PicksInSix Review: CATS - Paramount Theatre

Spectacular Revival Under The Big Top!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Kaitlyn Linsner

I must admit something. Despite being a big musical theater and even bigger cat fan, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” never appealed to me. I more so enjoyed the pop culture references that poked fun of cats singing and dancing on stage. Even one of my favorite cartoons as a kid, Hey Arnold, had an episode where one of the characters attends, and laughs through, a musical called Rats—an obvious parody of “Cats.” I found that quite funny, and so, as one might expect, I arrived at Paramount Theatre’s revival of “Cats” with some hesitancy.

It did not take me long to change my tune. This circus-themed production of “Cats,” directed by Trent Stork, transforms the Jellicle Ball into a larger-than-life event. As one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, clearly the glitz, glam and weirdness of “Cats” has mesmerized audiences for over 40 years. Paramount Theatre takes the dazzling dance musical to literal new heights with aerial arts, acrobatics, contortion and juggling. The audience “ooo’d” and “ahh’d” from start to finish.

The scenic design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec and projections design by Paul Deziel are remarkable. From the big top tent to the oversized props and big glowing moon, a magical world was created where cats displayed their vast array of talents and embraced fanciful oddities. It took me some time to realize “Cats” is basically a talent show for cats. By making the production a circus, leaning into the spectacle of it all felt both natural and quite fun. Plus, the addition of circus props, like red balloons, made for visually stunning moments throughout.

The impressive choreography by Kasey Alfonso did well to capture the essence of feline behavior and tell the story of each cat with energetic and stylish flair. Stand out dance performances include Bombalurina (Tiffany Topol), Demeter (Alexandra Palkovic) and Company during “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” and Mistoffelees’ (Christopher Kelley) dance solo. Kelley was a real showman and executed his dance solo with ease. The costumes by Izumi Inaba also added such personality by featuring a unique mixture of lush colors and textures. Old Deuteronomy’s (Lorenzo Rush Jr.) coat stood out in particular with its fuzzy opulence.

The sheer talent of this ensemble also makes “Cats” a must-see. The production features a whimsical combination of breathtaking circus artistry, stunning vocals and movement. Emily Rohm delivers an enchanting performance as Grizabella which earns her the ascent to the Heavyside Layer via a high-flying trapeze up and over the audience and into the balcony. Old Deuteronomy’s (Rush) sweet-sounding and smooth vocals enhanced each scene he entered, and Rum Tum Tugger (Donovan Hoffer) packs a ferociously controlled punch throughout the show.

Die hard “Cats” fans, newbies and even skeptics like me will find this revival truly entertaining. With such wide appeal, and in true circus fashion, seems only fitting to say “come one, come all” You don’t want to miss this.

GUEST CONTRIBUTROR | Kaitlyn Linsner serves as an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Utilities Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.

PHOTO|Brett Beiner Photography

Paramount Theatre
presents
CATS
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
through June 15, 2025

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PicksInSix Review: Anything Goes - Porchlight Music Theatre

Blow Gabriel! Murphy is Heaven Sent!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Porchlight Music Theatre celebrates the Chicago Cole Porter Festival and launches their 29th Season with a sparkling, effervescent 90th anniversary production of “Anything Goes” superbly directed by Michael Weber featuring Meghan Murphy in a big, boisterous star turn as the seaworthy siren Reno Sweeney. The book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, was adapted for the 1987 Broadway revival from the 1934 original by P.C. Woodhouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It tells the story of an oceanic crossing with a zany cast of characters with Murphy’s Sweeney at the delectable center of Porter’s most beloved music and lyrics.

Luke Nowakowski shines in the role of Billy Crocker who yearns for Hope Harcourt (played beautifully by Emma Ogea) even as he falls in with a gangster named Moonface Martin (an inspired performance by Steve McDonaugh) and his partner Erma (a scintillating Tafadzwa Diener) who all want to flip the tables on the wedding between Harcourt and Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Jackson Evans). At the matinee on Saturday, Evans—in one of the most hilarious of his many stage appearances to date—and Murphy create an irresistible comic cosmos in “The Gypsy in Me” that literally brought tears to my eyes. In the end, of course, love conquers all and everything works out, except for a few clay pigeons off the starboard bow and anyone who actually sold their Amalgamated stock.

Under the lush musical direction of Nick Sula, Porter’s rich, melodic score comes vibrantly alive in “You’re The Top,” “Friendship” and “It’s De-lovely.” And when conductor Linda Madonia’s band kicks into high gear, it’s time to clear the decks for Tammy Mader’s rock-solid, toe-tapping choreography—and one of the finest singing and dancing ensembles seen on a Porchlight stage—to blast the big production numbers like “Anything Goes,” and “Blow, Gabriel Blow” straight to the heavens, with Murphy leading the way.

Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s magnificent two-story ship deck is dressed in navy blue and white with seaworthy stairs that frame a series of three revolving doors providing access to the main stage area. Kmiec’s masterfully sturdy design, complete with ship’s railing and arched pylons, reveals more than a few surprises along the way.

Under the steady hand of artistic director Michael Weber, Porchlight Music Theatre has built a superb reputation for developing exceptional new talent. In recent years, on the intimate Ruth Page Center for the Arts main stage, the company has forged full steam ahead through harsh winds and heavy seas to stay on course despite the challenges that the performing arts community has been navigating. Weber and Executive Director Jeannie Lukow’s bold, innovative, award-winning, musical productions include a long list of outstanding veteran performers like the late Hollis Resnick in a memorable production of “Sunset Boulevard,” E. Faye Butler’s showstopping performance as Mama Rose in “Gypsy” and Broadway veteran Felicia P. Fields in “Blues in the Night” who elevate the performances of everyone around them to new heights.

Add the exquisite Meghan Murphy to the company of Chicago’s all-time brightest stars. What a performance. What a show! 

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
presents
ANYTHING GOES
Ruth Page Center for the Arts
EXTENDED
through March 10, 2024

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DIGITAL PROGRAM

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PicksInSix Review: HELLO, DOLLY! Marriott Theatre

Marriott’s “HELLO, DOLLY!” True Theatrical Magic!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Pandemic-era theater audiences are pretty used to some unexpected drama with their drama these days. So when things did not go according to Hoyle with the hydraulic system at the highly-anticipated opening of “Hello, Dolly!” on Thursday at the Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, everyone took it in stride. On the heels of a troubling Covid outbreak, one might suspect some other-worldly intervention at work—perhaps the spirit of Thornton Wilder himself—on the beloved Michael Stewart/Jerry Herman musical starring the equally beloved Heidi Kettenring in a role that she was born to play.

Whether or not Wilder had a mystic hand in it all, the show went on and, just like that, musical theatre as we know it returned in fine form. Resplendent in picture-perfect period costumes by Teresa Ham, Kettenring’s Dolly is elegant, understated and flawless. The action moves briskly from the imaginative ride on a turn-of-the-century street car from Yonkers to New York’s Harmonia Gardens, where Dolly and her Vandergelder—real life heartthrob and husband David C. Girolmo—create true theatrical magic together.

Director and choreographer Denis Jones, musical director Ryan T. Nelson and conductor Brad Haak have welcomed Dolly Levi back where she belongs with the grace and high society style that this legendary show deserves. The terrific supporting cast is filled to the brim with seasoned players and triple-threat newcomers including Rebecca Hurd (Irene Molloy), Alex Goodrich (Cornelius Hackl), Amanda Walker (Minnie Fay), Spencer Davis Milford (Barnaby Tucker), Emily Ann Brooks (Ermengade), Michael Turrentine (Ambrose Kemper), George Keating (Rudolph) and Johanna McKenzie Miller (Ernestina).

The musical, based on Wilder’s 1954 play “The Matchmaker,” is equal parts farce and uproarious comedy wrapped in lush, musical explorations of love and longing, with a healthy dose of chicanery and lighthearted larceny rolled in. Jones has stepped up the production numbers which move on and off Marriott’s in-the-round configuration seamlessly thanks to scenic designers Jeffrey D. Kmiec and Milo Blue.

The ensemble soars in the spirited “Yonkers March” and then Jones pulls out all the stops for the crowd-pleasing “Waiters’ Gallop.” Hurd’s lovely, quiet “Ribbons Down My Back” and Goodrich’s touching “It Only Takes A Moment” are particular standout selections in the familiar score. The multi-talented Milford and Walker’s charming turn as Fay make for a perfect match all their own.

But at every turn, all eyes are on the mesmerizing performance of Kettenring—vulnerable and demure in one moment; captivatingly and brilliantly comical in the next—whose interplay with Girolmo is heartwarming and real. From the elegant rendering of “Before The Parade Passes By,” and a side-splitting dinner sequence, to the capstone title number, Marriott’s “Hello, Dolly!” will leave you with a wonderfully joyous feeling to savor for a long time to come.   

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire
presents
HELLO, DOLLY!
through October 16

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(847) 634-0200

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PicksInSix Review: Holiday Inn - Drury Lane

The Home of Boy Meets Girl

Just in time to ring in the season comes Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn” a refreshingly homespun backstage musical for the entire family chocked full of explosive dance numbers and the iconic tunes that everyone knows and loves from the Berlin songbook. In the capable hands (and feet) of director/choreographer Matt Crowle, with a streamlined book by Gorgon Greenberg and Chad Hodge, and a stellar company from head to toe, Drury Lane’s “Holiday Inn” is a high-wattage hit!

The stage story setup, more or less true to the original 1942 film, follows crooner/composer Jim Hardy (Adrian Aguilar) and his dance partners Ted Hanover (Drew Humphrey) and Lila Dixon (Darilyn Burtley) who have their sights set on the big time. Hardy wants to settle down with Lila in Connecticut, just as Hanover and their agent Danni Reed (Honey West) book a six-week tour. Despite a marriage proposal from Hardy to Lila, the tour proceeds and Hardy is off on a new adventure as a gentleman farmer and owner of Mason Farm. The farm’s caretaker Louise (Danielle Davis) has a plan to help Hardy and set him up with an elementary teacher and the former owner of the farm Linda Mason (Erica Stephan). One thing leads to another, the engagement falls apart and the two suddenly realize they may have something more in common than the fact that the farm is still deep in debt. With few other options, they decide to turn the inn into a holiday show place, but only on holidays.

Miraculously, and only in a musical, the stage show blooms in a week so that as New Year’s Eve rolls around Holiday Inn magically becomes “the home of boy meets girl.” The story sails by after that and serves as a path to one tremendous dance number after another—every one a gem!

In a remarkable, and long overdue, return to the stage after a multi-year absence, Aguilar is phenomenal as Hardy, a steady anchor who adds numerous dimensional layers to the role. The sure-footed hoofer Humphrey has an abundance of talent and more than enough savoir faire to deliver a series of exhilarating dance numbers. The two are paired with Burtley, who gives a captivating standout performance as Lila. When attention turns to the heartwarming Stephan and the budding relationship with Aguilar’s Hardy, sparks really begin to fly. Stephan not only has a beautifully full singing voice that matches perfectly with Aguilar, she also dances effortlessly with Humphrey in multiple numbers. It’s a joy to watch unfold.  

Among the featured musical performances, Davis is hilariously delightful as Louise, leading the Ensemble in a dazzling performance of “Shaking the Blues Away” and there’s more than a few surprises in “Let’s Say It With Firecrackers/Song of Freedom” with a nifty cameo by Nicole Scimeca (who splits the role of Charlie Wilson with Lily Kocourek). There is plenty to be thankful for all night long when the score has hits like “Be Careful, It’s My Heart,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Blue Skies,” “White Christmas” and “Heat Wave.”

Music Director Linda Madonia and conductor Christopher Sargent deliver the crisp, big band sound of Carey Deadman arrangements. Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s versatile scenic design transitions seamlessly from show stage to New England inn with Lynda Meyers elegant and evocative costumes punctuating every holiday. Lee Fiskness lighting design is enhanced by Bryce Culter’s projections and pin-perfect sound by Ray Nardelli all help to start the New Year right at Drury Lane.  

PHOTO|Brett Beiner

DRURY LANE THEATRE
presents
IRVING BERLIN’S
HOLIDAY INN
through January 9, 2022

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PicksInSix Review: Songs for Nobodies

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Stunning Northlight Return for Bethany Thomas!

For the second time in as many weeks, I found myself in a theater so consumed and satisfied by a live performance that I actually closed my eyes for a moment just to listen. What I heard was the rapturous voice of Bethany Thomas, channeling the enigmatic Billie Holiday in a spot-on rendition of “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do.” It is one of five encounters with greatness that are richly told in Joanna Murray-Smith’s “Songs for Nobodies” now playing in a stunning production at Northlight Theatre.

The solo piece, artfully directed by Rob Lindley, is a commanding showcase for the gifted Thomas who is recognized as one of Chicago’s most versatile actors and recording artists and whose powerhouse vocals are equally at home in a theater, a cabaret and on a rock concert stage. So, it may be no surprise to some that the wide and diverse range of vocal styles from Judy Garland, Patsy Cline and Edith Piaf to Holiday and Maria Callas land firmly and gloriously in Thomas’ extraordinary wheelhouse.

There is, however, much more at the heart of Murray-Smith’s staggeringly smart and sophisticated play. Lindley has skillfully incorporated the talented Thomas’ inexhaustible creative reservoir with Murray-Smith’s eclectic characters who have random encounters with legendary singers in order to tell their compelling stories. Each fascinating character comes to life in Thomas’ brilliant performance that culminates with Callas’ “Vissi d’Arte” in one of the most stirring theatrical moments you will ever experience.

The play is constructed with historical wayposts weaved within its imagined encounters. A random April 1961 meeting in New York City between Judy Garland and the fragile Bea Appleton, a ladies room attendant with sewing skills. Backstage with Patsy Cline in March 1963 when venue usher and southern belle Pearl Avalon’s brief rendition of “Amazing Grace” earns her the opportunity of a lifetime. A stirring homage to the French resistance performer Edith Piaf by the bilingual librarian Edie Delamotte from Nottingham whose father’s life she saved. An interview by the feisty urban features writer Too Junior Jones breaking through the thick public curtain of Billie Holiday. And then, culminating in the observations at sea of Orla McDonaugh of the turbulent love affair between Callas and Ari Onassis.

Each successive interlude is played out on a multi-level stage designed by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, draped above with microphones and cables of the era that serve to evoke the multitude of nights these performers have connected with their audiences. The suspended microphones provide powerfully introspective transitional moments as well, enhanced by Jesse Klug’s lighting and the elegant simplicity of Thomas’s attire designed by Mieka van der Ploeg. With music director Andra Velis Simon, crisp sound design by Lindsay Jones and Eva Breneman’s dialect work, “Songs for Nobodies” is a multi-sensory experience.

In a feat that could only occur in the theater, with no props, projections or other distractions, Bethany Thomas magically transforms her towering presence into the size and vaulted styles of each singer, performing with such intensity, emotion and authority that we are joyfully reassured the power of live theatre, struggling mightily to return, will live on.

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

NORTHLIGHT THEATRE
Presents
SONGS FOR NOBODIES
through October 31, 2021
9501 Skokie Blvd

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(847) 673-6300

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PicksInSix Review: MAMMA MIA!

“IS THERE A MAN OUT THERE?”

For those of us of a certain age, the Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus music at the core of the ABBA musical phenomenon “Mamma Mia!” is inextricably seared in our consciousness–a critical part of what we were to become in the late ’70s and ’80s. You only had to hear the opening chords of “Dancing Queen” and your hands begin to curl up in anticipation of the piano air quotes that follow. And then there is the image of all those gleeful revelers singing “Super Trooper” into a beer bottle. Those were the days!

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It was not so much a stroke of genius as a shrewd business decision by producers and a creative team that includes Andersson, Ulvaeus and playwright Catherine Johnson to fuse hits from the famous ABBA songbook into a 1999 jukebox musical that opened in London’s West End, then moved on to Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago before arriving at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre.

All of the pre-Broadway runs took place before 9/11, with the Chicago try-out closing in mid-August 2001, causing the “Mamma Mia!” Broadway debut to be swept up in the grim aftermath and unfathomable grief of a city struggling day-to-day to recover. I recall the preview performance I saw in early October 2001 as transformative; past and present suddenly merging, familiar tunes erupting out of the story, bursting together with brilliant and heartfelt memories. I realize now that the show cracked open the caged emotions of that September and light started to seep in. In the face of the reality of those dark days and weeks, the music of “Mamma Mia!” was, and has always been, an escape route.

Surely all jukebox musicals are forever locked into their own specific time and place. Uniquely, “Mamma Mia!”—a fine production of which you can now enjoy at Drury Lane—is set on a remote tropical-island paradise off Greece, which results in its music being the defining anchor, with the spandex and sequins of the era links in the chain. It is an evergreen tale of pop culture, virtually impossible to meddle with unless you want to risk offending any of the estimated 60 million fans of countless national and international productions who know–and love–what comes next.

One of those national tours starred Chicagoan Susie McMonagle, who has returned to Drury Lane in an electrifying performance as Donna, the mom whose three summertime flings produced a daughter, Sophie, played by the equally remarkable Rebecca Hurd. The setup, of course, is that 20 years have passed, Sophie is getting married to Sky (Liam Quealy), and she decides to invite the three lovers from her mom’s (“Dot, dot, dot.”) diary—Sam (Jeff Parker), Harry (Stef Tovar) and Bill (Michael Accardo)—to the wedding. On the way to sorting out who her real father might be, Sophie learns a thing or two about life, love and making dreams come true from Donna’s two swinging pals, Tanya (McKinley Carter) and Rosie (Elizabeth Ledo), dominated by one of ABBA’s iconic musical messages, “Is there a man out there?”

Director William Osetek, music director Roberta Duchak and conductor Christopher Sargent tap an energized and enthusiastic Chicago ensemble from top to bottom. McMonagle’s “Winner Takes It All” is a showstopper, and with all of ABBA’s well known pop-rock ballads and driving dance numbers, choreographed by Jane Lanier on the Jeffrey D. Kmiec set, “Mamma Mia!” has everything you could hope for—a glittering night of musical magic to experience again and again.

PHOTOS|Brett Beiner

DRURY LANE THEATRE
Presents
MAMMA MIA!
through April 14th

100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL
(630) 530-0111

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PICKSINSIX Review: Million Dollar Quartet

A ROCKET SHIP OUT OF ORBIT!

“Million Dollar Quartet,” the Colin Escott|Floyd Mutrux mega-hit jukebox musical set during the first and only meeting of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis at the Sun Records recording studio owned by the man who made it all happen, music impresario Sam Phillips, opened Wednesday night in a terrific new James Moye directed production at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire.

The now familiar flashpoint, a photograph of the quartet taken on December 4, 1956, serves as the catalyst to tell the backstory of the professional relationships, the choice Phillips made to sell Presley's contract to RCA, how Columbia eventually signed both Cash and Perkins, and the pursuit of the next big hit for Perkins, the reason for the recording session in the first place. It’s all packed in here and interesting enough, but the pure abundant joy of this rock-solid production is the explosive musical performances. For that, a multi-talented cast is critical and Moye (who played Phillips in both the original Broadway and Off-Broadway productions) with music director Ryan T. Nelson, have assembled a stunner. All together, “Million Dollar Quartet” soars into uncharted musical territory like a rocket ship out of orbit!

A consummate piano man, Nat Zegree delivers a standout performance, literally propelling himself into the role of Jerry Lee Lewis capturing the unbridled energy and explosive musical talent of the young performer on the verge of launching his meteoric career.  

The brilliant musician, singer and actor, Shaun Whitley, plays the legendary country star Carl Perkins, who along with Zegree and studio musicians, Brother Jay (Zach Lentino) and Fluke (Kieran McCable), provide superlative back up all night long in addition to Whitley's "Who Do You Love?”, "Party,” and "See You Later Alligator.” Christopher J. Essex brings a rich vocals and the homespun style of Johnny Cash to his renditions of "Sixteen Tons,” I Walk the Line,” and “Rider in the Sky.” Rustin Cole Sailors is a smoldering Elvis Presley, exuding natural charm in "Long Tall Sally,” and "Hound Dog.” David Folsom is perfect in the role of Sam Phillips and a sultry Laura Savage, as Dyanne, turns up the temperature in "Fever” and “I Hear You Knocking."

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“Million Dollar Quartet” has a long-standing love affair with Chicago audiences. There have been sell-out productions dating back over a decade — at Goodman, and then the Apollo for years — to only a few years ago, at Paramount, and many in between, a testament to just how rugged and resilient this rock 'n’ roll juggernaut is. You will like the experience of all the sights, sounds and gyrations in the Marriott's unique round configuration, where the studio sound booth is ingeniously incorporated into Jeffrey D. Kmiec's design freeing up the stage area for the session artists and backup instrumentalists to nest in the corners when things start rocking. With Teresa Ham’s gorgeous costumes, lighting by Jesse Klug and sound by Robert E. Gilmartin, it fits like a new pair of “Blue Suede Shoes.”

Considering classics like “That’s All Right” and “Great Balls of Fire” in the mix, there will be little “Peace in the Valley” with the not to be missed “Million Dollar Quartet” rocking the house through March 16th when Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl and Johnny will leave the building.

PHOTOS|Liz Lauren

MARRIOTT THEATRE
Presents
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
through March 16th
10 Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire
(847) 634-0200

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PicksInSix Theater Review: TimeLine Theatre Company "Cardboard Piano"

“Presence in the midst of chaos.”

Hansol Jung’s gripping drama “Cardboard Piano,” directed by Mechelle Moe now playing in its Chicago premiere at TimeLine Theatre Company, opens on a hopeful, uplifting note at the beginning of the new millennium with marriage vows between two young lovers. The problem is that the church is located in Northern Uganda and the lovers are women, a union that is strictly forbidden in a climate of civil war and the ruthless domination of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Considering the enormous risks involved, the two forge plans to escape as the bloody conflict raging around them threatens to consume their lives.

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At the center of the star-crossed love story are the remarkable performances of Adia Alli (Adiel) and Kearstyn Keller (Chris), both making stunning TimeLine main stage debuts, as are each of the four actors in the company who carry the urgency and suspense of Part I, set on New Year’s Eve 1999, to Part II, occurring on another wedding anniversary 14 years later. Moe establishes a powerful emotional bond between Alli and Keller early on which results in a sensitvity and presence in the midst of chaos.

The civil strife, warring factions, and the LRA’s child soldier policies, is embodied in Pika portrayed by Freedom Martin. A senior at The Chicago High School for the Arts, Martin gives a fine multi-layered performance. In a stroke of stellar casting, Kai A. Ealy rounds out the cast in a pair of pivotal roles.

There are two parables residing at the core of Jung’s richly paced story about the power of the human spirit to survive in the face of adversity and the devastating consequences of racism, homophobia and intolerance. In the end,  the most essential character element to achieving absolution and forgiveness is empathy, a message Jung delivers with resounding clarity.

Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s superb chapel interior stage design completely incorporates the space with audience on two sides. When framed in Brandon Wardell’s intricate lighting design, Elle Erickson’s costumes and David Kelepha Samba’s sound, the erupting conflict outside is startlingly real.

Jung’s riveting dialogue in “Cardboard Piano,” born from a unique, informed and international perspective, with the inspired performances of an emerging group of talented actors, will certainly stay with you.        

PHOTOS|Lara Goetsch

TimeLine Theatre Company
Presents
CARDBOARD PIANO
through January 27th
615 W. Wellington Avenue
(773) 281-8463

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PICKSINSIX Review: INDECENT

GRIPPING ‘INDECENT’ FEATURES STIRRING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCES

The play-within-the play “Indecent” by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, unfolds over decades and across continents to tell the story of the life and times of Sholem Asch and the players who perform his work, God of Vengeance, a singular piece of performance art that was revered, censored and then shamefully reviled in its Broadway debut. “Indecent” champions the ideal that our unending responsibility to protect the essence of art that brings us together – truth, acceptance, freedom and love – can be ripped away in a moment.  Director Gary Griffin, and the stirring ensemble playing multiple roles, deliver an inspiring and gripping production now playing at Victory Gardens Theater.

God of Vengeance, written in 1906, is a controversial love story involving a prostitute and a young woman whose father runs a brothel.  As this “true story of a little Jewish play” begins, the players tell the compelling story of the inception of Asch’s work and the long and successful runs in Paris, Berlin, Constantinople and other European locations that followed, before Asch immigrates to America.

In New York, the play has an extraordinarily successful run in the Yiddish theater circuit before a muted English translation moves to Broadway, a 1923 debut that is shuttered in mid-performance on charges of obscenity that lead to the arrest and conviction of everyone involved.

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At the dramatic center, the structure of Vogel’s fascinating piece – using subtitles in English and Hebrew, native language alternatives and dialects, and traditional music – accentuates the bitter attitudes of anti-Semitism and the heart-wrenching struggle for survival that Jewish immigrants faced in 1920s America and during the occupation in the ghettos of Warsaw during World War II.

This powerful ensemble piece features stirring performances from: Benjamin Magnuson (The Stage Manager: Lemml), Catherine LeFrere (The Middle: Halena), Noah LaPook (The Ingenue: Avram), Matt Deitchman (Accordian: Moriz Godowsky/Music Director), Kiah Stern (The Ingenue; Chana), Andrew White (The Middle: Mendel) Cindy Gold (The Elder: Vera), David Darlow (The Elder: Otto) and Elleon Dobias (Violin: Nelly Friedman).

In the concluding scene of “Indecent,” there is a glorious feeling of transformation to another place and time. That beautiful moment benefits from an amazing scenic treatment and the haunting musical score by Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva performed live and directed by Matt Deitchman. Deitchman also leads an inspiring pre-show performance by Dobias (Violin), LaPook (Mandolin) and Magnuson (Bass). The superb creative and production team assembled by Griffin includes Scenic Designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec, Costume Designer Mara Blumenfeld. Lighting Designer Keith Parham, Choreographer Katie Spelman, Sound Designer Christopher M. LaPorte and Projection Designer Stephen Mazurek.

PHOTOS|Michael Brosilow

VICTORY GARDENS THEATER
Presents
INDECENT
Written by Paula Vogel
Directed by Gary Griffin
through November 4th
2433 North Lincoln Avenue
(773) 871-3000

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PICKSINSIX Review: LEGALLY BLONDE

‘LEGALLY BLONDE’ “SISTERHOOD. IT’S FOREVER!”

A champion we can believe in… Elle Woods, the fashionista-turned-law-school-student-turned-goddess in “Legally Blonde,” is a champion we can believe in to succeed at every turn. One of those turns — a dramatic and inappropriate confrontation with a professor — may jolt you like it did everyone I sat next to in a recent matinee. But Elle (the shimmering Casey Shuler) sends a defiant message to Callahan (James Rank) in that moment, firmly standing her ground. It’s powerful stuff and with a mantra like: “Sisterhood. It’s Forever!” there is no doubt that the underlying message of this new age edition has crystalized in the hands of Director Trent Stork. For “OMIGOD!” so many reasons, the Paramount Theatre production of “Legally Blonde” is a monster must-see hit!

"LEGALLY BLONDE" starring Casey Shuler now playing at Paramount Theatre through October 21st. TICKETS

Effervescent romp… There may be no more timely musical on stage in Chicago at this moment than “Legally Blonde.” The rollicking 2007 pop anthem for female empowerment with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe/Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach is an effervescent romp that will make you giddy enough to accessorize in pink, get a dog of your own and get into Harvard Law School. (Good luck with that last one!)

Amazingly versatile company… Pursuing what she believes is her endless love, Elle hopelessly yearns for Warner Huntington III (Tyler Lain) the elitest boyfriend who dumped her and took up with Vivienne Kensington (Jacquelyne Jones) who is a bit of a snob. Elle finds that there is more to being accepted than just getting into Harvard. Along the way, she meets Emmett Forrest (Gerald Caesar) an earnest student mentor who sees Elle for herself. The amazingly versatile company includes a terrific Greek Chorus following Elle’s every move led by Serena (Lucy Godinez), Margot (Sara Reinecke), and Pilar (Kyrie Courter) who shake the pillars and rock the house.

Paramount Theatre production of “LEGALLY BLONDE” now playing through October 21st. TICKETS

Pump-It-Up… In the sidetrack to the main story, Paulette (Sophie Grimm) is a hair stylist who enlists Elle and Emmett’s support to retrieve what is rightfully hers. Paulette gets some advice of her own to help break out of her shell in “Bend and Snap.” When the murder mystery points to Brooke Wyndham – the electric, ‘Pump-It-Up!’ workout number “Whipped Into Shape” by Jenna Coker-Jones – things start to go into hyperdrive all the way to the show-stopping courtroom scene “There! Right There!” Featured performances abound but watch for the debonair UPS guy Kyle B. O’Boyle (James Doherty), Carlos (Yando Lopez) a key witness, and a couple of lovable canines named Bruiser (Frankie) and Rufus (Romeo) the two rescue-dog stars.

Top-flight production team… Director Stork, who also choreographs with Megan E. Farley, has assembled a top-flight production team that includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (Scenic), Theresa Ham (Costumes), Mick Belley (Lighting), Mike Tutaj (Projections) and Adam Rosenthal (Sound). Music Director Kory Danielson conducts the impressive orchestra, so, in short, as the kids say: “OMIGOD! OMIGOD, You Guys! GO!”

PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
VIDEO|Paramount Theatre
Originally Published: September 29, 2018
Revised: October 1, 2018

PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Presents
LEGALLY BLONDE
through October 21st
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
(630) 896-6666

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PICKSINSIX Review: GRAND HOTEL

"WE’LL TAKE A GLASS TOGETHER!"

If only the walls could talk … Berlin. 1928. The situation is desperate just beyond the revolving door of the Grand Hotel. “People come and people go ... but time is running out” for the current guests we are about to meet whose lives intersect on one fateful night. If only the walls could talk what stories they would tell. For the rest of us, there is Kokandy’s stirring new staging of Grand Hotel, the four-time Tony Award-winning musical of love, mayhem and murder playing now at Theater Wit.

What you need to know … ground-breaking for its time at just over 110 minutes in one-act, Grand Hotel received 12 Tony nominations, winning five including Best Director and Best Choreographer for Tommy Tune and Best Performance by a Featured Actor for Michael Jetter. The Robert Wright/George Forrest score, with additional music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, is a continuous combination of music and dance.

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A fast-paced, non-stop gem … In the expert hands of director John D. Glover with Musical Director Aaron Benham and Choreographer Brenda Didier, Kokandy’s Grand Hotel is a fast-paced, non-stop gem. The broadsheet program lists nearly two dozen in the cast. Several of the high-stepping dance numbers had over twenty onstage - no small feat of traffic control by the seasoned Didier to pull off so marvelously in Wit’s Theater One.

The players … the story unfolds with Colonel Doctor(Jerry Miller) in the lobby of the Grand Hotel, joined by Preysing(Jeremy Trager), whose manufacturing operation is failing; Flaemmchen(Leryn Turlington), a young typist with Hollywood ambitions; Otto Kringelein(Jonathan Schwart), a wealthy and seriously ill accountant; Baron Felix Von Gaigern(Erik Dohner), the dashing (and busted) bon vivant; and, Elizaveta Grushinskaya(Michelle Jasso), a prima ballerina trying desperately to turn back the clock and attended by her loyal companion Raefella(Liz Norton). While Elizaveta reluctantly prepares for the ballet, Flaemmche is falling head over heels for the Baron. Coerced into a plan to steal Elizaveta’s necklace to pay off his debt, things heat up in the boudoir for the Baron when Elizaveta returns. Meanwhile, with her options dwindling, Flaemmche makes an ill-fated decision to turn her attention to Preysing, who is now facing ruin and will say anything to have her. Along the way, and at the heart of the story, is the delightful interplay between the pragmatic Kringelein, the Jimmy's - Darren Patin and Travis Auston Wright - and all of the others at the hotel.

So much to see and hear …  the richly appointed Jeffrey D. Kmiec set, with lighting by Alexander Ridgers and costume designs by John Nasca perfectly evoke the period. There is so much to see and hear thanks to the superb work of music director/pianist/conductor Aaron Benham teaming with Elena Spiegel and Tony Scandora. The pace and flow make this a surprisingly tuneful score including the company opener “At the Grand Hotel” … the Jimmy's (Darren Patin and Travis Auston Wright) snappy “Maybe My Baby Loves Me” … Jasso’s poignant “Fire and Ice” ... the charming Turlington’s “l Want To Go To Hollywood”… Dohner, Turlington, and Schwart in  “Who Couldn’t Dance With You” … “Love Can’t Happen” … and the show-stopping number for Schwart, Dohner and the company in “We’ll Take A Glass Together”

Turning point … looking through the historical lens to Vicky Baum’s 1928 play and novel Menschen im Hotel, the source material for the 1932 Garbo film, and all that followed, it may seem obvious that the encounters of these characters in a lavish hotel in Berlin serve as a turning point of the inner war years. What may not be readily apparent is that this compelling and artfully staged production allows us to more fully understand the inevitable outcome as if we are experiencing it for the first time - a future that lays in wait just outside the Grand Hotel's revolving door.

PHOTOS|EVAN HANOVER

KOKANDY PRODUCTIONS
Presents
GRAND HOTEL
THEATER WIT
1229 W Belmont Ave
through May 27th
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PICKSINSIX Review: FIVE MILE LAKE

MIXED EMOTIONS ROIL 'FIVE MILE LAKE'

Familiar surroundings... Whether you grew up in a small town near a lake, or perhaps summered at one, the artful simplicity of the Chicago premiere of Shattered Globe’s Five Mile Lake, written by Rachel Bonds and directed by Cody Estle is captivating. Even before this one begins, Jeffrey Kmiec’s striking set design evokes the familiar surroundings of a place where everybody knows your name, even if you have been gone for a long time. 

(l to r) Aila Peck, Joseph Wiens, Daniela Colucci and Steve Peebles Photo|Evan Hanover

Strong feelings and fading dreams… It is easy to relate to the situation that presents itself along the shore of Five Mile Lake near Scranton, Pennsylvania. These young people are just starting to understand what life is all about, and living long enough to know that strong feelings and fading dreams chiseled into a heart, remain there. Other people's problems may be easier to understand than our own. But, no matter what, everyone needs help sorting things out from time to time.  

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Steve Peebles and Joseph Wiens Photo|Evan Hanover

What’s it about... Jamie and Mary work the local coffee shop together and both of them are wound up tight in their own way. With her passion for feeding stray cats, Mary is struggling to cope with her brother, an Afghanistan combat veteran, who is back home and looking for work. Jamie, a well-intentioned, somewhat neurotic hockey fan, is looking for an angle to win over his co-worker, while pouring his energy otherwise into home improvement projects in the family lake house to keep busy. Jamie’s brother Rufus, and his girlfriend Peta, arrive for an unannounced visit that continues late into the evening on the icy deck by the lake. It is there that we discover that not all is as it appears to be. Tempers flare and things go a bit off the rails for the two guys, so Rufus ends up back at the coffee shop in the morning to try to make amends. That’s when Mary’s brother, Danny, an old pal, joins in and what happens next is at the heart of this powerfully reflective tale about lasting relationships, loss and deep-seated passion.

Dynamic cast... The ensemble work here is first-rate. Steve Peebles(Jamie) and Daniela Colucci(Mary) capture the essence of two people who have grown up together but remain oddly distant in a small community, both trying to overcome a lack of purpose and fulfillment. Colucci’s tender relationship with her brother Drew Schad (Danny) is compelling to watch unfold. This is also another exceptional opportunity for the fine Chicago actor Joseph Wiens as Rufus, who is both confident and flawed, particularly in his relationship with Peta, a role in which Aila Peck shines.

Here and now... There is a feeling that Five Mile Lake is like a lot of small towns. Nothing much changes day-to-day, that is, until someone new walks in. At an age when there is more of your life ahead than behind, the folks in Five Mile Lake find out that emotions are still raw and true life experiences have devastating consequences.

The takeaway... If we can come home again - and, I think, for a few of us it’s possible – it is important to remember that with our absence, something within our makeup will have fundamentally changed. While those who return have impressions that exist in memory, that is not the case with those who stay. They will be seeing things as they were  and in the time that has passed since. So, to them, everything looks and feels strangely, and inalterably, the same. And, yes, that's a lot to think about over a pumpkin muffin in the morning. 

PHOTOS|EVAN HANOVER

Shattered Globe Theatre
Presents
FIVE MILE LAKE
Written by Rachel Bonds
Directed by Cody Estle
through February 24th
THEATER WIT
1229 West Belmont Avenue
(773) 975-8150

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