Collaborations can produce tremendous results and the one between Nathan Gunn, his wife Julie Jordan Gunn and Jam Orchestra counts as a particularly splendid example. Nathan Gunn & Friends: Beloved Broadway, a tribute to some of the finest music produced on Broadway, had nestled within it an ulterior agenda Saturday night. Along with a maelstrom of delightful music, it provided an ideal platform for displaying the highly impressive talent being nurtured and developed at Lyric Theater @ Illinois (LTI). A first of its kind program on the University of Illinois’ Champaign campus, LTI provides its students with a comprehensive foundation of “sung theatre”. Created by Mr. and Mrs. Gunn nearly a decade ago, the program entrenches a thorough understanding and proficiency in “traditional European opera, American Musical Theatre and new, contemporary works”.
Each an alumnus of U of I, both Nathan and Julie Gunn have achieved exemplary success in their musical careers. Opera lovers well know why the Opera Wire has called Mr. Gunn one of the great baritones of our time and Mrs. Gunn has enjoyed luminous success as a pianist and musical director. Their rich experience in the many facets of musical performance would be an invaluable asset in any learning environment. Together they worked with Aaron Kaplan of the Chicago based ensemble, Jam Orchestra, to bring a world class tableau of music and song to the community. In this case, Evanston’s Nichols Concert Hall on a clear and frigid January evening.
A feast of plenty, the program concentrated on seven Broadway shows well suited for orchestration. Works were also selected on how well they displayed daring and musical innovation at the time they were produced. Some of the selections like Rogers and Hammerstein’s “If I Loved You” from Carousel and “Maria” from West Side Story are imminently well known. Others like “Lily’s Eyes” from The Secret Garden and “What Good Would the Moon Be” from Street Scene are likely less so. Beloved Broadway with Gunn and friends puts them all on equal footing and shows why each stands a musical milestone.
Produced by Julie Gunn and co-directed by herself, her husband and Kaplan, Beloved Broadway turns into a fascinating gambol through excellence. That journey proved to have a stealthy edge. At the beginning of both acts, the orchestra displayed its considerable chops with renditions devoid of voice accompaniment. First with “The Carousel Waltz” and later with the Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide”, Jam Orchestra set high expectations for what was to follow.
As pleasing as the opening songs from Carousel were, an elusive passion-defining spark had yet to be struck. Glimmers of that fire could be detected in Lisa Buhelos’ voice as she sang “When the Children are Asleep” with Eldon Warner-Soriano. And anyone who never experienced how sublimely exquisite Mr. Gunn’s baritone can be certainly got that opportunity when he performed “Soliloquy” from the musical. Those flashes of the exceptional were just harbingers of the deluge of musical pleasure that was to come.
All noted for their technical dexterity, masterful versatility and natural talent, the five young “friends” accompanying Gunn in this musical tribute are all graduates of LTI; and all voices one would do well to seek out. Buhelos would once again prove herself excellent in the duet “How Could I Ever Know?” from The Secret Garden with Ryan Bryce Johnson. A rare and magical tenor, once Johnson centered himself on the stage, he electrified. Chill inducing, his interpretation of West Side Story’s “Maria” showed that even the best-known masterpiece can render bright new exhilarating wonder in the right hands. The sophistication of the arrangements hugely accentuated the enjoyment of this and many other selections. Lara Brooks would later show how subtlety produces the same effect with her sweetly delicate treatment of “Send in the Clowns”.
There can be no tribute to Broadway without the inclusion of Sondheim and his genius is liberally sprinkled throughout the program. One of those songs that will likely always read as radical and revolutionary, “Now/Later/Soon” from A Little Night Music exists in a league of its own. Intricately complex, instantly engrossing and wonderfully amusing, it’s a stylistic marvel that Buhelos, Johnson and baritone Warner-Soriano perform with the deftness of well-seasoned Great White Way veterans. Exacting requirements in timing and phrasing are essential if the flawlessness the song strives for, in truth demands, is to be achieved. With this crew, that box is a guaranteed check.
A performance saturated in delight, Beloved Broadway with Nathan Gunn and Friends moves superlative, uniquely American music from the bastions of city centers to the communities where people live. That gesture makes the bounty of the arts more accessible to more people and encourages those with creative impulses to continue to dream. It’s difficult to imagine a better vehicle for carrying such an important message with such beauty and ability.
Nathan Gunn and Friends: Beloved Broadway
January 11, 2025
Nichols Concert Hall
1490 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
All hands on deck Titanic fans! Get ready for a lavishly produced musical that boldly reimagines the Titanic story, navigating…
By popular demand, Disney’s The Lion King will return to Chicago for the first time since 2023, where the production played a sold-out…
THE LISTENERS has undergone several incarnations since the 2021 novel by Jordan Tannahill. It’s been a full-length movie, a TV…
IDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS Presents Spring Concert 2025 “Instinct” A captivating performance of four distinct works on April 26 & 27…
The Auditorium (Chicago’s Landmark Stage® at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly welcomes back the eclectic energy of hometown favorite South…
Open Space Arts (OSA), who recently won some of the top honors in the Joseph Jefferson Awards for 2024 productions,…
I’ve reviewed a number of shows at Open Space Arts (OSA) – I love the place – so I’m familiar…
Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of Scary Town, Artistic Director David Cerda's semi-autobiographical…
In Definition Theatre's production of "Splash Hatch on the E Going Down," Kia Corthron's 1997 work feels unnervingly relevant in…
Kokandy Productions is pleased to announce the official selections for the annual Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, a celebration and showcase of the…
I’m not holding back—Copley Theatre’s latest offering, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is an absolute winner! I’ve seen…
Don’t be deceived by the title. The phrase “lifespan of a fact” sounds about as dry as the Mojave Desert…
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome…
Walking into Windy City Playhouse, audiences are immediately transported to somewhere new. Scenic Designer Kevin Rofls fills the space with…
Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce Writers Theatre's 2025/26 season. The five-play season is marked by four productions never seen before…
About Face Theatre announces the return of Re/Generation Studio, a weekend of community building, education, and performance to help build the future…
Fresh off her critically acclaimed and Tony-nominated run in Broadway's Days of Wine and Roses, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Mark Cortale are pleased to present…
Going into “La Bohème” with little knowledge of Puccini’s masterpiece, I was just a naive theater-goer seeing it fresh at…
Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce that a revitalized new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, will play…
Chicagoland's longest running musical theatre, Marriott Theatre, continues its 50th Anniversary Season celebration with the epic production of Titanic The Musical, directed and choreographed by Connor…
Ser o no ser esa es la cuestión We are all familiar with Shakespeare’s iconic line: to be or not…
Theater Wit, in collaboration with the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies at Northwestern and Northlight Theatre, hosts CityTalk: A Series of Conversations on Assimilation, Antisemitism…
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 49th season with the Chicago premiere of The…
Lyric Opera of Chicago today announces the company's 2025/26 Season, its first complete season under the leadership of new General…
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice! You’ve summoned him once again, Chicago— BEETLEJUICE is back for another hauntingly hilarious run! The edgy and irreverent Broadway…
The Auditorium (Chicago’s Landmark Stage® at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly presents a special evening with Parsons Dance, the New…
Obliteration, LLC & The Revival Theater announce a limited engagement of Obliteration, written by Andrew Hinderaker, directed by Jonathan Berry, featuring Michael Patrick Thornton and Cyd Blakewell. Obliteration runs April 10-May 4,…
The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago announces 16 by Red Clay Dance Company for three performances only, April 17-19, 2025, featuring Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn…
Stand Up Together, a comedy benefit in support of artists impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires, hosted by Second City and SNL…
Following a string of successful shows, Music Theater Works has once again hit the jackpot with their 2025 season opener,…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.