PicksInSix Review: Avenue Q - Dunes Summer Theatre

Dunes’ ‘Avenue Q’ Finds Its Purpose!
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

There is no denying that you can do anything with a puppet in your hand and no better example on stage right now than the terrific revival of the 2004 Tony Award–winning musical “Avenue Q” playing at the Dunes Summer Theatre. The hilarious send up of the adult-themed Sesame Street is the inspiration of Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx who wrote the lyrics and music. The book by Jeff Whitty is set on a block in lower Manhattan where neighbors Princeton, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Lucy, Mrs. T, Brian, Christmas Eve and the superintendent, Gary Coleman, all deal with life’s challenges from jobs, relationships, and racism, and sex to love, responsibility and the importance of helping others.

The show, directed by Danny Kapinos, a Chicago-based director and co-Artistic Director of Blank Theatre Company, has assembled one of the finest ensemble casts seen here in recent years, led by Quinn Kelch (Princeton) and Mika Wurf (Kate), playing two twentysomething loners who find friendship, love and their own purpose together. Kelch, a rising talent who is well-known to Chicago audiences, is terrific here, playing both Princeton, the newly-minted college graduate and Rod, the closeted gay neighbor. Wurf, a senior at the Boston Conservatory of Music with an extraordinary voice, is perfect as the shy, demure Kate who breaks away from her quiet existence to find that there is more to life when you share it with someone you love. The two are wonderfully matched together, displaying wide-ranging versatility in a challenging show that demands precision in movement, timing and comic delivery.

The young lovers are influenced by everyone who live on Avenue Q. There’s Rod (Kelch) and Nicky (Josh Bernaski and Maya Moreau) who are sorting out Rod’s conflicted lifestyle; Trekkie Monster (Bernaski) whose passion is internet porn; Lucy (Moreau), the vixen who seduces all in her path; and, the humans: the aspiring comedian Brian (Clay W. Muir) and his partner Christmas Eve (Aubrey Malito), an Asian phycologist and Gary Coleman (Micah Hughs) the super with a bit of an attitude about his rocky road after TV stardom. It is all for laughs with a dash of clever technology that pays homage to the Sesame Street educational themes along the way.

The delightful score overflows with musical gems from Wurf’s sweet and beautifully sung ballad “There’s A Fine, Fine Line” and Malito’s stellar “The More You Ruv Someone” and “I Wish I Could Go Back To College” by the trio of Kelch, Wurf and Bernaski, to the rollicking “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet Is For Porn,” and “There is Life Outside Your Apartment.” Music director Aaron Kaplan with Associate Music Director/Conductor Sachio Nang and seven musicians knock Steven Oremus’s full-bodied arrangements out of the park. Credit goes to Jake Tillman for an outstanding sound design, balancing the superb vocals of this enormously talented ensemble with the musicians effortlessly.

Scenically, Michael Lasswell has again designed and constructed an impressive, multi-story Lower East Side street scene with textured brick facades and a cityscape in the distance. With Arturo Pozos’s evocative lighting design and Emily Chidalek’s colorful costumes, “Avenue Q” is visually bright, festive and fun.

Combining live action with music and puppets in not an easy task for actors and the special puppet training by Andrew Lund is expertly evidenced throughout and in particular with some subtle—and some not so subtle—activities that give “Avenue Q” its’ R-rated guidance, spurred on by a couple of devious Bad Idea Bears.

Each of the ensemble members assume multiple roles throughout, but the performance of the night belongs to the enormously talented and versatile Kelch who, on more than one occasion, is required to exit as one puppet character and return immediately as another. I was confounded by an especially clever sequence where Kelch is literally in two places at the same time. A phenomenal sleight of hand in a production that is sure to be a colossal hit for Artistic Director Steve Scott, Managing Director Elise Kermani and everyone on board for the Dunes Summer Theatre’s 75th Anniversary Season.

PHOTO|Tony Martin

Dunes Summer Theatre
presents
Avenue Q
288 Shady Oak Drive
Michigan City, IN
through August 9

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PicksInSix Review: Dennis Watkins - The Magic Parlour - The Goodman & Petterino's

Come Early. Stay Late. Be Astounded!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

At the center of any fabulous evening at “The Magic Parlour”—celebrating its 16th year in downtown Chicago—Dennis Watkins may be identifying random objects gathered from the audience after duct taping coins to his eye sockets, interlocking wedding rings chosen at random, and floating a handful of playing cards from his left hand to his right pocket. It’s all close-up magic—a mix of prestidigitation, mystifying mind-reading, sophisticated illusions and sleight of hand—with a central numerological theme that is astounding.

For the record, Watkins’s most amazing feat might just be that he has not aged a single day in all those years, despite multiple shows a week and an active corporate and private event enterprise. The secret to his youthful longevity—"The Magic Parlour” is currently the longest-running magic show in Chicago—is his passion for storytelling and an unwavering dedication to the art of making magic accessible, something he freely admits is a series of choices stemming from our commitment as an audience to believe that anything is possible.

Watkins, a third-generation magician and mentalist, is a consummate showman—soft spoken yet wildly energetic, appealing to young and old alike with a devilish, all-knowing grin, quick wit and a keen sense of humor. Over 90 magically-packed minutes, Watkins connects on a personal level with each of up to 60 audience members in the show room on the lower level of Petterino’s. If you spend too much time thinking about what you just saw, you will likely miss the next illusion. Watkins sets a steady, entertaining pace, with lots of audience interaction building from one astounding feat after another.

As we learn from Watkins, there are an uncalculatable number of variations in a standard deck of cards. So, it comes as no surprise that as the cards pass from one unsuspecting volunteer to another on stage in plain view for all to see, any apparent chaos very quickly falls into startling, recognizable order. And on this night, an overhead camera captured the breakneck speed of Watkins’s shuffling skills that help punctuate his storytelling. But it is the numeric theme that rules in nearly every major element of the show, so pay close attention. The payoff will leave you in awe.

The 8:30 pm show on Friday was my fourth experience including a 2016 performance at the Palmer House, the 2023 opening night at Petterino’s location and, during the pandemic, an uplifting virtual show celebrating retired judge and theatre critic Julian Frazin’s birthday. The price of admission in the intimate lounge at Petterino’s includes a drink at the bar and, for a modest upcharge, you can join a dozen or so patrons in “The Encore Room” following the main show and get the ultimate close-up experience.

A special Halloween engagement, “The Spirit Cabinet,” is scheduled for October 25, 26, 29 and 30. Dates fill up early with special holiday season additions in November and December, and the show is perfect for family outings and corporate events. Advance reservations are suggested. Come early. Stay late. Be astounded!

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

The Goodman & Petterino’s
present
Dennis Watkins
The Magic Parlour
50 West Randolph

OPEN RUN

WEBSITE

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312.443.3800

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PicksInSix Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Broadway in Chicago

A THRILL-A-MINUTE BLOCKBUSTER ADVENTURE!
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

Broadway in Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre is the first stop for the national tour of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” that had an epic premiere on Thursday, primed and ready for a long sit-down for the holiday season in Chicago that will no doubt fill every corner of Randolph and Dearborn with junior-level sorcerers with maroon and gold striped scarves and wands.

This is the final saga in J. K. Rowling’s spellbinding series of books that continue to engage readers of all ages, has spawned six epic films, and a hugely successful Broadway run garnering ten 2018 Tony Nominations winning six including Best Play. Following a Covid shutdown, the original two-part version was modified to one two-act play that has been retooled by one of the largest—and most celebrated—production teams ever assembled for the tour.

For anyone still wondering if this robust and heart-pounding show can do justice to all that has come before, rest assured that “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” truly is a thrill-a-minute blockbuster adventure with all the magical twists and eye-popping special effects imaginable. It’s also an intriguing heartfelt story—filled to the brim with surprises that befit the original—written by Rowling, playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. Tiffany, with movement director Steven Hoggett, have assembled a superb cast to play new versions of the familiar characters that successfully tap into the memories of diehard fans who are sure to flock to this show, and are clever enough to captivate first timers and the young-at-heart from beginning to end. It’s a win-win all around!

To the story, it’s 19 years later. Harry Potter (John Skelley) and Ginny Weasley (Trish Lindstrom) are now married, as are Ginny’s brother Ron (Matt Mueller) and Hermione Granger (Ebony Blake), who is now serving as Head of the Ministry of Magic. Their children—Albus Severus Potter (Emmet Smith) and Rose Granger-Weasley (Naiya Vanessa McCalla)—board the Hogwarts Express where they meet Scorpius Malfoy (Aiden Close) son of Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy (Bejamin Thys). There is a dark cloud hovering over Scorpius and once at Hogwarts, the two form an alliance after being selected to Slytherin.

After meeting Amos Diggory (Larry Yando), the two join forces with his niece Delphi (Julia Nightingale) and plan to change the trajectory of the competition that ultimately cost the life of Amos’s son, Cedric Diggory (Caleb Hafen). Using a flurry of magical spells, the trio infiltrate the Ministry, abscond with the Time-Turner orb and are off on a race across time to save Cedric, only to realize that their impact on the past has a devastating effect on the present.

The fascinating arc of the story allows us to experience an exciting new adventure. The Dementors are here, along with Albus Dumbledore (the brilliant Yando who also plays Severus Snape), Moaning Myrtle (a delightful Mackenzie Lesser-Roy) and Professor McGonagall (Katherine Leask, who also shines as Professor Umbridge).

On the creative side, scenic designer Christine Jones uses massive arches to frame the Hogwarts action that then evolve seamlessly to establish other places and time periods. Among the many ingenious elements—including a plethora of magical entrances, high flying exits and cape-flashing scene changes—are the almost balletic use of twin stair units at Hogwarts and a delightfully carnivorous bookshelf. Imogen Heaps’s costumes are sensational. Neil Austin’s lighting and sound by Gareth Fry all complement Jamie Harrison’s astounding illusions that all contribute to a stunning, visual extravaganza.   

The message of love, family and friendship—and of good vs. evil—at the heart of this story courses through Skelley’s moving portrayal of Harry and in his relationship with his son. The younger clan form a union against the ever present dark arts to the extent that there feels like there could be much more to come in this franchise, despite Rowling’s assertion that this is Potter’s crowning achievement.

If that is the case, we will all have to join the next generation of adventure seekers and relive this series all over again. For the present, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will be making magic every night at the Nederlander for all to see—a memorable holiday outing that will last well into the new year and beyond.

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy

Broadway in Chicago
presents
National Tour Debut
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
James N. Nederlander Theatre
through February 1, 2025

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NATIONAL TOUR WEBSITE

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