PicksInSix Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Delightfully Devious Duo Meets Rotund Rapscallion!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Directed with comic zeal by Phillip Breen and featuring Jason Simon in a terrific performance as the rotund rapscallion Sir John Falstaff, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s lively production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is a rip-roaring farce if ever there was one. Set in modern times that often stretch the imagination, the sparkling cast delivers a robustly-paced theatrical gem on Navy Pier!  

Breen’s familiarity with the challenging material pays off. He has certainly discovered every intended comic opportunity—and countless others for good measure—and hits the mark at every turn, all centered around the dubious exploits of Simon’s Falstaff that fail like clockwork, not once, but three times at the hands of the delightfully devious duo of Mistress Ford (Issy Van Randwyck) and Mistress Page (Ora Jones). From the moment they receive identical love letters from Sir John, the two work in tandem to cook his goose while remaining undetected by their husbands, Master Page (Chiké Johnson) and Master Ford (Timothy Edward Kane), despite suspicions to the contrary. Aye, there’s the rub!

Who could blame them for their playful mischievousness? Falstaff’s overt desires turn away his entourage (the entertaining trio of Bardolph (Teddy Gales), Pistol (Colin Huerta), and Nym (Zack Bloomfield)—leaving him vulnerable to the combined forces of the merry wives and the spirited Mistress Quickly (a charming role for Nancy Voigts). As a result, Falstaff must unwittingly fend for himself, eluding discovery by the jealous Ford (Kane) by stuffing his magnificence in a laundry box that is later tossed away in the Thames and then forced to don lady’s clothing and endure an unseen thrashing during a hasty retreat. Throughout, Simon’s Falstaff is never the victim, but rather a hapless fop, like a dog with bone, easily swayed by flattery and the promise of passionate fulfillment. When he concedes a third time to a meeting in Windsor Park, now in the guise of “Herne the Hunter” with everyone in on the ruse, Falstaff is finally, and publicly, humiliated for his transgressions, and must makes amends.

In addition to the brilliant performances by Randwyck, Jones and Kane, the cast is loaded with Chicago talent from top to bottom including Nick Sandys (Sir Hugh Andrews), Paul Oakley Stovall (Justice Shallow), Alex Weisman (Slender), Nate Burger (Dr. Caius) and Bret Tuomi (Host of the Garter Inn). In the love story, Oliva Pryor is an earnest Anne Page, whose marital future lies with one of three suitors, Caius, Slender and Fenton, who is played by Sam Bell-Gurwitz, and is the true object of her affections.

Rich scenic and lavish costume designs by Max Jones—particularly the Ford’s elegant home, the Garter Inn and in the haunting Windsor Park—are visually striking with notable surprises dropping down from above and phoning in from below. The Jentes Family Courtyard Theatre is awash in Marcus Doshi’s crisp lighting design and the lush soundscape by Lindsay Jones, with the clever use of some contemporary songs that bust out along the way.

All in, Shakes “Merry Wives” is at its’ very merry best when Simon is uproariously navigating the fine line of reckless passion and the resulting over-the-top antics set in motion by the far superior wives who keep us rooting for his inevitable comeuppance. From his larger-than-life grand entrance to his humbling demise, Simon delivers a flawless performance and rightly receives a glorious and genuinely warm last laugh for his efforts, sprinkled with a tender touch of finality for one of Shakespeare’s most enduring characters.

PHOTO|Kyle Flubacker

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Navy Pier
through May 3, 2026

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PicksInSix Review: The Comedy of Errors - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Comedy of Errors – “Thanks. Very Much!”
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

In perhaps one of the most inspired and hilarious opening scenes in recent memory, Barbara Gaines launched her final stage production as Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Founder and Artistic Director not with a hearty hail and farewell, but instead a hilarious delivery.

Four of them actually.

The seafaring journey that follows for two sets of identical twins at the center of chaos and confusion is just the beginning of a wild and wondrous adventure. Gaines’s uproarious, over-the-top adaptation of “The Comedy of Errors” is really two shows, in fact, weaved together as one. Shakespeare’s tale of mistaken identities, mischief and mayhem is framed by an altogether new and fascinating story all its own—magnificently conceived by Gaines and brilliantly written by Ron West—that is set on a 1940 London soundstage. The developing storylines of the players is underscored by terrific musical performances, frequent Luftwaffe bombing raids, live Foley sound effects and just the right amount of hijinks and slapstick.

The play centers around the twins who are separated soon after birth by a shipwreck at sea.  Now adults in Ephesus, Antipholus from Syracuse (Robert Petkoff) and Antipholus from Ephesus (Dan Chameroy), along with their servant twins, Dromio of Syracuse (Ross Lehman) and Dromio of Ephesus (Kevin Gudhal) find themselves confounding Adriana (Susan Moniz), the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus, her sister Luciana (Melanie Brezill), the merchant Angelo (Brezon Arzell) and virtually everyone else.

Lehman also plays Dudley Marsh, the director of the film storyline and married to Veronica (Moniz) who is having a torrid affair in plain sight with Emerson Furbelow (Petkoff). Meanwhile Lord Brian Hallifax (Gudhal) is forever posturing for and expanding upon his stage real estate at every opportunity with hilarious consequences. Add to this powerhouse quartet the likes of Phil Sullivan (Chameroy), a dashing, aviator and crooning heartthrob for the charming Lillian Castillo (Marian), with the accident-prone stage manager Charles Chittick (William Dick) and you have the makings of a comic ensemble that’s on fire all night.

A spectacular set design by James Noone evokes the grandeur of filmmaking in a bygone era. It’s a gem that benefits from the stagehands quietly and effortlessly moving on and off in the context of the film shoot. The Courtyard Stage is awash with color and detail from Ken Posner’s lighting design, Mieka Van Der Ploeg’s stunning costumes and Lindsay Jones’s crisp sound and original music.

In a show filled with superb featured character roles, Ora Jones (Abbess), Adia Bell (Fanny) and Bruce A. Young (Monty/Duke) all stand out. Greg Vinkler shines as the ruddy Admiral Philpot and as his brother Eddie Philpot, funnyman Bill Larkin provides the oft-repeated phrase of the night that everyone will be saying to Barbara Gaines in appreciation of her decades of commitment to making Shakespeare accessible to everyone: “Thanks. Very Much!”

PHOTO|Liz Lauren
Barbara Gaines|Joe Mazza

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier
through April 16

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PicksInSix Review: And Neither Have I Wings To Fly - First Folio Theatre

TO FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

As First Folio’s splendid production of Ann Noble’s “And Neither Have I Wings To Fly” unfolds, a disheartened Peter Donnelly (David Rice) and his family are coping with the passing of his wife, Moira (Adrianne Cury) while his daughter Eveline (Haley Rice), the family anchor, is in preparation for the wedding of youngest daughter Kathleen (Jennifer Mohr).

Eveline had put her own dreams and aspirations on hold for three years to care for her ailing mother. She is now conflicted by the responsibility to care for her aging father and tend to the day-to-day matters of the home against her own aspirations. As we discover early on, there is movement and a path out, but the clock is ticking. There is also a looming deadline that will require a spiritual nudge to present options, pose questions and allow her to make a decision.

When Moria’s spirit appears to Eveline and takes steps to help her through, it’s also clear that Moira has some questions of her own to be answered before she can move on.

Along the way, Kathleen, who is about to marry Leo (David Gordon-Johnson) is swept up by Freddy (Michael Dias), a former lover and touring actor who openly threatens the marriage while everyone except Eveline and Moira’s spirit appear to be looking the other way. Once Leo’s exuberant brother Charlie (Andrew Behling) arrives on the scene to awaken Eveline’s hidden desires and take a stand of his own, the hearty stew of this poignant story about eternal love overcoming loss begins to simmer.

Director Heather Chrisler evokes mid-50s Ireland at every wonderful opportunity – through Noel Huntzinger’s period costumes, the blissful original and traditional music and sound by Lindsay Jones, and the evocative lighting by Julie Ballard. All these rich elements enhance the stunning and detailed interior scenic design by Angela Weber Miller. A nod goes to vocal and accent designer Sammi Grant whose work with the superb company is earnest and true.

It was announced this week that the final production of First Folio’s three-show 2023 season would be cancelled and the company, a fixture for 26 years under the guidance of co-founders David Rice and his late wife Alison C. Vesely, will close this month. Rice and his daughter, Hayley, have not performed together since 2013’s “The Rainmaker,” which, for all of us parents who dream of this opportunity, is one more compelling and exceptional reason among many to see this heartwarming drama at Maylake Peabody Estate before it closes on February 26.

PHOTO|First Folio Theatre

First Folio Theatre
Presents
And Neither Have I Wings To Fly
Mayslake Peabody Estate
1717 W. 31st St.
Oak Brook
through February 26, 2023

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(630) 986-8067  

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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

WEBSITE

TICKETS

(847) 673-6300

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HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCALS

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PicksInSix Review: 'NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN' Northlight Theatre

“FOLLOW THE RHYTHM OF YOUR HEART.”

The Northlight Theatre production of Christina Ham’s stunningly raw and musically rich 2016 play “Nina Simone: Four Women” directed by Kenneth L. Roberson that opened Friday at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, is a stirring exploration of Simone’s creative journey in the wake of the September 13, 1963 murder of four African-American girls -- 14 year-old Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, and 11 year-old Denise McNair – in the KKK bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The tragedy of the girl’s death inspired Simone to compose “Mississippi Goddam,” “Old Jim Crow,” “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” and the iconic “Four Women,” and ignited her passion against social injustice, segregation and discrimination during the civil rights movement. 

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Set inside the ruins of the church in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, ‘Four Women’ features the gifted Sydney Charles as Simone, a musical force of nature, who rose from humble beginnings to the forefront of the jazz music world before her ideology was forever shaken and altered by the devastating attack. Simone’s transitional moment is at the core of the piece that the captivating and confident Charles deftly unearthes in the lush boundaries of her vocal range and a commanding performance that blisters with depth and empathy.

The play resides securely alongside Simone’s dreams and creative aspirations, evolving from a series of anguished, defiant, and, ultimately, hopeful conversations using the framework of her music as a rallying cry, never diverting away from the searing memory of the four girls fate or the civil unrest that is brewing.

Deanna Reed-Foster (Sarah), Ariel Richardson (Sephronia), Melanie Brezill (Sweet Thing) and Charles are the ‘Four Women’ of Simone’s profound elegy to the memory of the girls and who they might have become. As each identifies and struggles with African-American stereotypes, legacy and misunderstanding, Simone implores them as a group to rise up and “follow the rhythm of your heart.”  Through their individual stories, and the rich, soulful and powerfully rendered musical performances, a deeper understanding emerges of heritage, common ground and the conflicts between the women and everyone around them.

Christopher Rhoton’s robust scenic design is a constant reminder of the deadly aftermath of the attack. The stark lighting and sound by Lee Fiskness and Lindsay Jones accentuate Michael Alan Stein’s costumes which define each of the four women. The talented Daniel Riley is the on-stage accompanist and music director.

Northlight’s production is one of eight others currently planned in the months ahead which led American Theatre magazine to name Ham among the top 20 most-produced playwrights of the 2018-19 season. There is also a companion piece for young audiences, “Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963,” which was commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the bombing and debuted at the Kennedy Center and 47 other locations around the country.    

PHOTOS|Michael Brosilow

NORTHLIGHT THEATRE
Presents
NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN
through March 2nd

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
9501 Skokie Blvd.
(847) 647-6300

WEBSITE
TICKETS
CHRISTINA HAM WEBSITE

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