Displaying items by tag: Jim Corti

If there's one play every American should see in their lifetimes, without a doubt it's Tennessee Williams' perennial classic A Streetcar Named Desire. It's the type of play that transcends theatre and stands alone as one of the best contributions to contemporary literature. Its complexities and social commentary make it worth revisiting. Whether Williams intended his 1947 Pulitzer Prize winner to be laden with symbolism and rich in themes, is a debate for English teachers. What's indisputable is that before 'Streetcar', few plays dared to push a mainstream Broadway audience quite so far.

Paramount Theatre presents a thrilling, and faithful production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Copley Theatre. Co-directed by Jim Corti and Elizabeth Swanson, this production is absolutely worth a Metra ride to downtown Aurora. Who says all the great theater must be within the Chicago city limits?

You can't have a good 'Streetcar' without a good Blanche and Paramount certainly has that in actress Amanda Drinkall. Her performance as Blanche deviates from the cliched washed up Southern belle many associate with Streetcar and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It's not to say she's giving an understated performance either. Rather, Drinkall wisely interprets Blanche as foremost, an alcoholic, as well as someone in already in the throes of a nervous breakdown. Often Blanche is portrayed as being driven to madness, but here it seems she arrives in that condition. Drinkall has an uncanny way of shifting between Blanche's "illusion" and her mania with just a facial expression. Perhaps eeriest of all is that Drinkall is much younger than, say, Vivien Leigh, so her unraveling seems all the more tragic as these days mid-30s is hardly considered “old maid” territory. 

Alina Taber as Stella and Casey Hoekstra as Stanley round out the principal casting and both turn in exceptional performances. Particularly Alina Taber - who brings a three dimensionality to Stella that may not be as developed in the script. Instead of the demure younger sister, Taber plays Stella with a bit more passion, and at times combativeness with Blanche.

Amanda Drinkall as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire at Paramount Theatre’s Copely Theatre.

Adding to this production's high quality are the lighting effects by Henry Toohey. The ways Blanche is lit during her gory monologues leave a haunting impression. Costumes created by Alan Richards and Kaia Mortenson are sexy but true to 1940s fashion as is the set design in general. Stella and Blanche are both styled in a way that gives this production authenticity as well as glamor.

Tennessee Williams' actual script is much more provocative than the classic Elia Kazan film with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. What's always somewhat disappointing about the film version is that it cuts short one of Blanche's most heartbreaking monologues. Drinkall sinks her teeth into that monologue in this production. This by-the-books Streetcar is visceral, sexy and shocking just as Williams' intended it to be.

This is a play meant to be discussed. With each time you see it, there are always new ways to examine character motives and ask yourself the central question to any play - did the characters get what they want? There's probably no real right or wrong answer, but you'll just have to see this production for yourself in order to make up your mind.

Through April 21 at Paramount Theatre. 8 E. Galena Blvd. Aurora, IL 630-896-6666

The 1993 Bill Murray movie comedy, Groundhog Day,is one of those cult classics with millions of fans. Like ‘The Big Lebowski,' people love it, or don’t quite see the appeal. I fall in the latter class on both films: appreciating the concept, but not with a lot of fervor.

So I was hopeful that the 2017 Broadway musical version would help me get into the story. Indeed, ‘GroundHog Day: The Musical,’ is a tremendous musical production. The story tells of cynical, self-centered TV weatherman Phil Connors who balks at being relentlessly assigned to cover the furry forecaster at the annual Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA. You know, if the groundhog sees his shadow, winter lingers; if not, we get an early spring.

Alex Syiek is exceptionally good as the arrogant weatherman Phil Connors, channeling the flavor of Bill Murray’s version but making it his own. And Phoebe González as Rita Hanson, Phil’s new producer and love interest, is terrific.

The full production team has done a wonderful job, with very creative staging: Jim Corti, director; Megan E. Farley, choreographer; Kory Danielson, music supervisor, music director and conductor; Courtney O’Neill, scenic designer; Jordan Ross, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer.

In its Midwest premier at the beautifully restored Paramount Theatre in Aurora, IL through March 13, 'Groundhog Day: The Musical' a remount of the Broadway version that garnered seven Tony nominations. One suspects there is a reason it didn't win any. Frankly, the underlying material is pretty bad, in particular, the music. That would be the underlying material.

As in the film, Connors gets stuck in a time loop, awakened by his alarm each day at 6:00 a.m. to cover Groundhog Day. The musical version explores Connor’s desperation to escape the loop, and how he uses his time - for instance, hitting on every woman in town, and taking piano lessons - always “for the first time.”

But the repetitive nature of the morning 6:00 a.m. alarm seems to be incorporated into the music, yielding what basically sounds like endless variations on a single song for an overly long first act. The soporific effect was counteracted in a shorter second act with two distinct songs, one even memorable. And a Two Brothers coffee available at intermission helped.

It would have been hard to predict when this show was originally planned that Omicron Covid would still bedevil us. And in a sense, we are consigned to our own relentless treadmill of masks and constraints. Perhaps 'Groundhog Day The Musical' was chosen only for its coincidence with the real annual Groundhog Day each February. Infusing our masked treadmill wouood have given it more relevancy.

But I wouldn't write off seeing this show, which is a beautiful production, pretty much perfectly executed. But get yourself a Two Brothers in the lobby when you arrive.