PicksInSix Review: The Winter's Tale - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

‘Winter’s Tale’– A Study of Extremes.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

You can be sure that at some point in an early production meeting for Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “The Winter’s Tale,” CST Artistic Director Edward Hall surely said that the bear at the center of Antigonus’s famous demise needed to be big. Extremely BIG!

It’s a singular highlight of many in Hall’s ambitious and thrilling 40th season opener that debuted on Sunday with the first of two of Shakespeare’s plays presented in repertory by a company of 14 exceptionally gifted actors, many of whom have been at the heart of the theatre's work for decades. The connective tissue between “Winter's Tale” and the second offering, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” are two studies of dramatic extremes centered around love, jealousy, loss and redemption. “Winter’s Tale,” with its dark and disturbing opening, sets a much more serious set of circumstances then the fantastical frolicking of fairies in “Midsummer.”

The inherent elements in the drama of “Winter’s Tale” revolve around the unyielding actions of Sicilia King Leontes (Demetrios Troy), a jealous cad who is unable to contain his rage and hatred amid his own unfounded suspicions of an affair between his pregnant Queen Hermione (Jessica Dean Turner) and his longtime friend Polixenes (Chiké Johnson), King of Bohemia. The fallout from Leontes’s actions lead to the banishment of his baby daughter Perdita and the unseen deaths of Hermione, reported by Paulina (Issy Van Randwyck), and their son Mamillius (Felicia Oduh). As Act I draws to a close, Leonte withdraws into deep depression after learning the truth from the oracle of Delphos presented at Hermione’s trial for adultery. If that is not enough heartache, consider Leonte’s order to his attendant Camillo (Erik Hellman) to kill Polixenes, who tells Polixenes of the scheme and then escapes to Bohemia with him. All the while the dutiful Antigonus (Ronald L. Conner), Lord of Sicilia, abandons the baby Princess Perdita in Bohemia before meeting a tragic end himself by the aforesaid bear.

As a breath of fresh air, Act 2 begins 16 years later in the colorful Bohemian opulence where Perdita (Oduh) has been raised by the Old Shepherd (Kevin Goodall) and his simple son the Young Shepherd (Dan Haller). Hall creates a festive atmosphere in Bohemia with innovative staging and the spirited music of the band “Sheep Trick” with its charismatic frontman Autolycus (Sean Fortunato). In another stellar comic performance, Fortunato dazzles as a salty rogue whose endearing charm and captivating nature literally strip the pants off Haller’s Young Shepherd. Autolycus eventually gets his comeuppance but not before Fortunato delivers a belly full of broad laughs.

Perdita and Polixenes’ son, Florizel (Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta), declare their love for each other despite his father’s disapproval. Returning to Sicilia, and with the passing of time exposed, so is the fine line between remorse and redemption. Always a challenging element of this particular play based on what has come before, Hall masterfully navigates the staging of the emotional reconciliation. While there is hope for the young lovers, a powerful and timely message of the moment about repentance and forgiveness is delivered that felt truer to the story than in any other production I have ever seen, and all without a spoken word. Watch for the moment. It is quite remarkable.

Hall’s repertory company is universally excellent. There are clever and entertaining performances of original compositions by Kieran McCabe throughout. Michael Pavelka’s elegant costumes and expansive set design transforms effortlessly from a courtly manor to a textured, earthy look awash in color for Bohemia with eye-popping projections. Marcus Doshi’s stunning lighting design, with an arresting soundscape by Emily Hayman, completes a versatile and visually stunning look for this superb production.

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
The Winter’s Tale
Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier
through December 12, 2026
In repertory with
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
November 11, 2026 through January 3, 2027

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PicksInSix Review: Sunny Afternoon - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

It’s All About The Music!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The long-awaited Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s North American premiere of “Sunny Afternoon,” based on the music of The Kinks, opened in spectacular form on Friday in The Yard. Directed by CST’s Artistic Director Edward Hall, the show originated in 2014 in London, also directed by Hall and starring the enormously talented Danny Horn and Oliver Hoare as Ray and Dave Davies, the two brothers who formed the explosive core of the band whose music became the soundtrack of a generation during the British invasion of the 1960s.

For those of us in the crowd who witnessed this musical revolution in real time—and just about everyone else—heads were swaying and the response was electric. The Kinks broke out in 1964 and made their US tour debut in June 1965. It was a highly anticipated, and short-lived, experience that led to the group being banned from performing in the U.S. for nearly five years due primarily to union issues flamed by management disagreements and the internal unrest of the band itself. As this story unfolds, it’s clearly a tall order to be young, talented and unable to get along with each other except when you were making music together.

“Sunny Afternoon” falls in the family of jukebox musicals that showcase dozens of the iconic hits around a compelling backstory of survival at all costs. It follows the band’s rise from their first professional contract—signed by Ray and Dave’s father since no one was of legal age—to their return to America and a 1972 concert date at Madison Square Garden. Ray Davies is credited with all music, lyrics and the story for the book by Joe Penhall. The original London production received four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in Music for Davies, landing closest in style to “The Who’s Tommy,” “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Jersey Boys,“ and offering a lens into our 1960s appetite for rock ‘n roll with a raucous twist and the unmistakable sound of that raw and rebellious era.

The risks are great in this musical genre. Will the vocal performances live up to the original? What about the instrumentation and collective sound? Does the story lend itself to support the music or will it be an impediment to the overall flow? And, what does it take to recapture the magic for a new audience?

Those questions are answered definitively time and again in Hall’s masterfully staged production, on a Miriam Buether set (and costumes) with a sound wall of 60s era amps and speakers and a runway into the audience that provides wonderful opportunities for the super-charged ensemble. Horn and Hoare, with Michael Lepore (Peter Quaife) and Kieran McCabe (Mick Avory), are brilliant vocalists and flawless musicians who spend nearly all of the two hour, forty minute running time of the show on stage. It all adds up to a magnificently jubilant musical odyssey from the dominate opening riffs of Hoare’s “You Really Got Me” to “Lola,” “Waterloo Sunset” and a string of distinctive hits including “Just Can’t Sleep,” “Dedicated Follower of Fashion,” and “Too Much On My Mind/Tired of Waiting.”

By the time “Sunny Afternoon” bursts on stage, Horn’s Ray has written the musical score of his life and revealed the trials and tribulations of a rock ‘n’ roll force of nature who did not compromise the most important part of his work: the music. Hall has tapped into a unique period that we can relate to. The turbulent times of the 1960s are not so much of the story here, but the subtext looks and feels a lot like what we face today. And it’s Davies’ lyric from “The Moneygoround” that tells the tale: “Oh, but life goes on and on, and no one ever wins, and time goes quickly by, just like the money-go-round, I only hope that I'll survive.” Thankfully, the Kinks have. What a trip!

PHOTO|Carol Rosegg

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
North American Premiere
Sunny Afternoon
The Yard
Navy Pier
through April 27, 2025

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PicksInSix Review: As You Like It - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE, RINGO AND WILLIAM!

The exuberant, Friday night opening crowd at Chicago Shakespeare Theater who took their seats early were rewarded with a celebratory pre-show in a wrestling ring, a match in progress billed as “Duke Frederick presents Superstar Wrestling Tonight” where “Charles “2 Guns” Leibowitz Takes On All. $$$ Cash Prize.” It’s a crafty, entertaining, and hugely comical entrée for Director Daryl Cloran’s flat-out brilliant, Beatles-infused adaptation of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” now playing in the Courtyard.

This colorful, creative, exhilarating production—which owes its’ origin to Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival in Vancouver and presented at Chicago Shakes in association with Edmonton’s The Citadel Theatre and Winnipeg’s Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre—weaves together a dazzling cast that includes principals from the original production and top Chicago and regional talent. The result is quite simply ecstasy on Navy Pier!

The physical display of the wrestling match and the slapstick comic mayhem felt more like play than prologue and serves to orient the audience to this marvelous company and the unique musical journey that lays ahead while accentuating the love-at-first-sight moment between Frederick’s niece Rosalind (Lakeisha Renee) and fearless young lord Orlando (Liam Quealy). And when the hilarious antics of the ring MC (Kayvon Khoshkam), referee LeBeau (Deborah Hay) and Eleanor Rigby (Heidi Kettenring) are completed and the winner of the match between Orlando and Charles (Austin Eckert) is declared, the hook is set for Frederick (Kevin Gudahl) to deny the riches of victory, divide the young lovers and make the grand leap forward into an abridged—and highly entertaining and understandable—production of Shakespeare’s delightful comedy of disguise.

With over twenty Beatles hits framing the text and complementing the story, Cloran punctuates moments of confessional (“I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There”), passionate longing (“Eight Days A Week”), and jubilation (“Good Day Sunshine”). The rollicking on-stage band—The Forest Lords—and featured performances of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (Eckert), “I Am The Walrus” and “Fool on the Hill” (Hay), “Something” (Kettenring), the lovers anthem “Got To Get You Into My Life” and the capstone hit “All You Need Is Love,” had everyone in the house swaying to the beat.

Quealy’s powerhouse vocals and triple-threat presence is right at home as Orlando whose love has no bounds for the feisty Rosalind, played and sung beautifully by Renee. Khoshkam’s Touchstone, an amped up Elton John, provides over-the-top high comedy in his relationship with the steamy temptress Audrey, a delightful turn for Lachrisa Grandberry. Hay is unmatched in the role of the melancholy Forest Lord Jacques as is Gudahl who plays Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden. Orlando’s staunch brother Oliver (Tony Carter) finds redemption after being saved in an encounter with a lion and true love with Celia (Brezill) and all‘s eventually well with Phoebe (Kettenring) and the slap-dancing shepherd Silvius (Michael Dashefsky). You will revel in the fine work of Steven Pringle, Nancy Voigts, and the Forest Lords of Arden (Eckert, Dashefsky, Adam Wesley Brown, Kieran McCabe, Kurt Schweitz and Jeff Kurysz).

The Courtyard is ablaze with the vibrant tones and a sixties vibe by set designer Pam Johnson, splashed with Gerald King’s eye-popping lighting, the summer of love costumes by Carmen Alatorre, pitch-perfect sound design by Owen Hutchinson and Peter McBoyle and gorgeous music throughout supervised by Ben Elliott. If you want to know a secret, the flower power VW van literally rocks, at one point, but it is the joyous and triumphant return of live theatre on Navy Pier that makes “As You Like It” the show to see eight days a week through November 21.  

PHOTO CREDIT|Liz Lauren

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
presents
AS YOU LIKE IT
through November 21, 2021

Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier

(312) 595-5600

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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 Review: BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

Zachary Stevenson's ‘Buddy’ is a 'WOW!' 

Eighteen glorious months. … Strip away social media, cable television, satellite and internet radio, downloads, Amazon, Google, iTunes and what do you have left? Posters, vinyl records, small live venues, local television and radio, which makes what Buddy Holly did for eighteen glorious months in the late 50s all the more incredible.

Explosive performance … Times may have changed in the past sixty years, but they have not changed that much. Everyone is still looking for a sure thing and we’ve got one right here in Chicago on West Belmont – the explosive performance of Zachary Stevenson in the American Blues Theater revival of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at Stage 773.

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Like a classic film .... we know how this bittersweet story ends, so it’s the actors — who are an amazing collection of singers and instrumentalists — that make this jukebox musical soar. Director Lili-Anne Brown and Musical Director Michael Mahler, who also performs, have brought a multi-talented company together around these iconic hits - well over two-dozen songs played out on the radio and in a series of recording sessions, club dates and concert appearances to frame the backstory. And they knock every one of them out of the park! 

Extraordinary musical journey… Stevenson and the Crickets, Kieran McCabe, Shaun Whitley and Mahler — are at the core of this extraordinary musical journey. Liz Chidester, is perfect as Vi Petty (and really rocks the keyboards) as is Derek Hasenstab (Norman Petty), a blistering guitarist. The strong company features fine vocal performances by Angela Alise, Chuckie Benson and Daniel Riley at the Apollo, along with Alex Goodrich, Ann Delaney, Lauren Vogel and Molly Hernandez who also nails the endearing role of Maria Elena, and Ian Paul Custer, an affable Hi Pockets. The rockin’ talents of Cisco Lopez (Ritchie Valens) and Vasily Deris (Big Bopper) will blow you away, but this take-no-prisoners musical extravaganza belongs to one person: Zachary Stevenson’s 'Buddy' is a 'WOW!'

Educational and community outreach … American Blues Theater has partnered with Chicago Public Schools to encourage student attendance while cast members are also performing mini-concerts at assisted-living facilities and hospitals. No finer way to bring the arts and entertainment, and first-class musical opportunities, to an appreciative extended audience.

What are you waiting for? … Ready Teddy! You have until September 15th to see this one. Oh Boy!  [Updated: July 5, 2018]

PHOTOS|MICHAEL BROSILOW

AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
Presents
Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story
through September 15th

JUST ANNOUNCED!
Buddy Holly Returns for 'Encore' Run
June 29th - Sept 15th

Stage 773
1225 West Belmont
(773) 327-5252

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