PicksInSix Review: Betrayal-Goodman Theatre

BETRAYAL: If You Know, You Know.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

It is no surprise that there was high anticipation for the opening Monday of the Goodman Theatre production of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal,” directed by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. With a seasoned, all-star cast that includes Helen Hunt, Ian Barford and Robert Sean Leonard, the show is a fictionized account of Pinter’s own marital infidelity. It is a remarkably succinct play, told in reverse order with scenes that unfold from 1977, two years after the clandestine seven-year affair ended, to the moment of its inception in 1968 while delving into how these affairs of the heart occur in the lives of otherwise well-meaning and trustworthy adults.

On those last few points, none of Pinter’s flawed characters in “Betrayal” are even remotely close to well-meaning and trustworthy, with the exception of Nico Grelli whose comic turn as an Italian waiter is a delight. We know at the top everyone is playing with fire and it’s just a matter of time for all of the deception, tension and misinformation to be revealed. And when it ends, the 75-minute drama feels remarkably like it is just getting started.

Jerry (Leonard) is married to Judith (unseen) and was best man at the wedding of Emma (Hunt) and Robert (Bedford). As the backstory is revealed to its eventual beginning, the betrayals that the audience are already aware of are realized in such rapid succession that you may need a scorecard to keep track. It’s as if Pinter took a page from the Dale Carnegie playbook: “Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em; then tell ’em; then tell ’em what you told ’em.” He with him. She with he. Him with her. And that’s not counting the unseen who are affected, including, well, if you know you know.

Pinter was 38 years old and married a year when his longtime affair with Joan Bakewell began and in his mid-40s when it ended which is more than a decade removed from anyone on the Goodman stage. All that was a conscious decision by Booth in casting the work around Hunt. Leonard plays the closest to that range throughout in a fine performance even if the heat of the romance is a bit more of a glowing ember than a red hot flame. Beford’s Robert pulses with an undercurrent of hostility though not quite enough to serve as an impetus for Hunt’s Emma to seek comfort elsewhere.

There is no doubt that Hunt has the most challenging assignment of all. From the shocking truths of the opening scene to the first embrace, she is fascinating to watch at work mining the complex relationships with both men.  

This all plays out on the very stylized scenescape by Neil Patel that incorporates massive translucent panels providing a palette for Rasean Davonté Johnson’s rich projection design. The atmospheric sound design and composition by Rob Milburn and Michale Bodeen and lighting by Xavier Pierce all combine with Linda Rothke’s costumes to make Goodman’s “Betrayal” a unique and absorbing production.

PHOTO|Joan Marcus

GOODMAN THEATRE
presents
BETRAYAL
170 N Dearborn St

EXTENDED through March 30

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PicksInSix Review: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Drury Lane Theatre

“You’re beautiful as you feel.” 
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Kaitlyn Linsner

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” an entertaining journey through Carole King’s life, is now playing at Drury Lane Theatre through March 23. Featuring a book by Douglas McGrath and lyrics and music by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Well, this musical is particularly special and nostalgic for those who grew up listening to the music from the 60s and 70s. 

The show begins with brilliant, 16-year-old Carole (Samantha Gershman) selling her first original song to Donny Kirshner (Michael Lawrence Brown) at the Brill Building in Manhattan. From there, she meets her husband Gerry Goffin (Alex Benoit), who writes the lyrics to her compositions, and the two of them generate hit after hit while their good friends and competitors Cynthia Weil (Alexandra Palkovic) and Barry Mann (Andrew MacNaughton) work across the hall trying to keep up. Carole faces difficult personal struggles as a young mother in the music industry and being married to an absent, unfaithful husband yet she still rises to fame all culminating with her widely successful second studio album Tapestry. 

Directed by Jane Lanier with musical director Carolyn Brady and choreographer Gerry McIntyre, “Beautiful” is an inspiring story, and a delightful behind-the-scenes look at how the music industry worked back when performers often did not write their own songs. While the plot lacks the depth to really explore the relational complexities of Carole’s young life in particular, there is such fun in learning about the origin stories of so many beloved songs. Plus, the talented cast elevates the musical with strong vocal performances throughout.

Gershman shines as Carole bringing such warmth to her heartfelt and earnest performance. She sings beautifully, doing especially well to capture the soft, sultry tones of Carole’s voice. Her performance of “(You Make Me Feel) A Natural Woman” is a top highlight of the show. 

Other highlights include The Drifters’ (Averis Anderson, Makenzy Jenkins, Austin Nelson Jr., Michael Turrentine) flawless and ebullient performance of “On Broadway” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles (Lydia Burke, Raeven Carroll, Allanna Lovely, Chamaya Moody). Palkovic and MacNaughton have such chemistry on stage with MacNaughton bringing a bit of delightful camp to his performance as Mann.

Packed with great music from start to finish, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” is a lovely celebration of one of the most successful songwriters in American history. A good choice for all music lovers. 

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

Beautiful
The Carole King Musical
Drury Lane Theatre
Oak Brook
through March 23, 2025

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PicksInSix Review: A Raisin in the Sun - Court Theatre

What Happens To A Dream Deferred?
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Lorraine Hansberry’s arresting triumph “A Raisin in the Sun” is playing now in a brilliant production at Court Theatre. Directed by Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent, the 1957 play—penned by the 27-year-old Hansberry and largely based on her own experiences growing up on the South Side of Chicago—has been lauded since for its defining influence on American theatre, the sheer poetry of the text and its stirring depiction of an urban Black family and their individual dreams for a better life.

Randle-Bent has amassed a powerhouse company, led by the remarkable performances of Shanésia Davis as Lena ‘Mama’ Younger, the matriarch of the family; her impulsive son Walter Lee, played on an emotional edge by Brian Keys; a moving and truly sentient turn by Kierra Bunch as Walter’s pregnant wife, Ruth; Martasia Jones as the progressive daughter Beneatha; and, Jeremias Darville (who alternates with Di'Aire Wilson) as Travis, the youngest son and hope for the next generation in the family.

Set in a cramped South Side tenement in the late 1950s amid the segregation and racially restrictive covenants of the era that fueled the redlining of neighborhoods, Mama and the Younger family are expecting a $10,000 death benefit payment, the legacy of her late husband’s lifetime of service and sacrifice for the family. There is debate about how the money should be spent, but not about who is the decision maker.

On one side, Walter pleads with Ruth to join him in convincing Mama to invest the sum in a liquor store that he hopes will both raise his stature from the service job he has been trapped in and provide a better life for everyone. Ruth and Beneatha, who is studying to be a doctor, both agree that it is Mama’s decision, leaving Walter to make a direct appeal that Mama rejects in favor of her own dream: a home of their own. Once that decision sinks in, Walter embarks on a three-day bender that threatens his employment and alienates everyone in the family. In a true act of trust and love, Mama makes a concession that leads to trouble ahead for the Younger family.

Along the way, we watch Beneatha evolve from a bobby socks college student to free-spirit, influenced by the scholarly atmosphere she inhabits during the day and the attention of George Murchison (Charles Andrew Gardner), a relationship she is far less attracted to than the new ideals of Joseph Asagai (Eliott Johnson), a charming Nigerian suitor who introduces her to a culture that awakens a passion within her. Julian Parker (Bobo), Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner) and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson) round out the superb cast.

Andrew Boyce’s robust scenic design—an elevated, angular stage framed in a series of large-scale urban-themed panels behind the detailed close quarters of the Younger’s meager row house flat—provides multiple obscure and semi-obstructed interior views while serving as a fascinating template for cast movement in, out and within the space. Maximo Grano De Oro evocative lighting, Willow James’s subtle sound design and superb costumes by Raquel Adorno with Jeanette Rodriguez elevate Court Theatre’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun” to a new artistic standard for this enduring American classic and the show to see now in Chicago.

PHOTO | Michael Brosilow

Court Theatre
presents
A Raisin in the Sun
5535 S Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Extended through March 23, 2025

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(773) 753-4472

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PicksInSix Review: Fool for Love - Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Searing ‘Fool for Love’ At Steppenwolf
PicksInSix Review | Guest Contributor Ronald Keaton

The great Sam Shepard play “Fool for Love,” now playing at Steppenwolf Theatre through March 23, was written in the middle of a quality string of highly volatile, verbally explosive plays about family that he penned in an eight-year period between 1977 and 1985. including “Buried Child” (which won Mr. Shepard his Pulitzer Prize in 1979) and “True West”(which had a legendary Steppenwolf production). In 1984, “Fool for Love” was itself nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and purportedly was written after the playwright’s divorce from his first wife, resulting in a outpouring of personal, emotional fallout that produced this searing piece of theatre.

Make no mistake—the play itself is the star.  May and Eddie are star-crossed lovers who meet yet again in a motel out in the Mojave Desert. There is a taut, difficult dynamic between these two that produces a dreaded secret to face. Sitting outside the motel is the otherworldly spirit of The Old Man, whose influence on this relationship is both relentless and disturbing, because of that secret that no one wishes to discuss.

May (played by Caroline Neff, at once both feisty and vulnerable) has been abandoned by Eddie (Nick Gehlfuss as the brawling rodeo star) one too many times. She wants nothing to do with him and repeatedly demands that he leave.  Yet when he actually threatens to leave, May is suddenly a child-like being, afraid of being left alone. The dichotomy here produces a quite visceral and intense piece of theatre narrative. Eddie feels the need to dominate the proceedings, and even the history between them, as if they would tell two different stories. May bucks right back, reminding him of his endless disloyalty. And the story of their shared lives is unique and shocking.

So May has a date that was planned before Eddie’s arrival. Enter Martin (Cliff Chamberlain, who offers fine comic relief as a bumbling suitor) into the fray. Talk about a fish out of water. Martin is so innocent and shy that his initial exchange with Eddie turns into a kind of staggering fascination as to what kind of man this rodeo guy really is. And Martin is totally drawn into the tale that Eddie tells about his youth, meeting May and discovering a guise of love that he’d never witnessed, let alone felt before. By now, May has come out of the bathroom, having listened through the door at all of Eddie’s story and wanting to immediately correct him on the facts of the matter.

Finally, the Old Man (the appropriately craggy Tim Hopper in an almost Big Daddy guise), whose stance throughout has been to inject his own brutal viewpoint onto the story, finally awakens his ghostly aura, manifesting at last into a genuine voice to Eddie, almost begging him to “tell the truth and represent me.” If a viewer has never seen this play, this writer will spare you the tawdry details of what happens at the end. Suffice it to say that at the time of its writing, “Fool for Love” was a staggering example of “the sins of the father” that Mr. Shepard so comfortably shares here.

Coming from the recent Broadway debut of the stage version of John LeCarre’s novel “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” is the English director Jeremy Herrin. Todd Rosenthal produces a dependable set design in a seedy motel, complete with neon sign above. Heather Gilbert shows a lighting design with “on-fire” effects shooting into the room from outside visitors. Mikhail Fiksel offers shots and explosions onto Eddie’s truck from those same visitors, as well as the occasional George Strait melody in his sound design.  It’s a short play at roughly 65 minutes or so, but one will find that hour full of passion and a fury all its own.

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 “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com

PHOTO | Michael Brosilow

Steppenwolf Theatre Company
presents
Fool for Love
1650 N. Halsted St.
(312) 335-1650
through March 23, 2025

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PicksInSix Review: Native Gardens - Buffalo Theatre Ensemble

Neighbor’s Conflict Makes For Engaging Comedy
PicksInSix Review | Guest Contributor Kaitlyn Linsner

Karen Zacarías’ “Native Gardens,” a zippy comedy about a disagreement between new neighbors, is now playing in a Buffalo Theatre Ensemble production at the McAninch Arts Center through March 2. The audience sits just beyond two backyards - one tidy and well-manicured and the other unkempt—split by a flimsy chain link fence. Between the title and the visually stunning Mara Ishihara Zinky set, you may be wondering will the next 90 minutes be spent delving into these glaringly different attitudes toward yard work? Well, sort of.

Directed by Steve Scott, longtime producer at the Goodman Theatre, “Native Gardens” does in fact examine these two yards and how two families maintain them. It also explores the values and belief systems that influence even the most seemingly inconsequential decisions. Digging a bit deeper (but not too much deeper), the show examines how social constructs such as class, race and gender intersect to guide those values, and then what happens when faced with challenges to all of the above.

On one side of the fence stands Pablo (Richard Gomez) and Tonia (Sofia Tew), a younger, progressive, Latinx, married couple new to the neighborhood and eager to finesse the yard of their first home into a native garden that Tonia insists will benefit the environment. Pablo over-zealously invites his entire law firm over for a party that Tonia agrees to host outside only if they replace the unsightly chain link fence with a statelier wooden one.

That brings us to the other side of the fence where Virginia (Kelli Walker) and Frank (Bryan Burke) live. An older couple, the Butleys are white conservatives having lived in the neighborhood for many years. They take no issue with the proposed wood fence. Frank has meticulously tended his garden, and while he agrees that the wood fence is the better choice, he disagrees with Tonia over whether a native garden is really just a plot of weeds and insects. Frank offers to teach Tonia some things. Virginia tries to relate to Pablo about being disenfranchised in the workplace. They even bring Pablo and Tonia wine and chocolate to welcome them to the neighborhood.

How nice! What could possibly go wrong when both sides agree to a nicer looking fence and pretend to like each other? The answer is a lot when Tonia and Pablo discover that their yard extends further into the Butley’s garden. Soon the amiable discussions about flowers, insects and children shift to disagreements over land, intentions and entitlement. The phrase “you people” gets hurled about as the conflict escalates, and this is when “Native Gardens” really hits its stride. The most comedic, amusing and insightful moments shine through the friction especially when the cast volleys lines back and forth at the height of the land battle.

All this to say that while “Native Gardens” explores differences in a rather conventional manner (and has the unsurprising positive ending most folks would want if in the same situation) there is something to be said about all the good parts happening when conflict erupts. Conflict can be beneficial as it can lead to growth, stronger relationships and deeper understandings, and in the case of “Native Gardens,” it can also be quite entertaining.

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

PHOTO | Rex Howard Photography

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
presents
Native Gardens

McAninch Arts Center
College of DuPage
425 Fawell Blvd.
through March 2

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PicksInSix Review: LOBBY HERO - Shattered Globe Theatre

Ethical Choices Drive Compelling ‘LOBBY HERO’
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

Shattered Globe Theatre’s latest offering “Lobby Hero," a taut, fascinating piece delivered in an almost improvisational style with several fine performances, is playing at Theater Wit through March 1. The play is written by the accomplished director/playwright/screenwriter/actor Kenneth Lonergan and directed in a tight, emotional fashion by SGT member Nate Santana. “Lobby Hero” is an almost claustrophobic tale of mostly honest, hard-working folk confronted by ethical choices that somehow wind up in the same brew, even as they seem to tell different stories—an admirable feat.

All the action takes place in the lobby of a high-rise apartment building in the heart of Manhattan.  Jeff (Elliott Esquivel in a full, grab-your-attention performance) is a security guard in the lobby who dreams of bigger things, although he’s not always sure of what they are. Jeff uses his sense of humor as his shield, his badge of honor, his protection against people getting too close, even as he earnestly yearns for that human intimacy. His boss William (a smooth, yet somber Terence Sims) is unhappy with Jeff’s work attitude and performance, but he somehow gets past those obstacles to see that Jeff is, in essence, a sweet young man trying to find his own way. William is well-established in his job, having worked his way up to a supervisor position after years in the company, and he finds himself sharing quite a dilemma with Jeff in a problem with William’s brother.  You see, his brother has committed a very violent crime and wants William to help with an alibi for protection.

Meanwhile in a seemingly unrelated turn, two police officers at totally different phases of their careers have just arrived outside that apartment building.  Bill (SGT Ensemble Member Adam Schulmerich, appropriately cynical and tough), a jaded sergeant about to reach a new level of accomplishment in the precinct, is the senior partner to Dawn (the marvelous Emma Jo Boyden), who’s been on the job for three months and has just knocked out a suspect with her nightstick in a previous situation. She’s pretty shaken by it all and wonders if her job, probationary as it is, will be in jeopardy. Bill calms her, saying he has her back and will help protect her against any inquiry that will come. Another wrinkle here is that the two cops seem to have feelings for one another, even as Bill is married with children. The two then go inside and Bill goes upstairs to visit a friend… a friend with whom he’s having sex. And Dawn is left down in the lobby with Jeff, who begins to form a romantic approach to see if he can gain her favor.

That moment begins a slow melding of the two plotlines into one storyline. Jeff unwittingly shares with Dawn that this has happened before, something that shakes her naivete. Her views on Bill suddenly find a new stance as Bill gets off the elevator in the lobby, finished with his ‘visit’.  As they get outside, a betrayed Dawn confronts him. Bill begins a confession about the woman upstairs and her husband Jim, who, Bill says, is having a problem that he is helping him get through. Only there is no Jim up there; Jeff tiptoes out to tell Bill, in the middle of his discussion with Dawn, that “Mrs.” whatever her name is upstairs has called down to let him know that Bill forgot his hat. Bill is busted, tells Dawn to wait outside, and then he goes in to harass Jeff for telling secrets he shouldn’t be telling, intimidating him markedly in the process.

Each character here now has a serious ethical impasse to negotiate. William is forced to make a choice about what to do with and for his brother—tell the truth or provide the alibi. Bill is now having to deal with the results of his own wandering eye, which exposes the prospect for ever-ripening discovery of other doubtful career moments that could derail his professional ambitions. Dawn, wide-eyed and principled, continues to take the abuse from her partner until she knows the entire story—not of Bill, but of William and his brother in a case that has headline-making potential at the risk of her own job. And then who does she tell? Jeff, in all this and despite his own meandering competence, has now become the keeper of all the secrets in this narrative. Does he share with Dawn what he's been told about William’s choice to gain her favor, but lose his job? Can he survive all this and still face Bill, who would certainly seek some kind of retribution against him? What about his own simple dreams, which consist basically of getting his own apartment and that’s pretty much it?

Director Santana has encouraged here a lot of characters talking over each other, which creates an interesting, in-the-moment feel on José Manuel Díaz-Soto’s impressive set design. Santana cinematically utilizes lighting (a comfortable design here by Ellie Fey) to draw the audience into critically intimate moments and then expands on the comedy in an occasional and sudden full brightness onstage. It allows the audience the chance to be swept along without feeling manipulated by the stagecraft, and it’s all such fun to observe.

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 “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com

PHOTO | Michael Brosilow

Shattered Globe Theatre
presents
LOBBY HERO

Theater Wit
1229 W Belmont Ave Chicago
through March 1, 2025

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PicksInSix Review: Fun Home - Porchlight Music Theatre

“A Raincoat Made Out of Love.”
PicksInSix Review | Ed Tracy

Porchlight Music Theatre is celebrating their 30th Anniversary with an exhilarating revival of the 2015 Tony award-winning musical “Fun Home,” based on cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s 2006 groundbreaking graphic memoir, now playing at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.

Directed by Stephen Schellhardt with music direction by Heidi Joosten, the show stars Alanna Chavez as Alison, Patrick Byrnes as Bruce and Neala Barron as Helen who lead a stellar cast in bringing the moving Lisa Kron/Jeanine Tesori score to life.

Kron’s book follows Bechdel’s conflicted relationship with her gay father as she discovers and comes to terms with her own lesbian sexuality. Chavez’s Alison serves as a 43-year-old stage voyeur looking back on her life growing up in the family funeral home, her sexual awakening in college and facing the inevitable truth of her father’s destructive behavior, all the while capturing the drama in her artwork. Moving in and out of the scenes with versions of herself as a child—alternating roles for Tess Mae Pundsack and Meena Sood as young Alison and Z Mowry as Middle Alison—Chavez expertly navigates the transitions, never leaving the stage for the entire 100 minute runtime of the piece.

Byrnes is a commanding force as Bruce, sheltering his true nature behind the veil of dutiful teacher, husband, father and community mortician while fighting to control an inner rage that will ultimately tear the family apart. Early on, his efforts to shield Alison and her siblings—Eli Vander Griend and Charlie Long alternating as Christian, and Austin Hartung and Hayes McCracken alternating as John—plays out as a domineering perfectionist but not without a sensitivity to literature, art, culture and a flair for restoration projects like the funeral parlor coined the ‘Fun Home’ by his children.

As Bruce’s anguished wife Helen, Barron gives an outstanding, multi-layered performance culminating in the heart-stopping ballad “Days and Days.” Among the other memorable numbers in the melodic score are the musical commercial “Come to the Fun Home” delightfully showcasing the young talent; Mowry’s “Changing My Major,” the touching anthem to her lover Joan (Dakota Hughes); the poignant “Ring of Keys” duet; and Byrnes “Edges of the World.” Lincoln J. Skoien rounds out the cast playing multiple roles and leads the lively company number “Raincoat of Love.”

Scenic designer Jonathan Berg-Einhorn has transformed the Ruth Page stage into an exquisite and intimate multi-level interior that allows Schellhardt the ability to transition effortlessly between scenes. Denise Karczewski’s lighting design and costumes by Marquecia Jordan complete the visually stunning production. With Matthew R. Chase’s pitch-perfect sound design and Joosten’s five-piece band hitting the right notes all night long, Porchlight’s memorable “Fun Home” is not to be missed.

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Editor’s Note: Longtime photographer Rich Hein, who published his work as Liz Lauren, passed away on Sunday, January 19. 2025. Rich’s matchless photographic contributions will be sorely missed by the entire Chicago theatre community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends. and colleagues. et

Porchlight Music Theatre
presents
FUN HOME
Ruth Page Center
1016 N. Dearborn St.
through March 2, 2025

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PARKING

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PicksInSix Review: JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Hilarity, Heartbreak Weaved Together at ‘Jaja’s’
PicksInSix Review | Ed Tracy

Jocelyn Bioh’s vibrant “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” now playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater unfolds in a series of fast-paced scenes over a single day in a Harlem salon. The year is 2019, but it could be last year, last month or even this week, considering the looming era of uncertainty. It’s here that during the comings and goings of clients we learn about the promise of immigrant life in America, sisterhood and the struggle for social and economic independence. The show also delivers high-spirited comedy that’s baked into the richly defined characters who create their art one lovely strand of hair at a time.

The salon itself has an ecosystem all its own. Jaja (Victoire Charles), the owner of the salon, is getting married and her daughter Marie (Jordan Rice), the high school valedictorian who is currently managing the salon, has her hands full with a trio of seasoned braiders— Bea (Awa Sal Secka), Ndidi (Aisha Sougou) and Aminata (Tiffany Renee Johnson)—who hold back nothing with each other. A fourth braider, Miriam (Bisserat Tseggai) has a powerful immigrant story that plays out in a conversation with one customer over the course of the play.

Chief among these spirited and feisty entrepreneurs is Bea who was there at the beginning with Jaja (the shop was Bea’s idea, after all) and Ndidi who Bea claims has been stealing her clients and her livelihood. Bea also irritates Aminata, whose marriage is on the rocks, but Aminata gives as good as she gets. There is general agreement that Jaja, who has built the business from the ground up and brought along each of them in one way or another, could be making a mistake, despite the celebratory toast they share when Jaja stops by. How this all plays out, and how the women support each other, is at the heart of the story.

The ensemble is rounded out by the exceptional talent of Melanie Brezill and Leovina Charles who cover a fascinating array of salon clients and Yao Dogie who plays the neighborhood merchants and Aminata’s husband, James.  

Director Whitney White’s ensemble is brilliantly supported by a Tony-nominated artistic and technical team that includes Nikiya Mathis, who received a well-deserved special Tony Award for Hair and Wig Design, and Dede Ayite who received the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. Among the four additional nominations—including White for direction and Bioh for Best Play—are David Zinn’s expertly detailed set design and original music and sound by Justin Ellington and Stefania Bulbarella.

Bioh’s uproarious comic banter leads to a stellar, finely-crafted, gut-punch of reality in “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” that offers a powerfully moving statement on the immigrant experience. The show, a coproduction with Arena Stage, Berkley Repertory Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse, is playing in a limited run at The Yard through February 2nd and tickets are already in high demand.

PHOTO|T. Charles Erickson

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
JAJA’s AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
The Yard
Navy Pier
through February 2, 2025

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PicksInSix Review: SHUCKED - Broadway in Chicago - CIBC Theatre

‘SHUCKED’ — A FIELD FULL OF FUN!
PicksInSix Review |Guest Contributor Ronald Keaton

There’s some grand escapist fare going on at the CIBC Theatre on Monroe through January 19.  SHUCKED is the musical story of a community that seems to want to hide away from the world and be left alone, until their lesson is learned. Now that doesn’t seem like a premise that would appeal to more worldly types, admittedly. But the way in which it’s done is an engaging and deceptively simple story told with huge doses of professionalism and humor. And it’s done with expert contributions from all quarters of the creative cache. It's not just about the active performance onstage.

For instance, the fascinating scenic design by Broadway veteran Scott Pask is an encompassing, barn-like roof with beams that stretch all the way across the stage and to the ceiling, symbolically protecting the citizens from nature like a protective bubble of sorts—all while allowing the sun to shine through on the crop and the denizens involved. That lighting design by Japhy Weideman is rich and full and compliments the action onstage brilliantly. Tony Award winner John Shivers layers in a fun sound scheme in a simultaneously subtle and obvious way. When you see it, you’ll understand that strange comparison.

A real star of the show is the endlessly inventive book by Robert Horn, who has taken the low humor form of the pun and shaken it to its core in a gorgeous manner, sprinkling the entire evening with endless, rollicking jokes that have little to do with the plot and everything to do with simply making us laugh. The story offered is surprisingly thick and challenging, which makes it even more a treat. Another is the decidedly enjoyable dance sequences created by the accomplished choreographer Sarah O’Gleby. I dare you not to sit back and smile at the ensemble dancing with ears of corn in their hands, like countrified Rockettes in tight formation.

Okay. Within this community are little stories galore all over the place. The pride of its existence is in living with/among/for corn. Yes, corn. The folks in town (the actual name is Cobb County) have made all things ‘corn’ their literal survival milieu. They live it, breathe it.  It’s the very taste in the air. They make liquor with it, they dress up in it.  Now one day, it is realized that the Cobb County corn is actually dying. The very entity that they depend on to get up every day seems to be drying up. The focus then shifts to a young engaged couple, Maizy and Beau (with Danielle Wade and a constant, boisterous song about her and Jake Odmark as a stoic, traditional hero whose morals form the foundation of the story). Maizy wants to go out into the world and find an answer to the community problem, while Beau resists her leaving, because of his own fears. And it damages their relationship. But leave she does to the big city of Tampa.

Maizy meets and finds Gordy, a well-dressed con artist (Quinn VanAntwerp in a smart turn), who has financial troubles of his own. He spies a bracelet that Maizy owns and wonders about the value of its stones. This launches him, Maizy and the audience into a hustler’s story of greed and desperation, where Gordy convinces Maizy that he is the one with the answers to the corn blight. Appropriately they all go back to the “corn”, where everyone in town—especially Beau and Lulu (Miki Abraham is an absolute joy to watch as she brings down the house whenever she sings), a cousin of Maizy. In fact, there are several smart performances in the show: Mike Nappi as Peanut, Beau’s brother, who carries the heavy load expertly in making us both laugh uproariously and cringe at the puns; Grandpa (Erick Pinnick with gravitas galore); two young storytellers (Maya Lagerstam and Tyler Joseph Ellis) who keep us on the straight and narrow with their own charm and their own jokes to share; and an ensemble augmenting the tale with joy and commitment to the cause.

Two more things to mention. The score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally is marvelous and tuneful, a collection of melodies that become real signposts of the action. And the clean, easy direction of legendary Broadway director Jack O’Brien reminds us that true creativity comes from within us at any age…bravo, sir. There is so much more to share about SHUCKED. Suffice it to say that it is a classic story of low humor and familiar notes, given the highest professional commitment by theatrical artists who know what they are doing.

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 “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Broadway in Chicago
presents

SHUCKED

CIBC Theatre

through January 19

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PicksInSix Review: 2024 Year in Review

Tip The Hat. Turn The Page.
Memorable Performances for 2024
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Singling out six of the most memorable performances of artists we covered in 2024 who turned heads and left lasting impressions long after the final bow was a daunting task. So difficult, in fact, that there is also special mention to others who have had terrific years on multiple Chicago stages.

It was a year that included the Royal Shakespeare Company’s return with “Pericles” at Chicago Shakespeare Company, pre-Broadway runs of “Death Becomes Her,” Steppenwolf’s “Purpose” directed by Phylicia Rashad—and, we expect, Sam Hunter’s “Little Bear Ridge Road,” a compelling new work starring Laurie Metcalf—and touring productions like the sensational “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” among others. While all deserving of mention, you will find others on the 2024 PicksInSix Year in Review list, our first post-pandemic yearend review.

A special note of thanks to every theatre company, their dedicated boards, administrative, artistic and technical teams, and the unending support of publicists who invest their time and talent in support of the Chicagoland theater community and made it possible to review these shows. It’s an honor to be invited and a responsibility that we take very seriously.

CONVERSATIONS|PicksInSIx® celebrates 10 years in 2025 and owes much to writers like Ronald Keaton, Scott Gryder and Kaitlyn Linsner who have contributed mightily to our archive of Chicago theatre during that time. Thank you!

And, a deserved tip of the hat to the brilliant Chicago theatre photographers Michael Brosilow, Liz Lauren, Brett Beiner, Joe Mazza and videographers HMS Media, among many others, whose expertise and professionalism continues to document these productions and preserve the image archive for future generations.

So here we go in alphabetical order and with a link to the PicksInSix Review (P6):

Sarah Bockel—Falsettos - TimeLine & Court Theatre - The critically-acclaimed co-production of director Nick Bowling’s “Falsettos” featured an ensemble of superb actors and singers in one of two sung-through shows on this list. In the role of Trina, Bockel delivered an extraordinary performance, navigating a delicate emotional path with heartfelt passion and homespun humor. Stunning! P6  

Mark David Kaplan—Fiddler on the Roof at Drury Lane Theatre - In the little town of Anatevka, director Elizabeth Margolius’s ‘memory play’ was, according to Kaitlyn Linsner, an opportunity for Kaplan to display “excellent comedic timing and whimsy” in the critically-acclaimed turn as Tevya. L'Chaim! P6

Beth Stafford Laird—FROZEN at Paramount Theatre - In an epic production directed by Trent Stork that includes several of Disney’s most popular songs and beloved characters, you just might take for granted a character whose youthful exuberance is at the heart of the story. The multi-talented Laird exudes unmatched charm in a rich performance as Anna that is marked by superb vocals, effortless company dance numbers and a shimmering presence all her own. Spellbinding! P6

Meghan Murphy—Anything Goes at Porchlight Music Theatre - Even a blizzard could not keep us away from director Michael Weber’s “Anything Goes” starring the captivating Meghan Murphy in a commanding performance as the seaworthy siren Sweeney. A topflight, take-no-prisoners, star turn. Anchors Away! P6

Aurora Penepecker—Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Writers Theatre - The other sung-through musical/pop opera on this list—one of the most ambitious all-around artistic undertakings of the year by any theater directed by Katie Spelman—featured an extraordinarily multi-talented ensemble of players. And there, at the center of this glorious production, was Penepecker whose lyrical voice and pristine talent was simply intoxicating. Magnificent! P6    

Sawyer Smith—Little Mermaid at Drury Lane Theatre - When you hear the term “over the top” in stage performances, it is often afforded to a performer who has elevated their role beyond the script and score to a new level of excellence. The showstopping turn for Smith, in the Scott Weinstein directed “Little Mermaid,” set a new standard that is certain to change the trajectory of Smith’s exceptional career. Wowza! P6

There are six other artists who excelled in multiple productions deserving of special mention: 

Jackson Evans displayed his wide range for musical comedy in four critically-acclaimed roles: Porchlight’s “Anything Goes,” Drury Lane’s “Guys and Dolls,” Paramount’s “Full Monty” and the Timeline/Court production of “Falsettos.” 

Heidi Kettenring delivered her special brand of star power to Drury Lane’s “Guys and Dolls,” Marriott’s “1776,” “Cinderella” and her concert performance of “Something Wonderful.” A true Chicago stage treasure!

We have been watching Evan Tyrone Martin for years and his compelling and beautifully sung Pierre in Writers “Comet” was central to the overwhelming success of this challenging production.

In addition to all of the projects the busy Ron OJ Parson has been delivering, Ronald Keaton noted that “East Texas Hot Links” at Court Theatre “bears the unmistakable stamp of the great director Ron OJ Parson, who has a relationship with this piece that forces us, in its sheer professionalism alone, to see an unencumbered view of what Jim Crow has done to our world and continues to do today.”

And as much as we never really give credit to the people who support everyone else, the masterful career of Nick Sula has been elevating the work of Sondheim enthusiasts throughout Chicago. Sula followed last season’s stellar production of “Kokandy’s Sweeney Todd” with the unique two piano presentation of Kokandy’s “Into the Woods.”  We can hardly wait to see what the next project will be.

Last, but not least, a tip of the hat to Charles Newell whose long-standing career as Artistic Director has come to a close at Court Theatre, You can be sure we have not heard the last from him. The Newell directed “An Iliad” starring Timothy Edward Kane returns in early June 2025. Bravo!

Happy Holidays!

See you on the other side of the aisle!

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PicksInSix Review: A Christmas Carol - Goodman Theatre

“A Man’s Actions Foreshadow Certain Ends”
PicksInSix Review | Ed Tracy

The corner of Randolph and Dearborn was abuzz Sunday afternoon with the thriving Christkindlmarket on Daley Plaza and patrons, all decked out for the holidays, pouring in and out of Petterino’s that has a festive seasonal atmosphere all its own this time of year. And next door at Goodman Theatre, carolers entertained the crowd and lit the Goodman tree prior to the press opening of the 47th annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”

If you are counting, that’s a magnificent accomplishment. Presenting a timeless classic for nearly five decades—over 20 of them in the Goodman’s elegant Albert Theatre—takes some inventive twists and artistic turns to keep it fresh and engaging for multiple generations of returning audiences and edgy enough to attract newcomers. The Goodman, now under the artistic leadership of Susan V. Booth, succeeds again on both counts.

In Director Jessica Thebus’s delightfully haunting new offering of Tom Creamer’s adaptation with contributions from Neena Arndt, Christopher Donahue wraps his own distinctive style of demonic humbuggery around Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from an embittered loner to the toast of the town after facing three spirits who show him the implicit error in his ways. Right from the start, Donahue infuses Dickens erasable miser with a dark and heavy dose of disgust for all things Christmas, from chastising his earnest clerk Bob Cratchit (Anthony Irons) over a lump of coal and dismissing the loving affection of his niece Frida (Dee Dee Batteast), to summarily rejecting the appeals for support from Mr. Ortle (Wai Yim) and Miss Crumb (Penelope Walker). The levels of meanness in Donahue’s Scrooge appear to have no bounds early on and provide the brilliant actor a wide range of emotions for the transformative scenes that follow.

The story—which is smartly narrated throughout by the charming Kate Fry—follows Scrooge and the spirits in a trip to his own past, present and future, foretold in the chilling visitation from his dead-as-a-doornail partner Jacob Marley (William Dick). In Scrooge’s high-flying encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past (Lucky Stiff) a visit to his former school and sister Fan (Tafadzwa Diener) is followed by a vision of his apprenticeship with Fezziwg (Robert Schleifer) who communicates with sign language and the aid of his interpreter Max (Mark Bedard). The festive Fezziwig party atmosphere is shrouded by the ambitious young Scrooge (Daniel José Molina) and Marley (Arash Fakhrabadi) who hatch a devious plot at the expense of any future relationship that Scrooge might have had with the lovely Belle (Amira Danan).

The Ghost of Christmas Present (Bri Sudia) drops Scrooge in to observe Bob Cratchit’s family and the plight of Tiny Tim (Ava Rose Doty) which leads to the dark predictions of the Ghost of Christmas Future (Danan). It’s then all up to Donohue’s masterfully jubilant self-realization and redemption in understanding the true spirit of Christmas.

There are supreme elements of joy for everyone in Goodman’s fine production of “A Christmas Carol”—the superb on-stage musicians, long a distinctive element of this show, here performed by Hillary Bayley, Brian Goodwin, Malcom Ruhl and Gregory Hirt; Todd Rosenthal’s arresting scenic design colorfully awash with Keith Parham’s lighting; elegant period costumes by Heidi Sue McMath; and, a multi-talented ensemble playing many roles—all making this satisfying and heartfelt show a perfect family destination for the holiday season.   

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Goodman Theatre
presents
Charles Dickens’
A Christmas Carol
through December 30

WEBSITE

(312) 443-3800

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PicksInSix Review: The Secret Garden - Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Outstanding Performances Seed Theo’s ‘Secret Garden’
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

It’s a famous children’s story that ends up, in this reincarnation, being the most adult tale in the room—and it works in both realms.  The Francis Hodgson Burnett 1911 novel “The Secret Garden,” presented by the always ambitious Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre as its annual holiday offering through December 22, tells the tale of Mary Lennox, a girl doing her best to stifle her grief through her own entitlement, while simultaneously searching for her self-worth at a Yorkshire estate full of colorful gardens, one of which is locked away, kept in secret, while also holding surprises of its own.

Mary (a complicated role in this guise that Joryhebel Ginorio handles with great aplomb and intelligence) is orphaned because of a cholera pandemic in India that took the lives of her parents and her guardian. She has been sent to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven (Will Koski offers articulate, clear choices with a handsome, tight tenor voice to boot), who is mourning himself the death of his wife Lily—seen and heard in ghostly form, as others are in this musical, by the graceful presence and voice of Brennan Martinez. Now Mary is very entitled, it seems, but the arc of this attitude is not given very much shrift, thanks to the fabulous Dakota Hughes as Martha, a chambermaid who exerts much influence and calm on Mary, all the while showing her own excitement in life.

The parade of characters, all with varying degrees of influence, include: Martha’s brother Dickon (an easy, accessible Lincoln J. Skoien), who actually tells Mary of a ‘secret garden’ to explore; Ben (a folksy turn by Bill Chamberlain), a gardener who keeps his word to Lily to tend the estate gardens after her passing; Mrs. Medlock (Kathleen Puls Andrade, properly conservative and authoritarian), who meets Mary first and takes her to her new home; Colin (an honestly thankless role given fine depth and nuance by Kailey Azure Green), whose health diagnosis keeps the lad bedridden for a major part of the story; Rose (with Rachel Guth’s lovely singing voice), Lily’s ghostly sister; and Dr. Neville Craven (Jeffrey Charles makes him more human than the character deserves), the nemesis here who has kept Colin in bed for most of his life.

A word should be said about this adaptation. People who know Brunett’s beloved book are aware, as they watch the progress of the musical, that Dr. Craven has been elevated to the status of villain and given more strength in the plot by original bookwriter/lyricist Marsha Norman, so some of his influence and characterization are a bit contrived in its expansion to help make such a choice work. Same with the fact that the story’s conclusion is not just Mary’s story, but Colin’s as well—and how the ‘secret garden’ actually might contain its own healing magic.

But that’s why adaptations are of varying degree. And the choices made do indeed allow truly fine musical moments to occur; the duet between Neville and Archibald about “Lily’s Eyes” is a great sight and sound to behold between Mr. Koski and Mr. Charles. Martha’s solo “If I Had A Fine White House” is energetic and fascinating, as shared by Dakota Hughes. In fact, the entire Lucy Simon score is offered in a mature, charming guise by music director Carolyn Brady and her charges.  And this chorus… outstanding. Wow!

Director Christopher Pazdernik requires praise here, too. The Theo space is simply a flat stage that needs lots of filling. And it’s been done admirably. There are six or so tables with four seats at each table, all enveloped in the walled seating that the space has available. But Mx. Pazdernik, a literal expert in musical theatre story and history, weaves the cast in and out of the seating area with small set pieces and literal lit areas for the ‘invisible’ chorus to inhabit. It’s pretty imaginative and strong. The minimalist set pieces from scenic designer Rose Johnson are a fine corollary. Levi J. Wilkins offers constant atmospheric lighting to proper and spirited effect for Lucy Elkin’s rich costumes. “The Secret Garden” is a surprisingly difficult story to tell, even with today’s sensibilities and maturity. But at Theo, it has earned a respect as a marvelous holiday offering.

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 “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com

PHOTO|Time Stops Photography

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
presents
The Secret Garden
721 Howard Street
Evanston, IL
through December 22, 2024

WEBSITE

TICKETS

PROGRAM

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PicksInSix Review: FALSETTOS - TimeLine Theatre Company - Court Theatre

“Things Rarely Go According To Plan.”
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

The flawless production of “Falsettos”—one of the most enjoyable, heartfelt and moving productions you will ever see—opened Saturday in the intimate Abelson Auditorium at Court Theatre. The show is directed by TimeLine co-founder and Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling and presented in partnership with Court.

“Falsettos,” a two-time 1992 Tony Award-winning musical, has a fascinating origin story. With music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Finn and James Lapine (Into The Woods), it began in 1979 as Finn’s—and Playwrights Horizon’s—first musical “In Trousers” about the trials and tribulations of Marvin, a gay Jewish man coming out and presented in, what was then, the unique and evolving sung-through format.

In 1981, Finn teamed with Lapine on “March of the Falsettos”—which later became the first act of “Falsettos.” Set in 1979, the story begins as Marvin and his wife Trina separate on the news that Marvin is moving in with his male lover, Whizzer. In an attempt to keep Trina and their young son Jason together as a family, Marvin steps up sessions with his therapist Mendel. When Mendel falls for and marries Trina, Marvin’s possessive and passive-aggressive nature impacts his relationship with everyone, including his pre-Bar Mitzvah son who begins questioning his own sexuality. Marvin’s need for a monogamous relationship with the more free-wheeling Whizzer leads to the breakup, and although Marvin is inconsolable, he has matured and become better able to relate to Jason when his son needs him most.

It's important to note that “March of the Falsettos” is set prior to the widespread awareness of HIV or AIDS and deals, often hilariously, with the complex dynamics of the personal relationships and acceptance of the changing social norms of the time.

Following the explosion of the AIDS crisis, Finn and Lapine returned in 1991 to pen “Falsettoland” which will become Act II of “Falsettos.” Set a year later in 1981, when the family is moving on while Marvin still yearns for Whizzer, who reenters his life and rekindles the relationship. Two additional characters are introduced—Dr. Charlotte and her lesbian lover, Cordelia—who live next door and become fast friends with Mendel, Trina and Jason. It is Dr. Charlotte who recognizes that ‘something bad is happening’ and it is not long that “Falsettoland” takes on a whole new powerful storytelling line all its own.

Bowling, movement director William Carlos Angulo and music director Otto Vogel have assembled an amazing cast. In the role of Marvin, Stephen Schellhardt displays an extraordinary range of emotions teetering between the need to be loved and respected and the frustration, resentment and rage he feels from and toward the family he desperately wants to salvage. Jack Ball expertly plays Whizzer, the carefree gay man with needs of his own, who is quick to recognize that Marvin may want more from him than he is willing to give but later reconciles with Marvin in a way that is moving and real, particularly as he is forced to face his own mortality. .

Sarah Bockel’s Trina tugs endlessly at our heartstrings. She is an open book of emotions, channeling both keen comic sensibilities and a enormous capacity for empathy. Jackson Evans gives a terrific multi-faceted performance as the intellectually neurotic Mendel, savoring every comic moment with child-like enthusiasm while expertly delivering the more serious interchanges with Bockel and Jason (Charlie Long, who alternates with Eli Vander Griend). Long is a superb young talent and in step, stride for stride, with everyone on stage. Sharriese Hamilton is perfect as the compassionate Dr. Charlotte and partner for Cordelia, played beautifully by Elizabeth Stenholt, who round out the company of gloriously nuanced voices who deliver this fast-paced, challenging score with precision and ease.

Amel Sancianco’s scenic design ingeniously places the band shrouded on the second level within the multi-colored stage wall that is highlighted by three doors and an oculus window that is utilized effectively throughout the show. The open style chessboard tile floor plan serves to magnify one of the main themes and allows for effortless scene changes which keep things moving along briskly. Lighting and sound designs by Maggie Fullilove-Nugent and Stephanie Farina and period costumes by Teresa Ham are all excellent.

For those of us who lived through this period, TimeLine’s “Falsettos” is a moving tribute to the memory of all who passed and renews our commitment to those whose lives have been immeasurably changed. For everyone else, it serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing our relationships and instills in us a better understanding of the universal power of love, kindness and acceptance.

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

Editors Note: The TimeLine alliance with Court follows critically-acclaimed productions of “OSLO” and “The Lehman Trilogy” with Broadway in Chicago and the recent transfer of the stunning production of Tyla Abercrumbie’s “Relentless” to Goodman Theatre in 2022. TimeLine’s Artistic Director PJ Powers has tapped into an excellent model that requires a long view for the future, the coalescing of like-minded theatre administrators and boards willing to take a sizable financial risk, and mining sufficient sponsor and donor funds for the arts in a very tentative post-pandemic production climate. That long view applies to just about every facet of the arts right now with no better example and track record of unqualified success than TimeLine Theatre Company. While construction continues on the new center for theatre, education and community engagement at 5035 N. Broadway slated for a 2026 opening, the current season is being staged in partnership with institutions across Chicagoland. “Falsettos” is the first of three such partnerships that will continue next year with The Theatre School at DePaul University and Writers Theatre in Glencoe. For more, read TimeLine’s excellent BACKSTORY publication available online here.

TimeLine Theatre Company
and Court Theatre
present
FALSETTOS

EXTENDED
through December 15, 2024

Court Theatre
5535 S. Ellis Ave
Chicago, IL 60637

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PROGRAM

BACKSTORY

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PicksInSix Review: Disney's The Little Mermaid - Drury Lane Theatre

This ‘Little Mermaid’ Has Got Legs!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Sparkling performances that shimmer from head to tail highlight director Scott Weinstein’s delightfully bewitching and hugely entertaining revival of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” that opened Thursday at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook. The royal love story—with Alan Menken score, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and book by Doug Wright—is anchored by the stunning presence of Sarah Kay as Ariel and her stalwart Prince Eric played by Patrick Johnson. The timeless classic is a heartwarming fantasy adventure in a world that includes whimsical puppets, gorgeous costumes and magical special effects that will take your breath away.

That love story begins when Ariel, who has yearned for a new part of the world, away from the isolation of the underwater kingdom ruled by her father, King Triton (Anand Nagraj) and from her siblings, the Mersisters, saves Prince Eric from drowning. Fleeing from her father’s rage when he discovers what she has done, Ariel is lured into a pact with her evil aunt Ursula (Sawyer Smith) to trade her enchanting voice for the opportunity to explore the world in human form. But it all comes with a heavy price of Disney-style drama.

Ariel’s glistening underwater world is the work of scenic designer Tijana Bjelajac who crafts rock formations and massive stone laid columns together with sheer fabric all highlighted by Anthony Churchill’s projections and Ryan O’Gara’s lighting to simulate the mystical ocean depths and the stately kingdom that bursts with the color and rich texture of the costume design by Ryan Park and Zhang Yu. Those finely-feathered and floppy-finned friends in Ariel’s oceanic sphere—the creative artistry of Chicago Puppet Studio—come to glorious life in Kasey Alfonso’s superbly choreographed ensemble sequences. Music director Ellie Kahn brings out the brilliance in the iconic Menken/Ashman/Slater score performed in fine form by the Drury Lane Orchestra under the direction of Chris Sargent.

Michael Earvin Martin is terrific as the crab companion Sebastian, leading the company in the crowd pleasing “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl.” Maya Lou Hlava’s Flounder, with the array of Sea Creatures, Gulls and Animals, are sure to make you smile. Landree Fleming shines as Scuttle in the playful “Positoovity|Positaggity” and you’ll love the zany antics of Matt Edmonds as the kooky French Chef Louis in “Les Poissons” along with the wonderful, and often hilariously understated, work of Rob Lindley as Grimsby, the Prince’s dutiful Guardian.

Few Disney villains compare in sinister scope to the sea-witch Ursula and Smith’s commanding presence in the role as the cunning sorcerous, with a couple of slippery eel sidekicks like Ryan Michael Hamman (Jetsam) and Leah Morrow (Flotsam) in tow, is magnificent. The trio are chilling in “Daddy’s Little Angel” and Smith brings the house down in a dazzling performance of “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”

It’s a night of fun filled comic chaos that keeps bubbling up with Kay’s marvelous, multi-layered performance at the heart of the show. Her exuberance, youthful charm and soaring vocal talents make Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” at Drury Lane a joy to watch and a destination for the holiday season and New Year.   

PHOTO|Brett Beiner

Drury Lane Theatre
presents
Disney’s
The Little Mermaid
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace
through January 12, 2024

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PicksInSix Review: Disney's FROZEN The Broadway Musical-Paramount Theatre

For the First Time in Forever…
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Paramount Theatre’s sensational production of Disney’s “FROZEN The Broadway Musical”— featuring the electrically-charged performances of Emily Kristen Morris and Beth Stafford Laird—opened Friday in Aurora to the thunderous cheers of fans both young and old who have helped to canonize the 2013 film’s anthems “Let It Go” and “For the First Time in Forever” into Disney’s musical lexicon and made modern day icons of a rambunctious reindeer with an attitude and a playful snowman with joie de vivre and a yearning for a summer vacation.  

The show that garnered three 2018 Tony nominations (Best Musical, Book and Original Score) features music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and book by Jennifer Lee based on the smash hit 2013 Disney animated film written by Lee. Paramount’s Midwest Regional premiere is directed by Trent Stork with a top-flight creative team including choreographer Tiffany Krause and music director Kory Danielson who also conducts the orchestra.

The story begins in the mythical kingdom of Arendelle and follows the child sorcerous Elsa (Everleigh Murphy shared with Genevieve Jane) and her younger sister Anna (Avelyn Choi shared with Elowen Murphy) whose loving relationship for each other is severed when their parents King Agnarr (Brian Hupp) and Queen Iduna (Allison Sill) discover that Elsa’s inability to control her mystical powers are a direct threat to Anna’s life. When Anna is saved by the Hidden Folk with no memory of the encounter, the parents venture off for a cure and disappear. As time passes, the coming-of-age Anna (Laird) is confused by her sister’s self-isolation in the castle and yearns to be reunited with Elsa (Morris). On the day of Elsa’s coronation, Prince Hans (Jake DiMaggio Lopez) arrives, sweeps Anna off her feet and proposes marriage. Elsa refuses to bless the sudden union and in a frustrated rage, drops her guard and is forced to flee from the castle when her powers are revealed. In the wilderness, Elsa then creates an icy sanctuary of her own, unaware that her awakening has plunged the kingdom into an endless winter. Anna, despondent and desperate, is left with no choice but to pursue her sister and try to bring her back. She is soon joined by the mountain man Kristoff (Christian Andrews), his trustworthy reindeer companion Sven (Adam Fane) and the irrepressible snowman Olaf (Ryan Stajmiger)—courtesy of puppet designer Jesse Mooney-Bullock. Not far behind is Hans and the conniving Duke of Weselton (Jason Richards) who have diabolical plans of their own.

Scenic designer Jeffrey D, Kmiec, projections designer Paul Deziel and lighting and sound designers Greg Hofmann and Adam Rosenthal have created a magical, ever-evolving icy landscape with superb scenic projections—including a wink to Aurora’s Fox River—and eye-popping special effects. Mara Blumenfeld’s stunning costume design has magical treats all their own.

The shimmering and flawless performances of Laird’s “For the First Time in Forever” and Morris’s “Let It Go” are highlights in a score that includes brilliant ensemble arrangements and specialty numbers including the fine company with Oaken (David Blakeman) in the hilarious trading post number “Hygge,” with Elsa in “Dangerous to Dream,” and Kristoff, Olaf and Hidden Folk in “Fixer Upper.”     

Life lessons abound here about remaining positive in the face of adversity, coping with loss and isolation, and understanding ourselves and our place in the world around us. But it’s Anna’s determination to put her love for others above all else that will warm your heart for “FROZEN,” a fun-filled musical extravaganza for the entire family.

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

PARAMOUNT THEATRE
presents
FROZEN
The Broadway Musical
through January 19, 2024

23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL 60506

(630) 896–6666

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PicksInSix Review: Into The Woods - Kokandy Productions

Ensemble Vocals Dazzle in Kokandy’s ‘Woods’
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

This was the very first time in all the years I have worked in the theatre that I have seen a full production of “Into the Woods,” the Sondheim/Lapine creation from 1997, currently produced by Kokandy Productions and presented at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago through December 22. It’s a show of far-reaching ambition and clever story and character. Drawing from the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, the authors have brilliantly created a place that is mostly referred to as ‘the woods,’ and every Grimm story one can remember is weaved throughout the plotline. “Into the Woods” purports to show what happens when a fairy tale ending isn’t really that happy in the face of real-life situations that affect such feelings and moments.

You name it, it’s there—Cinderella and her stepsisters and mother… Jack and his beanstalk, with his mother constantly trying to keep the boy in line. Oh, and giants not seen but certainly heard. Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Rapunzel and her long golden hair. A Witch who moves in and out of all the tales. Two young, full-of-themselves Princes, whose total delight with themselves eventually take them on separate journeys. There are even two characters that Mr. Sondheim and Mr. Lapine create out of thin air—a Baker and the Baker’s Wife. At least I don’t know what story they are in, but they are smartly used to plant the image of magic beans into Jack’s mind as he sells them the family cow, Milky White. And throughout the action, there is a Narrator who plays a Mysterious Man, guiding the players and the audience through the minefield of ‘the woods,’ learning lessons about life and death and how to survive.

And that’s just Act I. Act II takes an entirely different turn, as all the characters realize that life is not at all the happily ever after ending offered by the Brothers Grimm. Cinderella marries one of the princes, who turns around and has a quick tryst with the Baker’s Wife. After killing one of the Giants, young Jack discovers that the Giant’s wife wants revenge and intends to kill him for the death and thievery he has caused. Meanwhile, the Baker and Wife have had a child and discover just how difficult parenthood can be in maintaining a loving family. And on and on the story goes as one character after another learns different, but appropriate lessons on growing up. Taking responsibility. Realizing (painfully at times) that they can be better people than they might have been in the past. As a lyric goes: “children will listen.”

The plot and background are being laid out carefully here, because this is how thick the storytelling has to be to get everything told that the authors wish to include. The Lapine book is articulate and, despite all the plot twists, highly entertaining to watch. The Sondheim score is one of the most challenging ever written for the theatre, with intricate lyrics and music stylings that draw from the Romantics and patter songs a la Gilbert and Sullivan and even a jazz turn or two. His brilliance can never be overstated.

Kokandy Artistic Director Derek Van Barham and music director Nick Sula have taken over the lower level of the Chopin space in a stylish manner and, with single colorful lights augmenting the G Max Maxin IV lighting design and the posts in that space decorated to be imagined trees in the forest (also Maxin IV), the cast moves about with ease and energy.  My favorite idea in the entire production was the placing of two pianos at centerstage—the staging is in the round, by the way—and the two musicians Ariana Miles and Evelyn Ryan almost stole the show as they showcase their two-piano arrangement of one of the most formidable scores in the Sondheim canon flawlessly, all while reacting to characters approaching them with personal charm and grace.

“Into the Woods” is truly an ensemble piece, much like the great “Sweeney Todd,” and the actors need to be on their game to compliment each other doing the same. The vocal work is quite dazzling. There were standout moments – Madison Kauffman offers a simultaneously vulnerable and strong Cinderella who becomes a Princess not always willing to rule; Kevin Webb’s Baker is achingly tender and confused and ultimately learns his lesson well about fatherhood; Stephanie Stockstill as the Witch lovingly chews every bit of scenery as a proper witch should; and August Forman’s Narrator is a calming, sometimes even charming influence amid all the chaos that boils up in ‘the woods.’  

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 “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com

PHOTO|Evan Hanover

KOKANDY PRODUCTIONS
presents
INTO THE WOODS
Chopin Theater
1543 West Division
through December 22, 2024

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CHOPIN THEATRE

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PicksInSix Review: Pericles - Royal Shakespeare Company-Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Vibrant, Imaginative Collaboration Begins With “Pericles”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

If the Royal Shakespeare Company’s exhilarating production of Shakespeare’s “Pericles” is, as it was for me, your first introduction to the material live on stage, you are in for an experience that only comes along, in this case, every thirty years or so. There is agreement on an ongoing relationship with RSC and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater which could not be better news for one of Chicago’s most prestigious purveyors of international productions and for the fascination and enjoyment of young and old alike.

Up until now, there is a small amount of chance, and even less opportunity, that a professional production of “Pericles” has eluded my production list over the last five decades.  I suspect that I am not alone even though in the last decade Chicago Shakes mounted a production on Navy Pier. The stars were not aligned for me for that production, so except for the reading and some discussion from time to time about the period from 1608-11 that produced “Coriolanus,” “Pericles” and “Cymbeline,” I arrived on Friday night for the opening like everyone else in the capacity crowd: full of anticipation and expectation. I was also determined to answer the question as to whether “Pericles” is firmly among the histories steeped in politics, a work of romance, a swashbuckling tale of adventure or somewhere in between. In the end, it’s abundantly clear that director Tamara Harvey has found the sweetest spot of all: a free-spirited exploration of relationships that explores our inner feelings of unbridled passion, longing and regret, the depths of sorrow and loss, and that ecstatic, often unattainable, joy of reunion.

The story is compelling, lyrical and clever, made more so by the ensemble who reach beyond the page in a way that engages us in not only in the telling, but with a knowing sense that this is a play, richly told and solely for our enjoyment. In the titular role of Pericles, Zach Wyatt is a commanding presence, first as the young lover who justly flees Tyre for his own safety only to suffer a devastating shipwreck, washing ashore in Tarsus where he wins the hand of Thaisa (Leah Haile) with the blessing of her doting father Simonides (Christian Patterson). When Thaisa dies on the return voyage while giving birth to his daughter Marina, Pericles gives up the baby to the care of Cleon (Sasha Ghoshal at this performance) and Dionyza (Gabby Wong). Meanwhile, despite the sorrowful loss and burial at sea of Thaisa, there is a twist or two in store.

Time passes and, with the coming of age of Marina (Rachelle Diedricks), we discover that Dionyza is threatened by her presence and orders Leonine (Sam Parks) to kill her. But the plan is thwarted as Marina is whisked off by pirates and then to a brothel in Mytilene, where despite the dark and threatening environment, she proves her nobility and virtue until the timeworn traveler Pericles returns and father and daughter are miraculously reunited.

Director Harvey’s brisk pacing—and the presence of live musicians—help move the action seamlessly. As Marina, Rachelle Diedricks delivers a heartfelt and multi-faceted performance as she finds her way to her birthright. Notably among the exceptional company, Christian Patterson’s Simonides displays the unceasing love of a father for his daughter Thasia whipped up in an over-the-top performance that is a delight to behold.   

Seaworthy elements and a few surprises abound in Jonathan Fensom’s sparse scenic design with massive rows of rope that frame the stage. The bold lighting elements in Ryan Day’s design enhance Kinnetia Isidore’s timeless costumes. With the stellar production of “Pericles,” all bodes well for the vibrant, imaginative collaboration between Chicago Shakes and the RSC that lays ahead.       

PHOTO|Johan Persson

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
Royal Shakespeare Company
PERICLES
through December 7, 2024

Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier

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PicksInSix Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Broadway in Chicago

A THRILL-A-MINUTE BLOCKBUSTER ADVENTURE!
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

Broadway in Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre is the first stop for the national tour of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” that had an epic premiere on Thursday, primed and ready for a long sit-down for the holiday season in Chicago that will no doubt fill every corner of Randolph and Dearborn with junior-level sorcerers with maroon and gold striped scarves and wands.

This is the final saga in J. K. Rowling’s spellbinding series of books that continue to engage readers of all ages, has spawned six epic films, and a hugely successful Broadway run garnering ten 2018 Tony Nominations winning six including Best Play. Following a Covid shutdown, the original two-part version was modified to one two-act play that has been retooled by one of the largest—and most celebrated—production teams ever assembled for the tour.

For anyone still wondering if this robust and heart-pounding show can do justice to all that has come before, rest assured that “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” truly is a thrill-a-minute blockbuster adventure with all the magical twists and eye-popping special effects imaginable. It’s also an intriguing heartfelt story—filled to the brim with surprises that befit the original—written by Rowling, playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. Tiffany, with movement director Steven Hoggett, have assembled a superb cast to play new versions of the familiar characters that successfully tap into the memories of diehard fans who are sure to flock to this show, and are clever enough to captivate first timers and the young-at-heart from beginning to end. It’s a win-win all around!

To the story, it’s 19 years later. Harry Potter (John Skelley) and Ginny Weasley (Trish Lindstrom) are now married, as are Ginny’s brother Ron (Matt Mueller) and Hermione Granger (Ebony Blake), who is now serving as Head of the Ministry of Magic. Their children—Albus Severus Potter (Emmet Smith) and Rose Granger-Weasley (Naiya Vanessa McCalla)—board the Hogwarts Express where they meet Scorpius Malfoy (Aiden Close) son of Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy (Bejamin Thys). There is a dark cloud hovering over Scorpius and once at Hogwarts, the two form an alliance after being selected to Slytherin.

After meeting Amos Diggory (Larry Yando), the two join forces with his niece Delphi (Julia Nightingale) and plan to change the trajectory of the competition that ultimately cost the life of Amos’s son, Cedric Diggory (Caleb Hafen). Using a flurry of magical spells, the trio infiltrate the Ministry, abscond with the Time-Turner orb and are off on a race across time to save Cedric, only to realize that their impact on the past has a devastating effect on the present.

The fascinating arc of the story allows us to experience an exciting new adventure. The Dementors are here, along with Albus Dumbledore (the brilliant Yando who also plays Severus Snape), Moaning Myrtle (a delightful Mackenzie Lesser-Roy) and Professor McGonagall (Katherine Leask, who also shines as Professor Umbridge).

On the creative side, scenic designer Christine Jones uses massive arches to frame the Hogwarts action that then evolve seamlessly to establish other places and time periods. Among the many ingenious elements—including a plethora of magical entrances, high flying exits and cape-flashing scene changes—are the almost balletic use of twin stair units at Hogwarts and a delightfully carnivorous bookshelf. Imogen Heaps’s costumes are sensational. Neil Austin’s lighting and sound by Gareth Fry all complement Jamie Harrison’s astounding illusions that all contribute to a stunning, visual extravaganza.   

The message of love, family and friendship—and of good vs. evil—at the heart of this story courses through Skelley’s moving portrayal of Harry and in his relationship with his son. The younger clan form a union against the ever present dark arts to the extent that there feels like there could be much more to come in this franchise, despite Rowling’s assertion that this is Potter’s crowning achievement.

If that is the case, we will all have to join the next generation of adventure seekers and relive this series all over again. For the present, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will be making magic every night at the Nederlander for all to see—a memorable holiday outing that will last well into the new year and beyond.

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy

Broadway in Chicago
presents
National Tour Debut
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
James N. Nederlander Theatre
through February 1, 2025

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NATIONAL TOUR WEBSITE

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PicksInSix Review: Inherit the Wind - Goodman Theatre

“THE RIGHT TO THINK ON TRIAL”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The image has all the makings of a Norman Rockwell painting.

The citizens of rural Hillsboro, clustered four-deep in the steamy courthouse, leaning in and transfixed by the sudden turn of events at the trial of Bertram Cates (Christopher Llewyn Ramirez), accused of teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution in his 2nd grade classroom. Leading Cates’s defense is Henry Drummond (Harry Lennix) who is grilling the prosecuting attorney—and his old friend—Matthew Harrison Brady (Alexander Gemignani) on the witness stand about philosophy and scriptures after the judge (Kevin Gudhal) has refused to allow any men or women of science to testify for the defense.

The fiery courtroom interchange between the two men leads to the scintillating climax of the Goodman Theatre’s superb revival of “Inherit the Wind” directed by Henry Godinez that opened Monday. The 1955 play, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee that challenged the Butler Act outlawing the teaching of evolution in the classroom. Indeed, the injustice of suppressing alternate opinions and attempting to eliminate the free exchange of ideas flows throughout the play which explains its universal appeal on stage and in the memorable 1960 film starring Spencer Tracy and Frederic March.

For context, the title refers to Proverbs 11:29: “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: And the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.” Exemplified in the overbearing nature of Reverend Jermiah Brown (Ryan Kitley) toward his daughter Rachel (Tyler), who is torn between the love she feels for Cates and her strict religious upbringing, and in the exchanges between Drummond and Brady, “Inherit the Wind” lays bare the differences in the individual beliefs of our existence. Perhaps the most salient point belongs to Drummond, who says: “The man who has everything figured out is probably a fool. College examinations notwithstanding, it takes a very smart fella to say ‘I don’t know the answer!’”

Director Godinez has assembled a stellar cast and creative team around the central characters involved in the trial. Lennix is commanding as Drummond, his folksy charm every bit a match for Gemignani’s swaggering fire and brimstone. Together they are simply terrific to watch. In supporting roles, Lawrence Grimm has a slick featured role as the radio man and among the townspeople in the fine ensemble that includes William Dick (Mayor), Terry Bell (Sillers), Charin Álvarez (Mrs. Brady) and Meighan Gerachis (Elijah). On the fringe of the proceedings is E.K.Hornbeck (Mi Kang), the cynical reporter who is covering the trial. The real life father/daughter team of Christopher Kale Jones as the trial attorney Tom Davenport and  Melinda (Presley Rose Jones) who is the friend of Thomas Murphy Molony’s Howard and Robert Schleifer (Meeker) all deserve special mention.

There is a down-home, natural and overall timeless vision on the creative side of the show that is first-rate. Collette Pollard’s elegant scenic design includes a stunning vista of the Hillsboro skyline above the stage, ever present within a shimmering skylight that mirrors the raked stage surface that serves as both the townsquare and the courtroom. Jessica Pabst’s costume design fits the period nature of the piece perfectly along with Jason Lynch’s crisp lighting and the subtle but effective original music and sound design by Richard Woodbury. While the sense is that the action is occurring at another place and time, this thought-provoking piece reflects the here and now, or for that matter, any instance when the threat to free speech and our personal liberties is so great that we must take an active stand and always seek the truth.  

(Note: An earlier version omitted Robert Schleifer..)      
PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Goodman Theatre
presents
Inherit the Wind
EXTENDED through October 20

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