Displaying items by tag: Glenview theatre

Finding love has always been a challenge. In Jane Austen’s day, a time governed by strict rules of courtship, couples had to avoid mistakes that could potentially ruin a reputation. One might think that the complexities of dating would have eased over time, yet modern romance remains just as fraught with pitfalls. Exploring these timeless rules of attraction is Oil Lamp Theater’s production of I Love You Because, with music by Joshua Salzman and book and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham. Directed by Scott Shallenbarger, this musical, inspired by Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, examines two mismatched couples and asks a fundamental question: Do we love someone despite their differences, or because of them?

Meet our musical’s core couple. Austin Bennet (Aiden McCoy) is a straight-laced, slightly vanilla greeting card writer who fancies himself a "poet" yet struggles to craft anything with authentic depth. Marcy Fitzwilliams (Hanna Kipp) is a carefree photographer who balks at rules and lives in the moment. Having both recently gotten out of long-term relationships, Austin and Marcy decide to follow their friends’ advice and get back out there. This time, though, they’re not looking for “the one,” just someone.

Their first date couldn’t go worse. Austin is still hung up on his unfaithful ex, and Marcy makes little effort to hide her disinterest. Gradually, however, a friendship develops. When they least expect it, sparks fly, prompting both to reexamine what they were looking for in a mate.

Central to any compelling romance is chemistry. Perhaps it was opening weekend jitters, but the on-stage tension between McCoy and Kipp left something to be desired. While their initial awkwardness felt appropriate as the characters grew more familiar, the spark never really intensified. That missing connection made it difficult to fully invest in the material, because their relationship never felt entirely natural.

Part of the issue may stem from character interpretation. Although the script frames Austin as conventional and Marcy as unconventional, neither performer fully embraced those extremes. For example, Austin is written as a Type‑A personality who brings his own black coffee from home to a local café - a funny character trait meant to establish a tightly wound demeanor - but the joke didn’t quite land. If both actors pushed further into their contrasting traits, the show’s humor, which relies on highlighting their polar opposites, might be more effective.

Conversely, the "opposites attract" dynamic succeeded with the supporting couple. Kristin Brintnall plays Diana, an actuary who relies on her rigid mathematical system for love calculations. Maxwell J. DeTogne plays Jeff Bennet, a boyish man-child whose views on relationships are as jumbled as his vocabulary, leading to malapropisms like "duck in a line" or "barking up the wrong treehouse." What begins as a casual fling eventually forces them into the dreaded "Define the Relationship" conversation.

Brintnall and DeTogne play off each other wonderfully by fully embracing their characters' differences. Her rigid precision complements his easygoing demeanor, creating genuine stage friction and strong comedic timing. Their energetic performances helped elevate a relatively straightforward plot.

Unlike Austen’s rich source material, this musical offered few complications for its core couple. Other modern adaptations of classic texts, like 10 Things I Hate About You, which adapted Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, successfully updated stories while preserving their complexity. But once Austin and Marcy recognize their feelings, there really aren’t any obstacles in their way.

The strength of I Love You Because comes from its performers. Their vocal ability shined in each song, and when the ensemble came together for group numbers, they blended beautifully. As the cast settles into their roles, the chemistry between the leads should deepen and help the audience connect to the central love plot. In any case, the message of I Love You Because was effectively communicated. True love isn’t loving someone in spite of their quirks, but because of them.

I Love You Because runs through September 13 at Oil Lamp Theatre in Glenview, IL.

Advisory: Oil Lamp Theater advises that the production contains mature content, including explicit language and sexual situations.

https://www.oillamptheater.org/

When Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years premiered at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2001, it flipped the traditional rom-com musical blueprint on its head. Off came the rose-colored glasses, and what was presented was an intimate, searing, and structurally unique take on the modern relationship, inspired by Brown’s own love and loss. Now, twenty-five years later, this piece, directed by Christina Ramirez, returns to Chicagoland at Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview. The Last Five Years presents the entire course of a relationship between Jamie, a rising author, and Cathy, a struggling actress – from the first hello to the final goodbye – performed by only two actors, who take turns singing their hearts out in this vocally demanding score.

Structure is everything in this show. Jamie’s timeline starts from the high of their first date and moves chronologically, while Cathy’s story begins at the end and moves backward. They meet only once, in the middle, for their wedding, and then move in opposite directions.

Lili Galluzzo, playing Cathy, is an absolute powerhouse. She commands the stage with a voice that can belt to the rafters, packing an emotional punch with every note. Whether she is navigating the comedic neuroses of “A Summer in Ohio” or the crushing vulnerability of “I'm Still Hurting,” she conveys unvarnished emotion that anchors the production's vocal stakes.

As Jamie, Abraham Deitz-Green has an effortless, magnetic charm. From his opening number, he is clearly having fun, schmoozing the crowd and winning the audience over with ease. He infuses the ambitious young novelist with infectious likability. In fact, it makes it hard for the audience to decipher who is at fault more in this relationship, forcing them to question everything, just as the leads do.

Perhaps Cathy is too pessimistic? Years of career letdowns have tainted her perspective on life, and misery loves – needs – company. Maybe she can’t be happy unless Jamie is unhappy too. Or perhaps Jamie was always emotionally unavailable? As his career takes off, does he want to give himself sacrificially to another person, or does he want to be the new, shiny toy on the scene? Maybe he only wants to reap the benefits of love without caring for it. These are the questions the audience is wrestling with thanks to their strong performances.

Lili Galluzzo in THE LAST FIVE YEARS from Oil Lamp Theater.

But while individually the leads command the stage, their chemistry together left something to be desired. The musical’s structure itself doesn’t help much. After all, the majority of the time, they sing alone, interacting only with props. So, the anticipation of them finally being in the same timeline, sharing space, perhaps places an undue burden on the moment. Still, their big song together, which is also their wedding song, felt flat. The same charm that Jamie had when he landed his big break was gone, and the fire that Cathy had joking about Ohio was missing. Given that this was opening night, the chemistry may well evolve as the actors settle into each other’s timing, but in this performance it was noticeably absent. Since that crucial piece wasn’t there, it felt a little as if these characters never truly understood each other from the start. Were they truly lovers or just lines intersecting at a point?

Oil Lamp’s space is the perfect venue for this intimate show. The set really doesn’t need much; the songs are the main course. But the set was a bit of a distraction. Flat panels slid on and off stage to delineate different locations or the passage of time, but they were rather clunky when they were moved, like a stubborn shower door. At other times, Jamie entered from behind the audience, stepping directly in from the street. The sudden opening of the door and the outside light coming in pulled one out of the moment. The scenes that worked best were those which used lighting to direct your focus and shine on Jamie or Cathy as they untangled their vulnerabilities or drew you in with bursts of emotion.

The Last Five Years is a unique art piece, and its story is not for everyone. Can love and ambition mix, or are they oil and water? This untraditional, somber look at relationships offers unflinching moments, lush and playful songs, and questions you have to wrestle with – no doubt why it has found its way into the hearts of many musical theatergoers. Whether you're "Team Jamie" or "Team Cathy," fans of this modern musical will certainly fall in love with Oil Lamp’s rendition, thanks to the dynamic performances of its leads. They perform this high-wire act with skill and vocal precision, bringing this complex story to life with incredible emotional depth.

The Last Five Years plays at Oil Lamp Theater now through July 19th.

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