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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TICKETS

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MotherFreakingHood! Sara Stotts

If only children came with a user manual there might be fewer twists and turns along the journey.

But then again, no birthing guide could produce the kind of hilarious observations that co-writers Sara Stotts and Julie Dunlap have realized in the hilarious musical “MotherFreakingHood!” now playing at Mercury Theater Chicago’s intimate Venus Cabaret.

They were college roommates who took an interest in writing songs together. Then, several years – and, at last count, seven children – later, they were inspired to turn real-life maternal experiences into a free-wheeling, fun-filled musical comedy about motherhood. 

Co-writers of MotherFreakingHood! (l-r) Julie Dunlap and Sara Stotts and director Heidi Van.

The show first debuted in 2013 in Lawrence, Kansas with Dunlap directing and Stotts in the cast. With director Heidi Van and a new cast on board, the show moved on to Kansas City in 2015, was a featured selection in the New York Musical Festival in 2017 and played to sold-out houses at The Blackbox Theater in Kansas City last fall.

The show is now playing at Venus Cabaret where the top-flight Chicago-based cast includes Jacqueline Jones, Leah Morrow, Tafadzwa Diener and Maya Rowe in a fast-paced musical comedy about friendship and child-rearing. 

Sara Stotts joined the CONVERSATION shortly after the show opened to talk about the production from the moment of theatrical conception. PODCAST

Conception: “Well, it all started with my co-writer Julie Dunlap. We were at a significant birthday of mine – let's just say there's a couple digits in it and they're not small. Anyway, we had friends and family there… friends of mine from Second City, from when I was doing the Second City, they had created a band called “Listening Zoo.” They sing all original songs about funny stuff. Like “Darn you Tom Hanks for making me cry again!” All really funny and we had a wonderful time. And then at some point after the party, I got a call from Julie saying, “You know, we could write funny songs about motherhood.” And I thought she was still drunk, quite honestly, because that's just insanity… So, a few months later, songs just started coming out of me. I mean, I just was barfing out songs while I'm brushing my teeth in the bathroom. I called Julie and I said, “You know, Julie… I don't know if you were serious about this, but I've kind of started writing some songs. She says, “I've written three songs!” and it was on.”

Truth in storytelling: “All of the songs are absolute truths. One of the sayings about doing improv is truth and comedy. You know, it's funny because it's true. I mean, we're not making this stuff up. Some stories are a little bit embellished for comedic purposes, but it's based on true stories. That's why it's so relatable to mothers because they've lived it, they've gone through it and we're just putting a funny lens to the absurdities of motherhood.”

The beating hearts of the show: “It's about three women who get pregnant and one's a first-time mom, Rachel, who's terribly excited to get pregnant. And she's so naive and she has no idea what she's getting into, and therefore she's excited. The second mother is Angie. She's had a baby… right on time and she's going to have another baby and it's going to be a girl because she already had a boy and everything goes for her as planned. The third mother, Marsha, she had three kids. She was ready to send her daughters through high school and college. She was not planning on this at all. And she's, let's say, cantankerous. She thought she was done. She thought she would get to retire.” 

The early years: “We first put it up in Lawrence, Kansas. That's where Julie lives. She directed it. And I got to play the role of Marsha… We did rewriting and then we were picked up by a production company to do a production in Kansas City in 2015. At that point, we picked up Heidi Van, who is our current director. She lives in Kansas City. And she could relate totally to the show because she has two kids. She's a mom and her comedic timing is insane. What she does, not just with our script, but the action, the physical funniness of it… she's brilliant!... we were selected to go to New York City for the New York Musical Festival which was a huge honor… after that we wanted to bring it to Chicago in 2020, but I don't know if you've heard of the musical called “The Pandemic?” Yeah. That ran for a long time… and occupied every theater. So, we had to put it to bed for a while. … Heidi has a theater in Kansas City called The Black Box Theater and we did 10 shows. Sold out. It was great! Great reviews. We won an award from Broadway World for the Best New Musical in the Kansas City region. That was an honor! From there, we made it to the Venus Cabaret Theater here in Chicago.”

Cast of MotherFreakingHood! at Mercury Theater Chicago (l-r) Jacqueline Jones, Tafadzwa Diener, Maya Row and Leah Morrow.

Chicago cast: “They are just so hilarious. The way they connect with the audience… they are so comfortable. We've got Tafadzwa Diener playing Rachel, the young mom. We've got Jacqueline Jones playing Angie the second time, mom… Leah Morrow, who's playing Marsha the third time mom and then we have Maya Row playing the “Every Woman” character. She plays multiple different characters throughout. It is so fun to see them bring these characters alive. Every production's going to be different. Every actor is going to interpret it their own way and bring their own brilliance to it. This cast is having so much fun and there is so much fun coming out of the audience.”

Not just for the moms: “We get great reactions from dads. When we did the Kansas City Show, it was funny because my husband came out of the bathroom at intermission as says: You should hear what the reviews are like in the men's bathroom. These guys are loving it!” We always get good reactions from the guys because we don't exclude the men who made us mothers. We never say anything bad about it, but men go through the same things. The men go through the same absurdities. We are just telling it from our lens as women, but they get a huge kick out of it. They can relate.”

The impact of the show on personal and professional lives: “It makes you appreciate your family more. I do get a little mom guilt because I was already busy and now I've made myself busier… I'm sure my kids would love for me to be home a little bit more… what I love is that my kids' first musical experience in New York City was seeing “MotherFreakingHood!” and I just got a kick out of that. It wasn't “Rent” it was “MotherFreakingHood! That just gave me a, a huge kick. They have been really supportive and I think it's good for them to see we're making fun with them. We're not making fun of them, we're making fun with them.” PODCAST

Excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

PRODUCTION PHOTOS| Liz Lauren

Mercury Theater Chicago
presents
Chicago Premiere
MotherFreakingHood!
A Musical Comedy

Venus Cabaret
3745 N. Southport Ave
through June 11, 2023

Tickets
(773) 360-7365

Official Show Website

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

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PicksInSix Review: Sister Act

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A ROUSING, RIOTOUS, HIGH-SPIRITED HIT!  

When Mercury Theater’s new artistic director Christopher Chase Carter stepped on the stage Thursday to welcome the opening night audience for “Sister Act,” you could feel a higher power in the house. Less than a year ago, Mercury’s future was in jeopardy and without some divine intervention, the former silent film nickelodeon on North Southport, home to such long-running regional hits as “Avenue Q” and “Spamalot” under the production partnership of Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon for the past decade, might have been lost to Chicago theater audiences forever.

All of the fear, uncertainty and speculation of that eventuality was washed away a few moments later when the dazzling Alexis J. Roston launched into a stunning star turn as Deloris Van Cartier in the hilarious musical comedy about a fame-seeking disco diva who is remanded into the Philadelphia police witness protection program after reporting a murder. Whether shimmering in a silver-sequined Marquecia Jordan outfit, decked out in her nuns veil and tunic, or lounging in your big sister’s wool pajamas, Roston drips with so much charm, talent and vocal presence that you become an instant, true believer in her unique path to enlightment. This is a blockbuster, folks, and recertifies the importance of the Mercury Theater Chicago, and it’s busy cabaret venue Venus, as an essential element to both the Southport Corridor and the Chicago theatrical landscape.

As the story goes: Fearing for her life, officer “Sweaty Eddie” Souter (Gilbert Domally) takes Deloris to a convent to hide from the ruthless gangster Curtis Jackson (Denzel Tsopnang) and his rag-tag minions who want her dead. The free-spirited Deloris immediately gets into the habit of antagonizing Mother Superior (Jane Grebeck-Brewer) with her brash street talk and progressive attitude. A harmonious chord is struck when Deloris takes over the choral direction of the Queen of Angels Singers and wins over the charming sisterhood, the congregation and even the affable Monsignor O’Hara (Ed Kross). The story—by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane—may verge on the melodramatic at times, but it’s all uproariously funny and sewn together with a phenomenal score by award-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glen Slater.

Director Reneisha Jenkins rocks the parish in her professional directing debut. With a creative team that includes choreography by Carter and music direction by Diana Lawrence, the resounding themes of friendship, acceptance, faith and love come shining through in each character. And while Roston, Grebeck-Brewer and Domally have an abundance of the special kind of chemistry needed to carry the show, their higher calling is infusing that enthusiasm and trust into the entire company, in every song and every production number. It’s really evident and that is why “Sister Act” will leave you feeling three-times blessed.

Among the many featured performances, newcomer Isabella Andrews is exquisitely cast as the shy and demur Mary Robert who blossoms into a confident firebrand. In a show of showcase performances, Andrews sings the touching ballad “The Life I Never Led” with the wide-eyed wonder of innocence. The nuns—Leah Morrow, Jenny Rudnick, Nicole Cready, and Nancy Wagner— along with Nicole Armold and Aalon Smith, are quite simply marvelous. Jackson’s henchmen—Joey (Marcus Jackson), Pablos (Ruben Castor) and TJ (Austin Nelson Jr.)—show off some nifty footwork and serve as terrific backup singers.

Scene designer Angela Weber Miller and video designer G. “Max” Maxim IV have teamed up on an exquisite multi-level set that incorporates high-tech optics which are punctuated by Jackie Fox’s lighting design and Carl Wahlstrom’s crystal-clear sound. In addition to the nightclub dazzle, costume designer Jordan uses a creative, wide-ranging color palette for the nuns habits, altogether making “Sister Act” a rousing, riotous, high-spirited hit!  

PHOTO|Brett Beiner Photography

MERCURY THEATER CHICAGO
presents
SISTER ACT
through January 2, 2022

3745 N Southport Avenue
(773) 360 - 7365

WEBSITE

TICKETS

HEALTH PROTOCALS

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

PICKSINSIX Review: AVENUE Q

FAST-PACED, LAUGH-OUT-LOUD HIT!

Far-out puppets... AVENUE Q, that bawdy, irresistibly appealing three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about an out of the way New York City neighborhood where far-out puppets and humans alike face life-changing situations, is right back where it belongs at the Mercury Theater. L. Walter Stearns directs a seasoned company of top returning and new talent in a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud hit!

Adult-themed musical... There are more than a few reasons that AVENUE Q had a six-year run on Broadway, can still be seen Off-Broadway and in major productions around the country, of which this is certainly one. The neighborhood is full of lovable and often extremely inappropriate puppets whose take on everything from racism, sex, gender issues, and internet porn have made this adult-themed musical sure-fire, head-bobbing fun.

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Power of giving... Whether you choose to watch the puppets or their handlers - and there is a lot of mischievous handling going on - there is so much to see, hear and enjoy. At the center of the story of Princeton’s quest to find his purpose in life is the touching love story that evolves with Kate Monster whose goal is to establish a school for monsters. Along the way, Princeton and Kate learn from their neighbors about life, love and the power of giving, proving that when you have a puppet in your hand, you can get away with a lot of things.

Delightfully endearing... This production is a bit of a renaissance - with a few carefully chosen script enhancements - of the one that flourished at the Mercury for seven months and 169 performances in 2014. Stearns and Musical Director Eugene Dizon have now assembled a top-flight ensemble around the delightfully endearing return performances of Jackson Evans (Princeton) and Leah Morrow (Kate Monster). Dan Smeriglio is hilarious in his return in the split roles of Nicky (with Jonah D. Winston, who is also a perfect Trekkie Monster) and Bad Idea Bear (with Stephanie Herman, who splits as the salacious Lucy and Mrs. T). Rounding out the superb multi-talented cast are David S. Robbins (Gary Coleman), Christian Siebert(Rod), Matthew Lies(Brian) and Audrey Billings (Christmas Eve).

Subtly nuanced additions... The all-star creative team includes Broadway veteran puppet designer Russ Walko whose work has come to life with the imagination of Rick Lyon, creator of the original Broadway puppets (and Broadway company cast member) who worked extensively with the Chicago cast during the rehearsal process. With Lyons’ subtly nuanced additions, choreography by Kevin Bellie, the picture-perfect set and state-of-the-art digital elements by set designer Alan Donohue, video design by Max Maxin IV, lighting by Dustin L. Derry, sound by Carl Wahlstrom and Rachel Boylan’s costumes, this high-octane AVENUE Q is running on all cylinders.

One naughty night out... Mercury Theater Chicago is again collecting for Season of Concern, an organization that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from generous artists and theater patrons to benefit people in the entertainment industry who are experiencing health-related emergencies and medical issues. There is an opportunity during the show when one could make a substantial contribution to support this worthy cause, so if you are planning only one naughty night out this summer, find your purpose on AVENUE Q.

PHOTOS|Brett A. Beiner

MERCURY THEATER CHICAGO
Presents
AVENUE Q
through September 9th
3745 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL ‎60613
TICKETS: 773 325-1700

WEBSITE
Listen to our June 18th CONVERSATION with Leah Morrow and Jackson Evans
For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

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