PicksInSix Review: Beetlejuice-The Musical - Broadway in Chicago

“Beetlejuice” – ‘Being Dead Has Its Perks!’
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

There is a monster sandworm burrowing its way into theaters across the country and its filling houses and bucking ticketing trends at every stop. There are levitating bodies and the tiny head guy is there, too, albeit briefly, for the multiple Tony Award nominated musical “Beetlejuice” that opened here at the Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday to the delight of enthusiastic movie followers, cult fans and a dusting of first-timers, of which I was one.

I am pleased to say that those attending were treated to a black and white striped (and green-hued) spectacle of snappy repartee, soaring ballads, splashy production numbers and eye-popping special effects that showcased a superb ensemble. But it is the unhinged brilliance of stage veteran Justin Collette as the sly, demonic and blue-cheesy Beetlejuice, and the enormously talented Isabella Esler making a star turn in her national tour debut as Lydia Deetz, that people will be talking about for a long time.    

For those uninitiated: “Beetlejuice” opened on Broadway in 2019, closed during the pandemic, was successfully resurrected in April 2022, and closed in January 2023 with plans for this tour well underway. The show is based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film starring Michael Keaton with the musical book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, with music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect. It begins with Beetlejuice (Collette) at the graveside services for Lydia’s mother, Emily, who is grief stricken by the loss. Meanwhile, at the home of Adam (Will Burton) and Barbara Maitland (Megan McGinnis), death come quickly and the pair are exiled to the attic. When Charles (Jesse Sharp), along with his gal Friday/lover Delia (Kate Marilley) and Lydia show up to move in, everyone is initially amused by the couple’s ghostly antics, except Lydia, who will do anything to thwart her father’s plan to marry Delia and preserve the memory of her mother.

The Maitland’s form an alliance with Lydia, but when things don’t go very well, Lydia succumbs to Beetlejuice’s deceptive charm, says his name three times, and “It’s Showtime!” From there, it’s not long before this farce gains momentum, the house is overrun with ghouls, goblins and other wild goings-on, and Lydia realizes that she is the only rational living thing in the middle of all the madness. A trip to the Netherworld and lots of freakish folly follows that all adds up to one helluva show.

Collette’s comic timing and impish glee serves his bizarre otherworldly character well. The super-charged chemistry with Esler is a perfect match. And, when she’s by herself, Esler explodes with a powerhouse vocal range that belies her youthful stature. This is a magnificent breakout performance, delivered with charm, passion and sincerity and wonderful to see and hear.

You could not ask for more visually from the Alex Timbers directed production team including the intricate set (David Korins), elaborate projections (Peter Nigrini), stunning costumes (William Ivey Long), raucous choreography (Connor Gallagher) and outstanding music direction (Kris Kukal). Of particular note are the multiple views of the Maitland’s  house through its various transitions and a clever transition to the Netherworld that reminds one of the opening of a Twilight Zone episode. So, if you already have a ticket to see this production of “Beetlejuice-The Musical” you are in luck. The relatively short run through November 19 is selling fast, so quickly, in fact, that it was announced this week that the show would be returning in May 2024 at the Nederlander when everyone will again be saying: Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! … You get the idea.  

PHOTO|Matthew Murphy

Broadway in Chicago
presents
Beetlejuice
Auditorium Theatre
through November 19

WEBSITE

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

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

PicksInSix Review: MJ The Musical - Broadway In Chicago

MJ – All about the Music.
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

If you need a more obvious example of the deep connection of Michael Jackson’s extraordinary pop legacy on our musical culture and psyche, you need look no further than the cover of the Playbill for the North American tour of “MJ” that officially opened at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre on Wednesday night. The iconic black and white graphic of Jackson in mid-flex, floating with heels high, chin defiantly pitched and shaded by a black fedora and poised in a defiant, forceful motion that appears to glide across the ruby red background on the page, says it all. No title necessary.

As every member of the exuberant, capacity crowd was aware—red carpet A-List attendees and frenzied fans from in and out of town—the long-anticipated opening seemingly electrified the corner of Randolph and Dearborn at the epicenter of Chicago’s Theatre District. And that eager and unabashed excitement continued straight through the performance as Jackson’s musical legacy unfolded from childhood music sensation to pop superstar.

Presented by special arrangement with the estate of Michael Jackson, a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and directed and choreographed with unbridled passion by Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon, “MJ” features a non-stop adrenaline rush of several dozens of Jackson’s chartbusting music including hits from the early days of the Jackson Five and his ground-breaking solo career.

In a sweeping narrative set in 1992 days before the launch of Jackson’s Dangerous World Tour, the show evolves from a rehearsal session that introduces the extraordinary Roman Banks as Jackson—a performer of unparalleled physical and vocal range—whose arresting presence captivates every moment he is on stage. In the context of the rehearsal, Jackson’s story stretches past the sorted familial relationship with his domineering and abusive father Joe (Devin Bowles) and the Jackson’s breakthrough with Berry Gordy, to Michael’s collaborative work with Quincy Jones that paved the way for solo stardom. Nottage delves deeply into the sources of Jackson’s obsession with perfection in his work.

The backstory is framed in flashbacks told through the device of a fictional MTV interview that allows the Jackson catalog to weave in, out and around the action with a team of superb Jackson’s of various ages—Brandon Lee Harris as middle Michael and Josiah Benson as little Michael, at the opening—along the way. All the while, Banks serves as narrator and observer of the story of Jackson’s life as it unfolds, until it is time to return to the iconic vocal performances—and Wheeldon’s spellbinding choreography—buoyed by the rich, and often explosive, scenic elements (Derek McLane) and projections (Peter Nigrini) punctuated with dynamic lighting (Nastasha Katz), pin-point perfect costumes (Paul Tazewell) and sound (Gareth Owen) that magnify the lavish, non-stop musical core of the show.

Jackson’s career as originator, innovator and pop superstar is brilliantly conveyed by Banks, who reveals the aspirational, soft-spoken, visionary artist as one committed to the music at all costs in the face of the rising stakes to his health. During an era when industry views were literally shifting overnight by MTV, the media and public demand, the sheer force of Jackson’s impact becomes a turning-point in the story and the complicated life of one of the most celebrated—and conflicted—performers of all time. At some point, for a future generation, it may be necessary to include “MJ” on the Playbill cover. But, not here and not now. That impact shines vividly through September 2 on the Nederlander stage in Banks’s stunning performance and Wheeldon’s equally extraordinary and exhilarating choreography and direction.     

PHOTO | Matthew Murphy

MJ
The Musical

North American Tour
James M. Nederlander Theatre

through September 2

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

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

PicksInSix Review: The Who's Tommy - Goodman Theatre

Take A Trip Of Rock Absurdity!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Scott Gryder

The effusive level of pre-show chatter seamlessly fed off the whirring rush of interstellar white noise soundscape that filled the theater before the opening night performance of “The Who’s Tommy” at the Goodman Theatre. A packed house of patrons was pumped to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Des McAnuff and Pete Townshend’s musically psychedelic experience.

A rock opera-like concept album-turned-stage production, “The Who’s Tommy” tells the bizarre and unraveled story of Tommy Walker, a young man who becomes almost vegetative after witnessing a horrific tragedy as a child. Although Tommy loses his ability to speak or respond, no matter how the people around him test and manipulate him, the music of “The Who’s Tommy” is anything but muted or stilled. Whether you grew up listening to the 1969 LP or you are new to this musical device, this experiential event is not easily forgotten.

In a show that is so quickly paced that most characters resort to two-dimensional dynamics, “The Who’s Tommy” revolves around the traumatized and zombified life of Tommy Walker. Ali Louis Bourzgui delivers an enigmatic Tommy, who’s rageful yet warm rock baritone fits the score wholly; however, though he shines vocally and physically embodies a contorted delirium with dedication, Bourzgui lacks the enchanting charisma that could drive a troubled crowd to seek him out as their savior in the final moments. The most standout of the principals is Tommy’s mother, Alison Luff, whose Mrs. Walker so smartly and subtly adds compassion to each of her musical moments, devoting her cause to freeing her son from his tortured state. And it’s Bobby Conte as Cousin Kevin, who, although bullies Tommy in despicable ways, generously belts and riffs with an effortless rock-musical ability.

Although familiar with the 1975 film, I hadn’t grown up listening to the original concept album, and I was very eager to see how the team of director McAnuff and choreographer Lorin Latarro was going to bring this semi-delirious dreamstate of a concept musical back to the stage. What I found most challenging was the staging concept distorting the time period of the piece, ranging from the 1940s to the 1970s, and the stylings of the music. It was sometimes jolting that the song genres didn’t align with the time period of the story. Alternatively thinking, with a plot that sometimes sends one’s head spinning with its frenetic, drug-induced book, if one stripped away the repetitive, pop lyrics entirely, it’s feasible that “The Who’s Tommy” could easily transform into a passionate rock ballet. And it’s thanks to the genius of Latarro’s choreography that the ensemble moves as one communal organism, emphasizing the subtext of each scene by storytelling through movement, executed with power and grace.

Within the rapidly pinballing vignettes led by little plot-based lyric, “The Who’s Tommy” hardly allows for character development or discovery, and it’s the production’s creative team that provides the foundation for layers of emotional evolution. David Korin’s set designs literally pulse across the stage, sliding mechanically in and out, framing moments for emphasis to better communicate the wants and needs of characters. Combine that with the laser lighting design of Amanda Zieve and Peter Nigrini’s honed projections, and the essence of each scene is instantly captured through the visual narrator. Even more impressive is the balance between the bombastic voices and the rocking nine-piece band, which brings the sonorous strength of a full orchestra. Rick Fox’s music direction and Gareth Owen’s sound design truly satiate!

Although “The Who’s Tommy” is presented in a succession of pell mell, whirlwinding memorable melodic moments paired with snippets of searing plot, it does remind us to shatter the ring-lit mirrors of our own inhibitions brought about by the traumas of our past in order to clear our minds and live in the present; coming home to our true selves. In a time where being true to oneself can bring about literal violence from those who don’t agree or understand, it’s moving to remember how the power of the universal language of music can deliver a unifying force to bring an entire audience to its feet.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SCOTT GRYDER received a Non-Equity Jeff Award for his performance in the one-man show BUYER & CELLAR. www.thescottgryder.com

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

GOODMAN THEATRE
presents
The Who’s Tommy
EXTENDED through August 6
Albert Theatre
170 N. Dearborn St.

(312) 443-3800

WEBSITE

For more reviews, visit: Theatre In Chicago

ARCHIVE

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