantle of social justice.

The Adult in the Room is now playing at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater’s Richard Christiansen Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Avenue) through February 15. Performances take place Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2p.m. and 5p.m. Tickets to “The Adult in the Room” are priced at $49 and available through victorygardens.org or by calling the box office at 773-871-3000.For more information visit theadultintheroomplay.com

Does not supporting Israel make you an anti-semite? This is the central theme of playwright Steven Levenson’s work ‘If I Forget’ now running at Victory Gardens under the direction of Devon De Mayo. Levenson is best known for providing the book to Broadway’s smash hit ‘Dear Evan Hansen’. “If I Forget” made its Broadway premiere in 2017 at the Roundabout Theatre Company.

“If I Forget” is a classic family drama that echoes of Arthur Miller. The set up is very simple, a DC-based family reunites for their father’s 75th birthday. Their father, Lou (David Darlow) is still mourning the recent death of his wife when his three adult kids come to visit. The action mainly concerns itself with a controversial book his son Michael (Daniel Cantor) is writing titled ‘Forgetting the Holocaust’. In two acts deep familial revelations are made as the family hotly debates what Jewish heritage means in our modern world.

While Michael is the main character, this is largely an ensemble piece. His older sister Holly (Gail Shapiro) is a socialite with few ethical cares, while his younger sister Sharon (Elizabeth Ledo) is the caretaker-type to whom Judaism is quite sacred. Michael’s wife Ellen (Heather Townshend) has no religious affiliation but serves to represent the respect for tradition some non-believers have. When it’s discussed what is to be done with their father’s valuable real estate, each character confronts their connection to their lineage.

The female ensemble gives very compelling performances. Elizabeth Ledo provides the moral backbone of the play even if her character has selfish intentions. She’s the voice of traditional values lost along the way to progress. Ledo’s performance is touching and complicated and even tragic by the play’s end. Gail Shapiro is a Karen Walker-flavored character that gives the play its levity. She saunters about naturally with the cool authority of the upper classes, seemingly untouchable by political tides.

“If I Forget” is an uncomfortable play to watch. As we move further from the recent memories of the Holocaust, we see generations become destigmatized by the horrors found at Dachau and Auschwitz. The scary part is that without the memory of it, there’s a chance it could happen again. This play also picks apart the nuances of the politics around Israel. Talking about this play will be difficult as some of the dialogue could be triggering for some audiences. This is exactly what good theatre should do. There are bits of dialogue so divisive your jaw might hang open. Levenson’s play hinges on a single hypothesis and rarely strays from that essential question. De Mayo gives this play an impressive Chicago premiere with a strong cast and a commitment to the intensity of the words.

Through July 7th at Victory Gardens Theater. 2433 N Lincoln Ave. 773-871-3000

In Native Gardens, an ambitious young couple moves into a fixer-upper in an affluent DC neighborhood. Husband Pablo (Gabriel Ruiz) is a lawyer, his pregnant wife Tania (Paloma Nozicka) is working on her doctorate dissertation. Their nice and lively, albeit politically incorrect, neighbors are a defense contractor Virginia (Janet Ulrich Brooks) and her retired gardening-loving husband Frank (Patrick Clear). Shortly after moving in, Pablo has a bright idea to invite his entire law firm (all sixty people) to a barbeque in their embarrassingly unfinished yard, so the young couple gets to work. The old wire fence separating the neighbors’ properties (very nice design set by William Boles) has to go, but it soon becomes evident that Frank has been gardening on extra 23 inches of land that actually belongs to the new couple, according to the property plans.

Upon further calculations Pablo realizes that those 23 inches along the old fence translate into extra 80 sq feet of land which goes for “about $15,000 at a current market price”. Well, it’s a war then! Frank refuses to let go of his lovingly raised flowers right up against the ill-placed fence, while the young couple is on a mission to re-claim what’s rightfully theirs.

Who knew that an incorrectly placed fence would cause so much commotion? We all did, we saw it coming before the play even started. But despite its predictability, this comedy is still entertaining and somewhat thought provoking. Written by Karen Zacarias and directed by Marti Lyons, Native Gardens is more about generation clash, stereotypes, ageism and racism rather than the property lines. The older couple is from the pre-self-censorship era, and in their ignorance, they don’t always choose words carefully; they say what’s on their minds rather than hide behind politically correct words and ideas. But those words are often offensive to the delicate ears of Tania, whose proper opinions, frankly, make for sterile conversation, enough to put one to sleep. All in all, the two couples can’t effectively communicate, so they threaten each other instead. Will their peace be restored?

Native Gardens runs through July 2nd at Victory Gardens Theater. To find out more about this show visit www.VictoryGardens.org.

Let's cut to the chase on this review: Queen is the best show in town. 

Having its world premiere at Victory Gardens Theater, in Queen, Madhuri Shekar has delivered a knockout script, deftly directed by Joanie Schultz, and brought to life by a strong cast. 

Two PhD students - Sanam Shah (Priya Mohanty) and Ariel Spiegel (Darci Nalepa) - have spent six years examining a true-life dilemma: why honey bees are dying – a real-world environmental crisis.

Ariel does the field research, and Sanam – a highly regarded math wonder - crunches numbers for the data, which point to a farm chemical from Monsanto as the culprit. Or so five years of data have shown. But something is amiss.

Queen is a gripping account of academic intrigue laced with ethical challenges, along the lines of David Auburn’s provocative Proof, but with a much livelier pace.

The two are working under Dr. Philip Hayes (Stephen Spencer) who is to deliver within a few days a presentation on their work to an influential scientific group. The paper based on their research has been accepted for the journal Science. Dr. Hayes is gleeful about the prospects for his program, and promising access to big funding for the University.

A crisis looms as the latest research data does not support the earlier findings. Believing it stems from a glitch in the programming, Sanam searches desperately through the code. The pressure is on to bring the numbers in line with expectations.

If this sounds drab, it is anything but. Shekar lays out the science, and describes the culture of academia, in digestible bites. The human side of the drama comes to the fore in the relationship between the two women researchers, Sanam and Ariel, as the pressure mounts to get the results required by their academic overseer. BFFs, the two struggle through this growing professional chasm.

But it is the side-story about Sanam and a potential mate, Arvind Patel (Adam Poss) that leads to some exceptionally well-played scenes that steal the show – at least for me. Sanam’s diffidence about a date with Arvind (set up by her parents back in India) eventually leads to an unexpected romance.

Patel plays Arvind with a smooth, purring, throwaway manliness of that on-the-make single guy everyone knows. Sanam, who parries Arvind’s advances with vigor as he helps her puzzle out the math (he’s a math guy too, an investment manager who works in quant theory), and debate the ethical issues. To see the chemistry between Mohanty and Poss is worth a trip to the converted Biograph Theater.

Queen has been portrayed as an Earth Day oriented story, and a story of friendship among women. But it's also a showcase of great writing and acting.  Don’t miss Queen. It runs through May 14th and it's very highly recommended. 

For more show information click here. 

Two girlfriends grow up in Mississippi, one wants to be a hairdresser to the stars and the other a singing star in her own right. An opportunity to run their own beauty shop binds the two friends together for life, and helps a South Side Chicago neighborhood maintain a sense of community and safety, even a little glamour, that is until Starbucks and other corporations start moving into the neighborhood. Beautifully directed, A Wonder in My Soul is the heartfelt journey of two best friends who have shared a beauty salon for over three decades.

Aberdeen "Birdie" Calumet (Greta Oglesby) and Bell Grand Lake (Jacqueline Williams) play the two close friends and both do an amazing job with long speeches that could be coming out of the mouths of preachers. The audience even lets out a few, “go girls”, and “praise Gods” as if we are sitting in a church. In a way, their beauty shop, which once served some celebrity visitors, has stood for forty years as a type of church to the women of the neighborhood. A place where they can talk and be themselves where their best customer, a rich woman who prefers to be called “First Lady” (a fantastic Linda Bright Clay), who spends at least three afternoons a week just trying new hairdos to hang out at the salon to have company and help each other with daily troubles. 

Marcus Gardley's script creates very familiar and real characters, and utilizes the beautiful singing voices of young Birdie (Camille Robinson) and young Bell (Donica Lynn) in a way that vitalizes and makes real the talents and determination underneath the tough facade of these hard working, loving women. 

This play is about change and gentrification, and growth and strength. Change isn't always but a bad thing but A Wonder in My Soul pulls back the curtain on how gentrification affects this "family" of women and their whole neighborhood that tries to save the salon. Is it fair that the neighborhood rallies to save the community staple only for a Starbucks to ultimately knock them down as easily as a cannon ball would a bowling pin? No. But the way each woman chooses to go on with her life and keep the bitterness from affecting the wonder in their souls is truly inspiring. 

Highly recommended for satisfying, humorous and heartwarming performances, especially by Jacqueline Williams as the down, but not out, captain of her sinking ship.

Williams speeches about life and the value of struggling to keep some history and classiness intact in the neighborhood, which is being brought down by violence and greed, ripple through the audience with a deep resonance and truthfulness that the talented actor brings to all her stage work.

A Wonder in My Soul is being performed at Victory Gardens Theater through March 12th. Go to www.VictoryGardens.org for more show information.

Watching teens in a Cypress, Texas, Bible class plan a sock puppet revue, we have a setting ripe with dramatic possibilities.

In Hand to God, playing now at Victory Gardens Theater, one of those puppet claims a mind of his own, hurling sacrilegious epithets and encouraging mayhem with his devil-may-care insults.

Jason is the repressed teen (Alex Weissman is hilarious) whose arm is stuck inside Tyrone – the Satanic stocking that reveals everything Jason dare not say. Adding to the angst: Jason’s mother Margery (Janelle Snow) is the puppet class teacher, and the erotic vision for classroom nemesis, Timothy (Curtis Edward Jackson nails it).

In short order, the puppet’s revealing zingers upset the tightly wound congregation. The world of Cypress has only one way to explain all this: this puppet is possessed by Satan. Why else would he sharpen his teeth and bite the ear of the class bully? How else would he know Pastor Greg lurks outside the windows of teenagers? 

With a nudge from Tyrone (Weissman plays this flip-side personality very well) the stage abounds with licentious behavior (playfully enough, since puppets are involved), but particularly tawdry considering most of the action is in a church basement, or in the study of Pastor Greg (Eric Slater).

No one should fault director Gary Griffin for playing for shtick with this foul-mouthed puppet calling the shots on stage. But the play also holds a serious subtext, on the tendency for religious social settings to repress at least one fundamental human requirement: the need for irreverence. The play offers a full hand of irreverence, and that is a laugh a minute.

The Biograph main stage has been fully updated, housing a nicely designed set (Joe Schermoly) that rotates beautifully from scene to scene. An Exorcist-style makeover of the classroom is campy and droll at the same time. Daniel Dempsey built and directed the evil Tyrone in his various manifestations, along with his buxom fabric love interest, a puppet girl worn by teen classmate Jessica (Nina Ganet).  

This production of a script by Robert Askins (it earned 5 Tony nominations) is so wonderfully put together that it’s been selling out (a Wednesday night was packed), and the run was extended twice. You still have until October 30 to watch it at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln. Don’t miss it. 

Pinterest fails are an internet sensation, with recognizable side by side pictures illustrating the difference between expectations and reality for the everyday crafter, baker, photographer, etc. It seems that no matter how many of these memes we see, it is still commonplace to set high expectations which risk being let down.

“WOZ: A Rock Cabaret” was unfortunately a case of missed expectations. The concept is a cabaret show which tells the familiar story of The Wizard of Oz through the iconic music of the 80’s and 90’s, including hits from Whitesnake, Blondie, Foreigner, Queen and Michael Jackson. Sounds awesome, right!? While the show had its moments and some strong singers, the reality was a production that felt flat, with big moments that lost their steam and performances that lacked the luster and pizzazz expected from a cabaret.

One of the main issues with the show was the venue. Performed on stage at Victory Gardens Theater, this cabaret style show felt out of place. The performers attempted to interact with the audience but it required them to come down off the stage where they easily got lost in this stadium style seating. Had this been set in a truer cabaret setting, where the audience could sit at tables enjoying their cocktails, it could have allowed the performance to work the space both on the stage and on the floor and perhaps made the show more engaging.

The creativity behind the song selection was awesome and very often the start of a new song brought smiles, laughs and a palpable energy to the audience. As the performers sang the full songs however, it often felt like things started to drag and there was not enough happening to hold attention through to the end of the song.

The performers themselves were mostly strong overall. The standouts of the show were the journeying buddies of the Scarecrow (Kevin Webb), the Tinman (James Nedrud) and the Cowardly Lion (Edward Fraim). All three brought different unique but powerful voices to their songs and added some great humor to the show. Heather Currie was a powerhouse and had an odd but quite funny style in how she played the Wicked Witch. The performances of Clara D’Onofrio and Kimberly Lawson, as Glinda and Dorothy respectively, left something to be desired. Both have strong voices but tend more toward the musical theater style which did not always vibe with the other performers. Andre De Shields was the special guest star of the show, bringing star power to the role of the Wizard and he certainly stole the show with his numbers.

While there are some high moments and tons of creativity that clearly went into this show, the performance lacks the excitement that could have turned this somewhat lackluster show into an all-out engaging and exciting cabaret performance.

With only 5 performances, the run of this show is already nearing completion but this was its second run in Chicago, so if you really wish you could have seen it, try clicking your heels three times and say to yourself “there’s no place like WOZ” – maybe it will be back someday, bigger and better.