PicksInSix Review: A Strange Loop - About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre

If Only It Really Looped Forever!
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Guest Contributor | Perse Grammer

About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre’s co-production of Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award–winning musical “A Strange Loop” begins with a pre-show playlist consisting entirely of “The Lion King” musical soundtrack. The set is minimal and striking. A strip of lights outlines the walls of the stage, which frame a series of blank sliding panels. Center stage contains a red curtain hanging in a doorframe ringed with lightbulbs.

For the majority of the show, we won’t see many more additions to what is already onstage. But scenic designer Sydney Lynne and lighting designer Brenden Marble’s versatile creativity have made maximalism wholly unnecessary, as their work will transport us to many new locations. As the rousing opening number begins—tight choreography courtesy of Breon Arzell—it’s clear that director Mikael Burke has engineered a night of astonished laughter, seamless transitions, and an utter celebration of theatrical talent.

“A Strange Loop” introduces us to Usher, an early career playwright working as an usher at “The Lion King” on Broadway. Usher is struggling to write the musical we’re currently watching, and his ensemble of criticizing Thoughts—as the characters are defined—aren’t helping. There’s little acceptance for Usher in the gay community, as he’s either rejected or fetishized for his Blackness. His religious parents don’t understand the dream he moved away to pursue, or how his homosexuality isn’t a hurtful choice he’s making. As Usher digs deeper into his musical, he realizes that he can’t write it without attempting to confront his parents with his true, artistic, queer self.

Jackson’s “A Strange Loop” is artfully structured. It starts strong and keeps ramping up. When we need a change from upbeat numbers, the show takes a sinister turn. When we need to catch our breath, we’ve already begun a sweet, simpler scene. And just when we think the performance can’t get any more outrageous, it’s been cranked up to an eleven with a gospel number and a wholly unexpected set reveal.

Burke’s exceptional ensemble has mastered the art of working perfectly in sync while still each bringing something unique and exciting to the table—theatrical chameleons shifting between wildly different characters, playing elegant in one scene and raunchy in the next. The wonderful Micah Mixon (Thought 1) is effortlessly charming. She stands out especially in the role of Usher’s Sympathetic Ear, bringing much-needed warmth to the stage. Whether he’s playing the sassy, influencer-like character of Usher’s self-loathing, or Harriet Tubman, Matheus Barbee (Thought 2) is boldly hilarious. Christopher Wayland (Thought 3) is also comedic in his many roles, but his style is subtler, drawing out laughs with a finely-tuned facial expression. Usher’s mother is embodied fully by Michael Turrentine (Thought 4) who deftly walks the fine line between portraying a caricature and a real woman who makes us believe she can change—and breaking our hearts when she doesn’t. John-Payne (Thought 5) utilizes their impressive bass, especially during their solo numbers as Usher’s father, dancing in the overlap of silly and sinister. And even as Naphtali Curry (Thought 6) is playing the sleazy, racist white man that sexually degrades Usher, his presence carries an undeniable air of refinement throughout the show.

Every cast member is an utter powerhouse, but Eddie Weaver takes Usher to a new level. From the very beginning, he wears his heart on his sleeve, with an eagerness that instantly has us rooting for this underdog. His portrayal of Usher is complex, weaving together joy and insecurity, vulnerability and strength. Though Weaver doesn’t have the chance to rapidly morph from character to character like the Thoughts do, he still gets a chance to show off his flexibility when acting out every character in a Tyler Perry show. His repeated bids for connection with his mother are heartbreaking, and Weaver absolutely nails the monologue about Black love and lust’s place in the world. One could easily lose the sincerity and nuance of Usher’s character in how heightened “A Strange Loop” can get, but Weaver stays grounded in his performance throughout the show.

Janelle Smith’s costume design reflects the unity and individuality of this ensemble. Each actor bears a strikingly different assembly of layers, silhouettes, and fabrics, while still reading as a coherent unit dressed in black and white.

Playwrights writing themselves as characters is always a risky gamble. One can easily slip into self-indulgence, sugarcoating, and a lack of awareness as to why anyone who isn’t a writer in their very specific scenario would relate to or care about their character. Jackson not only gracefully avoids these pitfalls, but he utterly succeeds in the creation of Usher. “A Strange Loop” is a testament to the writing adage that the more specific you get, the more universal your play feels. Usher battles with self-loathing, a desire to be loved that outweighs his self-respect at times, and the expectations from his family that contradict his own dreams. His identity as an obese Black gay male playwright is the lens in which we view these struggles, which means belonging to any number of these demographics undoubtedly enhances one’s viewing experience. But you don’t have to be similar to Usher in order to connect with his achingly human story.

 “A Strange Loop” is a masterpiece, and Jackson is well-deserving of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. Beyond the incredible writing and relentlessly talented production, what sets it apart is its pure honesty. The play is deeply vulnerable and refuses to pull any punches. There are no deadpan quips at the irony of such a meta show, no smug mocking of the audience or Jackson/Usher for creating what’s happening onstage. One might think this would come at the sacrifice of comedy, but “A Strange Loop” will make you howl with laughter without softening any of the deep sincerity. It fully embodies its line, “If you're not scared to write the truth, then it's probably not worth writing. And if you're not scared of living the truth, then it's probably not worth living.” Everyone should get the chance to see a show as brilliantly heartfelt as “A Strange Loop” and the sold out run has now been extended through November 22.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | PERSE GRAMMER is a multidisciplinary writer and theatre artist based in Chicago. Grammer is currently developing their latest play through a mentorship with Sandy Shinner at Shattered Globe Theatre. They hold a BFA in Playwriting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.  www.persegrammer.com

PHOTO | Joe Mazza-brave lux

About Face Theatre
and
Raven Theatre
presents
Chicago Premiere
A Strange Loop
6157 North Clark Street
EXTENDED through November 22, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Operation Mincemeat - Broadway in Chicago

“Operation Mincemeat” – Strictly Need-To-Know!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Over three decades ago, a prominent military historian had me enthralled in the telling of the British master plan to outfit a uniformed corpse and set the bloke adrift in the ocean to wash up on shore with bogus invasion plans to hoodwink the Nazi command and divert them away from the intended invasion of Sicily. That plan—coded named “Operation Mincemeat,” the origin of which dates back to a 1939 list of strategic options credited to future James Bond author Ian Fleming, an aide to the British director of naval intelligence at the time—is well-documented in Ben Macintyre’s 2010 book and was the basis for the 2021 film. Then came London’s 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical followed by the Broadway offering nominated for four 2025 Tony Awards and winning one for featured performance.  And it’s still playing everywhere, including the North American Tour of “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,” that landed with a big splash at Broadway in Chicago’s CIBC Theatre on Wednesday night.

The musical—a mix of “Hamilton,” and “Monty Python” with a British spin of “Hogan’s Heroes” and much more—could be a royal farce of a send-up to a classic spy thriller if it was not essentially a true story about the 1943 team who had a significant impact on the outcome of World War II. The two British intelligence officers leading the charge–Charles Cholmondeley (Jake Bentley Young) and Ewen Montagu (Katie Kleiger)—developed the plan that was far from perfect, but it worked well enough to give the Allies the decisive edge in the critical invasion of Sicily.

I will admit that I rolled my eyes all those years ago when I first heard about the musical project, but the book, music and lyrics by the team of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts is just the kind of madcap show that captures our imagination for adventure and intrigue. Add a clever, non-traditional storyline, lots of comic repartee, and one whiz-bang musical number after another, and “Operation Mincemeat” adds up to a nonstop, highly entertaining, musical comedy with a message that will keep you laughing all night long.

What is truly remarkable is that all of the action is performed by a superb five-member ensemble, with each member portraying a prominent featured role in the developing storyline in addition to playing over 80 characters to flesh out the fascinating story. In addition to Young and Kleiger, the ensemble includes the terrific, multi-talented Luke Antony Neville (Hester Leggatt), Erin Ramirez (Jean Leslie) and Mariah Copeland (Johnny Bevan). To the credit of their combined efforts, all swiftly move the plan’s development along in the backroom of Britain’s Military Intelligence unit (MI5) which is the backdrop for most of the action in the musical. There are some notable departures to add context, and a rousing, slam-bang finish, that add up to a fast-paced serving of humor and pathos.

It’s a rollicking good time right from the top as facts shape the backstory at a critical juncture for the allied war effort. With the successful Allied completion of the African campaign, thr German command turned attention to shoring up forces to defend an invasion of Sicily. As “Mincemeat” unfolds, MI5 operatives create a compelling identity for the man who never was, a past that includes all the conceivable elements of his life, save one, which proves to be a major dramatic turning point of the story and for the operation. What starts out as a fantastical story lands with some mighty emotional weight later on.

Directed with gusto by Robert Hastie, propelled by the clever choreography of Jenny Arnold and a big nod to Ben Stones’s set and extraordinary, ever-changing costume design, “Operation Mincemeat” feels much broader and more complex than you may think that the modest-in-numbers ensemble might be capable of delivering. It’s a workout, to be sure, but this talented group are fun to watch and the story, while staying more or less faithful to the gravity of the piece, is clever and entertaining, even if it’s a plan that is strictly need-to-know.

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy

Broadway in Chicago
presents
NorthAmerican Tour
Operation Mincemeat
A New Musical
CIBC Theatre
18 W Monroe
through October 11, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Play On! - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

‘Play On!’ Has Got That Swing!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Perse Grammer

“Play On!” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater doesn’t give anything away until the curtain rises. A dynamic opening number informs us that this Shakespearean comedy is taking place in 1940s Swing-era Harlem. Beowulf Boritt’s set design and Adam Honoré’s lighting design meld to create electric, dramatically leaning streets and buildings, the most important of which is the Cotton Club.

In this version of “Twelfth Night,” Vy has gone to Harlem to pursue her and her late brother’s dream of being a songwriter. Her uncle Jester decides the only way for her to succeed is as a man, and thus, Vy is disguised as Vy-Man. Jester gives her an in with Duke, a top-notch band leader languishing over his unreturned love for the great singer and diva, Lady Liv. As Vy delivers songs to Lady Liv, Lady Liv quickly falls for her—but Vy is developing feelings for Duke. Meanwhile, Miss Mary and Sweets, Cotton Club workers and bickering couple, have caught onto their boss Rev’s feelings for Lady Liv. Jester leads a charge to humiliate Rev by making him “cool enough” to impress his crush. Meanwhile, Vy and Duke grow closer, hindered by Duke’s confusion over feeling romantically toward a man. Finally, Vy reveals herself as a woman, Miss Mary and Sweets resolve their arguments, and Lady Liv falls for Rev as his true, stoic self. Cue the triple wedding!

There is no such thing as a weak link in this cast. Hailee Kaleem Wright bursts with passion and endearing awkwardness in her performance of Vy. James Harkness (Jester) is a smooth mover and talker, James Earl Jones II (Sweets) is a deft comedian, and Alanna Lovely (Miss Mary) more than earns her round of applause for scatting. Krystal Joy Brown (Lady Liv) is just as magical as her initial grand entrance, and the rich, strong voice of Edred Utomi (Duke) immediately pulled me in. My biggest cast-related critique is that the sensational ensemble was criminally underutilized. Every member is an incredibly strong singer and dancer. Kaylah Janssen as the cheeky CC is especially a delight to watch as she embodies energetic effortlessness onstage.

Director Sheldon Epps has woven together a very coherent show. Physical comedy is well utilized—most notably in “Ain’t Got That Swing,” though the biggest laugh of the night came from a bartending ensemble member leaning in to hear a conversation he never spoke in once. Playwright Cheryl L. West’s dialogue is fast and funny. Admittedly, from a writer’s perspective, the written comedy and wordplay is slightly predictable, but nonetheless effective. An-Lin Dauber’s costumes walk a fine line of vibrant and unique without being over the top. This means the outfits meant to be the most stunning—or the most comical—have the desired effect. The music throughout the show is, of course, phenomenal. Everyone does Duke Ellington’s discography justice, with the harmonies of “Solitude” closing Act I being a particular standout.

In such a music-centric show, it was a pity the audience didn’t get to see the actual band more. They got a nice moment of recognition at the top of Act II, but they spent much of the show shut behind a partition. While every number was wonderful, I found myself more drawn toward the solos and duets as compared to the group numbers. This is likely because they had more emotion and connection to the story than the group numbers, which were quite a spectacle. The duet rendition of “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good” was compelling, though three back-to-back romantic duets before the finale was a bit much.

“Play On!” addresses some deeper themes but doesn’t go much further beyond the surface. Vy starts out focused on her ambition and fulfilling her and her late brother’s dream, but that motivation gets dropped as her relationship with Duke gains more focus. Granted, theirs is a love story born of creative collaboration, but it felt a bit short and disjointed. Replacing a few scenes about Miss Mary and Sweets, who have much less of a relationship arc, with Vy and Duke, could help flesh out their relationship more. A conflict between the two that never really gets resolved is Duke’s misogyny. While Vy is dressed as a man, Duke tells her about how he doesn’t believe women have the emotional depth to be songwriters. Vy pushes back, but there isn’t much follow through on this. Which leads me to wonder—when Duke learns his beloved collaborator is a woman, does that change his perception of all women, or does he just see Vy as the exception? As much as I’d like to dig into the darkness and discomfort, that’s not what this show is about. “Play On!” is lighthearted and rousing, guaranteeing you walk out of the theater happier than when you walked in. The influence of Shakespearean comedy is strong, but you don’t need to know much about “Twelfth Night” to understand and enjoy the show. Because indeed, enjoyment is the most important factor of “Play On!” and this musical knocks it out of the park!

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | PERSE GRAMMER is a multidisciplinary writer and theatre artist based in Chicago. Grammer is currently developing their latest play through a mentorship with Sandy Shinner at Shattered Globe Theatre. They hold a BFA in Playwriting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.  www.persegrammer.com

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
PLAY ON!
The Yard
Navy Pier
through October 18, 2026

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PROGRAM

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PicksInSix Review: Jekyll & Hyde - Kokandy Productions - Broadway in Chicago

Kokandy’s Triumphant “Jekyll & Hyde” Returns!
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ronald Keaton

There really is a glorious triumph with all the signs of a runaway hit playing at Broadway in Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place already extended through November 8.

It's an impressive, heartfelt downtown transfer of the Kokandy Productions show from last fall of “Jekyll & Hyde,” the Frank Wildhorn/Leslie Bricusse telling of the legendary Robert Louis Stevenson novel that examines the dichotomy between good and evil. It is a magnificent production in professional demeanor, in quality talent both onstage and off, and, despite the original concept's best efforts to derail itself, in musical storytelling from this ascending organization.

So let us begin there.

The real, overwhelming star of the evening appears in a large upstage open window with his back to the audience the entire performance. There is no way this giant monster of a musical score could have been guided for the cast in such an accessible, poetic way without the musical awareness and expertise of conductor and musical director Nick Sula. Mr. Sula has taken melodies that challenge opera singers in their length and constancy of motion and laid down a wonderfully eloquent path for the performer and the audience to follow. His sense of dramatic impact and empathy in working with those onstage overcomes the constant walls that arise in the score, and his musicianship is second to none now in Chicago these days. He leads a robust 15-piece orchestra that works with him at that same high level.

The multi-level scenic creation with a bit of steampunk influence by Tony Award-winning artist Sotirios Livaditis is a kind of tribute to old Shakespearean design, holding stairs and doors and ramps of varying degrees. Choreographer extraordinaire Brenda Didier always has a magic in accepting such challenges, as her charges seem to effortlessly move and move again in providing a constant visual variety. The sharp shafts of light, coupled with a moody sense of time and place in its layout are thanks to G. "Max" Maxin's wonderful ideas in allowing the action to dictate the shading—really great stuff to see.

Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham has a way of creating stage pictures, whether in tandem with Ms. Didier or in intimate scenes of two people, that become a kind of storytelling layer in themselves. And he has guided, along with Mr. Sula, this story of a man who has worked for years on the idea that humanity has contained inside each person two entities—one good, one evil. Mr. Van Barham has done two really nice things here. One is allowing his Jekyll/Hyde actor David Moreland—whose work here is full and accomplished—to seemingly improvise his growing change from the studious-minded Henry Jekyll to the murderous monster Edward Hyde in small increments. It was a marvelous thing to see the subtlety in Mr. Moreland's conversion. And the man has a fabulous singing voice.

Speaking of... If there is anyone else whose star rapidly ascends in this production, it's the golden voice of Ava Lane Stovall. She has vocal range galore. She has her own unique sense of dramatic realism and purposeful character in her scene work that overcomes any book challenges presented here. Her work in "A New Life" is a proper Act II showstopper.

The rest of the cast is first-rate and deserve recognition. Emily McCormick as Jekyll's fiancée Emma owns a voice of operatic stature. There is yeoman work from Nathan Calaranan as Emma's father Sir Danvers. As Jekyll's peer and best friend Utterson, Kevin Webb is a solid, reassuring supporter of Jekyll's dangerous work. This outstanding ensemble becomes the literal creative building block for the audience to lean on in understanding the actions onstage. Bravo to all!

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. Coming soon, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY. www.solochicagotheatre.com.

PHOTO | Amy Boyle Photography

Broadway in Chicago
Kokandy Productions
present
JEKYLL & HYDE
Broadway Playhouse
Water Tower Place
EXTENDED through November 8, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Mean Girls - Paramount Aurora

Finds the Edge Beneath the Pink.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Joan Curto

There is a reason “Mean Girls” has endured. Beneath the pink, the catchphrases and the perfectly calibrated teenage cruelty, lies a story about something far less frivolous: the complicated business of figuring out who you are when everyone around you seems determined to tell you who you should be. Based on the 2004 film with a book by Tina Fey, the musical retains the movie’s rapid-fire wit while giving its characters room to explore the insecurities, ambitions and social hierarchies of adolescence. At Paramount Theatre in Aurora, director Devon Hayakawa keeps the production brisk, energetic and surprisingly heartfelt.

At the center are Janis and Damian, played by Lucy Godinez and Steven Klenk, who serve as our guides—and occasional co-conspirators—at North Shore High. Both are terrific. Godinez brings a powerful vocal presence to Janis, particularly in “I’d Rather Be Me,” while Klenk delivers Damian’s comic timing with precision. Together, they provide the production with an appealing combination of wit and heart. But this is very much an ensemble show and Paramount has assembled a cast that knows how to make even the broadest comedy land.

The Plastics—Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith—are played by Dariana Mullen, Angel Alzeidan and Julia Hope Budd, respectively. Each brings her character’s distinctive personality and vulnerability to life, particularly in song. Mullen’s massive deal-Regina is especially formidable. She understands that Regina’s power comes not simply from being mean, but from knowing exactly how much everyone else wants her approval. As Cady Heron, Elizabeth Stenholt carries much of the show’s emotional weight. Her Cady is neither entirely innocent nor entirely culpable, making her transformation—and eventual reckoning—more compelling. Vocally, Stenholt is impressive, particularly in the soaring “I See Stars.”

Veronica Garza deserves special mention for her work in three roles: Mrs. Heron, Ms. Norbury and Mrs. George. Each is sharply drawn, but it is Mrs. George, Regina’s gloriously inappropriate mother, who delivers some of the evening’s biggest laughs. And then there is the ensemble, which rarely gets a chance to catch its breath. Choreographer Kasey Alfonso keeps the movement crisp and energetic, while the clever use of desks on wheels turns the architecture of high school into part of the choreography. The Mathletes, naturally, get their moment in the spotlight.

Paramount’s production itself is another star. Milo Bue’s scenic design with a stage revolve, mobile desks and fluid transitions together with Greg Hofmann’s effective lighting and Kotryna Hilo’s teen-era appropriate costumes, create a surprisingly cinematic sense of movement, allowing classrooms and hallways to materialize and disappear around the characters. The rain curtain used for projections is an ambitious touch, although from my vantage point some of the images were difficult to decipher. Still, the production succeeds in creating a vibrant theatrical world that matches the show’s pop sensibility without losing sight of its darker themes.

What makes this “Mean Girls” particularly enjoyable is its willingness to embrace both the exuberance and the vulnerability of the material. Bullying, belonging, identity and the intoxicating power of popularity may be timeless subjects, but Fey’s observations still have plenty of bite. The enthusiastic opening-night audience on Friday certainly seemed to agree. The film’s devoted following may bring audiences to Aurora, but this production gives them plenty of reasons to stay: strong performances, energetic choreography, clever staging and a cast that understands the human being hiding beneath the stereotype. And yes, there is pink. Lots of pink. For a few hours, at least, it is perfectly acceptable to call something “fetch.”

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | JOAN CURTO is a Chicago-based, award-winning vocalist, director and producer. Most recently, she has collaborated with The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, directing and producing several acclaimed productions.

PHOTO|Boris Martin

Paramount Theatre
presents
Mean Girls
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
through October 11, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Sunday in the Park with George - Kokandy Productions

Marry Art: With Life As Mistress.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Sarah Frances Fiorello

“Sunday in the Park with George” returns to the Chicago stage this season, through a set of street front double doors on Division Street. Kokandy Productions tackles this beloved musical in Chopin Theatre’s Downstairs Studio, an intimate black box in the round. With book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, “Sunday” took home the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama—one of only 10 musicals to win the esteemed prize—and amassed a whopping 10 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. It’s also said that 1 in 3 music theatre majors have at least one lyric discreetly tattooed somewhere, easily covered by a character shoe or mic pack.

“Sunday in the Park with George” tells a fictional story about the life of French Neo-Impressionist painter George Suerat, who lived in the late 1800s and painted A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The first act follows George during his time creating the famous painting, at odds with his obsessive need to create something new on the canvas (Seurat is generally considered to be the father of Pointillism) and his failing desire to connect to those around him, including his ailing mother and whimsical muse, Dot. The second act flashes forward roughly 100 years, where George—the great grandson of our first act painter—fights the same battles, and journeys to Île de la Grande Jatte for answers.

There is much to love about this production. Most impressive is Derek Van Barham’s directorial staging, which takes bold risks with music theater’s golden child, quite literally turning it on its head. “Sunday” is presented here stripped of pointillistic scrims, characteristic cardboard cutouts, and nearly everything you may have known and come to love about Mandy and Bernadette’s turns as George and Dot, respectively. Instead, it deconstructs the story by reducing it to its most basic components—perhaps not so ironically akin to Seurat’s approach to painting. Van Barham’s staging is meticulous, with each choice rooted in the emotional life of the story—not the least of which is George, who has been trapped “on” his canvas, waiting to be freed, as well as the Act One ending which does just that.

The score of “Sunday” is sung beautifully by Missy Wise Vanderzee (Dot) and Kevin Webb (George) with stellar support by the company all under the expert musical direction of Nick Sula. Vanderzee’s vocal styling is imbued with warmth and a deep yearning that nearly tells the story so well, you’d understand it with your eyes closed. Webb skillfully handles one of Sondheim’s toughest scores, deftly pattering his way through artistic turmoil. Their interpretation of the characters differs from the original, an observation made mostly available from the cinematic pro-shot recording from 1986 Broadway cast. This production gives us a more emotionally realized George and Dot, both seemingly aware of their shortcomings in a way that creates dissonance with the Act One ending. Traditionally, we would reach the end of the (first) story with a gap so wide and entrenched between the would-be lovers, our hearts break for their incompatibility despite their obvious chemistry and desire. In this production we feel that tension dissipated, wondering if maybe they could make it work, if only they had a little more time. And a solid couple’s therapist.

Act Two, which is anecdotally known to be the tougher of the two stories, comes through stronger in this production with a truly delightful Chromolume experience and Vanderzee’s portrayal of Marie. The cast feels most comfortable in the modern day setting and, by comparison, stilted by the period requirements of Act One. The Act One book is difficult, written in a stylized language that lands somewhere between what feels like English translation and “pointillistic” text. A terrific challenge for the music theatre actor, one I’m sure these performers will embrace and explore through the rest of the run.

Go see it. Always see “Sunday in the Park with George” and always support storefront theatre. Theatre is a living, breathing thing and by that definition, we would benefit from more productions with a strong point of view that challenges our understanding of the text, the lyrics, and the meaning. The entire Kokandy Productions team should be proud of their work, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen it.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SARAH FRANCES FIORELLO is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory with a BFA in Music Theatre and a Chicago-based poet, writer, and performer.  @writtenbysarahfrances

PHOTO| Evan Hanover

Kokandy Productions
presents
Sunday in the Park with George
Chopin Theatre
1543 W Division St
through November 1, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Come From Away - Marriott Theatre

Where The River Meets The Sea …
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

It is startling to realize that twenty-five years have passed since a savage attack on America changed the world as we know it. Ask anyone born before 1996 and they can tell you where they were that fateful day, how shocked and saddened they felt in the weeks and months that followed, and how they grieved for the nearly 3,000 souls lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

And on Wednesday evening, a truly stunning production of “Come From Away” opened at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Director Jessica Fisch and choreographer Katie Spelman have assembled an unmatched Chicago-based ensemble of stage veterans presenting a tapestry of true stories of compassion and kinship in the days following the 9/11 attacks. This show is electric, inspiring and fits the Marriott Theatre’s in-the-round-stage like a glove.

In the moments following the terrorist attacks, life as we know it came to a full stop. All air traffic within the United States was grounded. International travel was immediately restricted and commercial passenger flights that had sufficient fuel to return to their city of origin in Europe or Asia did so. Those that could not were forced to land wherever they could.

Three locations in Canada—Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, and Gander International Airport in Newfoundland— served as a safe haven for thousands of international travelers until operations could be restored.

Gander was a small provincial town of approximately 10,000 when 38 planes landed on September 11, 2001 with nearly 7,000 passengers aboard. As residents quickly mobilized resources, food, medical care and services, all of the passengers were not allowed to deplane for nearly 24 hours. In the days that followed, the “plane people” of all nationalities—known as “come from aways”—received an epic outpouring of support from the Newfoundlanders. Together, over the hours and days that followed, everyone learned the universal language of patience, compassion, and generosity.

We might not know as much of this heartfelt story if the husband and wife team of Irene Sankoff and David Helm had not attended a reunion in 2011 and conducted hundreds of interviews. That source material forms the core of their brilliant 2017 Broadway musical “Come From Away,” distilled into dozens of composite characters of immense warmth and humor, each with a strong sense of resilience and pride. It is a substantial piece for 12 actors in a fast-paced 100-minute format which in the capable hands of Fisch and Spelman is quite literally a work of art.

Marriott’s “Come From Away” is also a bit of a professional homecoming all its own. The key romantic storyline is the heartfelt relationship of Diane and Nick, served up perfectly by Heidi Kettenring and Matt Crowle, both returning to the Chicagoland stage after recent national tours. Sharriese Hamilton is marvelous reprising the role of Hannah that she played recently in the Australian touring production of the show. The extraordinary talent and wide-ranging stage skills—and dialects—of Alex Goodrich, Devin DeSantis and Sarah Bockel are on full display, as are Justin Allbinder, Denise Devlin, Madison Kauffman, Michael Earvin Martin and Jonathan Shaboo. Lexie Dorset Sharp shines in the role of Captain Beverley Bass, the first female commercial pilot.

The story develops organically on Scott Penner’s scenic design that incorporates a stage revolve, tables and industrial stair units that are all integrated seamlessly in the flow of the piece. From the rousing “Welcome To The Rock,”“38 Planes,”“Screech In,” and “On the Edge,” to the more contemplative “Stop the World,”“Prayer,” and “Me and the Sky,” this is musical emotion in motion under Music Director Ryan T. Nelson. Celia Villacres conducts nine musicians through a score that features nearly twenty instruments nested squarely in traditional themes and melodies.

“Come From Away” serves as a vivid reminder that even in the grip of an international tragedy, ordinary people from all walks of life are capable of acts of kindness and generosity well beyond our imagination. It also speaks to our own capacity to overcome adversity for the new life that awaits us and assurance that the newfound relationships forged during difficult times will give us comfort and hope for the future.

PHOTO|Justin Barbin

Marriott Theatre
presents
Come From Away
Ten Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL
through October 18, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: West Side Story - Music Theater Works

Stellar Revival at Music Theater Works!  
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

To borrow from the barrister, it is nowadays considered a kind of 'settled literature' that the pedigree of “West Side Story” is thick and heavy with legend and quality. It allowed Jerome Robbins—a one-of-a-kind director, creator, and choreographer—to push dance toward its now familiar dominance in storytelling mode. It inspired its still-young American composer Leonard Bernstein to create soaring melodies and rapid-fire musical passages steeped in both tradition and innovation. It pushed playwright Arthur Laurents to draw its story from the greatest of all playwrights—William Shakespeare—by writing dialogue that was both conventional and inventive. He borrowed from the Bard the tool of creating new words to fit this vision of the star-crossed story sparked by the erstwhile lovers Romeo and Juliet. And partially through Mr. Laurents, it launched the astounding career of a young Hammerstein protege in the theatre, initially as a lyricist, one Stephen Sondheim.

Music Theater Works is now offering its version of this timeless endeavor at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie through August 30. And this production team has created their own pedigree in a marvelous way. There is a full 22-piece orchestra directed by Linda Madonia, under the expert baton of Justin Kono. There is oh-so-smart, insightful direction by Sasha Gerritson. Clayton Cross and Isa Ramirez share choreography credit. The intimacy/violence choreographer Nick Sandys created sharp, well-paced gang fights between the Sharks and the Jets, while tenderly and deftly weaving the romantic moments between Maria and Tony.

Most people know now the plot points that surround two young lovers from different races and their plight to find a future. But the battle for gang turf stands in the way, exacerbated by the racial stances each gang possesses. “West Side Story,” because of this issue alone, will always be relevant—even more so in today's sociology. But as the man says, "Love is love is love..." and both these young lovers believe it wholeheartedly. The scenes between Tony (Luke Nowakowski, his eloquent singing belies a touching simplicity) and Maria (Isabella Ruono in a bravura vocal performance) are so well done. They are packed with an unhurried warmth and real emotion, bringing the romantics in the audience to swooning.

The Jets and Sharks are each one strong character in the play. Yes, there are wonderful individual personalities in each gang, but both sides create their unison from the outset. They remain of one attitude, each balanced by the other side. It's really fun to watch, tragic to realize and hard to stage. Connor Ripperger is a stout Riff—"Cool" was fabulous. The Bernardo of Emmanuel Ramirez was smooth and prodding in his insistence that his sister Maria accept Chino (Kameron Rojas-Schueneman, properly hapless and shy) as her lover.

The cops in the show—Lieutenant Schrank (Ivan James) and Officer Krupke (Eric Desnoyers)— nobly bring their brands of gravitas and humor, respectively. Anita (the marvelous Pauleth Jauregui) is a constant presence who reminds Maria of the dangers of her particular love and what it might cost. Ms. Jauregui leads a rousing version of "America" while her duet with Ms. Ruano warning of "A Boy Like That" is fierce and personal. Matt Rosin turns what could be a thankless role in Doc into a real, poignant influence. The entire ensemble of Jets and Sharks brought a creative energy and verve to a piece that demands it in every musical note.

With a striking scenic design by Bob Knuth and lush costumes by Bob Kuhn, the show is visually striking and easily one of the best and most complete productions this writer has seen from Music Theater Works. When we consider our present world in its own exacerbation of the racial stances these gangs possess, this story stands hard and firm. “West Side Story,” because of this issue alone, will always be relevant—both a blessing and a curse. Fortunately for us, it is the blessing part that remains stalwart in the endless creativity here.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. www.solochicagotheatre.com.  Coming soon, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY.

PHOTO|Brett Beiner

Music Theater Works
presents
West Side Story
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
through August 30, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Outsiders - Broadway in Chicago

‘The Outsiders’—Sound and Fury to Spare!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

By the time I read it in 1972, S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel “The Outsiders” was already a classic—the plaudit was in bold letters right on the cover blurb. At nine, I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. But I did know that the coming-of-age story of poor vs. rich kids in Tulsa, Oklahoma stirred up powerful emotions and a snapping irritation at anyone who interrupted my reading. Nearly 60 years after a teenage Hinton’s book was published (using only her first initials because she knew revealing her gender would have greatly diminished her chances at success), its powers are undiminished.

Running through Aug. 16 at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, the Jamestown Revival’s musicalization (music and lyrics by Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance and Justin Levine; book by Adam Rapp, with Levine) of Hinton’s novel is a brutal, beautiful show. Literary adaptations are a tricky beast (“Bright Lights, Big City” anyone?) especially when the source material has been beloved. But director Danya Taymor’s staging both respects the aesthetic of Hinton’s original and retains its pile-driving, heart-racing plot. The music soars and stabs and grooves and pops and twangs to gorgeous impact. The book captures the violence and the vitality of Hinton’s indelible characters.

The plot follows 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis (Nolan White), one of Tulsa’s teenage “greasers.” In Tulsa’s rigid teenage caste system, the impoverished greasers are forever being targeted by their wealthy, well-dressed peers, the “socs” (short for “socialite”). The greasers—led by the charismatic Dallas (Tyler Jordan Wesley)—are also frequent targets for the cops. (File under The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same: The socs are white, the greasers are not.) Stomach churning brawls leave two kids dead and the kind of trauma that gets passed like a malevolent heirloom. Ponyboy’s struggle to nurture family, art and forge a future is the narrative thread at the center of the tightly woven plot.

So is Rick and Jeff Kuperman’s extraordinary choreography, which has the cast dancing on rolling tires and endlessly reconfigured scaffolding in a vibrant, industrial wasteland (set by AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian). Prepare to be gobsmacked by the second act’s “Trouble”—it stops the show with a bone-crunching, skin-splitting climactic brawl delivered with a gasp-inducing merger of rampaging ferocity and extraordinary, paradoxical beauty.

White makes Ponyboy's journey compelling throughout, but when Wesley’s Dallas is on stage, he’s the one you’re watching. When Dallas launches “Little Brother”—a lament about a young man he could not save—up to the gods, it feels like he’s actually singing about many, many others. Another prime highlight is “Stay Gold,” which has Ponyboy and his best friend Johnny Cade (Bonale Fambrini) duetting to transcendent effect to the words of Cade’s favorite poet, Walt Whitman.

The show isn’t perfect. The socs are one-note villains. Ostensible heroine Cherry Valance (Emma Hearn) is little more than a cliched poor-little-rich-girl trope. Cherry doesn’t just flunk the Bechdel Test, she never even makes it to the exam room. Yet Cherry looks like Anna Karenina compared to her boyfriend Bob (Andrew Cekala), whose character begins and ends with his fists. Finally, the all-important “greaser” wigs look more like helmets than hair in a few cases. That said, there’s sound and fury to spare in “The Outsiders.” Not for nothing did the show win four Tonys, including best musical, in 2024. Its lessons are as powerful as they were in 1967: Life isn’t fair. Loss is devastating. Penury can suck you into a morass of rage and despair. And this above all: It’s ultimately up to you and your family—blood or otherwise—to figure out how to carry forth and stay gold.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois. 

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy

Broadway in Chicago
presents
The Outsiders
Cadillac Palace Theatre
151 West Randolph
through August 16, 2026

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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: Hair - Kokandy Productions - Chopin Theatre

Kokandy’s ‘Hair’ – “Where do I go?”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

“Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”—a Kokandy Productions revival of which you can experience yourself now at Chopin Theatre on West Division—represented a turning point in the social consciousness of a generation when it debuted on Broadway in 1968 following an Off-Broadway run in 1967. Many of us around to witness the bitter unrest of the Vietnam-era and recall 1968 as the “Summer of Love,” view it as much as a touchstone for freedom of expression in America as it was a sorrowful memory of two horrific assassinations and the violence in the streets of Chicago at the Democratic convention. Among the handful of productions I have seen over the years, the 1970 Boston production at the Wilbur Theatre—banned for a period of time—still looms large in my memory as an unforgettable experience.

With book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermott, “Hair” is the conflicted story, loosely told, of Claude (Gavin Rhys), his girlfriend Sheila (Catherine Rodriquez O’Connor) and friend Berger (Zac Richey) who are all central to the free-loving existence of their Tribe. Facing the dilemma of resisting the draft, or fighting, and perhaps dying, in the rice paddies of Vietnam is Claude’s central conflict. Moreover, “Hair” is considered the first rock musical, showcasing iconic anthems that both shape the moment and invoke an almost visceral response from audiences, then and now. You only had to look around the sprawling, eclectic interior of the Chopin mainstage as Dionne (Chosen Mitchell) and the Tribe crush “Aquarius” or as O’Connor launches into “Easy To be Hard” and “Good Morning, Starshine” to see just how deeply this score resonates with its audience.

In the Kokandy production that opened Saturday, Director/Choreographer Brennan Urbi has retrofitted the space with a series of platforms at various levels and scaffolding that frame a central area bringing the audience face-to-face with the ensemble—and each other. Urbi has torqued the show into a more modern aesthetic with a large, gender-fluid ensemble. The sheer exuberance of the cast is evident, engaging with the audience and delivering a hopped-up modern take on the ambitious score (music director Kara Olander). Rhys’ Claude takes the role to a more contemplative place right at the top to “Where Do I Go” that ends Act I and often includes a brief nude scene. Not here and not this time, notwithstanding some mooning from an impish Berger (Richey). It is a choice after all and for this particular production, a wise one, in my view.

Eleanor Kahn’s scenic design creates as many opportunities as challenges for the show. The primary stage area supports the large, rambling ensemble numbers well, however, sight lines are often impinged. From our close-up section on stage right, the sound amplification is inconsistent, often muffled and at times overpowered by the band. There did not appear to be incense in the air everywhere but attendees were enthusiastically adding their own message on the set—markers provided—a nice touch.

To me, every production of “Hair” is a rite of passage for a new generation of theater artists to explore. The rousing score, with themes of connection, racial indignation, sexual freedom, love and community, is universally important to hear and a timely reminder of the passion and energy of youth. Things are amped up here with stylized makeup, costumes and protest signs leaning to the current moment we are experiencing while staying just within the slim margins of the story. In the end, while this may not be your grandfather’s “Hair,” Kokandy still delivers a powerful, resonant message.

That message could not be more clearly realized than in “The Flesh Failures (Let The Sun Shine In),” an inescapable lyric and melody in its simplicity which will no doubt be reverberating in your headspace for days to come.

PHOTO | Michael Brosilow

Kokandy Productions
presents
Hair
The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
Chopin Theatre Mainstage
1153 West Division
through September 13, 2026

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PicksInSix Gold Review: Octet - Raven Theatre

Raven’s ‘Octet’: “Infinite In Both Directions!”
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

It is easy to see why the brilliant Raven Theatre production of Dave Malloy's stunning a cappella masterpiece "Octet" so captivated audiences at the initial run earlier this year at the theater on North Clark that the Goodman Theatre has planted the show in the Owen Theatre for a run that has already been extended through Aug 2.

It is the best of times for Goodman Theatre, the Regional Tony Award-winning non-profit anchor of Chicago's theatre district, now abuzz with two critically-acclaimed productions that, frankly, could not be more different in style, substance and presentation and yet appeal to virtually everyone. When you add in Dennis Watkins’ The Magic Parlour” and the immersive production of David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar’s “Theatre of the Mind,” the Goodman, celebrating its’ centennial season, is firing on all cylinders right now.

On the Albert mainstage, the world premiere of the hilarious musical "Iceboy!" features the star power of Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and a wacky cast of characters whose unhinged, comic trajectory has no foreseeable bounds. It is a work in progress that has every indication of evolving into a mega-hit a la Mel Brooks' "The Producers" or Monty Python's "Spamalot." (Stay tuned!) In addition, the Goodman has a long history of successful local transfers, like TimeLine’s “Relentless.” that enjoyed successful runs at local theaters before making a move downtown.

Last night for a time, the Goodman lobby was buzzing with patrons on the way to "Iceboy!" even as another distinct throng was gearing up for, arguably, the most monumental event in Raven Theatre Company history—the opening of their first musical production in Goodman’s Owen Theatre where the audience first discovers a mostly empty stage area with a few ‘Raven’ branded chairs, banquet tables up stage and the kind of flats and other scenic pieces you might find in any empty theater after a strike or between shows.

 What happens next was simply extraordinary. 

 The eight members of the ensemble converge on the space that evolves into a support group for those with a series of addictions to modern technology. They each park their cell phones in a box and embark on a story richly told in exquisite musical harmonies, syncopated rhythms and seamlessly stylized choreography. Together, the ensemble gives shape to the vast, emotional landscape that includes our personal anxieties, hopes and fears in the search for connection, love and purpose within the collective framework of our online activity.

This fascinating production—artfully directed by Keira Fromm with exquisite musical direction by Nick Sula and seamless choreography by Laura Savage—unfolds over one 90 minute act with the terrific original cast members: Neala Barron, Elliot Esquivel, Joryhebel Ginorio, Jordan Golding, Teressa LaGamba, Ryder Dean McDaniel, Sam Shankman and Grace Steckler. These are gifted actors and superb vocalists playing out their individually divergent personalities here coping with their technologically challenged lives through Malloy’s complex musical score. This is a stunning musical odyssey, richly performed and perhaps the finest ensemble performance of the year.

Milo Bue’s streamlined scenic design is framed in the wildly impressive lighting design of Maximo Grano De Oro’s with Chelsea Stebe and Wynn Lee and the flawless sound design by Christopher Kriz and Hannah Kwak that allows the nuance of the ensemble harmonies to be fully realized.

For anyone born after 1985, the internet has always been a part of life. That fact struck me deeply as I watched how each character coped with the intrusion of technology in our lives. For all the rest of us, it has been a process of adapting and incorporating new technology, social media and now artificial intelligence with a memorable foundation of experience of how things used to be. But for the generation of “Octet,” it is much more of a complex journey of discovery through their own experimentation, the assimilation of information and emotional stimulation which often leads to much darker and more ominous outcomes. In the end, Malloy points positively forward and suggests there is hope that in searching for a connection, we will find common ground with each other and, ultimately, a heightened sense of fulfillment for ourselves.    

PHOTO|Joe Mazza

Raven Theatre
presents
Octet
Goodman’s Owen Theatre
Dearborn Street
EXTENDED through August 2

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PicksInSix Review: SUFFS - Broadway in Chicago

‘The Young Are At The Gates!’
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Political activism of any kind, especially the Suffragists Movement and the crusade for the right for women to vote, requires the kind of universal commitment and passion that is at the heart of Shaina Taub’s brilliant Tony Award winning musical “Suffs” directed by Leigh Silverman. Two factions—the wives, mothers and daughters of the socially elite who are members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) led by Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), and a youthful, spirited group of protesters headed by Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) demanding immediate change—each contribute in their own way to the cause even, as they are constantly at odds with each other on the answer to the big question: How long must we wait?

For Catt and the women of the NAWSA, it was already over 65 years since Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association who opposed the 15th Amendment— allowing Black men to vote—unless it extended to women. A rival organization—the American Woman Suffrage Association—was formed to support a state by state initiative. The two groups merged decades later in 1890 to form NAWSA. The movement for equality then took a major step forward in 1913 when Paul organized and led the first national march on Washington.

It is at this historical turning point that “Suffs” takes shape, with Paul, her college classmate Lucy Burns (Gwynne Wood), a public personality, Inez Milholland (Monica Tulia Ramirez), who becomes the face of the cause, along with a Polish immigrant Ruza Wenclawska (Joyce Meimei Zheng) and writer Doris Stevens (Livvy Marcus) organize the march to pressure President Woodrow Wilson (Merrill Peiffer) for federal legislation. Their efforts draw national attention and thousands, including Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton), whose stunning anthem “Wait My Turn” pushes back at the racist undertones in the movement in both camps.

Wilson relents and meets with the Suffs, but no action is forthcoming. Years pass and the threat of war and other national priorities add to the delay until Paul’s group forms the National Woman’s Party (WAP) and rallies to oppose Wilson’s reelection. Though unsuccessful, Baum’s story then turns as Wilson gets the message and begins to aggressively take political steps to stonewall the upstarts.

The universally superb all-woman cast with exceptionally powerful voices are a perfect fit for Baum’s elegant and complex sung-through score. Silverman and choreographer Mayte Natalio have staged a striking visual masterpiece on the Christine Peters designed tour set based on Riccardo Hernandez Broadway version with resplendent costumes by Paul Tazewell, Lap Chi Chu’s stunning lighting and Jason Crystal’s crisp sound design.

There must be something in the water in the Green Mountains of my home state of Vermont. Baum, a Waitsfield native who ten years ago appeared as one of the Fates in “Hadestown”—written by another Vermont native, Anaïs Mitchell—created a remarkably, cinematic treatment of the suffragist movement that reflects sharply on the present moment. “Suffs” is and will always be, a rallying call to the next generation and to the legions of mothers and grandmothers who came before and were in jubilant solidarity on Wednesday night at the CIBC and is not to be missed. It is a nod to the past and an ode to the future, all summed in the lyric: “The old way always dies. The young are at the gate!”

PHOTO|Joan Marcus

Broadway in Chicago
presents
National Tour
SUFFS
CIBC Theatre
18 W Monroe
through July 19, 2026

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PicksInSix Gold Review - Damn Yankees - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Be Careful What You Wish For.
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

There is nothing quite like the experience of sitting in the dark as the lights come up on opening night. It matters little what the show is, how big the theater is or whether or not it is a world premiere or a revival. There is no doubt that a similar thrill lies deep in the dark reaches of every performer on stage, in the pit orchestra and behind the scenes.

There is unmistakable excitement for official opening nights, even if the show has had multiple previews and whether or not the words “critically acclaimed” appear in notices.

Not all of that exuberant energy can be harnessed for the length of a run. Conversely, many facets of the production mature with the benefit of successive live audiences. As the show coalesces, it becomes a more satisfying experience for the company and, in turn, the audience. Live audience reaction builds confidence and consistency. That is one of the chief reasons that live theater is truly irresistible: you never get the same performance twice.

Since theater critics routinely have that opening night opportunity, they often do not see the mature production. Covering a show deep in its run, especially a run that has been extended by high critical praise and word of mouth, is altogether new territory for me.

With all this in mind, I was excited on Sunday evening to finally see the revival of “Damn Yankees” that opened in late May at Theo. This 1955 musical classic—book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross—is an ambitious undertaking and popping up more often with a Broadway revival scheduled for next season. But it is rarely seen in such an intimate space as Theo, a company that has a fine reputation for producing exceptional, memorable musical productions.

"Damn Yankees," as directed by Daryl D. Brooks and choreographed by Christopher Chase Carter, is the story of Joe Boyd (Thomas M. Shea), the frustrated Washington Senators fan who says that he would give anything to be able to beat their dreaded pinstriped nemesis and win the American League pennant. As the words leave his lips, on comes Mr. Applegate (Tommy Thurston) with a diabolical bargain that seems too good to be true—become the best baseball player to ever play the game, lead the Senators to the pennant, and all for one small offering from Boyd: his soul.

On a grand scale, a production of “Damn Yankees” can be filled with the kind of fire and brimstone effects that befit a modern day Mephistopheles. At Theo, Brooks and Chase expertly turn the focus on the more emotional aspects of the story, the deep sense of loss that Meg Boyd (Megan Hoyt) feels when Joe has gone away, her interaction with Joe Hardy (Luke Nowakowski) and the collegial harmony of the team itself, a rag tag bunch with a lotta heart under the stewardship of the manager Van Buren (Reginald Hemphill). And then there is the snooping, scooping reporter Gloria Thorpe (Alex Madda) who leads a rousing rendition of “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO.”

Nowakowski’s flawless performance as Joe Hardy brims with confidence, sincerity and charm. We know just how spectacular this show will be from the get-go in “Goodbye Old Girl,” the transformational ballad beautifully sung by Shea and masterfully completed by Nowakowski.

But there is more. Much more.

The electrifying performance of the night goes to Jenny Couch as the fiery temptress Lola. Couch is a fine singer, a superbly skilled dancer and has the acting chops for a role that drips with alluring appeal in the early scenes—with Thurston in “A Little Brains, A Little Talent,” Nowakowski in “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets,” and the red-hot, Latin-infused mambo number “Who’s Got The Pain” with Quinn Rigg—then evolves into the touching central character of the show, someone we can really root for and whose change of heart is uniquely essential to the storyline. It takes a special talent to pull that off and Couch is the real deal. Without Lola in his corner, there is no way out for Joe and his eternal fate is sealed. It’s a pivotal turning point that Couch and Nowakowski navigate with gusto in “Two Lost Souls.” Wowzah!

With an upbeat combo under the steady hand of Ryan Brewster on the terrific Adler/Ross score, a creative raked baseball diamond set design by Manuel Ortiz, gorgeous costumes by Marquecia Jordan and, yes, hot dogs at intermission, Theo’s “Damn Yankees” is one of the best shows on stage in Chicago right now.

PHOTO|Elizabeth Stenholt Photography

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
presents
Damn Yankees
The Fred Anzevino Theatre
721 Howard Street
Evanston
EXTENDED through July 12

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PicksInSix Review: Iceboy! - Goodman Theatre

‘Iceboy!’ “It’s A Two Coma Show!”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Part parody and raucous satire wrapped in a rip-roaring musical comedy that would have made Eugene O’Neill himself shiver with delight, the world premiere of “Iceboy!” - or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write “The Iceman Cometh” melted the hearts of an opening night audience at Goodman’s Albert Theatre last night.

As directed by Mark Bruni, with a book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss, music by Mark Hollmann and lyrics by Hollmann and Reiss, it’s a story of a handful of fraught souls all trying to find a place in 1939 New York City, on and off the Broadway stage and in the sphere of super-diva Vera Vimm (Megan Mullally), herself an orphaned child longing for acceptance, love and a family of her own.

That world, framed throughout by the persona of O’Neill (Nick Offerman) who here serves as narrator, stage manager and his own unabashed publicist, includes the likes of Vera’s on again/off again love interest, the playwright Floyd Richards (Cedric Yarbrough), Lambert (Sarah Stiles), her tightly-wound, menopausal housekeeper and Frankenstein (Alex Goodrich) the butler, chauffeur and piano man of the house. After submitting the winning bid in a public auction for a 40,000-year-old frozen Neanderthal, Vera and her Iceboy (Grey Henson) become a major curiosity and the toast of the town. All that attention is short-lived when critics thrash Richards’ play “The Garment Girl” starring Vimm, sending her swirling into deep depression and ultimately, a coma during which her insecurity begins to unravel her world.

In the meantime, Iceboy, showing a remarkable capacity to evolve and adapt quickly to 20th century mores, gravitates to Lambert. Each finds a kindred spirit and that connection soon turns into something much more. Things move briskly until O’Neill himself enters the story. Free to feel more than at any other time in her life, Lambert is overcome with emotion and ends up in a coma of her own to which O’Neill quipped rhetorically: “That’s right. It’s a two coma show people!”

If this sounds far-fetched plot wise, you’ve got the picture. It’s as delightfully zany a menagerie of characters as you will ever see. On the one hand there’s Offerman’s direct, dry-martini delivery to the audience, offering a concise observation of the under-appreciation of his stage accomplishments at every opportunity. On the other, Mullally floats confidently, and hilariously, above everyone around her until there is no one left. That is when she learns a simple truth about what is important in life. Along the way, Stiles is a hoot and delivers again and again. With JoAnn M. Hunter’s choreography, a terrific ensemble drives “Iceboy” to a big and satisfying finish and a promising future.

The show is music directed by Vadim Feichtner who conducts a spirited seven-piece combo. Paul Tate Depoo III’s inspired set design shifts effortlessly and sparkles under Jen Schreiver’s dazzling lighting design. Linda Cho completes the visual tapestry with an array of period costumes that feature clever wig and hair design by Charles G. LaPointe and makeup by Rachael Geier, especially for Henson’s Iceboy and Goodrich’s Frankenstein, whose ultimate transformation is comic gold.

PHOTO|Todd Rosenberg

Goodman Theatre
presents
World Premiere
Iceboy! - or The Completely Untrue Story of
How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write “The Iceman Cometh”
Albert Theatre
170 North Dearborn Street
through August 9, 2026

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PicksInSix Review - Water for Elephants-Broadway in Chicago

‘WATER FOR ELEPHANTS’ IS TRUNKING AMAZING!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre may well be the most thematically appropriate venue in the country for the first national tour of “Water for Elephants.” The endlessly ornate venue opened in 1926, a scant five years before the musical based on Sara Gruen’s 1931-set novel about a travelling circus trying to outrun the Great Depression. There are literally elephants in the vestibule of the 100-year-old Nederlander, their tusked heads holding orb-like lamps. There’s also at least one elephant built into the house, a fanciful pachyderm amid the sea of gryphons and other fantastical creatures sculpted into the walls around the seats.

It’s a marvel of an interior, and a place that ups the ambiance in the stellar production (book by Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Co.) running through July 5. There are a few significant departures from the novel, including the inexplicable decision to excise a pivotal plot point involving the Brookfield Zoo. Directed by Ryan Emmons (original direction by Jessica Stone) “Water for Elephants” is a whiz-bang of a show, beguiling, jaw-dropping, and irresistible.

Crucially, an astounding array of circus acts are incorporated into a story that takes the brutal impact of the Great Depression and wraps it around a star-crossed romance, a host of indelible circus folk and, obviously, an elephant. Shana Carroll’s circus design has cast members flying on wings of billowing silk, spinning on gleaming hoops and acrobat-ing up and down 15(ish)-foot pools. There are jugglers, burlesque dancers, roustabouts and extraordinary puppet creatures (designed by Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman and Camille LaBarre) that look every bit as sentient as the humans on stage. Rosie is the showpiece with massive lumbering legs, a swinging trunk and expressive, saucer-large eyes.

The cast knows its business: As Jacob Jankowski, who joins the circus after his parents die, Zachary Keller delivers just the right mix of vulnerability and leading man bravissimo. The love interest is Marlena (Helen Krushinski, navigating the score’s treacherous modulations with ease) who performs, trains, befriends and tries to protect Rosie. Working against her: the villainous ringmaster August (Connor Sullivan), whose final confrontation with Rosie is immensely satisfying. But arguably the most memorable member of this rag-tag troop is Walter the clown. Tyler West is a hilarious showstopper, combining physical slapstick and rapid-fire wit and impeccable comic timing. West has one of the best, most ridiculous death scenes I’ve seen in 35 years of reviewing musicals. (He’s actually got a couple of death scenes, it’s the first one that’s snort-level side-splitting.)

Pigpen’s score is a terrific mix of up-tempo, energized, stunt-filled numbers (the all-hands on deck opening “Prologue”) slower, fluid ballad-like tunes (Krushinski’s flowing “Easy”) that come with a dream-like quality.

“Water for Elephants” unfolds as a memory, bookended by Jacob as an elderly man (Robert Tully) from the nursing home he is desperate to get out of. The show then gracefully vacillates between soft-focus beauty and vivid detail. Either way, the production is—if not the most spectacular show on earth—surely one of the best musicals on the tour circuit.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | CATEY SULLIVAN has been covering Chicago theater for more than 30 years. Her work has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader, Windy City Times, Playbill, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune and New City, among others. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois. 

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Broadway in Chicago
presents
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
James M. Nederlander Theatre
through July 5, 2026

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PicksInSix Review - Nunsense - Drury Lane Theatre

Holy and Hilarious, ‘Nunsense’ Delivers Big!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Kaitlyn Linsner

Five nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken have taken the stage at Drury Lane Theatre to sing and dance and hopefully raise enough money to give some of their fellow sisters a proper burial. You see, these sisters died from botulism and will be stuck in the freezer if the nuns’ variety show fundraiser fails. This production, however, has absolutely nothing to worry about. What talent and what fun!

Drury Lane’s “Nunsense,” wonderfully directed by E. Faye Butler, features some heavenly performers who know how to work the crowd and a top-notch creative team including music director Julia Schade, choreographer Kenny Ingram, and lighting design by Lee Fiskness. This beloved musical comedy originated from a line of greeting cards. Creator Dan Goggin later expanded the material to a cabaret show and then eventually to the full blown musical performed for the past 40 years.

One of the key features of “Nunsense” is audience participation. The nuns interact with the audience throughout and play in particular to those who went to Catholic school. Breaking the fourth wall works well here thanks largely to the comedic talents of Sister Mary Amnesia (Kelly Felthous). Felthous does a fine job improvising with audience members, and her goofy and campy performance brings on big laughs.

Sister Robert Anne (Rachel Carreras) also shines with great comedic timing. Overall, while some of the humor is dated (and very Catholic), this production is hilarious. There are great one-liners, raunchy content, physical humor, and a very memorable scene from Sister Mary Regina (Cory Goodrich) when she accidentally gets high. Sister Mary Regina and Sister Mary Hubert (Sharriese Hamilton) have great banter, and even when dancing for God, Sister Mary Leo (Aurora Boe) finds ways to make the audience laugh.

The talented cast has superior chemistry and sings beautifully together. The individual spotlight numbers for each nun, though, really showcase their vocal talents. “I Just Want to be a Star” stands out as a remarkable musical number where Sister Robert Anne (Carreras) finally gets her moment in the spotlight and performs a real show-stopper. High praise must also be given to Hamilton who, as Sister Mary Hubert delivers a powerful rendition of “Holier Than Thou.” Plus, there’s tap dancing, ballet, puppeteering, and even a sketch about cooking shows. You really cannot go wrong with “Nunsense.”

Of course, that is the appeal of this musical. You get a bit of everything from the Little Sisters of Hoboken who more than anything just want to entertain. They want you to laugh, tap your toes, clap your hands, and enjoy yourself. “Nunsense” delivers all of this and more and will be sure to keep you smiling from start to finish.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | KAITLYN LINSNER serves as an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Utilities Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.

PHOTO|Caitlyn Dennis

Drury Lane Theatre
presents
NUNSENSE
Drury Lane Oakbrook
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
through August 2, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: South Pacific - Paramount Theatre

“There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame!”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The first decade of the impressive creative collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II spawned “Oklahoma! (1943),” “Carousel (1945),” “Allegro (1947),” “South Pacific (1949)” and “The King and I (1951).” Many followed—including “The Sound of Music (1959),” shortly before Hammerstein’s death—characterized by lush vocal arrangements, robust orchestrations and stories that challenged social norms. These stories, in some cases based on real people, changed how their audience viewed musicals, peeling back our own biases and revealing the raw, powerful emotions of love, loss and survival.

“Oklahoma!” received a special Pulitzer Prize Citation in 1944 for elevating the art form, but it was “South Pacific” that earned the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, one of only ten musicals to date to hold that distinction. Beyond the memorable score and compelling story adapted from James A. Michener’s own Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Tales of the Pacific” with the steady hand of Joshua Logan, the musical was controversial, epic and a colossal success, running for 1,925 performances.

And now, over 75 years later, the soaring melodies at the heart of “South Pacific,” as evidenced by the exceptional production now playing at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, still stay with you long after the final curtain. The Devon Hayakawa|Trent Stork directed revival stars the diminutive powerhouse Allsun O’Mallory as Nellie Forbush and a commanding performance by Devin Archer as Emile De Becque who find love on a south seas island during World War II.

The other love story, the developing relationship between Lt. Joseph Cable (Anthony Maggio) and Liat (Louisa Darr), leads to De Becque and Cable forming an alliance and teaming up for a dangerous mission to gather information on enemy positions and movements in the region, a serious departure from the fun and frivolity early on.

With a cast of over thirty, many making their first appearance at Paramount, and more than a dozen musicians under the musical direction of Kory Danielson who conducts, this is as massive a production of this classic that you will see. With Morgan DiFonzo’s fast-paced choreography, particularly in the O’Mallory-led ensemble numbers “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and “I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy,” and in the high-flying “Honey Bun” showcasing the belly-dancing skills of Matthew Michael Janisse who shines as the hilarious wheeler-dealer Seabee Luther Billis. Competing for Billis’s business is Liat’s mother Bloody Mary played by Cindy Chang, who pushes grass skirts and shrunken heads for a price while scheming to match her daughter with a husband. Mary’s tender homage to the mysterious island of “Bali Ha’i” lures Cable there to find and fall for Liat, that has all the signs of an ill-fated match.

It is Cable’s somber “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” that strikes at the prejudicial core of “South Pacific,” both in his relationship with Liat and between Nellie and Emile. O’Mallory’s “A Cockeyed Optimist” and Archer’s “Some Enchanted Evening” and “This Nearly Was Mine” are terrific. And the always boisterous and bawdy “There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame” does not disappoint, amped up a bit here by some very buff Seabee-like types who have definitely been on an island by themselves too long. It’s all in good fun and what makes Paramount Theatre’s “South Pacific” an enchanting evening out for the whole family.

PHOTO|Boris Martin

Paramount Theatre
presents
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
SOUTH PACIFIC
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
through June 14, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Great Gatsby: A New Musical - Broadway in Chicago

“BORNE BACK CEASELESSLY INTO THE PAST”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The splashy opulence of the 1920s Jazz Age comes to life in the national touring production of "The Great Gatsby: A New Musical," which opened at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on Wednesday night. F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel—considered by many one of the finest works of the 20th century—explores wealth, power, privilege and intrigue. The stage adaptation features a book by Kait Kerrigan with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and is directed by Marc Bruni with choreography by Dominique Kelly.

Jake Davis Smith and Senzel Ahmady star as the ill-fated lovers Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, reunited through Daisy's cousin Nick Carraway, played by Joshua Grosso. Carraway's romance with Daisy's best friend, amateur golfer Jordan Baker (Leanne Robinson), draws him into Gatsby's extravagant world. There he uncovers that Daisy's domineering husband Tom (Will Banner) is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson (Lila Coogan), the socially ambitious wife of George Wilson (Tally Sessions)—a well-meaning mechanic entangled in a bootlegging operation run by the nefarious Meyer Wolfsheim (Edward Staudenmayer).

By necessity, the musical reimagines Carraway as less of a narrator than in Fitzgerald's novel, where his voice serves as the story's binding, poetic force. Even so, Kerrigan's book successfully frames the story's broader themes, though some of the darker character details—fully exposed when the tide turns on Gatsby—are condensed along the way.

That depth emerges through the lush Howland-Tysen score. Highlights include Smith's soaring ballad "For Her," the duet "My Green Light" with Ahmady, and "Past Is Catching Up With Me." Robinson shines alongside Grosso, Staudenmayer and the company in the swinging "New Money" and with Grosso in "Better Hold Tight." Ahmady's "For Better or Worse," Coogan's "Second-Hand Suit," "God Sees Everything," and Grosso's "The Met" also stand out. Ensemble numbers "Roaring On" and "Shady" are stellar and Joann Gilliam's Gilda Gray alongside the electric performance of The Sugars (Anna Gassett, Josiah Hicks, Tyler Johnson-Campion and Macy McKown) steal the show with "La Dee Dah With You."

The production unfolds on Paul Tate DePoo III's magnificent set, whose elegant panels and scenic elements frame vivid projections—from the shimmering shoreline and Daisy's green dock light to Gatsby's grand estate, Carraway's Long Island cottage, the Sugar Hill apartment, the Plaza Hotel suite and George's garage in the Valley of Ashes, loomed over by Doctor T. J. Eckleburg's billboard eyes. Two cars—Tom's modest blue coupe and Gatsby's gleaming yellow roadster—make a striking and memorable impression. Linda Cho's exquisite costumes and Cory Pattak's lighting design complete a stunning visual tapestry.

Ultimately, "The Great Gatsby: A New Musical" is an American tragedy of indulgence and deception—a portrait of the privileged few who sacrifice integrity for self-preservation. It is a reflection that feels urgent for this moment in time, and a powerful reminder of the enduring significance of Fitzgerald's work and the flickering green light of hope for the future.

PHOTO|Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Broadway in Chicago
presents
The Great Gatsby
A New Musical
Cadillac Palace Theater
through May 3, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Drowsy Chaperone - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Total Foolery and Fun at Theo!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

So, it's like this... “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which runs through April 19 at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre on the Evanston/Chicago border, is fluff. There's no getting around it, it makes no serious statement about life and its endless issues. It's an absolute distraction from the reality of our world at present. This is all good. The production elements are startlingly immersive and constant in breaking the fourth wall with and for the audience. And one doesn't mind that one bit; this is how energetic and entertaining it is, with its tight, purposeful direction by L. Walter Stearns. It's a piece that plays directly into Mr. Stearns' historical milieu of tried-and-true musicals. You see why as the show unfolds. And it's a joy to watch.

It all begins and ends with an ingenious tool that becomes the guiding thread for the entire musical. He's a kind of lonely "narrator" of sorts whose character name is Man In Chair. He does encyclopedic research into the genre. He doesn't really narrate as much as he reflects and remembers. He plays LPs on his stereo in his small apartment, and he's a huge fan of old musicals. The story unfolds through a recording of this musical that he's never seen but he dearly loves entitled "The Drowsy Chaperone." Chicago stalwart Steve McDonagh literally becomes the Man before our eyes. It's subtle, interesting and informative. And endlessly charming and warm. This Man is the character we all envy in the fun and love that he shares. It's like hand in glove. And an almost effortless portrayal.

The plot to the show itself is almost irrelevant as it opens up into the apartment, performing literally in front of its occupant and, in the intimate confines of the staging, the audience. The pretext is a wedding day for Broadway baby Janet (Kelsey MacDonald plays it all to the hilt), a star who is on the cusp of giving it all up for love, and Robert (Trey Plutnicki dances up a storm and even puts on roller skates), who met on a cruise and fell in love almost the same night. All the other characters are vital decoration for what seems the intent of the musical—total foolery and fun. And wonderfully drawn characters they are, too, from both Broadway and Hollywood models.

A few examples. There's the title character that the wonderful Colette Todd offers, a supposed chaperone assigned to looking after Janet, and who is a full-blown lush—a character creatively pulled from the Marie Dressler/Margaret Dumont stable. Her character falls in love with Aldolpho (Darian Goulding with a proper chew-the-scenery presence, like in a Marx Brothers film), an opera singer who finds his way to seducing the chaperone. We see two bumbling gangsters (Jimmy Hogan and Chase Wheaton-Werle) who can't do much right. But when they do, they are scene stealers, a reminder of two similar gangsters in Kiss Me, Kate.

Peter also has a chaperone of sorts in his buddy George (Kevin Chlapecka, properly supportive and hovering), who makes sure that the groom does not see the bride before the wedding—all thrown out the window, of course, as the show progresses. They share a fast-moving tap number "Cold Feets," which leaves us all breathless. A direct theft from old-time radio comes from Feldzeig (Reginald Hemphill in a crackling, gruff George Burns character), a manager of talent and, in particular, Kitty (Luiza Vitucci is literally channeling Gracie Allen here), who wants so badly to be onstage that she reinvents herself as... a really bad clairvoyant. Example: "Give me a number between five and seven!" You get the picture.

The tight pit orchestra led by veteran keyboardist/conductor Eugene Dizon and the crisp choreography by Jenna Schoppe takes us all along swimmingly. By the time it's all done, there are not one but four weddings that happen, because everyone falls in love with each other. It's goofy and quick and becomes a paean to the theatre, to living life as fully as we can, and to the joy of performing for all these young people who cannot stop smiling the entire time. The story might not have the same effect, arguably, if the Man In Chair was not ever-present. But it's the gravitas of that Man in the capable hands of Mr. McDonagh and under the watchful eye of Mr. Stearns, we hop onboard gladly.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. www.solochicagotheatre.com.  Coming in May 2026, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY, in the NOMA at the Reilly Arts Center, Ocala, Florida.

PHOTO | Brett Beiner Photography

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
presents
The Drowsy Chaperone
721 Howard Street, Evanston
through April 19, 2026

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