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: Adolescent Salvation - Theater Wit

“Worst. Sleepover. Ever.” Is No Exaggeration!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Perse Grammer

To enter Theater Wit’s production of “Adolescent Salvation,” I have to push through the clothes hanging in a teenage girl’s closet. Upon entering, I am immediately transported to the bedroom of every quirky rich girl I knew growing up. The walls are covered in posters and tapestries, color-changing lamps perch on various surfaces and a turquoise record player stands out amongst the knickknacks. Blasting songs like “Ignorance” by Paramore and “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius only enhance the teenage girl-dom of it all. Tying the space together are the fairy lights grandly draped from the high white rafters. Scenic designer Jonathan Berg-Einhorn has knocked it out of the park, immersing the audience in the show by making them part of the walls.

This room belongs to Natasha. And we’ll soon learn that her closet doesn’t just contain clothes and eager audience members. There is also at least one skeleton.

We begin in the dark, with nothing but screen light and TikTok audio blaring from the phones of three teens sprawled across the floor. Sweet, awkward Natasha (Piper Jean Bailey) and snarky, domineering Taylor (Jordan Levene) have nothing in common apart from moms insisting they have a sleepover. Taylor has dragged along her gay best friend, who is also named Taylor (Brandon Acosta). Let’s call them Taylor G. (for girl) and Taylor B. (for boy). While Taylor B. has some genuine interest in befriending Natasha, Taylor G.’s focus is on extracting her darkest secrets. But when she discovers something far worse than she expected, Taylor G. hatches a plan to save Natasha—a plan that will also put her in grave danger. While the play is a bit clunky at first, it finds its groove as the plot twists get crazier. And oh, do they get crazier!

As the night unravels, Natasha’s initially adorable distress morphs into a vicious breakdown. Bailey brings a kaleidoscopic approach to Natasha—she’s kind and innocent, manipulative and demanding, and above all else, intensely struggling. Acosta’s performance is steady and humorous, bridging the gap between the girls’ clashing perspectives. He’s also got a knack for physical comedy. Which, whether using props or bodies, is a delightful constant of “Adolescent Salvation.” As Victoria, Maura Kidwell’s physicality is eye-catching—all sharp angles and dramatic leaning. She entirely embodies Natasha’s mom and former hero, a woman who used to be in a feminist band called The Late Term Abortions. Levene’s Taylor G. is apathetic one moment, passionate the next, all wrapped in a layer of deeply teenage snark. She’s the mean girl who’s funny enough that you don’t quite want her to stop talking.

While playwright Tim Venable delves deep into every character, I wish we got to explore more of Taylor G.’s nuances within the text. There are a few mentions of her difficult home life—her mom cheating on her dad with a younger man—and Levene’s performance alludes to Taylor G.’s desperation to control the room. But she starts “Adolescent Salvation” declaring she will never disclose vulnerability, and in a play where everything gets turned on its head, that remains true to the end. While Taylor B. and Natasha bond with relative ease, Taylor G. is Natasha’s tormentor and her white knight. The push-and-pull between them is the driving force for much of the play’s action. But unlike Natasha, we just don’t know why Taylor G. behaves the way that she does. Knowing that could make a touching moment near the end—the Taylors crawling through Natasha’s window to help her like true friends should—more impactful. Even so, that scene is strong. Strong enough to be the final moment of the play, in my eyes.

Director Guillermo Cienfuegos and his team have developed a thrilling play that shines a light on the dark realities of being a teenager with nobody’s support but unlikely friends. “Adolescent Salvation” has engineered moments that will make you cackle and cringe, often at the same time. The theatre in the round setup—with great attention paid to sightlines—means whenever you can’t bear to look at the action on stage, you’ve got plenty of fellow audience members writhing in discomfort to watch. I won’t say what exactly causes these audible groans and full body cringes—you’ll just have to experience that for yourself. Because the shock factor is crucial to ensure “Adolescent Salvation” is abruptly funny and intoxicatingly uncomfortable.

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|Boris Martin

Theater Wit
presents
Adolescent Salvation
1229 Belmont Avenue
through October 3, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Sisters - Writers Theatre

‘Sisters’ Story Has Bugs, Still Connects.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

Artificial Intelligence has been around for at least 70 years, but pop culture has been obsessed with it for millennia (See: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” circa 150 AD). From the friendly, protective robot of “Lost in Space” to the husband-worshipping femmebots of “The Stepford Wives” to the synthetic companions of “Ex Machina,” “M3GAN,” AI is a Pandora’s Box of limitless, fascinating mutations. Its place in storytelling is as vast as the data it collects.

Matthew Libby’s “Sisters,” running through November 8 at Glencoe’s Writers Theatre, depicts in harrowing terms the human cost that AI can exact on those who rely on it heavily for companionship. Directed by Jessica Thebus, “Sisters” is punctuated by intensely powerful moments that will leave your brain in a twist, grappling with Gordian Knot of moral complexities involved with creating eerily sentient-like life. AI could make Victor Frankensteins of us all.

Libby’s drama focuses on the human Matilda (Brenda Barrie) and Greta (Chloe Johnston), her AI “sister” who lives in a computer. There are flaws here, but Libby has a knack for distilling the essence of being human with rather brutal accuracy. Humans, notes Greta, infinitely complex souls who spend their lives trapped in decaying bodies while desperately seeking transcendence. No lies detected.

Greta’s own transcendence is a bit of a deux ex machina—something that seems to happen due to random magic because the plot demands it rather than earns it. The other issue is that “Sisters” slightly drags in its final third. Matilda is the only character on stage, which makes some of Greta’s dialogue-heavy passages less than fully engaging. Barrie covers 90 years in Matilda’s life (six to 96) with impressive effectiveness. Adults playing six-year-olds can be squeaky and weird, but there’s no such problem with Barrie, who is consistently believable and relatable as she moves from traumatized child to nonagenarian, Greta (mostly) by her side. Johnston has an arguably even more difficult assignment: Playing invisible software.

Yet Johnston makes Greta unnerving and mind-warpingly understandable. The synth’s desire to “take up space” in her world, her fear of being recoded or “wiped”—aka annihilated— will resonate with any human who has ever felt invisible or been bedevilled with fears of death or dementia.

 “Sisters” movingly explores the impact of loneliness in humans, and Barrie brings it to wrenching life. Greta is nothing but coding and circuitry, but her impact on Matilda’s life is massive, ultimately directing everything from Matilda’s career choice to her bank balance. The emotional cost is more profound yet. Among the most harrowing scenes arrives as Barry howls into an existential abyss, overwhelmed by the losses she’s endured and the choices she’s made. It’s a scene that’ll embed itself in your mind and make you seriously reflect on the long-term psychological effects of making a chatbot your closest confidante.

“Sisters” is provocative and intriguing. But while the two-person cast is excellent, the play itself needs tightening. The technology in the story it tells might be sci-fi. The story “Sisters” spins is one we humans have been grappling with since time immemorial.

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 | Hugo Hentoff

Writers Theatre
presents
Sisters
The Gillian Theatre
325 Tudor Court
Glencoe, IL

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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: Windows - PrideArts

Living Room Drama: Peeping Tom Edition
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Perse Grammer

From the moment we step into the Hoover-Leppen Theatre, the “Windows” world premiere—produced by PrideArts—has already begun. Olivia (Lucabella Sangin) lounges on the living room couch, staring at two colorfully lit windows. Behind her hang a dozen white window frames and a gauzy black drape, courtesy of Hayley Wallenfeldt’s scenic design. Behind those are the neighbors in 14E (David Lipshutz and Ashley Kramer) getting ready for the day. This is the quietest moment before the show begins—because once it starts, we’ll hardly have time to catch our breath.

“Windows” takes place in the apartment of old friends and roommates, Natalie (Vinita Dixit) and Clay (River Ruiz). Their living room has been invaded by Natalie’s girlfriend, Olivia, whose soccer career was ended by a life—and leg—shattering injury. While the roommates drown in work and relationship induced stress, Olivia adds to the growing pile of trash (designed by Maddi Waneka) and daydreams about tragedies befalling the 14E neighbors. Tensions rise as Clay’s toxic ex-boyfriend arrives, Olivia picks apart his life to avoid her own and Natalie spreads herself too thin to prevent the household from imploding.

The humor is consistent and strong. Director Taylor Pasche has successfully coalesced playwright Matt Schutz’s dialogue and the cast’s delivery into pure hilarity. The quips are bountiful, many with a subtle Gen Z flavor. Whether a character is attempting to hide a cereal bowl or perform a dramatic dance, choreographed by Mads Wren, the physical comedy isn’t to be ignored either. Every actor had the audience in stitches, but Kramer’s performance of Emily, Natalie’s supposedly quiet new friend, merited a round of applause upon her exit. She and Lipshutz are cartoon characters who come to life when acting out Olivia’s melodramatic fantasies of the 14E neighbors. Valerio Gardner’s sound design and Lea Davis’s lighting gel seamlessly to transport us into these silly daydreams. Slow moments are exceedingly rare, if not extinct altogether.

Though she initially enters raving emphatically about her flaky coworker, Dixit’s performance as Natalie grounds us in this chaotic household. She’s the glue that keeps Olivia from spiraling further and Clay from kicking her out. But unfortunately, “Windows” doesn’t allow Natalie to be more than that. We know she is hanging on by a string—rejected from medical school, working a stressful furniture sales job and caretaking for Olivia. But in a story about rebuilding futures, Natalie’s is left unexplored. Unlike Olivia and Clay, she has no grand outburst forcing others to acknowledge her struggles. Dixit is heart-wrenching when she bursts into Olivia’s daydream and confronts her about no longer being the woman she loves. But we never hear what the real Natalie thinks, just Olivia’s version. While the play recognizes Natalie’s difficult position, it doesn’t give her the opportunity to grow out of it as her own person. “Windows” ends with all three roommates looking toward a brighter future—but Natalie’s is only an extension of Olivia’s and Clay’s.

The character of Olivia, however, does an excellent job at capturing two coexisting truths, those being: what happened to Olivia is devastating, and, that she’s often awful to be around. Schutz doesn’t shy away from or sanitize the anger and depression prominent in recently-disabled people. Sangin slips easily between sweetness, snark, and a deep sadness. She pries into Clay’s personal life, refuses Natalie’s attempts to keep her healthy, and lies to both of them about cleaning her rising mountain of trash. But side by side with Olivia’s unbearable presence is her looming fear of the future. She can’t imagine being anyone worthy if she’s not a soccer player, and her window-watching daydreams are rife with tragedy to ignore the one haunting her own life. Emily Brink’s costume design only aids the sensation that Olivia is in stasis. Through most of the show, she’s stuck in the same dark shirt and sweatpants, while everyone else is in quick change city. Olivia’s eventual improvement doesn’t come from reinventing her future. It comes from knowing that she can. A lesson that is repeatedly presented to her by others, but in a very human fashion, it’s one she can’t internalize until she figures it out on her own time.

At first glance, “Windows” is a quippy play. But when you pull back the curtain and peer inside, it’s also a poignant reflection on transitioning from escaping your life, to changing it. Relentlessly funny and endearingly emotional, it is a play for anyone who’s been scared of an uncertain future—that is to say, everyone.

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 | Logan and Candice Conner, Oomphotography

PrideArts
presents
World Premiere
Windows
3656 N. Halsted
through August 23, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Notebook - Broadway in Chicago

Love Notes: For Better Or Worse.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Sarah Frances Fiorello

The musical “The Notebook” has returned to Chicago, ready to meet all new audiences and be reacquainted—and reintroduced—with theatregoers who found themselves at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s pre-Broadway production in the fall of 2022.  The musical, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks and subsequent 2004 hit film, plays now through August 16th at the Nederlander Theatre at Broadway in Chicago.

The story weaves through the lives of star-crossed lovers Noah and Allie, played in the musical by three actors for each character—Younger, Middle, and Older—jumping from present day to their carefree youth and everywhere in between. Older Noah and Older Allie recall and revisit their love story through the center inanimate character, a notebook, read from Noah to Allie as she grasps and struggles with deteriorating dementia. “The Notebook” is a beautifully told story of fleeting time and fervent love, one that you have not seen told in the current format—the touring production has undergone changes from the Broadway production and, of course, from its pre-Broadway run. Easter eggs only here for those who have seen previous versions of the show; I encourage you to head to the Nederlander to see for yourself.

On to this production, which deserves a review in its own right. Directed by Schele Williams alongside Broadway juggernaut and five-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (“Rent”, “Next to Normal”, “Dear Evan Hansen”) with choreography by Katie Spelman, “The Notebook” serves a visual treat to audiences, with staging and storytelling that often feels like poetry in motion. Multiple versions of Noah and Allie exist simultaneously on stage throughout much of the musical; what transpires at the expert direction of Williams and Grief is a journey through time, memory, while taking honest stock of our relationship to our past and future selves.

“The Notebook” marks the theatrical and Broadway debut of singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, alongside book writer Bekah Brunstetter (most notably television’s “This is Us” writer, story editor, and producer). The duo have created a musical that is as strikingly unique as it is true to the original book while also somehow capturing fan-favorite moments from the film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

The cast is replete with Broadway veterans, each as fantastic as the next. Alysha Deslorieux as “Middle Allie” soars vocally in her full-throated 11 o’clock number “My Days” while Beau Gravitte as “Older Noah” delivers a sincere, earnest, and loving performance as the idyllic spouse any married person would be lucky to have. Connor Richardson as Johnny, the physical therapist to Older Allie and the Gen Z point-counterpoint to Baby Boomer Older Noah offers a delightful performance, highlighting the power of platonic love alongside the romantic love of our main characters.  Sharon Catherine Brown as Older Allie brings this story home with her devasting portrayal of life while suffering with dementia.  Brown brings both a gentleness and fierceness to the role and gives us a heartbreaking glimpse into what it feels like to navigate this disease—constantly searching for answers while also searching for yourself.

I never read the Sparks novel but when I saw the film all those years ago, I immediately fell in love with what it stood for: real love can persist and stand firm in the face of life’s hardest struggles and most difficult tests. All these years later, as I’m sure is true for most of us, life has a way of testing that belief. Perhaps that’s why we go to the theatre. To be reminded of what is possible in life and in love, and that what we see beyond the footlights, even on our most difficult days, might find its way across the threshold.

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. 
Instagram: @writtenbysarahfrances

PHOTO | Roger Mastroianni

Broadway in Chicago
presents
National Tour
The Notebook

James N. Nederlander Theatre
24 W. Randolph St.

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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 Review - Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune - Dunes Summer Theatre

‘Frankie and Johnny’: After The Lovin!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The Dunes Summer Theatre’s 75th Anniversary Season continues through July 12 with a fine production of Terrence McNally’s “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.” It’s a two-hander, of sorts, where all four hands—and a lot more—are working overtime at the top in a small 1980s New York City tenement. The two lovers, Frankie (Kat Evans) and Johnny (Mark Mendelson) are in Frankie’s bed consummating their passionate and rigorous lovemaking. All we know at first is what we hear and while there is some shadowy thrashing about in the dark, it’s obvious where these two have been and where they are going.

It may make you wonder, then, if this is how things begin, where do we go from here? That is, of course, precisely the point of McNally’s work. It’s not the passion of the moment—although there are several of those—but rather, what could possibly come next. In truth, these two know very little about each other. She is a waitress and he a short-order cook. They both talk around their idiosyncrasies and, for that matter, points of fact. The first big one is age, which even as they both admit to a middle age number, you are never quite sure.

Then there are the simple things that trouble and excite us: loneliness, depression, obsession, food, humor, uncertainty and guilt. It seems that McNally would like us to believe that even if we are doing something that brings us pleasure, we should carry a healthy amount of guilt along so that we can remain grounded in our regular world.

Frankie is tightly wound in this regard. She wants to resist Johnny’s advances, waffling between asking him to leave and to cook her a western omelet since instead of a smoke, Frankie craves food after sex. Johnny is the more free-spirited of the two, although he has a bit of an ominous streak in him that hits Frankie hard more than once. He wears his heart on his sleeve and alternates between pressure for more of the same from Frankie and humor as a tool to pacify her insecurity and mood swings.

The play originally debuted at the height of the AIDS crisis and much has been written about McNally’s intention to explore what happens when a couple is faced with navigating the next level of a relationship after a one-night stand. The dialogue is non-stop through two-acts and director Morgan McCabe draws solid performances from both Evans and Mendelson who find the subtle nuances in the script and capitalize on much of the humor McNally intended, even though you might not consider this a comedy. How this all plays out is really at the core of the show. It is a big lift and fine work by these two actors (and the radio announcer played by Michael Nowak) in building a relationship that may well have a chance of surviving the night.

Frankie’s urban apartment is another splendid set design by Michael Lasswell with a working stovetop and a true nod to late 80s New York with a city skyline in the distance. With adult themes and language throughout, this may be more of a date night than a family outing, but McCabe and intimacy director Cheis Morgan balance the subject matter and provocative elements with discretion. It is an ambitious production for the Dunes that plays well in the cozy confines of the theater on Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City.

PHOTO|Tony Martin

Dunes Summer Theatre
presents
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
288 Shady Oak Drive
Michigan City, IN
through July 12

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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: Catch as Catch Can - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Diabolically Clever “Catch” Turns On Dime
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

What a challenging piece of theatre this is. Three actors play six different characters in Mia Chung's diabolically clever play “Catch as Catch Can,” now playing at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre through July 12. In director Amy Morton’s eloquent staging, the solid trio of actors play two characters each. They offer an adult child and a parent—a son to the mother or a daughter to the father. We jump genders and ages, even while standing alone.

There are two families, close friends and all, the Phelans and the Lavecchias. They welcome home a kind of prodigal son, setting off an evolving crisis that reshapes their lives and, as we discover, the play itself. In Mia Chung’s play, three actors perform across race, gender, and generation—a family drama that doubles as a theatrical tour-de-force. It's a fascinating stew of six disparate personalities who are a lot of fun to observe—until they cease to be.

A startling shift kicks into gear midway into this trip through a history of the families, when Tim shares an unnerving revelation about his fiancée Mingjin with Daniela that changes everything. It shades the play toward a much more sobering, sad realization. The family dynamics here intertwine and are as changeable as the weather. But as we discover the secret, we also witness this man's hellbent personal self-destruction and mental illness. It's uncomfortable to observe and hard to follow. The mental, emotional breakdown throws the entire story askew, and we are asked to live now in a different kind of reality.

What seems at first like a family comedy takes a sharp turn that rips apart not only the person who suffers from it, but the fabric of the play itself.  The sudden, emotional separation from the comedic turns is damned scary and often disorienting. Confusion does indeed reign, as the work of communicating a sense of chaos only makes blurry the lines of the dual identities the actors are asked to do.  And that double-casting, as utilized here, aspires to be more than a gimmick. It is, in fact, central to what the show wants to share about what people do or do not get from family.

When all is said and done, we wonder why. This is indeed challenging material that few theatres in existence would try so fully. There are three of the best onstage, too—Gary Cole, Tim Hopper and Audrey Francis. The stagecraft, the acting, the technical aspects, all of these are up to Steppenwolf's expected brilliance. Director Morton is a veritable genius in helping her actors delineate character, often in the same body playing two different people.

But the play itself—and from one of our great, innovative playwrights in the theatre—trips over such cleverness and innovation. “Catch as Catch Can” is well worth seeing. But what one takes from it might be as strange and difficult as the situation itself. Then again, maybe that's the point. Humanity is, after all, often a chaotic condition, which would then make such creativity here worthwhile.

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

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

Steppenwolf Theatre Company
presents
Catch as Catch Can
Downstairs Theater
1650 N. Halsted St.
through July 12

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PicksInSix Review: Leopoldstadt - Writers Theatre

Stoppard’s ‘Leopoldstadt’ Brings History To Life.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Catey Sullivan

Like the rest of his dazzling work, Tom Stoppard’s final play “Leopoldstadt” contains worlds within worlds within worlds. Like “Arcadia,” “Leopoldstadt” is silvered through with the arcs of mind-bending poetics of physics and higher mathematics. Like “Rock n Roll,” it illuminates the unfathomable cruelty and slaughter of genocidal fascists. And like every drama Stoppard penned, family, death, philosophy, history, art history and existential crisis skein together to create a dense, intense depiction of humankind that’s both general and acutely specific. 

Spanning roughly 56 years from 1899 through 1955, “Leopoldstadt” shows the impact of two wars on a sprawling wealthy Jewish family that is brutally stripped of both wealth and decimated almost entirely by the Holocaust. Leopoldstadt, Vienna is the family home in 1899, but Stoppard crosses oceans with this epic, intimate drama. After the Anschluss, the fortunate go into exile. The rest are herded to the death camps. It falls to the family’s few survivors—scattered across Britain, New York and Europe—to remember the dead, come to terms with their losses and forge futures.

With a 24-person ensemble (plus five understudies), a nearly three-hour run time and more than 400 Alex Jaeger costume elements, “Leopoldstadt” is one of the largest productions Writers Theatre has tackled over the course of its 35-year history. Running through August 9 at the Glencoe venue, the drama’s dense thickets of exposition are at times overwhelming, and a bit laborious. Despite that, director Carey Perloff’s staging cuts to the quick more than a few times. “Leopoldstadt” brings history to life through a remarkable, relatable family.

That said, “Leopoldstadt” can be frustrating here, especially when it comes to keeping track of characters as they age from infancy to retirement. It’s a richer, more gratifying experience if you’re well-versed in the family tree contained in the program. But if you’re not, “Leopoldstadt” remains a compelling dive into humankind’s most grotesque and hateful inclinations as well as its ability to survive even when your government is openly campaigning to destroy you and everyone you hold dear.

This all sounds grim, but—as ever with Stoppard—“Leopoldstadt” is often undeniably humorous. Writer’s cast is a league of champions. Among the many standouts: Barbara E. Robertson as matriarch Grandma Emilia, a steely and regal figure. Kate Fry is heartbreaking as Gretl, a Christian who married into the family. Before the first world war, Gretl is a glamorous young woman who sits for Klimt, one of the most important artists to come out of Vienna. (Gretl’s portrait becomes a key plot late in the story). When we see Gretl decades later, she’s transformed: Wild-haired and mentally ill, newly escaped from a mental institution. The traumas she endured are not specified, but anyone with a grasp of basic history will grasp the nature of what she’s surely endured. And as Rosa, one of the family’s few survivors, Jessie Fisher gets the last passage of dialogue, and it is a gut-punch. In a monotone and with a face of near stone, she lists the names of each family member who died during the Holocaust, and where they were ultimately killed.

The Writers production of “Leopoldstadt” doesn’t have the grandeur (or, ostensibly, the budget) of the Broadway production, especially in the 1899 scene when the burgeoning family has gathered for Christmas.  Set designer Ken MacDonald doesn’t quite capture the expanse or lavishness one would expect from the (initially) wealthy family. That’s not a major issue. Writers does a competent, often dazzling, job with “Leopoldstadt.”  The history it tackles is currently being denied by wide swaths of the population—which makes the challenging, engaging drama all the more important. 

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|Michael Brosilow

Writers Theatre
presents
LEOPOLDSTADT
325 Tudor Court
Glencoe, IL
EXTENDED through August 16, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: Brokeback Mountain - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

‘BROKEBACK’ – There Is Never Enough Time.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The North American premiere of Ashley Robinson’s "Brokeback Mountain" now playing in Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Courtyard Theater, directed by Jonathan Butterell, stays meticulously true to Annie Proulx’s short story that appeared in the New Yorker in 1997, a publishing event that transformed the mainstream platform for gay and queer storytelling forever after. Eight years would pass before Ang Lee’s 2005 film adaptation starring the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal which was nominated for eight Academy Awards winning three for Adapted Screenplay, Original Score and Ang’s direction.

As much a tragic gay love story as it is a reflection of the consequences of the chilling homophobic mores of the times, "Brokeback Mountain" is set in 1963 in the American West and follows the 20-year affair of two men, living separate, unfulfilled lives except for their regular liaisons that began on Brokeback when they were tending a sheep herd. It is a fragile and fraught long-range plan because, as one prophetically mourns, "There is never enough time."

The two men—Ennis Del Mar (Harrison Ball) and Jack Twist (Jack Cameron Kay—share troubled histories. Jack aspires for a career in the rodeo and makes ends meet picking up what work he can along the way. Abused and grossly humiliated as a child, when Jack meets Ennis he sees and feels an irresistible attraction for the introspective camp cook who is engaged to be married and appears to be conflicted on many levels. Ennis is under-employed as a cook and aspires for a farm and spread of his own. With their shared futures and the isolation of the situation, they forge a meaningful connection and one thing leads to another on Brokeback. The story then jumps forward four years when the two reunite at Jack’s urging. As the years roll on, it becomes less likely that a life together will dispel Ennis's fear of the kind of retribution his father was capable of when he was growing up. Ball and Kay give fine performances, with Ball’s reserved, guilt-ridden demeanor seeming to melt away with Kay’s carefree, eager, yet vulnerable, insistence keeping some lingering hope alive that things might work out.

Ennis's wife Alma Del Mar (a powerful and moving performance by Cordelia Dewdney) and Joe Aguirre (Thomas Cox), the sheep rancher, hold the key to the evolving drama of the story. Both discover the affair in different ways and impart as much to Ennis and Jack. It is Jack who becomes increasingly frustrated by Ennis's indifference, even as it is Jack's persistence that drives every decision Ennis makes to the point that he is stuck in a life that he largely does not want.

As for the musical elements of the show, if you are expecting a back-in-the-saddle-again-type soundtrack to these themes you would be better served to know that this is a play that incorporates Dan Gillespie Sells melodic score as a transitional element with folktale messaging. It is lyrical, performed by a small onstage band with pieces that are quite beautifully sung by the Balladeer (Kat Eggleston), who also plays a significant role at one point on stage. Cox covers multiple roles and Alina Jenine Taber rounds out the cast as Jack’s ex-wife Lureen.

Tom Pye’s multi-functional scenic design, set at a sloped angle to the Courtyard thrust stage, suggests the mountain scenes with real fire and weather elements and transforms into various other interiors. David Finn’s pastoral lighting and a somber soundscape by Christopher Shutt fit the pace that director Butterell has established for the weighty 90-minute production that has already been extended through June 28 with an additional performance added on June 16.

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
North American Premiere
Brokeback Mountain
Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier
Extended through June 28, 2026

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