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!

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC

PicksInSix Review: The Bridges of Madison County - Dunes Arts Summer Theatre

“Spinning By In One Split Second”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Francesca (Kristianna Dilworth) and her husband Richard “Bud” Johnson (Gabriel Reitemeier) have overcome multiple challenges to forge a life on a 300 acre farm in Winterset, Iowa with their two teenage children Michael (Jackson Mikkelsen) and Carolyn (Emma Radtke). As “The Bridges of Madison County” opens, she sings hopefully of the life they have built together, one we find out along the way that is not at all what she envisioned as a young girl growing up in Italy during World War II. She would meet Bud after the death of her soldier fiancé, leave Naples as it was being brutally torn apart and arrive in America to start anew, learning the language and all that comes with raising a family.

Now, years later in 1965, Francesca’s feelings of isolation in the Midwest, trapped within the daily routine of her life, are all consuming. So, with little enthusiasm for the Indiana State Fair and more for reading a book and watching the sky go by, she decides to stay behind alone as Bud takes the kids and a two-ton steer to the 4H national competition. The separation feels natural in a way: Bud, Carolyn and Michael are excited about the event and Francesca admits that having no plans at all for the few days by herself will be a liberating experience.

When Robert Kincaid (Max DeTogne), a National Geographic photographer on assignment, arrives at the door of the Johnson home, Francesca offers to ride with him to the location of Roseman, the last bridge he needs to photograph and the first step on a path that leads the two together into a passionate affair that presents both unimaginable opportunities and a potentially devastating outcome.

The Dunes Arts Summer Theatre production, the brilliant and sensitively staged work of Artistic Director Steve Scott, features the equally superb music direction of Andrew Flasch who renders the rich Jason Robert Brown score brimming with melodies and counter melodies with ease. The book by Marsha Norman is based on the bestselling novel by Robert James Waller that also spawned the 1995 film starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.

The Dunes ensemble, whose impressive vocal harmonies add depth and nuance to the piece, are led by the extraordinary performances of Dilworth and DeTogne in lead roles. Dilworth, a St. Louis native who now lives in Arlington, Virginia, is simply stunning in all facets of the deeply layered role of Francesca expressing the complexity of a woman at a turning point in her life, upended by passion, conflicted and longing for a path to what could be.  I have long admired DeTogne’s work in Chicago and this may well be one of his finest performances to date, delivering a strong, yet sensitive man who understands the enormous consequences of his deep, abiding love for Francesca.

Director Scott also successfully navigates two delicate relationships in the piece: the ebb and flow between Francesca and Bud, a finely-paced line that Reitemeier follows impeccably with depth and understanding while displaying his own exceptional vocal skills; and, Marge (Kim Lampl) and Charlie (Jim Lampl), the down home neighbors who recognize what is transpiring and provide the caring support that Francesca will need to sort things out. Framed in a sleek modular set designed by Micheal Lasswell, fine costume work by Emily Chidalek with evocative lights and sound by Arturo Pozos and Jake Tillman, the Dunes production of “The Bridges of Madison County” is a moving and memorable evening of theatre not to be missed.

PHOTO|Andy Neal

Dunes Arts Summer Theatre
presents
The Bridges of Madison County
Michiana Shores, Indiana
through August 11

WEBSITE
TICKETS

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC

PicksInSix Review: Blithe Spirit - Dunes Summer Theatre

“I’ll Be Loving You…Always”
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Is there a better way to introduce an audience to a superb regional theatre production of Noël Coward’s classic farce “Blithe Spirit” at the Dunes Summer Theatre than a hauntingly beautiful performance of Irving Berlin’s immortal love song “Always” by the enchanting spirit of the play herself? It’s one of many nuanced enhancements by director Michael Lasswell who has crafted a briskly-paced comic offering for the acclaimed summer theatre that opened its 73rd season on Friday night.

The word “crafted” is not used lightly here since in addition to directing an exuberant cast in a smart, spry and entertaining production of one of Coward’s most well-known and challenging works, Lasswell also contributed a stunning 1940s era scenic design. The creative elements of this show—Emily Chidaleck’s stylish costumes accented by Arturo Pozos’s flawless lighting design and the gentle but mystical touch of Jake Tillman’s sound design—and that exquisite performance at the top by Danielle Kerr, set the tone perfectly for all the enjoyable mayhem that follows.

The “Blithe Spirit” of Coward’s title is actually Elvira Condomine (Kerr), the long-deceased first wife of British novelist Charles Condomine (Sean Kelly) who is ‘materialized’ from the otherworld by Madame Arcati (Madeline Pell), an appealingly eccentric psychic who is invited for cocktails, dinner and a séance at the Condomine manor house in southeast London. It’s all a bit of a ruse by Charles who is working on a new project and hopes to gather research into the mixed up, mystic world in which Arcati resides. What starts out as after-dinner entertainment evolves into comic chaos as Elvira answers Arcati’s call and begins to wield her own special havoc first on Charles and then on his current wife Ruth (Danielle Bilderback) for her own ends.

While Ruth tries to rationalize the erratic actions of her husband, things start to fly about and Ruth senses the very real threat that Elvira’s spirit may be settling in to stay. So, it’s up to the spiritual prowess of Madame Arcati to bring things back to normal with a spell or two of her own.

Lasswell draws fine performances from Kelly and Bilderback who have to cope with the haunting presence of Kerr’s captivating Elivira. Pell’s brilliant comic turn as Madame Arcati is a laugh-out-loud riot. Rounding out the cast is Mary Jane Britton as the Condomine’s unwavering maid, Edith, Dean Johanson as Dr. Bradman and Stacy Nelson as Mrs. Bradman.

The Dunes Summer Theatre, the oldest continually produced company in Northwest Indiana, is under the artistic direction of Chicago-based theatre artist and director Steve Scott and managing director Elise Kermani. “Blithe Spirit plays through June 16 and the summer season continues with productions of Talley’s Folly (June 28-July 14) directed by Morgan McCabe and The Bridges of Madison County (July 26-August 11) directed by Scott – exciting and promising nights of theatre for the months ahead in Michiana Shores.

PHOTO|Dunes Summer Theatre
Dunes Arts Summer Theatre
presents
BLITHE SPIRIT
Michiana Shores, Indiana
through June 16

WEBSITE
TICKETS
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC