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Paramount’s “Kinky Boots” — Acceptance in Red
Paramount Theatre’s smashing revival of “Kinky Boots”, an exuberant, super-charged production of the Tony Award-winning musical that had its pre-Broadway debut in Chicago, electrified the sold-out opening night audience on Friday night. It was the long-awaited return to live performances in the largest and most ambitious musical in the region to date.
Read More“‘S WONDERFUL! ‘S MARVELOUS!”
A post-World War II neighborhood along the Seine becomes a crossroad for lovers yearning for a new beginning through art, music and dance in Drury Lane’s sparkling and exuberant regional premiere of “An American in Paris.” Directed and choreographed by Lynne Kurdziel-Formato, the show is wrapped in the exquisite songbook of George and Ira Gershwin, and features the explosive performances of Leigh-Ann Esty as the young dancer Lise Dassin and Josh Drake as the artist/veteran Jerry Mulligan, who falls hopelessly in love with her at first sight.
Read MoreA DEFINING MOMENT FOR A MONARCHY
There is an uncommon alliance in “The King’s Speech,” David Seidler’s magnificent play that opened Friday evening in a smart and savvy Michael Wilson-directed Chicago Shakespeare Theater North American premiere at The Yard on Navy Pier. The bond between a future King of England and an Australian actor who serves as his speech therapist—portrayed with awe-inspiring depth by Harry Hadden-Paton and James Frain, respectively—becomes a defining moment for a monarchy still reeling from the effects of one world war and the growing threat of another.
Read MoreSIZZLING ‘SWEAT’ FEATURES POWERFUL CORE PERFORMANCES
“Sweat,” the 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Lynn Nottage that opened Monday in a crisply directed Ron OJ Parson Chicago premiere production at Goodman Theatre, is set in Reading, Pennsylvania, a steel mill town in the midst of the cyclical industrial turmoil that threatens blue-collar families in communities across America.
The action occurs at pivot points in 2000 and 2008, bookends that allow for the dramatic elements of the storyline to evolve in vignettes that initially include parole officer Evan (Ronald L. Conner) in meetings with Jason (Mike Cherry) and Chris (Edgar Miguel Sanchez) who have recently been released from prison.
The livelihood of every character in Nottage’s compelling story is tied to the prosperity of the Olstead steel tubing plant. In the opening scene set eight years earlier at a local bar managed by Stan (Keith Kupferer), three women who have worked together on the factory floor since high school–Chris’s mother, Cynthia (Tyla Abercrumbie) who is African-American, Jason’s mother, Tracey (Kirsten Fitzgerald), and their over-served wingman Jessie (Chaon Cross)–are celebrating Tracey’s birthday. Stan’s Colombian employee Oscar (Steve Casillas) is present, as well as Cynthia’s ex-husband, Brucie (André Teamer), whose life and familial relationships have spiraled out of control since he lost his job.
A supervisor opening at the mill has everyone talking. Cynthia views the promotion as a chance to finally leave the floor and applies. However, when she gets the job, the friction riles her relationship with Tracey and Jessie, who know that a change in their work association will be fatal to the friendship. It all starts to unravel when a notice is distributed in Spanish; lines are drawn and tempers begin to flare.
The sizzling emotional interaction of Abercrumbie and Fitzgerald–alternating between sisterhood and disdain for one another–provide the show’s powerful core performances. Kupferer is terrific in the role of the former mill worker whose career was cut short due to injury. The entertaining Cross spends most of the evening delightfully inebriated, while the friendships between the women is mirrored in the fine portrayals of the sons by Cherry and Sanchez, who, with Casillas, raise the dramatic tension of the piece to a fever pitch.
The creative design team–Kevin Depinet (set), Mara Blumenfeld (costumes), Keith Parham (lighting) and Richard Woodbury (sound)–have created a stunner for this production that evokes the pre-911 post-market collapse span of the era as a defining moment for generations of factory workers whose lives and world view have been irreparably altered. Nottage’s profoundly insightful work reminds us of the collateral damage that hateful dialogue and pent-up rage can inflict on others–a stark and valuable lesson for our time.
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
GOODMAN THEATRE
Presents
SWEAT
through April 14th
ALBERT THEATRE
170 NORTH DEARBORN
(312) 443-3800
WEBSITE
TICKETS
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
“This was really going to happen!”
Throughout Matt Crowle’s remarkable performance in “The Santaland Diaries” that opened at the Goodman Theatre on Thursday, dozens of delightfully quirky, 1980s era personalities pour out with genuinely touching, and often frightfully irreverent, observations that collectively tell the story of a short-lived, but memorable, stint as a Macy’s elf named Crumpet. The material is rooted in the personal experiences, and fertile comic mind, of David Sedaris whose 1992 National Public Radio holiday essay evolved into the 1996 Off-Broadway one-man show (adapted with Joe Mantello). Crowle’s solo debut is directed by Steve Scott and plays out in and around a colorful and impressive reproduction of a Santaland outpost at Macy’s Herald Square courtesy of designer Kevin Depinet.
The play, essential at this time of year for those looking for an escape from the days of “merry and bright” as well as those who relate to the six weeks leading up to Christmas as an opportunity to throw themselves into retail, is a bit of a time capsule. For those of us who remember, it is a look back at how different things were when Phil Collins was a rock star and kids pressed their faces up to the two-way mirror to catch a glimpse of Cher, only to find St. Nick. And then again, when it comes to our deepest sensibilities, little has really changed, proving just how much of a chestnut it is.
If you are a regular listener to the holiday broadcast, large passages of “The Santaland Diaries” will be hilariously familiar. What you are not able to imagine, until you have settled into your seat at the Owen, is the inspired interpretation that Crowle brings to his jaded, frenetic and heartily endearing Crumpet that makes this a laugh-filled, impish joyride from destitute actor to persecuted full-time elf.
If this is your first time, you will certainly revel in Crowle’s unique brand of pathos with Sedaris’ satiric, edgy, adult-only commentary. All is fair game, especially if one is dressed in a green velvet smock, candy cane striped tights and an elf hat decorated with spangles, which Crowle first dons with the declaration “This was really going to happen.”
Consider characters as wide-ranging as the presumptuous Santa Santa, an array of bratty kids, manic moms and sexist dads to the complexities of the Santaland support system of window elves, exit elves, store managers, supervisors and, at least one, cheerleader. Crowle dishes them out effortlessly, one character to the next, imparting Crumpet’s wily point of view along the way as the days click down to Christmas Eve.
The pre-show announcement about the cast being available in the lobby after the show to collect for Season of Concern drew a smattering of laughter from those who realized that this was a one-man show. After more than 70 minutes on stage, there was Matt Crowle in the lobby, collecting for the charity that is so important to the well-being of the Chicago theatrical community now and throughout the year. While I made a small donation as I passed by, it reminded me that one should never show up to the theater without some cash (or a check) in your pocket at this time of year, particularly on the night when you just might run into an appealing elf at the door.
PHOTOS|Erik Scanlon
GOODMAN THEATRE
Presents
Matt Crowle
in
The Santaland Diaries
Directed by Steve Scott
through December 30th
170 North Dearborn
(312) 443-3800
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
DOROTHY AND FRIENDS ELECTRIFY PARAMOUNT’S ‘OZ’
Bolts of lighting and seat-shaking thunder claps. Twirling graphics and flashes of light that are so startling that the poor lady in front of me popped out of her seat. Spiraling cones swirling around Dorothy (Elizabeth Stenholt) as she was perched atop a rig holding on for dear life in the middle of the twister that propels her from Kansas to the magical Land of Oz. And once the twister stops, the relative calm and beauty that follows is all pretty much by the L. Frank Baum book (as adapted by John Kane) as Dorothy meets up with the Scarecrow (Kyle Adams), Tinman (Carl Draper) and Cowardly Lion (Paul-Jordan Jansen) who must face all manner of threats from the Wicked Witch of the West (Caron Buinis) to get back home again.
Every stage production of “The Wizard of Oz” must first come to terms with our own perception of the 1939 film classic starring Judy Garland. When I first saw the film on a creaky console television set in the late 50s, all I could think about for days was the vision of Margaret Hamilton bursting through the screen into our living room. Without the benefit of a dvr to replay it, I had only the immediate memory that would have to serve until the film came around again. Through no fault of my own, I did not know the Wicked Witch was green or that Oz was in color until I saw the actual film at a screening in 1973. Our television way back then was black and white.
That feeling of discovery is exactly what it is like to watch “The Wizard of Oz” live, particularly in a big stage, fully-loaded, hi-tech treatment like the one that opened Saturday at Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Expertly cast by director/choreographer Amber Mak, the show is stacked with seasoned talent from top to bottom. Making her Paramount debut, Stenholt’s startlingly fresh, electrifying performance of “Over the Rainbow” and her journey in Oz is extraordinary. It helps to be clutching the best and most accomplished Toto, too. Nessa, trained by William Berloni, not only looks the part, but accomplishes everything short of biting Almira Gulch.
Each of Dorothy’s stalwart companions in Oz elevate this sumptuous, brilliantly-crafted production by making each of their performances classically unique. Adams limbo-like contortions and comic range combine with his innate ability to make the all-important emotional connection between the Scarecrow and Dorothy. (He also has the biggest laughline of the night, but I won’t tell you which one.) Draper knocks “If I Only Had a Heart” out of the park, in a tap-dance number that is not an easy assignment for a Tinman carrying an axe and romping about with rusted joints. Jansen, shows why his Cowardly Lion is King of Forest with vocal chops that simultaneously bark and roar.
Even though we know they are coming, the scenes with Buinis as the fiendish Gulch and the Wicked Witch will have you on the edge of your seat. Professor Marvel/Wizard (Gene Weygandt), Auntie Em/Glinda (Harriet Nzinga Plumpp) and Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard are picture perfect. Everyone looks magical in the Theresa Ham designed costumes from the adorable Munchkins and the Winkies to the brightly emerald-clad residents of the Emerald City. The exquisite Harold Arlen and E. Y. “Yip” Harburg score is under the very capable musical direction of conductor Kory Danielson. With over two dozen imaginative puppets – crows, jitterbugs, flying-monkeys, the crabby-apple trees (Emily Agy, Allyson Graves and Leah Morrow) and more – by Jesse Mooney-Bullock, the atmosphere is whimsical and fun, all set up by the masterful scenic design by Kevin Depinet and Christopher Rhoton, lighting design by Greg Hoffman, projection designer Kevan Loney and sound by Adam Rosenthal.
When all the world is hopeless jumble, it is good to know that some things can always be counted upon to help you make your dreams come true. The time-honored story of “The Wizard of Oz” live on stage is an experience for young and old of all ages which makes the Paramount production perfect family fare for the holiday season, and brings new meaning to the lyric: Fa La La La La La La La La La!
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Presents
THE WIZARD OF OZ
through January 6th
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora
(630) 896–6666
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
BOOK-BOUND BELLE CHARMS BROODING BEAST
Just when you thought that we could not be more different, along comes a beautifully, rich production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” now playing at Drury Lane Theatre, to provide clear proof that we are really not that different at all. Everyone of us, just like the Beast and his manor full of minions, need a little love before it’s too late and the bloom is off the rose. That includes the sweet and lovely Belle, who spends every waking moment with her face buried in a book, a sort of shield to deflect awkward situations and ward off unwanted advances. It all adds up to a lot of Disney-stylized drama that make this visually-stunning, live-action fairy tale, tick-tock-tick all night long.
“Beauty and the Beast” was Disney’s first Broadway venture almost a quarter of a century ago, which is reason enough to bring a teapot, candle, clock and feather-duster back to life in the surefire holiday hit. Directed at Drury Lane by Alan Souza, with choreography by Ron De Jesus, the musical is an expanded version by the same team responsible for the original 1991 animated film classic — book by Linda Woolverton, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman and Tim Rice.
In case you do not have a family member, or know anyone under thirty-five, to ask, the book-bound heroine Belle (Erica Stephan) charms the brooding Beast (Brandon Contreras) at the center of a love story that challenges us to see people for who they truly are. Belle represents the dreamer in us all, holding in her hands the key to transforming the Beast who has been dwelling in a dark, introspective place for a long time. Words matter to the fearless Belle and Stephan is perfect, delivering gorgeous renditions of “Home” and “A Change In Me.” The magically dark and mysterious Kevin Depinet set, a series of grand staircases and multiple levels framed in the ever-present rose, allows for multiple scenes including a lofty, strategic setting for the commanding Contreras to render the powerful Act I anthem “If I Can’t Love Her.”
On the more sinister side of the tale, the comic foil Gaston (Mark Banik), and his side-kick Lefou (Paul Michael Thompson), slink and slam along in their single-minded pursuit to corner Belle’s affections. As events unfold, Belle’s father Maurice (Mark David Kaplan) stumbles into the manor where a clever cache of spirited souls dwell — Lumiere (Tony Carter), Cogsworth (Nick Cosgrove), Babette (Sierra Schnack), Mrs. Potts (Bri Sudia) and her son Chip (Sophie Ackerman), Madam de la Grande Bouche (Catherine Smitko) and Monsieur D’Argue (Billy Rude). With the curse in place and time growing short, something must be done to break the spell. But they are all intimidated by the Beast and his house rules, that is until Belle arrives to make a bargain for her father’s freedom and give them reason to hope.
The company numbers are terrific — including the opener “Belle,” “Something There,” and the show-stopper “Be Our Guest,” with the enormous talent of Carter, Sudia, Cosgrove and Schnack leading the way. Sudia is everyone’s favorite teapot, providing one of the night’s most memorable moments with a lush and lovely performance of the title song.
The Drury Lane Orchestra is in top form under the direction of Christopher Sargent. Belle’s stunning yellow gown, and all of the marvelously detailed costuming, is the work of designer Ryan Park. With Ryan O’Gara’s lighting and a dizzying array of ingenious properties from designer Cassy Schillo, “Beauty and the Beast” has something for everyone.
PHOTOS|Brett Beiner
DRURY LANE THEATRE
Presents
DISNEY’S
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
through January 27th, 2019
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
(630) 530-0111
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
“LIFE IS A CABARET, OLD CHUM!”
Music-infused memoir… What part of us do we leave behind when we are gone? What percentage of each of our parents do we possess? And, how do we process the intrusion of their influence, and celebrate it, at the same time? These are just a few of the things that the ingenious David Cale is unpacking about his life in his music-infused memoir “We’re Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time” now playing in its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre.
Astoundingly present… Early on, Cale recalls his blossoming boyhood infatuation with Liza Minnelli and how he persuaded his mother, Barbara, to lie about his age and take him to see the film ‘Cabaret’. He was 13. Afterward, over lemon meringue pie and now channeling his mother, she admits feeling closer to him at that time than at any other in her life. You can actually imagine the woman there, telling her own story, feeling her frustration and love. It is one of many searingly poignant moments throughout the wide arc of this work in which Cale is astoundingly present, playing multiple, interchanging roles in a sort of stream of consciousness cabaret all his own.
Stripped away ambition… With a resonant score and lyrics that fit seamlessly throughout, Cale explores his family life in Luton, England, a factory town 30 miles north of London known at the time as a hat design and manufacturing center. According to Cale, growing up in Luton could lead to a dead-end proposition in the factories that stripped away ambition, a fate he was determined to avoid. His father, Ron, was the son of the owner of the major hat factory. When Ron catches Barbara’s eye, she has already risen beyond her social status to become a hat designer for a competitor. When they marry, Barbara moves to the family business and an unsatisfying supervisor position on the manufacturing line. Then, after she gives birth to David, and three years later, his brother Simon, his mother’s career aspirations flicker and dim.
The birds return… The young David is a tender, nurturing soul with an interest in birds and animal care. He creates his own operation taking in and expanding his aviary with the help of his parents. He learns that if allowed to fly free, the birds he cared for return on their own, a strong metaphor for the overall piece. He is lovingly protective of his younger brother Simon. Through fascinating monologues and musical interludes, Cale introduces us to Luton, his parents and the devastating events that change his life forever.
Multi-layered characters… The haunting and lush score, co-written with and arranged by Matthew Dean Marsh, is ever-present yet leaves Cale isolated and powerfully alone on stage much of the time. Director Robert Falls allows no distractions to impede the 90-minute piece unlocking rich, earnest and multi-layered characters from Cale’s fruitful and engaging imagination.
Sultry mood… Kevin Depinet’s minimal setting is highlighted by antique birdcages and model planes aligning with Jennifer Tipton’s lighting. Marsh (Piano) leads a quintet featuring Dave Belden (Viola), Michelle Campbell (Harp), Desiree Miller (Cello), Jered Montgomery (Trumpet) and Anna Najoom (Clarinet) that contributes to the sultry mood of the piece, connecting past to the present with a glorious revelation. If ‘Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum!’, you will never see a more uniquely inspiring performance.
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
GOODMAN THEATRE
Presents
We’re Only Alive for A Short Amount of Time
Written and Performed by David Cale
Directed by Robert Falls
through October 21st
312.443.3800
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
“OH GOD HOW I MIST YOU!”
Oh pod how you tease… Seymour Krelborn has a lot of problems. He lives and works at a flower shop on skid row. His boss is not very nice to him. He is in love with his co-worker Audrey who is being abused by her boyfriend, the sadistic dentist who enjoys causing pain. Then there is the sick plant he discovered during a solar eclipse that he has been fretting over. Nothing works, no matter what he tries. “I’ve given you plant food and water to sip. I’ve given you potash, you’ve given me zip! Oh god how I mist you. Oh pod how you tease. So please – grow for me.”
Captivating performances… ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, now playing at Drury Lane in all its joyfully macabre and touchingly poignant splendor, is the product of the first collaboration of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken — an early ‘80s time capsule for the team who later developed Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ before the 40 year-old Ashman succumbed to AIDS in 1991. The Drury Lane incarnation, keenly directed and choreographed by Scott Calcagno with musical direction by Roberta Duchak, includes a top-notch company led by the captivating performances of Kelly Felthous and Will Lidke whose star-crossed love story — like just about everyone else — runs smack into the jaws of a ravenous leafy bottom feeder.
Richly enjoyable comic romp… Things are looking up for everyone early on around the Mushnik Flower Shop. Seymour has a thing for Audrey who imagines a better life of her own. And while business is booming, Mr. Mushnik worries that Seymour’s new-found popularity could disrupt the first real opportunity in years to balance the books. Of course, there is only one key ingredient that helps make Audrey II, the aforementioned bottom feeder, grow. Once things start to sprout there is no turning back for the young and ambitious Seymour whose wish to escape the dead-end prospects of a skid row existence to live happily-ever-after with Audrey are only a few gallons of hemoglobin-enriched plasma away. It is all a clever setup for the dark and richly enjoyable comic romp that follows.
Powerhouse voice… Kelly Felthous is on fire as Audrey with a powerhouse voice that flows effortlessly through the beautiful anthems ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ and ‘Suddenly Seymour’. Felthous evokes a truthful innocence that aligns perfectly with Will Lidke’s frenetically awkward charm. Ron E. Rains is perfect in the role of Mr. Mushnik, and shows off some nifty footwork in ‘Mushnik and Son’ with Lidke. Steven Strafford, in multiple roles including Dr. Orin Scrivello D. D. S., nails ‘Be A Dentist’ and ‘Now’. Rounding out the ensemble in plain sight is the fabulous trio of Melanie Brezill (Ronette), Candace C. Edwards (Crystal) and Melanie Loren (Chiffon) who, with Strafford, make the cast appear much larger than it is with split-second costume changes and high-energy numbers including the title song and ‘Skid Row’ where Edwards particularly shines.
Eerie and fiendishly fun… Audrey II is voiced by the incomparable Lorenzo Rush, Jr. and animated by puppeteer Matthew Sitz. The teaming of these two seasoned performers bring the eerie and fiendishly fun Martin P. Robinson designed plant to glorious life. Rush’s deep, booming, blues vocals in ‘Git It’ and ‘Suppertime’ rock.
Be careful what you wish for… 1313 Skid Row is realized in the efficient and rugged staging by Kevin Depinet, enhanced by Ryan O’Gara’s lighting design and Linda Myers costumes. Chris Sargent directs The Little Shop of Horrors Band in this throughly entertaining musical sendup that just might have you whispering, “Be careful what you wish for.” and “Don’t feed the plants!” on your way home.
PHOTOS|Bruce Beiner
Drury Lane Theatre
Presents
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
through October 28, 2018
100 Drury Lane
(630) 530-0111
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
‘PAMPLONA’ - “LIKE STANDING BEHIND A WATERFALL.”
Mano a mano... Not a soul was shuffling in their seats at the Goodman Theatre when the lights came up on Stacy Keach as Ernest Hemingway in opening moments of the world premiere of PAMPLONA. The actor, who last year had to step away from the production for health reasons, has returned to complete the job. And that he did, in fine form, mano-a-mano, with the audience. Bravo!
Personal timeline... The play, written by Jim McGrath and directed by Goodman Artistic Director Robert Falls, unfolds on October 11, 1959 as Hemingway is struggling to complete an article on bullfighting in Spain for Life magazine. The particular stumbling block that proves elusive for him is the roadmap for the story of his life, told often in Hemingway’s own words in flashback – as they relate to his literary work and personal timeline – and with stunning projected images that evolve seamlessly throughout.
Skillful approach... In a profoundly reflective moment of youthful promise midway through, the dialogue turns to Hemingway’s World War I service as a Red Cross ambulance volunteer when he was severely wounded and hospitalized in Milan. During the long recuperation that followed, the 19 year-old met and fell deeply in love with Agnes von Kurowsky. The experience is a pivotal turning point and inspiration for the writer that Hemingway would become. For Keach, it was a superb example of the skillful approach to the material that spans the tumultuous life, loves, and near-death experiences, all played out in Room 217 at the Gran Hotel La Perla in Pamplona, Spain.
Gritty, purposeful and complete... Falls and Keach do not allow the pace of this often-troubled story, fraught with anger, remorse, and regret, to waver from the ever-present knowledge that there are precious few glorious days ahead. Watching Keach is, as the text states, “like standing behind a waterfall” - his nuanced performance gritty, purposeful and complete.
Stunning projection... Kevin Depinet’s impressive scenic design is strikingly enhanced with the stylized lighting of Jesse Klug, Noël Huntzinger's costume, Michael Roth's music|sound and Adam Fleming’s stunning projection. Goodman dramaturge Tanya Palmer provides a fascinating overview of Hemingway’s life in the program notes, supplemented by Jerry Patch, which when combined with all of the stage elements help to frame Hemingway’s extraordinary life.
Masterful ... Closing out a rich and glorious season at Goodman Theatre, Stacy Keach as Ernest Hemingway delivers a masterful, not-to-be-missed, performance. Olé!
PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
GOODMAN THEATRE
Presents
STACY KEACH
PAMPLONA
Written by Jim McGrath
Directed by Robert Falls
through August 19th
Owen Theatre
(312) 443-3800
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
"BIG DADDY HAS ALWAYS FAVORED BRICK."
Captivating interpretation... A defining moment in Drury Lane’s stirring production of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof occurs when Big Mama, resigned to a certain future that she has heretofore denied, slowly climbs the sweeping staircase toward Big Daddy’s bedroom. She is intent on working her way back into any personal space left in a man she has loved unconditionally, who is now terminally ill, bitter and stoked with avarice. The hopelessness of the situation is writ large throughout Cindy Gold’s riveting performance of director Marcia Milgrom Dodge’s captivating interpretation.
Everyone on edge... In Big Daddy’s sprawling estate, the family has gathered to celebrate his 65th birthday. There is a cloud of uncertainty around the recent results of a medical examination and why his son Brick and wife Maggie have yet to produce an heir. The other son, Gooper, and his wife Mae, have produced five children of their own – with another on the way – who have just about everyone on edge. Nothing Gooper and Mae do matters much because Big Daddy has always favored Brick. But with Brick immobilized by a broken leg and prisoner to his spiraling depression and alcohol dependency, Maggie becomes fearful of losing everything and starts battering him into submission.
Lost expectations... Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge skillfully unearths the tense relationship between Big Daddy and Brick which is at the disturbing core of this drama exposing the pain of lost expectations and the fear of choosing those we love and living with the consequences. Self-interest has a powerful place in the room, which Big Daddy says is permeated with “the unpleasant odor of mendacity... it smells like death.”
Master manipulator... Genevieve Angelson’s Maggie is a scorcher, tipping around the corners of her own vulnerability, savoring the ability to twist perceptions as Brick’s master manipulator, preparing to take charge and forge her own future. Anthony Bowden’s Brick is resolute and defiant, equal parts obsessed, contrite and then emboldened in the face of the commanding performance of Matt DeCaro as Big Daddy. DeCaro’s fierce indignation is magnified so intensely in Gold’s heart-wrenching Big Mama that we are allowed to fully experience the transformation from the depths of her anguish to her stalwart determination to survive at all costs.
Fine supporting performances... Michael Milligan (Gooper) and Gail Rastorfer (Mae) deliver fine supporting performances in a cast that includes Craig Spidle (Doctor Baugh), Joe Bianco (Reverend Tooker), Reginal Robinson, Jr. (Lacey) and a featured performance by Donica Lynn (Sookey) whose soaring vocals add depth to the drama.
Superbly woven together... The setting, a majestic and expansive upper floor suite of a decaying mansion, is the work of Kevin Depinet, complimented by Sully Ratke costumes, Driscoll Otto lighting|projection and Ray Nardelli sound, superbly woven together for an enormously satisfying experience.
PHOTOS|Bruce Beiner Photography
DRURY LANE
Presents
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
Written by Tennesee Williams
Directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge
through August 16th
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace
(630) 530-0111
WEBSITE
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago
