Displaying items by tag: OrientalTheatre

Sometimes when something goes bad, it goes really bad. And that can be a good thing. In fact, that is truly the case in ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ now playing at Oriental Theatre. Revolving around a disastrous opening night of Drama Society’s largest production to date, ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor’, a handful of actors are at the mercy of one mishap after another. From faulty props to mispronounced words to incorrect sound cues to cheesy stage effects, this Monty Python-esque play is one madcap adventure even before it begins to its final calamity.

“We apologize for the box office mix up and hope that the one-thousand-seven-hundred of you enjoy this show as much as you would have enjoyed ‘Hamilton’,” says cast member Chris Bean to the audience just prior to the beginning of the show.

Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ is a comedy about theatre – or to put it more accurately, the things that can go wrong during a production. And this one has a lot of wrong.

Once the murder mystery begins the poor cast is subject to a series of hilarious misfortunes – even as the opening curtain is raised to soon and we see the cast scurrying to find their positions - though in an attempt to be consummate professionals, the actors try their best not to break character – and that is not so easily done as we find out.

Charles Haversham is dead (kind of) and it’s up to Inspector Carter to solve the crime. Taking place in living room of a mansion, everyone is a suspect – Perkins the butler, Thomas Colleymoore, Charles’ fiancé Sandra Colleymoore and Cecil Haversham, Sandra’s lover on the side. But getting through the mystery is no easy task when props are misplaced or falling of the walls of the set, lines are exchanged in reverse order and the show’s starring actress gets knocked out only to be replaced by a shell-shocked stage manager – and that not the half of it. Laughs come rapid fire like bullets from a Tommy Gun, as the actors are put in one compromising position after another each funnier than the last. And though most of the actors try their damnedest to be as professional as possible, Max Bennet who play Cecil, seems to be getting quite the kick out of each mishap and uses those many moments to thrust himself into the spotlight.

Perhaps a bit confusing since we’re talking actors playing actors, but Evan Alexander Smith, who recently wowed audiences in Drury Lane’s ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, stars as Chris Bean – who stars as Inspector Carter. Smith rolls with his chance to show off his comedic acting chops and puts forth a stellar performance in the Inspector Clouseau-like part. The play is filled to the brim with standout performances as Peyton Crim as Robert Grove who plays Thomas Colleymoore is sensational as the actor’s actor who refuses to fall victim to one calamity after another. Colorful characters fill this story, thanks to a very strong ensemble comprised of such talents as Ned Noyes (Max Bennett who plays Cecil Haversham), Jamie Ann Romero (Sandra Wilkinson who plays Florence Colleymoore), Yaegel T. Welch (Johnathan Harris who plays our victim Charles Haversham), Angela Grovey as our stage manager, Brandon J. Ellis the head-in-the-clouds lighting and sound operator and last, but certainly not least Scott Cote who is incredibly funny as Dennis Tyde who plays Perkins the butler.

In all, this comedic masterpiece of a staged whodunnit that goes terribly wrong delivers big laughs and plenty of them. This is perhaps the funniest play to hit the Chicago stage since Steppenwolf’s farce comedy “The Doppleganger” had us laughing all Spring.

Wonderfully directed by Matt DiCarlo with original Broadway direction by Mark Bell, ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ is only here for a two-week limited engagement at the Oriental Theatre through Sunday, December 16th. For more information, visit www.BroadwayGoesWrong.com.

What makes theater so great is its ability to transport you to different worlds. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time opened on Wednesday night at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago and it successfully does just that, although where it transports you is not where you may have expected. Based on the bestselling novel written by Mark Haddon in 2013, this play is told from the perspective of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum and his teacher, the ever-compassionate Siobhan. Christopher lives with his father Ed, who has told him his mother died of a heart condition. One night, Christopher finds a neighbor’s dog, Wellington, dead having been stabbed with a garden fork and he quickly becomes a prime suspect. Adamant of his innocence, he plays detective to find the real murderer and unexpectedly ends up on an adventure full of surprises, shocks, and challenges. 

While his condition is never stated explicitly, it is implied that Christopher is somewhere on the autistic spectrum with savant qualities, especially in the areas of math and science. As the play unfolds the audience experiences the world through Christopher’s mind, realizing how his unique brain makes him an outsider in the world we so often take for granted. These differences are made, all the more evident through stunning visual effects, great use of sound and lighting and a creative approach to telling the story.

While the book is written solely in Christopher’s voice, the stage production plays with time and employs two points of view for narration, both Christopher’s and his teacher Siobhan. Christopher has been writing a story about his investigation into Wellington’s murder and that becomes a play within a play as we shift between Siobhan’s reading of the story during school time and Christopher telling it in real time. Christopher is played by Adam Langdon who provided a strong performance, although at times it felt a bit forced and ventured into overdone as he embodied a teen struggling with an exceptional brain and different take on the world. Siobhan, played by Maria Elena Ramirez, was excellent as was Gene Gillette as Ed (Christopher’s father). An ensemble cast rounds out the show playing a number of roles to bring the full story to life.

The staging of the show is quite unique, made up of a simple set with digital walls on the sides and back of the stage that boast different visual effects throughout the show, and a series of white rectangle blocks used as chairs, tables, benches, televisions and even a fish tank through creative lighting. Employing creative choreography by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, the actors themselves create movements on stage that transport the audience through the various scenes from outer space to a crowded London Tube station. Coupled with the lighting, sounds and an ever-evolving play train set, the simple set design feels energetic and lively throughout the show.

Overall, this play moves along well throwing in some surprises along the way and with brilliant staging it constantly amazes the audience. While there were moments that felt over acted, on the whole it was a strong all-around performance. There is some strong language used and some more mature topics so keep in mind it may not be family friendly for younger children. It is a show that while it entertains, it will also challenge you to think about those among us who experience the world so differently due to their unique brains.  Get your tickets to experience the show for your self, running through December 24th at the Oriental Theater.  

Taking yet another beloved movie of yesterday and transforming it into a big stage production, Ghost the Musical is certainly different than most. Though the storyline is captivating, as most know, it’s the show’s jaw-dropping special effects that really grab one’s attention. Plenty of illusions and jumbo screen visuals are certain to mesmerize keeping the focus from the production’s on and off song numbers.

The story really begins after Sam Wheat is unexpectedly killed during a mugging after an evening of theatre. Sam’s spirit – or ghost – is caught between worlds where he finds himself living amongst the life he knew. It soon becomes apparent that Sam’s purpose is to bring his killer to justice and with the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown, who is able to actually hear him, he puts his plan into action.

There are plenty of great performances in this show and Steven Grant Douglas as Sam Wheat tops the list with both powerful acting and his ability to carry a tune. Katie Postotnik also turns it up a notch playing Sam’s heartbroken lover, Molly Jensen. And though plenty of kudos could be thrown around for more strong performances, one of the most entertaining to watch was that of Brandon Curry who played the angry and paranoid Subway Ghost.

Ghost the Musical has plenty of song and dance numbers, but as mentioned earlier, some hit and some miss. There are a couple of variations of the film’s classic theme song “Unchained Melody” that are thoroughly enjoyable and are among the few better numbers, but as pleasurable as this show is, you’re probably not going to see it for its music.

But make no mistake about it, this is a show that will truly captivate. 

Ghost the Musical is playing at the Oriental Theater located at 24 W Randolph in downtown Chicago through January 19^th. For tickets and more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.