Displaying items by tag: Buzz Center Stage

A tragic Shakespearian tale of Romeo and Juliet set to the music of a Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev is brought to Chicago Harris theatre by The National Ballet Theatre of Odessa (Ukraine).

 A ballet in two acts, it starts out rather slow. Dancers are mostly standing around, and a sense of a theatre, rather than ballet, is conveyed. This low energy feel is not helped by the dull uniform-like color palette of the costumes and unexciting set decorations [of predominantly burgundy]. Luckily, the first scene features multiple quarrels between the servants, which escalate to a brawl, bringing some much-needed energy to the stage. We get our first look at lovely Juliet, who is most certainly the star of the show. 

Choreographed by Michael Lavrovsky, overall, Odessa’s Romeo and Juliet has a very traditional feel, full of reliable dance moves but not too many thrills for the Chicago Harris Theatre’s spoiled audience. Regardless, it does have some nice parts, all of them seemingly saved for the Second Act.

Alas, Act Two has a lot more sparkle. Events are set in motion, the pace is picked up and, to our delight, we get another major infusion of Romeo’s friend, red-headed Mercutio (danced by Nikolay Vorivodin), who is unquestionably the liveliest dancer of the troupe and, frankly, one of its most memorable. His spirited energy lights up every scene he’s in, and that’s a really good thing for this sleepy production. In his last performance he dances out a sword fight, churning out acrobatic- inspired moves, while remaining playfully graceful. Farewell, Mercutio, we’ll miss you.  

Odessa’s National Ballet Theatre features some very fine performers in Romeo and Juliet. Olga Vorobiova, who dances the part of Juliet, is absolutely outstanding. A world class ballerina, she is gracefully fluid and highly expressive. Her partner Stanislav Skrynnik (Romeo) is a very capable dancer, perfectly executing his role in the ballet as a support for Vorobiova during the couple’s love scenes. One of the most impressive scenes in the ballet is Romeo and Juliet last embrace; it’s absolutely gorgeous. Ahh, Romeo and Juliet, fused together in an expression of love and devotion; it brings tears to one’s eyes.

So, I went into Once on This Island, currently playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, knowing nothing of the show at all. Nothing. The above title, I took that from one of the songs that’s still stuck in my head — “Some Girls,” sung beautifully in this production by Tyler Hardwick’s Daniel.

But it’s the sentiment of that song, that some girls (or some things, like Broadway musicals, perhaps) are extraordinary, special, better than the status quo. As this production began, I wouldn’t have guess that it would take its place in the really good shows I’ve seen, or the really good ones I’ve had the privilege to review. But you know what? By the end of the show, it had.

You see (and my 16-year-old daughter, a theater geek in her own right, agreed with me as soon as the houselights went on), this show’s a grower. Before it began, the set held promise — audience members seated on either side of the stage itself, various sand and detritus hinting at the Caribbean island setting to come, what seemed to be cast members milling about.

But, just as 2018’s Auditorium Theatre touring production of The Color Purple found a stripped-down production overwhelmed by a cavernous locale, this production at first seemed to be swallowed up by the size of the Cadillac. The set was spread out over the stage, sure, but the sound was muddled and devoured by the site. This problem seemed to get better as the show went on — I’m not sure if my ears just adjusted or if the cast did the adjusting.

Or maybe it’s that, as I said, the show’s a grower. Because the cast and the songs they sang seemed to get better as it went on. A show that had my daughter’s head nodding to stay awake at first later found it nodding along to the story and the tunes. This being a one-act performance, the lack of an intermission worked wonders, not allowing the booze-and-bathroom break to kill the slow-building momentum. And build it did.

The story’s your standard girl-meets-boy-but-stuff-gets-in-the-way sort of plot that Disney’s mined for decades. And this story would totally fit into the Disney Princess pantheon if Disney’s ever looking to head to the Caribbean for anything other than Johnny Depp in a pirate getup. Told as the story (to a young cast member and the audience members seated on the stage’s edges) of an orphaned and impoverished island girl (Ti Moune played by Courtnee Carter) who falls in love with a rich boy (the afore-mentioned Daniel, played by the talented Hardwick), the best parts go to the supernatural characters who populate the fairy tale.

Kyle Ramar Freeman lords over the stage whenever he’s on it as Asaka, Mother of the Earth. Jahmaul Bakare isn’t far behind with his water god. Just as the land of Oz’s Glinda is overshadowed by the cool costumes and witchcraft of her more wicked counterparts, Cassondra James’ love goddess Erzulie isn’t as much fun as the other deities, though James’ voice and presence make up for what her character lacks. But throughout the show, I was enchanted by the fourth god, Papa Ge, the demon of death. The actress who played Papa Ge was done up all ratty and punk-rock, but her physicality and beauty and presence were evident, not to mention her musical chops. Only afterward did I look in the playbill and learn that this Papa Ge’s played by Tamyra Gray, my all-time favorite television singing competition entrant (she was on the very first season of American Idol, back when Kelly Clarkson won, back before my teenage date for this show was even born). Needless to say, even if she’s playing a hellish harvester of souls, Tamyra’s still got my heart!

And, it seemed, by the end of the show, the cast and the story they told and the songs that they sang had won over the hearts of the audience, too. The songs had gotten better, the sound had settled down, and the actors and singers had warmed up and settled in, giving the Cadillac Palace’s audience a good time, which I’m sure they’ll keep on doing in this production Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Once on This Island, playing now through February 2.

With their usual care and commitment, Black Button Eyes Productions is introducing ‘Whisper House’, a musical ghost story about loss, love and not giving up, to Chicago. The premise is promising. A young boy loses his Airman father in the Pacific during WWII, a loss that his mother cannot handle. He is sent to live with his aunt Lily in a lighthouse in Maine that she tends with the assistance of a Japanese immigrant who somehow got stranded there on his way to find his future. There’s a law-and-order sheriff who may have feelings for Lily. Or not. And there are the tunefully malignant and omnipresent ghosts, who frequently opine that everyone would be better off dead. The pedigree of the musical is impressive, with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik of Spring Awakening fame and book and additional lyrics by Kyle Jarrow (‘Spongebob Squarepants Musical’). Unfortunately, the plot is predictable, the music bland, and the ghostly sirens quickly grow tiresome—why they want everyone to be miserable or dead is not entirely clear. It is thanks to director Ed Rutherford’s well-paced and elegant staging, and the sincerity of the talented cast, that ‘Whisper House’ is an engaging and ultimately moving love story. Though the resolution, when it comes, is wholly anticipated (except for those Ghosts, whose denouement surprises even them, as the lyrics acknowledge), it is surprisingly affecting. ‘Whisper House’ as a musical is a mess—it feels incomplete and prosaic, like the suspended ambitions of its characters—but the strong Black Button Eyes ensemble reveals the heart that no doubt drew them to this imperfect rumination on the need for love and the ways that humans push it away.

Most of the problems with ‘Whisper House’ stem from the musical’s transparently thin plot and mostly forgettable (with the occasional catchy hook) score. The trite lyrics channel pop psychology via Edward Gorey. The narrative conveniently brings together characters who are bound to mistrust one another: Christopher is sent to the last place on Earth he wants to be to live with an aunt he never met after the death of his father in a firefight with Japanese pilots. A Japanese caretaker helps Lily with household chores she cannot easily do (because of her limp), as well as offering companionship. Also looking in periodically is Charles, a flag-waving law enforcement officer. Christopher is immediately distrustful of Yasuhiro and the rabidly nationalistic Charles is just looking for a reason to get rid of him. Lily is haunted both literally and figuratively by the memory of a yacht that sank 20 years earlier, leading her to mistrust herself even when her instincts are sound. The stage is set for a claustrophobic clash of characters and cultures. And then, there are the ghosts of two stylish drowning victims. It’s hard to tell whether the creators wanted the ghosts to serve as metaphors for the living characters’ hurtful instincts or as actual characters. To the credit of director Ed Rutherford and his team of collaborators, he is able to keep a hold on the humanity of the characters and the genuine good will of the plot to deliver a slight, but entertainingly moving yarn. Rutherford could have done more to flesh out purpose and through-line for the ghostly narrators, and, despite a valiant effort by the design team, the smallish stage makes it difficult to portray multiple locations, including the ocean and an adjoining lighthouse, while also accommodating an onstage backing band. However, the care that was invested in the staging ultimately pays off. Set designer Nikolaj Sorensen focuses on the kitchen of the lighthouse and keeps the space open enough to convey the other locations, albeit with efficient but clunky scene changes (which the occasionally corporeal and accommodating ghosts incorporate into Derek Van Barham’s 1920’s-inspired choreography). With the addition of the color-saturated lighting design of Liz Cooper, nifty period props by Adrian Hadlock, and creaky-spooky sound effects by Robert Hornbostel, the design team effectively creates the gloomy, desolate backdrop the story requires. Costume designer Rachel M. Sypniewski further adds to the effect, with simple, drab costumes for the humans who have no one to dress for (except for the Sheriff, whose uniform is his mask) and stylish Jazz Age formal wear for the ghosts, though, in keeping with their tragic fate, they dress in funereal white and black. Much credit also goes to musical director/conductor/musician Micky York and the other members of the six-piece ensemble, who create a spectrum of musical backdrops for the narrative and generally maintain the right balance with the vocals—not easy in a space of this size and configuration.

At the outset, we are introduced to the characters that in the ghosts believe would be better off dead. The guilt-ridden Christopher wants to care for his mother as he promised but is instead sent to stay with his father’s estranged sister. Leo Spiegel impressively captures Christopher’s grief, outrage and sense of powerlessness, though he does seem to take the omnipresence of ghosts in the lighthouse too much in stride (if ghosts told me I should be afraid, I would take their advice). Kate Nawrocki is the show’s anchor as Christopher’s aunt, who requests that he avoid addressing her as Ma’am or Aunt, insisting on Miss Lily. Pragmatic to the point of being cold, Nawrocki’s Lily nevertheless allows a sly sense of humor and genuine compassion to temper her bone-dry delivery. The growing connection between Spiegel’s needy and impudent Christopher and Nawrocki’s equally needy and uncompromising Lily is a high point in the show. Also living on the lighthouse property is Yasuhiro, who has forged a quiet but strong camaraderie with Lily. It is clear from the start that Lily and Yasuhiro share a bond, but misgivings about their different backgrounds, coupled with ghostly interference and the implementation of Executive Order 9066, keep them from acknowledging this. Karmann Bajuyo fortunately sidesteps the potential for melodrama in his character, offering a quietly self-deprecating and warmly humorous portrayal that provides a softer counterpoint to the flinty Lily. As Charles, the local sheriff who fully embraces the jingoistic and xenophobic patriotism that characterized some of America’s home front response to WWII, T.J. Anderson is cast against type. Lacking the hulking physical presence that one would expect of this stereotypical bully, Anderson tries to create a more complex character than the writing can support, coming across as a nice guy hiding behind toxic attitudes and braggadocio. This attempt at depth throws too much light on the two-dimensional writing and makes one wish for a more conventional bad guy. Anderson’s Charles also is no match for either Lily or Yasuhiro, which means he must rely solely on his badge and gun to intimidate (which violence designer Brendan Hutt wisely acknowledges when Charles’ racism inevitably—and unnecessarily—leads to violence). Mikaela Sullivan and Kevin Webb, as the waterlogged victims of 20-year-old shipwreck, play their roles with macabre relish. They have the voices and musical acumen to move easily through the various pop genres of the score, and beguilingly address both audience and the living characters they torment. Despite thoroughly enjoyable performances, one is still left wondering exactly what these two ghosts need or want (the reason given for their presence does not adequately explain their behavior): revenge? connection? company? all of the above? With these questions left unanswered, it can be occasionally frustrating to watch the spirits alternately charm, comfort, frighten, and belittle the living, often magnifying their most self-destructive musings.

This ghost story would be better off without its ghosts (despite charming and tuneful portrayals by Mikaela Sullivan and Kevin Webb), who mostly meddle in the living characters’ lives by amplifying their fears, misjudgments and self-doubts. They don’t need ghosts to do that for them. And, as much of the musical portion of the musical belongs to the ghostly interlopers, the predictable but ultimately moving story of a family thrown together by blood and circumstance is nearly drowned out by synth-pop hauntings. The balance is so off that it seems touch and go whether the excellent ensemble—with Kate Nawrocki, Karmann Bayuyo and Leo Spiegel as reluctant allies who need to learn trust at its heart—can land the emotional cargo. They do, and there is no denying that this is a good time for a reminder that compassion, and love can heal both a wounded heart and a wounded world. ‘Whisper House’ is decidedly not great theater, but as a musical curiosity it is mostly innocuous and entertaining, and Ed Rutherford’s cast ensures surely propels the plot to a satisfying and emotional conclusion, though a true resolution does not materialize. 

‘Whisper House’ runs through February 15 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago. Tickets are available at athenaeumtheatre.org, by calling (773)935-6875 or in person at the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office.

Touring illusion show of five ‘Champions of Magic’ is playing at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, and it is a spectacle to behold. A well-rounded performance, it includes a duo act of British grand illusionists Richard Young and Sam Strange, British mentalist Alex McAleer, American close up magician Kayla Drescher, and Mexican-born escape artist Fernando Velasco. 

Opening the first act is Alex McAleer, who is as charming as he is capable of effortlessly guess your deepest secrets (or at least the name of your childhood friend). Mindreading is one of the most fascinating kinds of magic, as it doesn’t require any props and relies solely on manipulation techniques such as psychics and hypnotists use. I haven’t a clue how he does it, but still spend some time watching him very closely, which, of course, proves a waste of time, because McAleer is a very gifted mentalist and a remarkable showman. 

Kayla Drescher is a cheerful close-up magic performer, who has won multiple awards, including the Society of American Magician’s Presidential Citation and being voted “Magician of the Year”. Her cards act is very intimate, perhaps too intimate for such a large Theater. Though well executed, the cameraman’s presence just a few feet away (in order to project her act on the big screen for the audience to see) feels just a bit distracting. Drescher really shines when engaging the audience members, volunteering someone up on stage with an unassuming charm and then wowing the audience with her brand of [card] magic.

The most spectacular act belongs to Young and Strange. The comedic duo has gotten many tricks up their sleeves: some new, some old. Watching their performance took me back to my childhood, to when circus came to town and everyone went to see a famous illusionist. I was delighted to watch some of my old favorites, like, an assistant being cut in half and then put back together again. I mean, common, it’s a classic and should never go away! But Young and Strange dazzle with many of their original acts as well; they’re highly entertaining performers. 

‘Champions of Magic’ would not be complete without an impressive young escape artist Fernando Velasco’s act; at just 21 years old he is already the world’s youngest to perform magic’s most dangerous illusion, the Houdini Water Torture Cell. Though it’s slightly less spectacular due to the fact that the glass water chamber had become covered with fabric slightly too long, it’s nevertheless very well done. Velasco is a fearless performer, and undoubtedly has a bright future.

Overall, ‘Champions of Magic’ is a wonderful magic show featuring all of the stage magic’s various fields – recommended!

Through December 29th at Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

While I’m familiar with Studs Terkel’s oral of history of workers, titled of course ‘Working’, I came into opening night of Theo Ubique’s production of Stephen Schwartz’s musical adaptation completely ignorant of its content, its music, any of it. I didn’t know Schwartz had originally written and staged it in the late 70s. I didn’t know it featured music by a 70s icon, James Taylor. And I didn’t know it had been refreshed in the past decade with tunes by a more modern musical icon, Lin Manuel Miranda. Sometimes it’s nice to come into a show blissfully ignorant; doing so gives you those rare moments of surprise that come in adulthood.

So, I was surprised by much of it. I was surprised by the musical numbers. And I was surprised by the unevenness of this Broadway giant’s work here. But I was not at all surprised by the enthusiasm and talent on display by the cast assembled at this great little treasure of a theater where Chicago and Evanston meet near the Howard station (its name proudly part of the tasteful set).

The musical numbers were a lot of fun — 70s Broadway stuff since, as I now know, this is 70s Broadway stuff. Musical director and keyboardist Jeremy Ramey (who killed it earlier this year in the same roles for Theo Ubique’s killer Hedwig) has maybe the best time of anyone in the house, channeling his love of music and love of this music through his fingers and his constant movement. His band, featuring Hedwig’s Perry Cowdery on guitar and Carlos Mendoza on drums, as well as Rafe Bradford on bass, are in lockstep the whole way, complementing both the cast and the score.

A couple members of said cast really show off their musical talent here, too. Stephen Blu Allen, who I’d yet to see perform, impressed with his overall talent. Maybe the youngest member of the cast, he moved like a veteran and sang like one, too, possessing a smooth voice that worked as well as a lead instrument as it did when hitting just the right harmonies when accompanying his castmates. The presence of Cynthia F. Carter, who’s quickly become one of my favorite local actors and singers (having seen her shine in the Black Ensemble Theater’s tributes to Mahalia Jackson and Chuck Berry), assured me upon seeing her name in the playbill that I was in good hands. And wouldn’t you know it — I was in the steady and experienced hands of both her stewardess and her streetwalker, and blown away by her cleaning woman’s closing number, “If I Could Have Been.”

And that number’s where I’ll list my gripe — only one gripe, really — a gripe not with the players, but with the piece itself. The show could’ve ended right there, with Carter’s number as the closer. But it kept going and kept preaching. When Schwartz lets the characters and their lives do the talking, ‘Working’ works. But when he tries to sum up what the workers have said, wrapping it up all tidy-like and preaching to the audience, it gets, well, a bit preachy. Any audience deserves the playwright’s respect, especially an audience there to see an adaptation of a book by Studs Terkel. They don’t — we don’t — need to be told what to think. We just need a work that’ll make us think, whatever that thinking might be and wherever that thinking might lead.

In ‘Working’’s first half, there’s more of that preaching going on. A schoolteacher played by Loretta Rezos preaches at us with all the stereotyped gripes about kids these days (especially those in neighborhoods where schoolteachers might be especially harried) — knives and drugs and Ritalin, but no respect and no grasp of the English language (except as a second language). Michael Kingston’s moneymaking and money-worshiping businessman is more of the same — a stereotype of money and business without anything new to say about it. But in the second half, both Rezos and Kingston get characters with more to do and thus more to say. Rezos’ restaurant worker gets perhaps my favorite number, turning the work of waiting tables into an art. And Kingston’s “Joe” brings the feels without the heavy-handed attempts to get them as his elderly titular character monologues about watching housefires and long-ago waltzes and old Sunday drunks with cash hidden in their socks.

I can’t forget the last two members of this talented cast, all of whom play multiple characters. Jared David Michael Grant is the show’s heart, as a long-haul trucker, as a laid-off worker, and especially as the fireman at one of those housefires Joe spends his retirement chasing. The firefighter’s soliloquy, not just about the work of first responders but about the world they respond to, was every bit as meaningful as it must’ve been when Terkel and Schwartz encountered it over forty years ago. And Kiersten Frumkin is sort of the cast’s utility worker — in a play about such folks — nimbly playing a millworker, a lot lizard, a housewife, and more. It’s her last worker, a woman proudly watching the child she’s raising grow, that’s her best, and features a beautiful duet with Allen’s nursing home worker.

So, while the play itself is far from perfect, it gets better after intermission. And while the play itself is far from perfect, its cast perfectly plays the many roles they’re asked to play. And, isn’t an imperfect what workers and their worlds are? As Allen’s southside community organizer says late in ‘Working’, “history is made up of a lot of little people,” and ‘Working’ gives all of those little people a voice and a stage to tell their messy, imperfect, and real stories of ‘Working’ and of life, now through January 26 at what’s become one of my favorite spots, Theo Ubique on Howard in Evanston.

Usually it’s the other way around that a show is developed by Lyric and sent on the road. Scenario Two Ltd. instead brings their critically acclaimed production of ‘Light in the Piazza’ from London to Chicago starring our own Renee Fleming. Those looking to warm their hearts without the glittery holiday schmaltz will enjoy this romantic alternative. 

Fleming would call Lyric her home-base, but what a rare treat it is to see the iconic diva perform in Chicago. ‘Light in the Piazza’ is a bit of a departure from the epic operas Fleming is ordinarily associated with. Composer and lyricist Adam Guettel’s adaptation of Elizabeth Spencer’s novella, is a light opera that’s closer to traditional musical theatre than opera.

 
‘Light in the Piazza’ premiered in 2004 and was eventually nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical. It’s about a wealthy American mother and daughter spending an idyllic summer in Italy during the 50s. Upon arriving in Italy, Clara (Solea Pfeiffer) falls in love at first sight with Florentine Fabrizio (Rob Houchen). It’s unclear why Clara’s mother Margaret (Renee Fleming) is initially so opposed to the union. It’s revealed that Clara is developmentally challenged as a result of an equestrian accident. Her mother fears she is not capable of rational decision making. 

Guettel is the grandson of renown composer Richard Rogers who at one time had ambitions to adapt the novella in the 60s. Guettel’s score is beautiful, and Renee Fleming’s vocals are incredible, but there’s an emptiness to the lyrics that the heavy amount repetition can’t compensate for.

 
The source material is fairly short for a full two-act musical. The book by Craig Lucas delivers some emotional punches that rise above the flat lyrics. Solid performances by Solea Pfeiffer and Rob Houchen are where the strengths of this production lie. The final emotional conflict of the show is bittersweet and haunting. Miss Pfeiffer’s performance is a hidden weapon here. Such simple choices yield huge emotional response.

 
If ever given the chance to see Renee Fleming, obviously do. Seeing Fleming do a romantic musical is an experience few will have. That said, she is an opera singer and that’s a different kind of acting. It would be interesting to see how an actress with a more traditional musical theatre repertoire would approach this complex character. Fleming’s vocals are full of an unmatched passion for the craft, but the segments of spoken dialogue feel disconnected from the depth of the script.

 
Directed by Daniel Evans, this is a lush and grand production of a musical that is generally done on a smaller scale. The luxurious staging by Scenario Two make this tour comparable to the over-the-top sets Lyric audiences are used to. The plot of ‘Light in the Piazza’ has the makings for a tragedy but the unexpectedly romantic path it takes makes for an enchanting and easily digestible evening at the opera. 

Through December 29th at Lyric Opera Chicago. 20 N Wacker Drive. 312-827-5600

Caitlin Jackson as Bette Midler recreating one wonderful cabaret night at the Continental Bathhouse in New York city is a heartfelt, moving and entertaining way to remember and celebrate Bette's humble and "hungry" beginnings as a performer with the legendary “Tommy” (Tommy Robb) her pianist.

 
I really can't say enough about how talented Caitlin Jackson is as a comedienne and vocalist to be able to carry off this show with such style. Jackson's own vocal stylings are superb and many of the songs were delivered so strongly and such emotional insight into Midler's early struggles as a sexually liberated woman searching for love through her loneliness brought me to tears.

I actually lived in the historic pre-war luxury building, The Ansonia, on 72nd and Broadway showcased in Woody Allen's film Manhattan, for 4 years right after graduating from college. The bathhouse was long gone when I lived there in 1983-1988, but sometimes when I was doing laundry in the cavernous basement of the Ansonia, I imagined I could still hear the sounds of Bette's exquisite voice and the excitement of her loving fans laughing and clapping for her bawdy, yet tender humor.

I think Caitlin Jackson has a marvelous, powerful voice and does Bette Midler's humor and patter (taken almost verbatim from one show) justice without doing a full on impersonation which allows the audience to feel they are seeing the young Bette for the first time. 

I had forgotten just how many of Midler's amazingly moving songs are about her extreme loneliness and heartbreak in love relationships - "Empty Bed Blues," “Long John Blues,” “Do You Wanna Dance?” and, of course, "I Shall Be Released" and "Waiting for my new Friends to Come," so I was really happy to discover that this Christmas Edition wisely pumps up the Joy factor with several fantastic renditions of toe tapping Christmas songs and the ever popular "Superstar," "Baby Please Come Home" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".

Sydney Genco and Allison Petrillo are a delight as her backup singers and bring their bright sexy dame harmonies and dance moves that really help support Jackson - who otherwise carries every minute of this very demanding vocal and theatrical "one woman show". 'Bette: Xmas' is adapted by both Artistic Director David Cerda and Jackson, and Jackson also directs this production along with Marc LeWallen while music direction is handled by Tommy Robb.

I highly recommend seeing this unique and talent-filled Hell in a Handbag production, which has only been improved from its original Summer form by being lit up with Christmas lights and the Joy of Christmas.

‘Bette: Xmas at the Continental Baths’ is being performed at Mary’s Attic through December 31st.

For the fifth year in the row, the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory has become temporary home to Midsommer Flight’s annual production of Shakespeare comedy ‘Twelfth Night’. Admittedly, this was the main draw for me, as I love visiting the tantalizingly lush greenhouse space during Chicago’s colder months/ most of the year.  To accommodate the show, one of the Conservatory room has been turned into an intimate theatre with a catwalk-like narrow stage and two rows of chairs on either side.  Directed by Dylan S. Roberts, original music by Elizabeth Rentfro, Alex Mauney and Jordan Golding, this highly spirited and energetic play turned out to be a pure delight, amid green plants and ferns, notwithstanding Shakespeare’s witty dialogue.

Love is in the air, and mischief closely follows. A young woman, Viola (wonderfully played by Jackie Seijo), after being shipwrecked and stranded in a foreign land, poses as a man, becomes a servant to a nobleman, but then promptly falls in love with her master, Duke.  Duke’s heart, however, belongs to another – a wealthy woman Olivia, whose servant Malvolio (sassy Erika B. Caldwell, she’s so fun to watch!) gets pranked by his mistress’ household into believing that he, too, can merry into wealth and become a nobleman. Historically, there’s an old Christmas English tradition of role reversal, and it is believed that Shakespeare has written Twelfth Night as an entertainment for this tradition.

All of this role and gender reversal is a source of much confusion, and the actors masterfully act out every nuance and emotion, so, even with Shakespeare’s famously challenging dialogue, the show is highly entertaining and easy to follow. And speaking of dialogue, the actors have no trouble at all with that olden English (partial credit undoubtedly goes to text coach Amy Malcom). There’s a live band that’s part of the play, as musicians are also active participants. With all of that music, knife fighting, and dancing and prancing, it’s an occasional madhouse, but a really-really fun one.  

Highly recommended!

Veteran actress Tandy Cronyn, the daughter of legendary actors Hugh Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, helms ‘The Tall Boy’, in a solo performance. The award-winning play centered around the matron of an orphanage and three young boys, all convincingly played by Cronyn, is a meticulous look at what happens to child refugees in the aftermath of World War II.

Written by British playwright Simon Bent and directed by David Hammond, ‘The Tall Boy’ is based on "The Lost," a short story by Kay Boyle. The play premiered in Chicago, Thursday, December 5, at Stage 773 on Belmont Avenue.

The opening scene could easily be depicting the events of today as we see Cronyn, in army fatigues, sitting at a desk attempting to write a memo on how to treat unaccompanied minors or DPs (displaced persons). No force can be used, she notes, but pressure can be applied with carrots – more food rations or other inducements.

The matron is struggling with the situation and what she is required to do. We see her move from one distraction to the next across the simple stage filled with a cot, wooden crates, and makeshift table before finally taking pleasure from a bite of chocolate and settling back at her desk poring over the memo and letters.

The war, which ravaged much of Europe, set refugees – men, women, and small children – on the move in search of shelter, security, and hope. "It's like a puzzle people dropped and broke all over Europe," the matron laments. But as refugees surged across borders, a question that arose among those in power was, "What to do with them?"

That question is perfectly illustrated in the circumstances of the three young boys who have come under the matron's care. The boys, a 15-year-old Czech, a 14-year-old Pole, and a 12-year-old Italian, are vividly portrayed by Cronyn as she seamlessly shifts back-and-forth between each character.

The performance is even more stunning as we watch the ease with which she goes in and out of the varied accents: Not the accents of their native homes, however. The boys, fresh from the care of American GIs before reaching the orphanage, had picked up the accents of their caretakers. They had imprinted with the soldiers, picking up a Southern accent, a Brooklyn accent, and a Jimmy Cagney accent, the matron tells the audience.

And through this compelling point of view, we learn of the boys' powerful connections with those U.S. servicemen and of their desperate desire to join them in the U.S.

One boy, in particular, Tall Boy, the one with a Southern accent picked up from his army buddy, Charlie, a black man from the South, is convinced they will be reunited. Charlie promised him.

But it is up to the matron to gently explain the state of race relations in the U.S.

The young boy, faced with the harsh realities of war for most of his life, is again forced to face another harsh reality: All those who fight for freedom are not necessarily free themselves.

What makes ‘The Tall Boy’ resonate with such an eerie sense of Deja Vue is the feeling that this story could easily lead the evening news today. The anti-immigration sentiments rampant in the U.S. and across Europe in the 40s are just as prevalent in many countries now. And the term, unaccompanied minor, is just as much a part of our lexicon in 2019 as refugees from war-torn countries from all over the world whether in Latin America, Northern Africa, or the Middle East, desperately search for shelter, security and most of all hope.

History is a repetitive teacher, it seems, and the governments of countries worldwide are recalcitrant students when it comes to the state and status of refugees and the ultimate question, "What to do with them?"

In a Q&A session after the performance, Cronyn discussed how she acquired the rights to this story and commissioned a stage adaptation from Bent. She worked with Hammond over eight years developing and tightening up the script as well as working on her ability to assume multiple characters and accents without hesitating or missing a beat.

‘The Tall Boy’ first premiered in August 2012 at the University of North Texas, and in the following year, was presented by The Clarence Brown Theatre restaged for their Carousel Theatre by Bruch Reed.

In 2014 the play moved to New York playing three sold-out performances on Theatre Row on 42 Street as part of the United Solo Theatre Festival, where it won the Best Adaptation Award. In 2015, it played The John Drew Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton as part of the 2015 JDT Lab new play series.

The award-winning play returned to New York in September at the 10th Anniversary Solo Festival as one of the shows invited to participate in its "The Best Of" category featuring critically acclaimed and audience favorites from previous Solo festivals.

‘The Tall Boy’ is now in a limited run at Stage 773 through December 15. For more information, visit www.stage773.com.

You know it’s that time of the season when Chicago gets blitzed by one holiday production after another. And, while many of them are well done and thoroughly entertaining, there are just a few that really stand out each year. This year, one of them is ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’ now playing at Cadillac Palace on a limited run that holds its final performance on December 15th. So, don’t delay and make your way over to Cadillac Palace before this enchanting, warm and dazzling production packs up for the winter.

The story begins when two talented army buddies, Bob Walace (David Elder) and Phil Davis (Jeremy Benton), entertain the troops with song and dance numbers during World War II. They proudly serve under gruff General Waverly (Conrad John Schuck) who is all business but hints a liking towards the two and their routines. After the war, Bob and Phil take off to superstar status, appearing regularly on the Ed Sullivan show and selling out houses wherever they perform. But they still feel they are in need of a sister act to keep their performance fresh. Enter Betty (Kerry Conte) and Judy Haynes (Kelly Sheehan) – two attractive and gifted singer/hoofers that are looking for their big break. A plan to unite seems to go into action when Bob and Phil hear about General Waverly’s financial woes at the lodge he had purchased years ago called the Vermont Inn. The guests just aren’t coming in like they used to. Through a bit of finagling, the four head out to Vermont to put on a show that is sure to attract guests. They even invite a team of dancers to join them for this holiday extravaganza that will be performed – in a barn.

Concierge Martha Watson (Lorna Luft) is there to greet them as they arrive and soon the plan goes into action. Young Susan Waverly (Emma Grace Berardelli and Kyla Carter alternate) also volunteers to help – and even perform if need be. The fun is just getting started.

The cast is star-infused with Conrad John Schuck (M.A.S.H., Star Trek IV and VI, Curse of the Jade Scorpion and many other TV and Broadway productions) impressively taking on the role of a General who is having a tough time relating to the world after his Army days are over. Lorna Luft (daughter of Judy Garland and Sid Luft) is terrific as inn concierge Martha Watson and is both extraordinary with her vocal talent and her comedic timing.

Jeremy Benton and David Elder dazzle in 'White Christmas' at Cadillac Palace through December 15th

While Schuck and Luft are certainly big plusses, the production’s greatest success might be in its casting of Elder, Conte, Benton and Sheehan as our four leads. David Elder (I couldn’t stop thinking of Ken Berry circa early 1960’s) and Jeremy Benton are like peanut butter and jelly and highly believable as two -long-time best buds. At the same time, Conte and Sheehan are fun to watch together, but when the four are together, it’s like dynamite. They can dance, they can sing and they inject the perfect amount of comedy into each role. Though just about every song and dance number is a highlight, Conte’s “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me” is sizzling while Luft’s “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy” is highly enjoyable and showcases her adept singing talent. The enjoyable, high quality musical numbers are endless as favorites “Blue Skies,” “How Deep is the Ocean” and, of course, “White Christmas are performed to perfection. Randy Skinner’s choreography is tough to beat, each routine as impressive as the last, especially the big tap dance numbers.

Produced by Work Light Productions, the creative team is unstoppable with scenic design by Anna Louizos, scenic adaptation by Kenneth Foy, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Keith Caggiano. This production is full of surprises up until its very last scene and is a tremendous ode to the 1954 classic film that starred Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney.

Highly recommended as the perfect pre-Christmas celebration.

At Cadillac Palace through December 15th. For more show information, visit www.BroadwayinChicago.com.