PicksInSix Review: It's A Wonderful Life: Live In Chicago! - American Blues Theater

Delightful Holiday Classic at American Blues!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

Feeling like this is an especially long year? Full of physical challenges and emotional obstacles? Need a nostalgic, heartwarming experience and a hot cup of cocoa to get you in the spirit of the season? One thing we’ve always done as a people, I think, to address times like these is to observe our established mores during the holidays. And what better way to capture that special feeling than to spend a few hours at the new and elegant American Blues Theater performance space on North Lincoln Ave with the superb cast and crew of “It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” Led by their stalwart artistic director Gwendolyn Whiteside, ABT has shared this delightful Chicago holiday tradition—a familiar, yet energetic presentation of a loving story we all know and appreciate—for so many years that it has become a beloved and highly anticipated outing for the whole family.

The show takes the shape of a radio play on Chicago station WABT, circa 1944, complete with a foley artist in charge of live sound effects and noises and all else you can imagine. It falls to the responsible hands of J.G. Smith and I wish there was a way to bring her more focus. When you watch her, it’s apparent that there is an absolute pleasure for this actor to be a kind of soundtrack to the play. Her face lights up with every scene, every moment.  What a joy to watch an actor who knows how to impact a scene through simply listening.

The cast sinks its teeth into the tale with exuberance. Brandon Dahlquist, who has been ABT’s George Bailey for eight years now, has become a font of articulate emotion in his portrayal of a man at the end of his rope, wanting only to see even a little of his dreams in front of him. Mr. Dahlquist is strong and humble, as you might expect the character to be, and the simplicity of his prayer to God at the bar shows us his best work. Then there’s the ABT ensemble itself at work. Audrey Billings is a tender, highly accessible Mary Bailey, a woman who knows her husband well and gives him the room he needs to be himself—even at potential great cost to their family. And the most expressive eyes you’ll see.

Manny Buckley plays both the chief angel Joseph and Uncle Billy with authority and grace. He sits on one side of the stage while actor/musician extraordinaire Michael Mahler mans the keyboard on the other side—along with several musical instruments and an endless versatility in his charming guise of station announcer. Dara Cameron is a fun Violet, always being as fetching as possible to George and every other guy she meets.

The grand surprise for this writer is again Joe Dempsey, who portrays both Clarence, the angel second-class trying to earn his wings, and Mr. Potter, the “Scrooge” of the story who owns everything in town but the Bailey Building and Loan. Two more opposite characters you will not find. So, there’s a great deal to admire in actors like Mr. Dempsey; he cuts the cloth of each character in a vivid, striking manner. Ian Paul Custer is a wonder as Ernie the cab driver, Harry Bailey the war hero brother, and a menage of three or four others, usually with a different accent.

Director Whiteside keeps the brisk pacing consistently through the evening, with nice touches like a WABT “On-Air/Applause” sign that the audience dutifully obeys. There is an engaging pre-show with carols and humor, and then there are the little notes of appreciation the audience is asked to compose. The cast reads them out loud at designated points in the proceedings, so friends can know of those who appreciate them. American Blues Theater has honed and crafted its own tradition through this gratifying piece of American literature. It knows when to stop at the point of being too corny, and it delights us in its regaling of a soft, heartfelt holiday whisper we all continue to love.

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

American Blues Theater
presents
It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!
through December 22, 2024

5627 N. Lincoln
(773) 654-3103

WEBSITE

TICKETS

2024 BACKSTAGE GUIDE

PROGRAM

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PicksInSix Review: It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!-American Blues Theater

A New Home. An Enduring Classic!
PicksInSix® Review|Ed Tracy

American Blues Theater has officially opened their permanent home—the first in the 35-year history of the professional theater company in Chicago—and they did it in grand style with the 22nd annual production of the holiday chestnut “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” The theatrical tradition—a family show with a message for the young at heart—is year after year ABT’s delightful homespun offering. On Sunday afternoon, the show took on special meaning as the first to officially christen the 137-seat main stage with music, mirth and merriment that makes it the perfect choice to ring in the season.

The live radio show— based on the short story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern that was the basis for the 1946 Frank Capra film—is under the direction of longtime Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside and features Christmas carols, local “on-air“ commercials, audience shout-outs and a warm, engaging show that looks, feels and sounds—thanks to Foley artist J.G. Smith—every bit like a broadcast from the 1940s. That is except when music director Michael Mahler is delightfully churning out a holiday parody to a familiar REO Speedwagon tune in the pre-show. That’s one of several clever additions to previous sing-alongs I have attended. The ensemble was having a blast warming up the audience prior to the main event—a 90-minute true-to-telling of one of the most heartfelt of all holiday stories about the fateful day in Bedford Falls when George Bailey learns from his guardian angel Clarence that no man is failure who has friends.

Returning with gusto for his seventh run on the Bailey Building and Loan, Brandon Dahlquist has the corner on George Bailey, delivering a marvelously sensitive and present performance—a fine balance between familiarity with the material and navigating the limitations of the radio play format where scenic elements and props are all but non-existent, unless they make a sound. We are truly moved by George’s anguish as he struggles to confess his love for Mary—beautifully portrayed by Audrey Billings— and the explosive frustration unleashed upon Manny Buckley’s befuddled Uncle Billy when Billy is duped by Mr. Potter (played superbly by Joe Dempsey) and threatens the solvency of Bailey’s Building and Loan setting the wheels in motion for George’s frenzied emotional collapse. George’s redemption may be the most familiar part of this story, but Dahlquist keeps the dramatic tension fresh, coming literally unhinged at the sight of the world without him a player in it.

Along with Mahler, who shines as announcer and pianist, the company includes Dara Cameron, Mahler’s real-life spouse who is lovely as Violet and Zuzu; the multi-talented Ian Paul Custer and versatile Buckley, who collectively have many of the most heartfelt and touching moments in the show. At the opening press performance on Sunday, Cameron was honored by the onstage company for her longtime service and contributions. Richly deserved!

Over the years, I look forward to coming back to “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” In 2016, I recorded a delightful conversation with Wendy Whiteside together with then-Foley artist Shawn Goudy on main stage at The Greenhouse Theater. It was Dahlquist’s first year and the 15th for the late John Mohrien whose performance as Clarence/Potter was broadcast in a memorable pandemic era broadcast that elevated my deep respect and admiration for the ABT Ensemble who have continued to adapt, enhance and deliver truly inspired work at venues across Chicagoland.

Brandon Dahlquist (George Bailey) and Joe Dempsey (Mr. Potter) in the 2023 American Blues Theater production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!” now playing through December 31, 2023. Video|The Stage Channel

As much as their sparkling new home is a labor of love and an extraordinary accomplishment for Whiteside, the ABT Board and Artistic Ensemble, it is just the beginning. The new facility has a second, small flexible rehearsal studio that will serve as a venue for other theatrical companies and, altogether, a stunning cultural anchor for the neighborhood and lots of old and new friends.  

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

American Blues Theater
presents
It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!
through December 31, 2023

5627 N. Lincoln
(773) 654-3103

WEBSITE | TICKETS

2023 BACKSTAGE GUIDE

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PicksInSix Review: Pump Boys and Dinettes

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“Pump Boys” Shake, Rattle and Roll!

What happens when a bus breaks down along that section of Highway 57 that intersects with North Dearborn and Oak in River North? You will discover the highly entertaining answer to that question when you venture out to Porchlight Music Theatre’s 27th season opener, a buoyant revival of “Pump Boys and Dinettes” now playing at Ruth Page Center for the Arts.

Written and composed by the collective of John Foley, Mark Harwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann who piloted the show to runs on Broadway and in London’s North End in the early 80s, the show has a remarkable and fascinating local backstory.

For those, like me, who either were not living here or not aware that it famously ran for over 2,500 performances at the Apollo Theater, the compact melody-filled 90 minutes has a bare thread of a story that connects with a warm-hearted neighborly song list that may not singularly appear in an audition, cabaret or on a piano bar hit list, except perhaps the hilarious ode to fame listed as “T.N.D.P.W.A.M” in the program because the title gives it all away. That said, when taken collectively as a wink and a nod to the popular themes of the country music of the 50s and 60s, “Pump Boys and Dinettes” transcends into a joyous, slap-happy, tongue-in-cheek tune fest all its own and serves as a dynamic showcase for the multi-talented singers and actors required to pull it off. And the cast that director Daryl Brooks and music director Robert Reddrick have assembled is certainly up to the task.

Three of the four Pump Boys–Jim (Ian Paul Custer), L.M. (Frederick Harris) and Jackson (Billy Rude)—are all individually fine, multi-instrument musicians, singers and actors. In fourth position is Eddie (Rafe Bradford) who plays the electric bass and has only a word here and there that’s buttoned by his engaging Cheshire cat grin. They all come to life on Sydney Lynne’s detailed and pristine set—with cozy lighting by Denise Karcewski—that’s equally divided between southern service station and charming, down home Double Cupp Diner, the roadside retreat of the irresistible Dinettes known as the Cupp sisters: Prudie (Shantel Cribbs) and Rhetta (Melanie Loren).

The company numbers “Highway 57”, Taking It Slow” and the Winnebago test drive to Florida “Vacation” and “No Holds Barred” are delightful. The featured performances and duets kick off with Harris’ upbeat “Serve Yourself.” For the spiritual angler, you’ll like the Pump Boys resolute “Fisherman’s Prayer” and “Catfish”. The earnest, plain-spoken enthusiasm of the company is the essential ingredient allowing the quieter more introspective ballads, like Custer’s beautiful rendition of “Mamaw” and Loren’s gritty “Be Good or Be Gone” to fully resonate. The Dinettes’ duets—“Menu Song”, “Tips” and “Sister”—all hit the high water mark.

At first glance, I thought that keeping an intermission in a show that moves so briskly might impact the overall pace. But the snappy act one closing number “Drinkin’ Shoes,” with some smooth choreography by Rueben D. Echoles, is a memorable highlight to a fun night that breezes by thanks to the homespun cast who play and sing their way into your heart.

PHOTO|Chollette

Porchlight Music Theatre
presents
Pump Boys and Dinettes
Ruth Page Center for the Arts
through December 12

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HEALTH & SAFETY

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PicksInSix Review: THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM - 1963

SUPERB ENSEMBLE, STORY DRIVE POIGNANT ‘WATSONS’

Christopher Paul Curtis’s 1995 historical novel, The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, the source material for Cheryl L. West’s remarkable new play, now in a world-premiere production at Chicago Children’s Theatre, recounts the travels of the African-American Watson family on a road trip from Flint, Michigan into Birmingham at one of the turning points of the civil rights movement: the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing on September 15, 1963, which caused the senseless murder of four young girls preparing for church services, ignited national outrage and galvanized efforts to support the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Curtis’s work first came to the attention of director Wardell Julius Clark when he was a sixth grade student in Fairfield, Alabama, and it became a deeply personal story as his mother had longtime connections with the family of Denise McNair, one of the victims of the tragedy. West’s beautiful adaptation appeals to young and old with an insightful view of what happens when generational awareness intersects with childhood innocence. Clark’s carefully crafted production, infused with an evocative original score by Paris Ray Dozier, results in an atmosphere ripe for understanding and discussion about the serious emotional impact of racism on children. 

The Watson family story centers on the coming-of-age experiences of young Kenny Watson (Nelson Simmons), the smart and inquisitive middle child of Mama (Sharriese Hamilton) and Daddy (Bear Bellinger) Watson. The Watsons are loving, attentive parents, but become concerned when Kenny’s rebellious older brother Byron (Stephen “Blu” Allen) skips school with his pal Buphead (Ian Paul Custer) and tries to get Kenny to cover for him. So, Daddy and Mama pack up the “Brown Bomber” with the boys and their youngest daughter, Joey (Lyric Sims), and head off for Birmingham to deliver Byron to live with his Grandma Sands (Deanna Reed-Foster).

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Mama has carefully planned a three-day excursion, but Daddy decides that it will be better for everyone if they stop along the way as little as possible. This presents logistical problems, of course, and also allows for a disturbing confrontation to occur along the way. Upon arrival, Grandma Sands waits with open arms—and a dire warning that ultimately proves to be a bonding experience for the young boys and sets the stage for a series of skillfully executed moments of drama later on.

The family relationship that the two fine actors Hamilton and Bellinger create together and with their children is touching and real. As the narrative voice of the play, Simmons’s Kenny relates to every young person who struggles to cope with events as they unfold, aided by the fine work of Allen as the self-centered older brother who has his own issues. Sims is as disarmingly sweet in the role of the youngest Watson as Reed-Foster is as Grandma, with the talented Custer playing multiple roles. Scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, with lights by Jason Lynch, costumes by Izumi Inaba, sound by Kevin O’Donnell and projections by Smooch Medina evoke the open highway for the trip to Birmingham and events in the youthful experiences that Kenny tries to process and overcome.

Opening a door for discussion with children of all ages, the Watson family in West’s moving production bursts with heart and understanding–as when providing comfort to Kenny, Grandma compares the strength of family to endure hardships like the roots of trees that “no matter what’s coming at ’em, keep these trees standing strong and standing tall for years on end”—one of many valuable lessons that run deeply through this poignant work.

Casting Note: Jeremiah Ruwe (Kenny) and Jillian-Giselle (Joey) share performances for this production.

PHOTOS|Charles Osgood

CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Presents
THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM —1963
weekends through May 19th
The Station
100 South Racine Avenue
(872) 222-9555

WEBSITE
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PICKSINSIX Review: BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTOS|MICHAEL BROSILOW

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

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

Stage 773
1225 West Belmont
(773) 327-5252

WEBSITE

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