PicksInSix Review: Billy Elliot The Musical - Paramount Theatre

Billy Elliot: “It’s Showtime Baby!”
PicksInSix® Gold Review | Ed Tracy

What’s happening right now at Paramount Theatre in Aurora will not soon come this way again. “It’s showtime, baby!” Bring it on!

“Billy Elliot The Musical,” the Elton John/Lee Hall ten-time Tony Award winner with a long, rich love affair with Chicago, opened Friday in what can only be described as a phenomenal, electrifying production. As directed by Trent Stork and choreographed by Isaiah Silva-Chandley, this quintessential “Billy Elliot” features an enormously talented cast led by Ron E. Rains as Dad, Michelle Aravena as Mrs. Wilkinson and, on opening night, the arresting performance of Neo Del Corral as Billy Elliot, the young boy discovering his life’s passion in the midst of a tumultuous period of unrest as his small hometown north of London is embroiled in the 1984 coal miner’s strike.

The story unfolds amid a visual feast—adorned with Izumi Inaba’s costumes on scenic designer Michelle Lilly’s colossal sixty-foot-high steel-themed coal mine set with two-story moving stairway systems that are reconfigured to frame the evolving scenes moving effortlessly in sync with Greg Hoffman’s dynamic lighting design, Mike Tutaj projections and a crisp sound design by Adam Rosenthal.

The lovely and talented Aravena commands the stage in a fierce performance as the dance instructor who first discovers Billy’s true potential in ballet and fights for his opportunity to pursue a dream. Del Corral—who alternates the role of Billy with Sam Duncan—plays the 1,900 seat Paramount Theatre with extraordinary poise, presence and a strength of character that belies his years. And when Billy and his gay friend Michael (Gabriel Lafazan) get together, it’s showtime, baby! — a dynamic duo of pint-sized firebrands tap dancing and singing up a storm with a streak of sassy larceny a mile long in the show-stopping hit “Expressing Yourself.”

One of the most impressive ensembles ever assembled at Paramount includes many of Chicago’s most accomplished actors who cover the citizenry of life-worn miners opposed by an army of police along with a bevy of early career prima ballerinas all under the brilliant musical direction of Kory Danielson who conducts the Paramount Orchestra. Rains returns to a role he has played previously with a seasoned, passionate and superb multi-layered performance as Billy’s Dad. Barbara Robertson is exquisite as Billy’s endearing Grandma and Jennie Sophia is a beacon of purity as Billy’s Mum in the tender, emotionally charged ballad “The Letter” with Aravena and Del Corral.  Dakota Hughes (Mr. Braithwaite), Joe Foust (George), and Spencer Davis Milford (Tony) are all stellar, as is the stunning Swan Lake ballet with Billy and Older Billy (Christopher Kelley)— a work of art that utilizes the full range of the Paramount’s expansive stage.

The sheer grandeur of the closing moments of this production left me in awe and ranks as the most beautiful visual tapestry I have ever—repeat, ever—seen in a theatre. I am still thinking about it and how Paramount's stunning production of "Billy Elliot" will now occupy a permanent place in my memory box of this show.

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

PARAMOUNT THEATRE
presents
Billy Elliot The Musical
through March 24, 2024

23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL 60506

(630) 896–6666

WEBSITE

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PicksInSix Review: Little Shop of Horrors - Paramount Theatre

Boy Meets Girl Meets Bloodthirsty Plant.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

There’s a little show about plant food and world domination that’s getting a big-stage theatrical revival at a theatre near you. The smash hit 1982 Off-Broadway musical “Little Shop of Horrors” featuring book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken is currently blooming nightly in a fast-paced and highly entertaining production directed by Landree Fleming at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

For the humble and lovable Seymour Krelborn (Jack Ball), being on Skid Row as a junior employee at Mushnik’s Flower Distributors is looking more and more like a dead-end job every day. It doesn’t help that the awkward and inept Seymour is hopelessly infatuated with his coworker, Audrey (Teressa LaGamba), who happens to be entangled with a sick, demented and abusive lover Orin (Russell Mernagh), the nitrous oxide addicted dentist from hell you love to hate.

The Mushnik flower shop is on a perennial bubble of its own. With his inventory shriveling and not one sale for the day, the dejected Mushnik (Gene Weygandt) is about to throw in his trowel and pull the door shades down for the final time. Grasping for a hopeful life-vine, Audrey urges Seymour to bring out his newest project, a fascinating and irresistible plant he has dutifully named “Audrey II” in honor of the woman of his dreams.

What starts out as fun-loving camp turns quickly to ghoulish satire with a succulent score and a top rate ensemble led by Ball and LaGamba as the unwitting marks for the charismatic, and inherently evil, foliage from another planet that has a taste for world domination and fresh hemoglobin. It’s Ball’s Seymour who is first enchanted into feeding his own fancy for fame and fortune until those closest to him begin to succumb to Audrey II’s insatiable erythrocytic appetite.

Along the way, Ashman and Menken’s brilliant collaboration shines in the capable hands of music director Kory Danielson who conducts the Paramount Band and choreography by Michael George and Mariah Morris. LaGamba’s lofty and poignant rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green” and the superb duet with Ball “Suddenly, Seymour” are particular highlights. Standout performances abound from the Urchins—Lydia Burke (Crystal), Tickwanya Jones (Ronnette) and Marta Bady (Chiffon)—who serve as the show’s Greek chorus, to Weygandt’s irascible turn as Mushnik in “Mushnik and Son.”

The magnificent multi-level Skid Row set is the work of Jeffrey D. Kimec. Add Jose Santiago’s crisp lighting and Yvonne Miranda’s evocative 60s era costumes and you have the perfect backdrop for the ever-present, and all-consuming, Audrey II—voiced by Je’Shaun Jackson and puppeteered by Adam Fane—designed and created by Skylight Music Theatre and the props team who are working overtime for this show and make Paramount’s “Little Shop of Horrors” a creeping-crawling hit that’s good to the last drop!     

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Paramount Theatre
presents
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
through October 15, 2023

23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL 60506

(630) 896–6666

WEBSITE

TICKETS

HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCALS

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

PicksInSix Review: Cinderella

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“THE PRINCE IS GIVING A BALL!”

There is a new glistening pair of glass slippers in town and thank the heavens that they fit Mikayla Renfrow, the enormously talented star of Paramount Theatre’s shimmering new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella directed by Brenda Didier that opened Friday night.

In a graceful and superbly poised debut performance, Renfrow’s soaring voice, arresting presence, and effortless dancing ability, anchors an all-star cast in this year’s holiday offering at Chicagoland’s largest regional professional theater. The timeless message of hope and resilience that the show delivers is just the heartwarming tonic that everyone needs right about now. Adapted by Tom Briggs for the stage from the 1997 teleplay by Robert L. Feedman, this edgy version has a rich and storied history. Yes, there’s that brilliantly imaginative moment in Act I—the one that people in every little corner will be talking about, but you’ll not get a peep out of me—during which I could hear audible gasps of wonder from youngsters of all ages. It’s the beginning of a bright and fantastic journey that will make you believe that anything is possible.

Cinderella’s dashing prince Christopher—the kind of guy who “can turn a girl to gravy”—is played by Marckus Blair whose earnest demeanor, lush voice and wide range are a perfect fit for Renfrow’s alluring affection. Ever the optimist, Cinderella blossoms from the shadows of her domineering stepmother, done up with sinister flair by the brilliant Sarah Bockel and matched in all their despicable hilarity by Jacquelyne Jones as the itchy Grace and Tiffany T. Taylor’s chortling Joy. The two are terrific comic foils and nail the duet “Stepsisters’ Lament.”

There are many outstanding feature performances: Chicago favorite Lorenzo Rush Jr. as the steward Lionel and leading the ensemble in “The Prince Is Giving A Ball”; the enchanting Jerica Exum’s as Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother; and, the captivating duo of Rashada Dawan (Queen Constrantina) and Michael Kingston (King Maximillian) at their stately best.

The ensemble of well over twenty is packed with exceptional singers and dancers who all look stunning in Teresa Ham’s gorgeous costumes especially during the opulent ball, a fine example of the lavish choreography by Didier and co-choreographer Tiffany Krause throughout. Cinderella’s closest, and tiniest confidants, the mighty nice mice, a perky pigeon and a cagey cat in the cupboard are lots of fun. Music director Kory Danielson leads the Paramount Orchestra’s exceptional performance of the memorable score that includes “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible,” “Ten Minutes Ago” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful”.

Scene designer Angela Weber Miller has framed the proscenium with an intricate and detailed weave that evokes a wrought iron system with a leaf and flower design complimented by the starry effects of lighting designer Victoria Bain. The festive ballroom, with a grand central staircase, is awash in lavender and blue, an elegant fairy tale setting for Cinderella’s eye-popping entrance on the way to making her dreams come true.  

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Paramount Theatre
presents
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
CINDERELLA
through January 9, 2022

23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL 60506
(630) 896–6666

WEBSITE

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HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCALS

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

PicksInSix Theater Review: The Wizard of Oz

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.

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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

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PICKSINSIX Review: LEGALLY BLONDE

‘LEGALLY BLONDE’ “SISTERHOOD. IT’S FOREVER!”

A champion we can believe in… Elle Woods, the fashionista-turned-law-school-student-turned-goddess in “Legally Blonde,” is a champion we can believe in to succeed at every turn. One of those turns — a dramatic and inappropriate confrontation with a professor — may jolt you like it did everyone I sat next to in a recent matinee. But Elle (the shimmering Casey Shuler) sends a defiant message to Callahan (James Rank) in that moment, firmly standing her ground. It’s powerful stuff and with a mantra like: “Sisterhood. It’s Forever!” there is no doubt that the underlying message of this new age edition has crystalized in the hands of Director Trent Stork. For “OMIGOD!” so many reasons, the Paramount Theatre production of “Legally Blonde” is a monster must-see hit!

"LEGALLY BLONDE" starring Casey Shuler now playing at Paramount Theatre through October 21st. TICKETS

Effervescent romp… There may be no more timely musical on stage in Chicago at this moment than “Legally Blonde.” The rollicking 2007 pop anthem for female empowerment with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe/Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach is an effervescent romp that will make you giddy enough to accessorize in pink, get a dog of your own and get into Harvard Law School. (Good luck with that last one!)

Amazingly versatile company… Pursuing what she believes is her endless love, Elle hopelessly yearns for Warner Huntington III (Tyler Lain) the elitest boyfriend who dumped her and took up with Vivienne Kensington (Jacquelyne Jones) who is a bit of a snob. Elle finds that there is more to being accepted than just getting into Harvard. Along the way, she meets Emmett Forrest (Gerald Caesar) an earnest student mentor who sees Elle for herself. The amazingly versatile company includes a terrific Greek Chorus following Elle’s every move led by Serena (Lucy Godinez), Margot (Sara Reinecke), and Pilar (Kyrie Courter) who shake the pillars and rock the house.

Paramount Theatre production of “LEGALLY BLONDE” now playing through October 21st. TICKETS

Pump-It-Up… In the sidetrack to the main story, Paulette (Sophie Grimm) is a hair stylist who enlists Elle and Emmett’s support to retrieve what is rightfully hers. Paulette gets some advice of her own to help break out of her shell in “Bend and Snap.” When the murder mystery points to Brooke Wyndham – the electric, ‘Pump-It-Up!’ workout number “Whipped Into Shape” by Jenna Coker-Jones – things start to go into hyperdrive all the way to the show-stopping courtroom scene “There! Right There!” Featured performances abound but watch for the debonair UPS guy Kyle B. O’Boyle (James Doherty), Carlos (Yando Lopez) a key witness, and a couple of lovable canines named Bruiser (Frankie) and Rufus (Romeo) the two rescue-dog stars.

Top-flight production team… Director Stork, who also choreographs with Megan E. Farley, has assembled a top-flight production team that includes Jeffrey D. Kmiec (Scenic), Theresa Ham (Costumes), Mick Belley (Lighting), Mike Tutaj (Projections) and Adam Rosenthal (Sound). Music Director Kory Danielson conducts the impressive orchestra, so, in short, as the kids say: “OMIGOD! OMIGOD, You Guys! GO!”

PHOTOS|Liz Lauren
VIDEO|Paramount Theatre
Originally Published: September 29, 2018
Revised: October 1, 2018

PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Presents
LEGALLY BLONDE
through October 21st
23 East Galena Boulevard
Aurora, IL
(630) 896-6666

WEBSITE

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

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