Displaying items by tag: Music Theater Works

Unlike many of the shows I review, which I’ve often seen in other productions elsewhere, I went into Music Theater Works’ current production of Legally Blonde blind. Other than the couple-decades-old movie the musical is based on, along with a covid-era TikTok fascination that my daughters had with a particular song from the show, I knew nothing about it. That’s always kind of refreshing, isn’t it?

Well, I went into the North Shore Center—always an enjoyable place to see a show—pretty much clueless and I left entertained.

You can tell director Mandy Modic has a real knowledge of, and love of, the source material and the show. Everything is thoughtfully laid out and beautifully executed. This is a put together show, just like the main character, Elle Woods.

Kayla Shipman, starring as Elle, has high heels to fill but she fills them well. As Elle grows and learns about herself, Shipman’s performance becomes more confident and assertive as the show progresses, making this the Y2K roman a clef the story calls for. The supporting cast sings, dances, and acts as Elle takes her journey—filling the show with the memorable people she meets. Korey White looms over proceedings as authoritative and suspect Professor Callahan. Amanda Handegan’s fitness-queen-turned-accused-murderess Brooke Wyndam brings us back to the days of the aerobics DVDs she’s shilling—before launching the show’s uproarious second act with an orange-is-the-new-black prison jump rope number. And Khaki Pixley’s hairdresser Paulette Buonofonte takes us to a whole other world every time we enter her salon, a realer world far from snooty tweed higher education or Greek life.

Each of the worlds we enter in this show are beautifully created by Scenic Director Shane Cinal. From Elle’s sorority house to the hallowed halls of Harvard to Paulette’s beauty parlor, each set pops visually and transports the audience.

But, like many good shows, it’s the ensemble that makes this one. Each and every member of this cast gives it their all. From sorority sister singalongs to a Greek chorus, from folks getting perms to a courtroom full of plot twists, the ensemble created each scene and populated it with movement, humor, talented vocals, and humanity. And each member received their moment to make the audience hoot and holler—with Isaiah Engram’s deliveryman Kyle getting the most hoots.

The movement of the show is thanks to the ensemble’s talent, but also features wonderful choreography by Mollyanne Nunn—she puts all of this talent to work in dance after dance and showtune after showtune, filling the stage and catching our eyes from every part of it.

Oh, and that TikTok song I mentioned before? That’s here, too. Morgan Schoenecker leads Elle and the ensemble through the “Bend and Snap,” and the number hasn’t lost any of its charm—for the audience or for the aforementioned daughter who was watching Legally Blonde with me.

Like other shows I’ve seen at Skokie’s North Shore Center, this was a thoroughly enjoyable production. Music Theater Works and Mandy Modic take their audience back two decades to tell us a timeless tale, one you’ll find in Legally Blonde, playing now until December 29.

Music Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the final production of its 2024 season, Legally Blonde: The Musical, in the Center Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, December 19 - 29. Legally Blonde: The Musical, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach, is directed by Mandy Modic, choreographed by Mollyanne Nunn and music directed by Linda Madonia. The schedule includes a preview performance Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a press opening Friday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. The performance schedule includes Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., with an additional performance on Thursday, Dec. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale from $19.50 to $106 with tickets for guests 25 years old and younger available at half-price at MusicTheaterWorks.com or by calling the Music Theater Works box office at the North Shore Center, 847.673.6300. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more by contacting 847.920.5360.

This much fun should be illegal! Legally Blonde: The Musical, based on the cult classic film, shares the story of Elle Woods and her faithful pup, Bruiser on their journey from Southern California roots to the hallowed halls of Harvard Law School. Join Elle as she learns life’s important lessons on the subjects of love, friendship, the law and self-respect.

The cast of Legally Blonde: The Musical includes, in alphabetical order: Eric Amundson (he/him, ensemble/U/S Emmett); Lanja Andriamihaja (she/her, Kate/ensemble); Michael Davis Arnold (he/him, Chad/Dewey/ensemble); Kiana Beverly (she/her, ensemble); Sabrina Bowen (she/her, Margot/ensemble); Claire Campbell (she/her, ensemble/dance captain); Crystal Claros (any with respect, Vivienne Kensington); Connor Crumley (she/her, swing); Riley Dominiak (she/her, Mom/ensemble/U/S Vivienne); Isaiah Engram (he/they, Kyle/ensemble); Lili Galluzzo (she/they, Chutney/ensemble/U/S Trio); Amanda Handegan (she/her, Brooke Wyndam); Ibrahim Khan (he/him, Sandeep/ensemble); Will Leonard (he/him, Elle’s Dad/ensemble/U/S Professor Callahan/U/SKyle); Víctor López (any with respect, Carlos/ensemble); Matthew Millin (he/him, ensemble); David Moreland (he/him, Emmett Forrest); Khaki Pixley (she/her, Paulette Buonofonte); Daniel Rausch (he/him, Warner Huntington III); Madison Jaffe-Richter (she/her, ensemble/U/S Elle); Connor Ripperger (he/they, Aaron/ensemble/U/S Warner); Selena Robinson (she/her, Pilar/ensemble); Morgan Schoenecker (she/her, Serena/ensemble/U/S Brooke); Kayla Shipman (she/her, Elle Woods); Ava Stovall (she/her, Enid/ensemble/U/S Paulette); Alex Villaseñor (he/him, Nikos/ensemble/U/S Carlos); Korey White (he/him, Professor Callahan).

Legally Blonde: The Musical’s creative team is Mandy Modic (she/her, director); Mollyanne Nunn (she/her, choreographer); Linda Madonia (she/her, music director); Amber Wuttke (she/her, fight/intimacy choreographer); Kathy Logelin (she/her, dialect coach); Liv Meinders (she/her, stage manager); Olive Ferguson (she/her, assistant stage manager); Shane Cinal (he/him, scenic designer); Ab Rieve (they/them, props designer); Kristen Brinati (she/her, costume designer); Reve Smith (they/them, wardrobe head); Alice Salazar (she/her, hair/wig/makeup co-designer); Melanie Saso (she/her, hair/wig/makeup co-designer); Chelsea Lynn (she/her, lighting designer); Riley Woods (they/them, ME and board programmer); Matthew R. Chase (he/him, sound designer); Forrest Gregor (he/him, production sound engineer); Andersonville Scenic Studios (scene shop); Chris Chase (he/him, production manager) and Katie Meine (she/her, company manager).

“Behind the Curtain with Thomas M. Shea”

Immediately following the Sunday, Dec. 22 and Thursday, Dec. 26 performances , audiences may join musical theater historian Thomas M. Shea, author of “Broadway’s Most Wanted,” for a post-show talk exploring the behind-the-scenes history of Legally Blonde: The Musical.

Binny’s Broadway Lounge

Music Theater Works’ Donors of any level and subscribers are welcome to access Binny’s Broadway Lounge before the performance and at intermission of Legally Blonde: The Musical. Binny’s Broadway Lounge, sponsored by Binny’s Beverage Depot, is located on the second floor at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and offers complimentary drinks and snacks and does not require reservations. The Lounge is available during Legally Blonde: The Musical, Friday, Dec. 20 (opens at 6 p.m.) and Saturday, Dec. 22 (opens at 1 p.m.). 

ASL Interpreted Performance

The Friday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. performance will be ASL interpreted.

ABOUT MANDY MODIC, DIRECTOR

Mandy Modic is so excited to now be on the creative team at the theater where she had her first professional acting gig. Some favorite credits: Matilda (director/choreographer) Cinderella and The Sound of Music (choreographer/associate director), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Beauty and the Beast, Something Rotten, 42nd Street, State Fair, Newsies, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (choreographer). Modic is passionate about educational theater and has helped build musical theater programs abroad in Shanghai, China and Lima, Peru. As a performer, she has toured and performed at various theaters around the country, most recently seen performing in Guys and Dolls at Drury Lane Theatre. 

ABOUT MOLLYANNE NUNN, CHOREOGRAPHER

Mollyanne Nunn is thrilled to be returning to Music Theater Works where she was last seen in Pippin (co-choreographer/ensemble) and Mamma Mia! (ensemble). Recent theatre credits include The Love Object (The Story Theatre), A Chorus Line (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), Can-Can, The Musical (Porchlight Music Theatre), and Lysistrata Jones (Refuge Theatre Project).  Other recent credits include Hairspray (Paramount), Rent and Hair (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre), Swing and The Wizard of Oz (Little Theatre on the Square), Next to Normal (Towle Theatre), The Crystal Spider (Haven Theatre), and Within (Visceral Dance Chicago). She teaches Contemporary, Ballet, Tap, and musical theatre at Dovetail Studios. She is also a first company member of Ardent Dance Company and rehearsal director for Identity Performing Arts. Nunn is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago where she earned her BFA in musical theatre.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Linda Madonia is thrilled to be back at Music Theater Works where she has previously worked on Shrek the Musical, Mamma Mia! and Camelot. Other recent projects include; Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages and Sister Act at Mercury Theater Chicago. Anything Goes, Cabaret and A Chorus Line at Porchlight Music Theatre. Madonia also serves as the contractor for the Chicago Federation of Musicians for Porchlight Music Theatre, Music Theater Works and Teatro Zinzanni. She is the vocal coach for the master’s degree program in music theatre pedagogy at Carthage College and owns American Eagle Productions, which has been at the forefront of theatre education in the Chicago area for the past 35 years.

COMING UP FROM MUSIC THEATER WORKS

Music Theater Works announced its 2025 season in August. The 45th season includes Guys and Dolls, March 6 - 30, 2025; Fiddler on the Roof, August 7 - 17, 2025; Godspell, October 23 - November 16, 2025 and a fourth production to be named running December 18, 2025 - January 4, 2026. Current season ticket holders may renew for the 2025 season now with new subscription sales available now with single tickets for all the 2025 productions going on sale Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 at 12 p.m. For more information on the 45th season go to MusicTheaterWorks.com.

ABOUT MUSIC THEATER WORKS

Music Theater Works is a resident professional not-for-profit music theater founded in

1980. During its 44-year history it has presented more than 150 productions and intimate presentations. Music Theater Works is a professional theater company whose mission is to present works for the musical stage including historic repertoire, revitalizing the Golden Age of Broadway and earlier works, celebrating the Great American Songbook and introducing modern classics.

Who will the best speller be? Who will be able to withstand the pressures of competition? Who wants it the most? I’m sure these are among the questions you must be asking yourselves once the play begins. Well, without giving the ending of the story away, I’ll just say that it’s the audience that has the most F-U-N, FUN. 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this bright, funny and talented cast in Music Theater Works’ brand new production of the Tony Award-Winning musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, now being performed in the North Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. The hit musical, conceived by the mind of Rebecca Feldman is superbly executed thanks to its fine direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik, Keeley Vasquez who assists in both said areas, and with music direction by Michal McBride. 

The Putnam County Spelling Bee is exactly what you would imagine happens every year when a collection of the nerdiest, most sensitive and intelligent students from the local county schools come together to face their fears on the big stage to take home the first place trophy for best speller. And, to add a little more fun to this particular spelling bee, it also requires a good amount of improvisational participation from audience members who might just be called down to compete with the students. Even if you’ve seen this play before, there will always be new “cast members“ chosen from the crowd that create unpredictable comedy performed on the spot each night making every experience unique.

The musical, while on one hand provides so many humorous moments, also brings to light the very real pressures of student competition. We see the occasional tears and panic attacks while students compete against each other for a small prize (literally a 12” high trophy and $200 that goes toward future education). We see that winning or not can have big consequences at home and/or in their own psyche. But we also see how competition can bring people together and how it can help us learn about ourselves.

Neala Barron who plays the zealous, rule-following spelling bee supervisor (and one-time winner), Rona Lisa Perretti, pairs up with Zach Kunde who takes on the role of Vice Principal Douglas Panch to conduct the competition. Kunde and Barron have great chemistry together and draw lots of laughs from the audience as they provide the words for the students to spell, along with their definitions, use in a sentence and countries of origin. Michael Davis Arnold plays Mitch Mahoney, the assigned “comfort counselor” who is ready with both a hug and a juice box for the next eliminated student. Arnold and Barron both have tremendous singing voices that stun the audience with their solos in this mostly ensemble piece.  

Will Koski, who plays William Barfee’ has stand-out comic and physical timing comedy as his character finds it necessary to spell out each word with his “magic foot” on the floor. Jamie Dillon Grossman is terrific in her role as the adorable, super intelligent, activist, future Congress-bound Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere, who is under a tremendous amount of pressure to win because her dads “hate losers”. 

Mai Hartwich is a perfect fit as Marcy Park, the student who is capable of speaking “six languages” but is under a great deal of inner pressure to be perfect in everything she does, which includes winning every spelling bee she enters. Hartwich has a great aha moment during the song “Marcy’s Epiphany,” where Marcy realizes that by deliberately spelling a word wrong and losing the spelling bee on purpose, she’s, in many ways, actually taking back her own power so she relax, have fun and return to pursuing what she really wants to wants to do with her life. 

This is a production where truly the entire cast delivers. Joe Lewis is well cast as cape-wearing Leaf Coneybear while Brandon Acosta tackles his role as Chip Tolentino and shines in his performance of “Chip’s Lament,” a whimsical number about how he was distracted by his “unfortunate erection”. Rachel Guth is a pleasure to watch as she plays the sweet and anxious Olive Ostrosky, an only child whose father does not show up for the spelling bee. With her parents on the go so often, Olive has spent most of her lonely childhood at home alone reading the ancient family dictionary because there was no one around to talk to. During the competition she repeatedly looks to row eight to see if her father has arrived to take the seat she reserves for him. Guth has a strong singing voice and especially displays her vocal talent, along with Barron and Arnold, when they team up for the number “The I Love You Song.”      

Director, Christopher Pazdernik does a great job with the pacing and movement of this bright and breezy production. Pazdernik mentions in the program the life lessons that this play should remind us of - to work hard and be proud of ourselves, but that winning isn’t everything! Also, be kind to others and don’t take life so seriously! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee points out that as children and adults we put way too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect - to WIN first place and to impress ourselves and others in our family, and by doing so miss out on the joy of the moments completely.

I wasn’t a spelling bee kid, but I was a thespian competitor in high school and, as one spelling bee student after another had to be eliminated, I couldn’t help but relive my own memories of intense anxiety arising before, after, and during our national thespian competitions - which had no cash prize at all. That being the case, I really related to Michael Davis Arnold’s “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor,” which he knocks out of the park vocally.

I highly recommend this Music Theater Works production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee staged in the lovely and intimate North Stage in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts for audiences of all ages. 

Sometimes you just need to go green. No, not a vegan diet and compostable paper plates, though a little more of each would help the planet. Go green with Shrek: The Musical, which runs through the end of 2023 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Music Theater Works’ production, directed by Joanna McKenzie Miller, has many offbeat delights, including green-hued fart clouds blooming onto the upstage screen. Would those count as vegan and compostable? It doesn’t matter.

Based on the Dreamworks animated film Shrek, the musical pairs Jeanine Tesori, composer of such serious fare as Violet and Fun Home, with David Lindsay-Abaire, author of equally rigorous works such as Rabbit Hole and Kimberly Akimbo (which he and Tesori recently turned into a musical). With Shrek: The Musical, the creative team stays within unremarkable territory.

Taken on those safe terms, though, the show does not disappoint. The salty fairytale follows its ogre hero Shrek – who is cast off by his parents as a child and dwells alone in a swamp – and heroine Fiona – the princess who is cast off by her parents and grows up alone in a tower – to their happily ever after. Thanks to Lord Farquaad, the nasty royal who needs a queen to make him a king, Shrek and Fiona meet and conflict and fall in love with competing farts and belches.

Dana Pike as Fiona fills the stage with her rich voice, determined personality and droll humor, all of which align with particular power in “Morning Person.” While she clings to her quest to marry her fantasy man on a steed, she’s also a pragmatist who adapts to circumstances that contradict her fictional assumptions.

Jordan DeBose lets us love him as smelly Shrek (though a few of his lines got muffled in the Scottish accent). Eustace J. Williams as Shrek’s sidekick Donkey makes his incessant jabber always entertaining. Full-sized Michael Metcalf plays pint-sized Farquaad with such finesse, it’s easy to forget the actor does it entirely on his knees. And Michaela Shapira as Pinocchio seems to have hinges in her elbows.

A word about the set, a sure sign that stage technology marches on even as love stories remain timeless. The vast upstage screen uses motion graphics to chart shifting scenes and moods, from placid sunflowers to molten lava. Media designer Anthony Churchill’s projections mostly follow traditional storybook illustrations, but they are likely, in their sheer un-trendiness, to keep audience members of all ages transfixed.

It's been a hell of a year. Time for a few “F’s” that can be printed, like family, friendly, fantasy, free parking and, okay, farts. As a distraction from dire world news for adults and a variation on Christmas culture for the kids, Shrek: The Musical does the job with lots of jolly and its own shade of green.

Music Theater Works’ production is playing through December 31^st at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Go to Music Theater Works for tickets and information.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, not being an aficionado of animated / cartoon shows, but I figured hey, what the heck – it’s Christmas! And as it happens I have lots of good things to say about Music Theatre Works’ “Shrek: The Musical.”

It fits the bill for a holiday spectacle; it’s definitely spectacular. The performances were uniformly fabulous – from Jordan DeBose as Shrek to every last member of the ensemble there were no weak links. The orchestra, conducted by Linda Madonia, provided flawless accompaniment without ever overshadowing the voices. Laura Savage’s choreography, led by Dance Captain (and White Rabbit) Liora Lahav, showcased the cast’s talents individually and collectively.

The costumes, designed by Rachel M. Sypniewskr, were absolutely lush. It’s no mean feat to deck out dozens of fairytale creatures: ogres and princesses, a donkey and Three Blind Mice, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, Alice with White Rabbit and Mad Hatter … every cast member was onstage for the finale, “This is Our Story”, and they were a sight to behold!

“Shrek: The Musical” was a major production – there were 40 people in the production team and nearly 30 in the cast, so I obviously can’t praise everyone individually. You can find all the names at Music Theatre Works’ website but I’ll just discuss those who particularly stood out for me.

Jordan DeBose was wonderful as Shrek, their voice an appealing foil to Dani Pike as Fiona. Their best number was unquestionably “I Think I Got You Beat,” and their farting competition brought down the house. The message about the ubiquity of bad experiences and the pointlessness of competitive pain was made clear via the bathroom humor that appeals so strongly to kids. As I said, the entire ensemble was marvelous, but I particularly loved Michaela Shapiro as Pinocchio, and Brian Acker gave a special flair to Captain of the Guard.

The audience is always an integral part of the theater experience, and the kids, dressed up in their special holiday outfits, were great fun to watch. There weren’t many kids in the cast, but Omi Lichtenstein (young Fiona), Shaya Harris (teen Fiona), Teah Kiang Mirabelli as Young Shrek and Ugly Duckling, and Baby Bear Lea Biwer were terrific. The Tower princess trio of Pike, Lichtenstein, and Harris singing “I Know it’s Today” was marvelous, cleverly staged and perfectly performed. Michael Metcalf played a wonderfully tantrummy Lord Farquaad [more about Farquaad later but Metcalf’s performance was spot on!]. Maddison Denault captured my heart as Dragon, and the Dragon puppet, both its manufacture and its manipulation, was masterful.

If you’ve read other reviews by me you’ll know I unabashedly play favorites – there’s always one in every cast that takes my reason away (as Shirley DeVore would say), and in “Shrek”that one was Eustace J. Williams as Donkey. His character is the most unequivocally likable, but Williams went beyond Donkey’s innate charm with flawless comedic timing and potent use of space; his entire body – particularly his ears – perfectly expressed a full range of emotions.
“Shrek: The Musical” was a wonderful production with stunning performances. I do, however, have some procedural and production concerns. I’ll start at the top with Kyle Dougan, Music Theatre Works’ Producing Artistic Director, as I assume it was he who chose this play for MTW’s 2023 Holiday special.
“Shrek: The Musical” was Much.   Too.   Long.

Two acts plus intermission ran to nearly three hours – far too lengthy for a kids show! The actors came out to the lobby afterwards for photo ops, a lagniappe that lots of kids would probably have loved but relatively few took advantage of – by the time the aisles cleared it was pushing dinnertime and most parents just wanted to get their hungry cranky kids home, fed, and put to bed. What a shame! I’m sure lots of kids would have loved to show their friends a picture of themselves with Shrek and Fiona!

Going over the program afterwards my companion and I found at least an hour of material that the show would have been improved by cutting, bringing it down to 90 minutes running time with no intermission. Property rights may have restricted making cuts in the script; in that case the producer should have simply chosen another show, especially as length was by no means the only serious problem with “Shrek.”

For these problems responsibility lies with Director Johanna McKenzie Miller. In her Director’s Note she criticized the “strict casting” of the stories, citing the outdated gender message that a princess must sit in her tower and wait for a (male) prince to rescue her. I agree, that’s problematic, but then Miller went on to make casting decisions that actually raise far graver concerns.

Since Chicago theater’s recovery from the pandemic I’ve noticed an encouraging trend to focus on relevant social issues. In September 2022 I was blown away by Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s RICHARD III, produced as a collaborative project called Making Inclusive Theatre: Richard III as Disability Art. BWBTC is renowned for their gender-bending casting and exploration of previously unexplored voices, and in Richard III they focused on Ableism, featuring a blind actress in the title role, working with a deaf director.

“Shrek: The Musical” is – or should have been – a wonderful vehicle for bringing this issue before children. After all, the song “Freak Flag” in Act II is about everyone having a bit of freakiness in them. Unfortunately, not only did Miller fail to take advantage of the opportunity, she managed to portray an exactly opposite Moral of the Story.

I had been troubled from the start that Lord Farquaad, in the movie a very short man, was played by a full-size man acting on his knees; it was cleverly engineered but it just didn’t feel right to me. Then “The Ballad of Farquaad” informed us that Lord Farquaad was not simply a short man, he was a dwarf – and therefore a “freak.”

At that point this casting became not just troubling but actively offensive. Peter Dinklage showed us that a Little Person with acting talent need not – should not – limit his career to playing elves and fairies. I imagine Dinklage was already engaged when Miller was casting “Shrek: The Musical,” but Chicago’s actors certainly include multi-talented Little People, and Farquaad should absolutely have been played by one of them. The Broadway premier of “Shrek: The Musical” in 2008 cast a full-height actor as Farquaad. One might have hoped that 15 years later they would do better.

Miller’s ableism didn’t stop with Farquaad – incredibly, it got worse. Donkey’s song “Make a Move” featured backup by the Three Blind Mice, who at one point swing their white canes up to mimic microphones. The performance was truly funny – until Donkey snatched the cane away from the lead Mouse to use as a microphone himself.

NO.

Under no circumstances whatsoever is it OK to show kids that it’s funny to snatch away a disabled person’s mobility aid. Would people have laughed if Donkey had knocked a character out of a wheelchair and then done wheelies with it?

There is a really ugly history in this country of stage shows where majority demographic actors would dress and perform as caricatures of minority people with the intent of mocking or villainizing them. These shows, like SHREK, were seen at the time as good, wholesome family entertainment. But I never expected that in 2023 I'd be attending an ableist minstrel show.

"Shrek"could – should! – have sent a powerful inclusion message to kids: we all have our quirks and foibles and even a King may be a little freaky. This makes “freaks” normal. Instead, “Shrek: The Musical” showed kids that disabled peoples’ mobility devices are mere comic props, and Little People are true freaks who must be disguised behind Normal people in dwarfism blackface.

“Shrek: The Musical” is a well-performed show, but I advise you to think twice before letting your kids see it … and if you do decide to take them, make sure they’ve had an after-lunch nap! “Shrek: The Musical” plays at Northshore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie through December 31.

I doubt anyone would contest the appeal of a feel-good musical for the post-pandemic, pre-election, peri-MAGA year of 2023, and "Brigadoon" is just that: a feel-good show with overtones of fantasy and romance.

The story has two NYC businessmen wandering astray on a hunting trip in Scotland and happening upon the village of Brigadoon – a most peculiar village, as Act One makes increasingly clear. Tommy Albright (brilliantly played by Conor Jordan) and Jeff Douglas (Zachary Linnert), despite their friendship, are about as different as two men could be. Tommy has, to all appearances, a perfect life: perfect job, perfect fiancée, plenty of money and seemingly without a care in the world. Still, Tommy feels there’s something missing, and yearns to find he-knows-not-what. Jeff is more settled as dogged bachelor and tenacious tippler . He meets Tommy’s dreams with staunch rationality: Jeff believes only in what he can see, hear, feel, taste … like that.

They get lost trekking through the Scottish highlands and, though the map shows no settlement nearby, they follow the sound of music to find a group of men and women preparing for the wedding of Charlie Dalrymple (Luke Nowakowski) to Jean MacLaren (Susannah Harvey). Perhaps the wedding is the reason they’re dressed so queerly? for everyone is garbed in traditional Scottish dress … traditional for 1747, that is! The people speak oddly, with mysterious references to getting the wedding over before ‘the miracle’.

Jeff, more than a little inebriated, wants only a chance to sleep it off, which Meg Brockie (Madison Kauffman) eagerly offers. She leads him into the heathered hills, but once there reveals she has no intention of letting him sleep, delightfully expressed in the song “The Love of My Life”.

Meanwhile, Tommy’s eye has been caught by the beautiful Fiona MacLaren (Sarah Obert) and he insists on accompanying her as she goes to gather The Heather on the Hill. I trust I won’t be accused of a major spoiler by revealing that they fall in love; their duet It’s Almost Like Falling in Love is one of the show’s best-known songs.

Still, as Jeff points out, there are things that need explaining, and Fiona takes them to the eccentric Mr. Lundie (cleverly played by Timothy Wolf), who explains that in 1747 the town, to avoid being hexed by a traveling troop of sorceresses, was placed under a very special spell: the village of Brigadoon exists for but a single day every century; when the populace goes to bed at the close of that day they don’t awaken until 100 years in the future. And there’s a major catch: nobody can leave Brigadoon or the entire populace is doomed – kind of like Hotel California expanded to the scope of Jonestown.

Performances were universally superb. The voices of all principals – Sarah Obert (Fiona), Luke Nowakowski (Charlie), and Isa Ramirez as Maggie Anderson – were strong and true, particularly Sarah Obert’s clarion soprano. I single out Madison Kauffman (Meg Brockie) for her astonishing enunciation of some wickedly rapid lyrics without her tang getting tungled even once. And I single out Conor Jordan (Tommy) because, even in a comprehensively magnificent cast, his splendid performance stood out as exceptional. Not eclipsing the others, mind – that can create problems – but I found Jordan’s singing, acting, and dancing to be extra-specially special. [Yeah, I usually have a favorite in every cast – so sue me.]

The cast surrounding these principals was equally gifted: Stan Austin as Stuart Dalrymple, Bob Sanders as Archie Beaton with Will Leonard playing his son Harry; Susannah Harvey playing Fiona’s sister Jean MacLaren and Kent Joseph as their father Andrew. Timothy Wolf was an adorably discombobulated Mr. Lundie. The rest of the villagers were Jane Ashton (Delaney Good), Maggie Anderson (Isa Ramirez), Frank (Jimmy Hogan), and Kate (Anna Marie Abbate), with Adam Raso covering Sandy/Angus. The Ensemble added breadth and depth: Emma Jean Eastlund, Theresa Egan, David Geinosky, Dee Kimpel, Olivia Russell, Alex Villasenor, and Swing Renee Dwyer. It’s a big cast and I wish I could comment on each individual but have to settle with unanimously stunning.

The performers were brilliant; unfortunately much of the production tTeam didn’t quite meet their standard. Stage space was limited, but I’m accustomed to the really small stages of the storefront theatres I love, and Scenic Designer Ann Davis made clever use of the space, complementing the action of the play with multiple levels and alternate entrances. Not so much though with Props Designer Emmett Wickersham, who allowed some serious anachronisms: in the very first scene I was jolted by Tommy carrying a canvas duffel prominently emblazoned with the Ralph Lauren Polo label.

Hair, Wig and Makeup designer Alice Salazar, with Assistant Melanie Saso, did a nice job with some remarkably hirsute characters, but the wardrobes created by Costume Designer Jazmin Aurora Medina and Assistant Kristen Brinati were … meh. Scots clan plaids are distinctly singular and mean something; it’s not just a form of checkered cloth, and the kilts and flyplaids for "Brigadoon" were not authentic. Speaking of flyplaids, I understand the rationale for securing it twice – the dances are quite vigorous. Scotsmen manage, though … and I was very disappointed to catch a glimpse of inauthentic dress (or, more properly, undress) under the kilts. As for the girls, their dresses were pretty, but in no way memorable. Design is all about minutiae and details, and these fine points were neglected in "Brigadoon."

"Brigadoon" demanded a cast well-versed in three domains: acting, singing, and dancing, with the latter two dependent on Sound Designer Vija Lapp and Music Director / Conductor Michael McBride’s 7-piece orchestra. On the whole it was grand, supporting but not overwhelming the cast, though I do wish McBride had found a bagpipe. Lighting Designer Andrew Meyers skillfully evoked the shifting environments, from bright celebration to nubilous mystery.

The fights were well choreographed by Amber Wuttke, likewise the work of Intimacy Choreographer Elena Patterson; and the Scots dialect, Coached by Kathy Logelin, was spot-on. Sasha Gerritson Directed, and her Assistant Clayton Cross was also Choreographer. His dances were superb, incorporating elements of the Scottish fling and the Strathspey travelling step into each ceilidh throughout the show – presumably influenced by the consulting Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers. Dance performance was magnificent, sustained by Dance Captains Anna Marie Abbate and Isa Ramirez. Kudos to all collaborators, and of course laurels for a wonderful cast of dancin’ fools!

And speaking of collaboration: raves and plaudits for Stage Manager Allison Gonzalez. She and her Assistant Ethan Colish deserve recognition as authentic Cat Herders for bringing this show off! [BTW, have you seen this brilliant cat herder clip? It was a halftime ad for some long-ago Superbowl).

"Brigadoon" is emblematic of the Golden Age of musicals, in which all three domains – acting, singing, and dancing – play key roles. Prior to the 1920’s musical theatre was still evolving from variety shows, which might include singers, magicians, acrobats, and other divers offerings – Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan demonstrating ‘finger language’ was popular. Over time these disconnected acts took shape as vaudeville and revues, where the variety of acts had a central theme. The Jazz Age, 1920’s through 30’s brought operettas to the stage, produced by the likes of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and teams like Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

In the Golden Age of Musical Theatre, 1940’s thru 1950’s, Lerner & Lowe joined their contemporaries in producing book musicals – plays where songs and dances were fully integrated into a serious dramatic story, aimed to evoke genuine emotions, with fully three-dimensional characters performing songs and dances motivated by situation and character. Some outstanding examples of book musicals include “My Fair Lady”, “West Side Story”, and “The King and I”. Into this welcoming environment Lerner and Loeb brought "Brigadoon."

The 1960’s-‘70’s saw a major shift in style, as is to be expected in such turbulent times. Experimentation with rock musicals like “Hair” accompanied social commentary, as in “Fiddler on the Roof” and “A Chorus Line”. Stephen Sondheim flourished in this pre-contemporary era, as did Kander and Ebb and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The millenium seemed to turn back into more comedic offerings, and we’ve yet to see what the 2020’s will bring.

Me, I like dramas focusing on social issues but in general I hope for a strong swing toward original works that experiment with alternative genre.
How about you? Where would you like to see musical theatre turn? For today escapism is appropriate, and "Brigadoon" delivers! "Brigadoon" runs through November 12 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

Fun fact. I went into Music Theater Works’ production of Pippin knowing the songs, knowing the show, and knowing I’d have a good time. But afterwards, I learned from my daughter, herself a current member of Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, Carnegie Mellon University’s student theater troupe, that the beloved musical didn’t just appear out of thin air, manufactured by the Broadway gods and bestowed upon us earthly theatergoers.

But Pippin didn’t just appear magically like all the good shows seem to have done. It was originally written by Stephen Schwartz as a student show for Scotch’n’Soda Theatre before its first Broadway run, directed by the great Bob Fosse. Knowing that now, the show’s youthful exuberance and dated innocence makes sense. Of course it was written by a kid, albeit a very talented kid.

Knowing that, the show means that much more—the story of a talented kid figuring out life and yearning for something, written by a kid like that. And knowing that, it’s fitting that my favorite part of this fine production of Pippin, directed by Kyle A. Dougan at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, was its young and talented and eager and enthusiastic ensemble. Seriously, the ensemble works (and sings and dances and acts) their tails off.

Choreographed by Mollyanne Nunn and Kaitlyn Pasquinelli, both ensemble members as well, there is always something fascinating going on across the stage; I never knew quite where to look because there was always someone stunning me with a dance move or making me laugh with a random bit of incidental tomfoolery. The scenic design by Shane Cinal and the costumes by Jazmin Aurora Medina only furthered the youthful feel, for me especially, as the themes and color palette and props all screamed 80s and 90s. And said costumes and props were put to good use by the cast, with Ciara Hickey and Jordan Ordonez two standouts, the latter joining Lacey Jack and Sonia Goldberg’s Leading Player for the dance scene in “Glory.”

Goldberg starred last year in Theo Ubique’s Once Upon a Mattress, and again takes center stage in the role of Leading Player, originated by Ben Vereen, leading the production throughout. Goldberg also leads youthful and yearning Pippin through the show’s story, for this production played by Connor Ripperger. Both Ripperger and Goldberg have phenomenal vocal skills, and show them off throughout. Their talents are matched by the rest of the main cast, including a hilarious (and hilariously costumed) Thomas M. Shea as Pippin’s royal father, King Charlemagne, Andrew Freeland as Lewis, Desiree Gonzalez as Catherine, and Di’Aire Wilson as Theo. The two women competing in the king’s life are wonderful; Kathleen Puls Andrade’s Berthe kills “No Time at All” (helped out, of course, by the audience on the choruses) and Savannah Sinclair flashes her dancing skills as Fastrada.

But again, this production is most enjoyable as a whole—because of all the talent onstage, because of all the enthusiasm shown by every single member of the cast, and because of all the hard work that has obviously been put into the show by everyone involved with Music Theater Works. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the orchestra, conducted by Justin Akira Kono. Kono leads the strings, horns, and trumpets through the show’s beloved soundtrack, and gives it a real Broadway feel. Because yes, this might be a show about youthful angst, written by a college kid for a college theater, but it’s also a beloved Broadway classic, jam-packed with beloved standards. And from now through June 25, you can see the cast and crew of Music Theater Works give it their all in Pippin at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.