Buzz Magazine - Chicago Entertainment, News, Sports & Blogs

As The thunderstorm rolls through to Lord Rancour’s mansion, all the guests disappear unexpectedly one by one. But did the butler do it? “Something’s Afoot,” a campy, delightful musical comedy, running at Citadel Theatre Company in Lake Forest, tells the story of 10 dinner guests, who disappear one by one. But no one knows who murdered who!

Brilliantly directed by director Wayne Mell, he allows the characters to let loose and have fun with it. Talking with Mell, he told me, “This is the first show we’re doing in a new space. We used to be in a basement of a church. But with a show like this, we needed a much bigger space.”  Tightly choreographed by Marianne Brown and wonderful music direction by Nick Sula, the show was fun to watch.

Set in 1935, the show reminded me a lot of “Clue” meets “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” The cast blended tightly on such ensemble numbers as “Something’s Afoot,” “Suspicious,” and “Carry On.” Every actor was cast perfectly in their role including Debra Criche Mell (Miss Tweed), Dennis Murphy (Clive), and Kaitlyn Andrulis (Lettie).

The comedy relief came from Mario Mazetti, who played Lord Rancour’s nephew Nigel, and from the clumsy handyman Flint, played by Edward Kuffert. Sarah Breidenbach sounded beautiful as the naïve, but sweet Hope Langdon. Her song “You Fell Out of the Sky” was fantastic. Along with her lover Geoffrey (Christopher Davis), the two highlighted the show with their duets together.

Other great highlights of the show were Flint and Lettie’s hilarious duet “(Tiny Little) Dingy.” Other notable performances were from Ellen Phelps as Lady Grace Manley-Prowe, and Andrew J. Pond as the hysterical Col. Gillweather.

Walking into this theatre, I didn’t know what I was going to expect, but as I looked at the gorgeous set that made you feel like you were in a mansion, and the amazing special effects brought the house to life. I definitely recommend this show for anyone that loves British humor, and loves a great comedic farce. This truly lives up to that.

‘Something’s Afoot’

Citadel Theatre Company, West campus of Lake Forest High School, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays with one Wednesday matinee at 1 p.m. May 18, through June 5

$35/$32 for students and seniors.

(847) 735-8554 or visit www.citadeltheatre.org.

Meet one of the stars of the Video Game Reunion here. The show is going on at this link, right now!

http://vgr.atom.com/#!s1/episodes/episode_1

Tonya Kay is an entertainer. Tonya Kay is a good steward of animals and earth. Tonya Kay is the voice of Green Girl, a lead comedic actor in the "life of it's own" movie Bold Native, Princess Peach on March 8th's launch of the Comedy Central special Video Game Reunion, has performed for Conan O'Brien, Japan, and toured in 2007 with Panic at the Disco.

Tonya also toured with STOMP, landing the opportunity in New York, and as a former Bridgeport  (Chicago) resident, she knows a few things about Chicagoland. Meet a person who's been in the business and makes the best of it. In a position to influence people with messages of vegan-living principles Tonya Kay does. She truely is a Bold Native in every sense of the phrase.

A vegetarian/vegan for approximately 30 years, when on tour with Kenny Rogers a while back, a road-stop to eat convinced Tonya that it was time to go entirely vegan after a slew of neon-color-packaged food with little to no appeal or health value finally drew the line.

The University of Chicago's very own, Court Theatre, was decorated with an array of scattered paintings, brilliant lighting, skinny doors, and fitted trash on Saturday, September 25th, as I sat down for Director Sean Graney's witty adaption of William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, showcasing until October 17th, 2010. As I existed among a full room of spectators, I found myself readily open to be not just amused, but impressed. The cast consisted of six exceptional performers at any given time, bringing to life twenty animated characters that had the audience filling the air with laughter. Not only were my expectations met, but they were exceeded.

With some modern Graney renovations, The Comedy of Errors presented itself ninety minutes straight, and kept a consistency of clever puns throughout the time allotted. Elizabeth Ledo started the play out with high energy, entering stage right on a scooter as a towncrier who warns the people of Ephesus that none from Syracuse are welcome. Subsequently, the plot unfolds to reveal two unrelated twins, played by Alex Goodrich and Erik Hellman, from Syracuse who arrive in Ephesus in search of their identical brothers, also played by Goodrich and Hellman, which causes much confusion amongst the Ephesus townspeople (especially considering the sets of twins share the same names: Dromio and Antipholus). Significant others, friends, merchants, and even the police of Ephesus find themselves confused on what to make of the utter chaos that is bestowed upon the stage. The humor is endless, and sometimes pushes the envelope, which I loved. Somehow the ending out-did itself, as the confusion is resolved and the lights paint the stage for a dance party while the six actors do lightening quick costume changes, allowing a variety of characters to be involved in the ending. When the final bows were taken I sat in my seat for a moment hoping that I could watch the play just once more before heading back home.

Aside from an eye-catching stage arrangement, a gifted director, and a hilarious plot, this play had what is most necessary for a stellar show: notable performers. Kurt Ehrmann played four characters, including Dr. Pinch and the Courtezan, all of which had me laughing out loud. He delivered unfailing amusement for the viewers, as well as an eye full that no one saw coming. Elizabeth Ledo tackled four characters, her most memorable being Luciana and Luce. Ledo was not shy to step out of her shell and show everybody what she was capable of. In return, her enthusiasm drove her characters as far to the brink as possible, and left admiration from the crowd. The only other female performing alongside Ledo was Stacy Stoltz, who shined in her role as Antipholus' significant other, Adriana, a whiny wife with no clue as to which Antipholus is which. Also filling the stage with three characters to play was Steve Wilson, who created such a strong presence with not only his amusing facial features, but his ability to deliver well executed farce comedy for the crowd. Handling the main characters (as well as other roles) were Hellman and Goodrich, as mentioned earlier. Both actors did a wonderful job of winning over the audience in belief. Hellman did a fantastic job with his roles, and I enjoyed that his twin characters had different accents that he managed to keep straight. As a closet critic, I had a personal preference towards Goodrich's style of presence on the stage, everything from his faces to his voices had me wishing he was on a television sitcom so that I could watch him more. Everybody did a great job of highly entertaining me.

If you are wanting to do something new, or just laugh, I fully recommend stopping by Court Theatre to see The Comedy of Errors while it is still playing. If you miss it, then I am sorry, because great plays aren't as common as your favorite television show. The entire show was made possible with the help of raw talent - director, actor, and even the behind the scenes crew. Yet again, Chicago has not failed to disappoint me with what it has to offer.

From the brilliantly wacky minds of David and Amy Sedaris comes The Book of Liz, the heartwarming and hilarious tale of one Sister Elizabeth Dunderstock of the Squeamish cult -- er, religious community. Liz's delicious cheeseballs (both traditional and smoky) are wildly popular and sustain the existence of the quaint and pious Clusterhaven. However, Liz grows to feel unappreciated among her Squeamish brethern and makes the bold decision to try her luck in the outside world. On her journey, she makes plenty of friends, including Cockney-speaking Ukrainian immigrants (from Ukrainia), who find her a job waiting tables at Plymouth Crock, a family restaurant run entirely by recovering alcoholics. Everyone loves her and things are going great for Liz, until she's offered a promotion to manager on the condition that Liz fix her excessive sweating problem. Of course Liz wants the job, but should that mean compromising who she is? Meanwhile in Clusterhaven, the Squeamish can't seem to duplicate Liz's cheeseball recipe, and the community is suffering as a result. What is Liz's secret cheeseball ingredient? Will Liz stay and take her chances in the real world, or will she reclaim her place in the Squeamish community? Find out for yourself at Chemically Imbalanced Comedy on Friday and Saturday nights, where The Book of Liz will be playing until December 18th.

Much of this comedy calls to mind the short-lived Comedy Central show Strangers with Candy, which starred Amy Sedaris. Ridiculous situations and silly -- but oftentimes very much adult -- humor are characteristics of both and will be sure to have you in stitches. A talented and enthusiastic cast (each who play multiple characters throughout the show) bring the Sedaris' hysteriical words to life, both the subtle comedy ("You really think I'll make an okay waitress?" "Liz, I KNOW you'll make an okay waitress!") and the not-so-subtle ("You're gonna want to take the outer road to Route 420--" "Hehehe, 420." "Hehe, yeah it's funny.") And, despite the cheeseballs, don't expect anything cheesy here; what you get is the original, outrageous comedy of America's most hilarious sibling duo.

Chicago Writer John Kramer interviews Chicago Comedian Shelly Gossman about Second City and her

SNL audition.

Shelly has recently become a Saturday Night Live Writer. Congratulations!

A BuzznewsTV Comedy Review Special Feature Presentation!

Special thanks to John Kramer!

See more of John HERE!

Click here for a total list of SNL Writers over 36 Seasons so far!

Enjoy!

August Comedy

Feature!

This August in Comedy on BuzznewsTV!

Featuring the works of Film Maker/Writer

JOHN KRAMER

Chicagoland Producer

John Kramer has a long-standing comedy career in Chicagoland receiving notoriety on CNN, FOX CHICAGO SUNDAY, The New York Times, and has even worked alongside comedy stars Jim Belushi, Chris Farley, and Tina Fey to name a few. 

John Kramer produces a variety of comedic material.

You can also see some comedy animations by John in a Buzz Cartoon & Animation search at the top of the page.

Enjoy. Stay tuned for another great episode next week.

Also Featuring

THE SONG A WEEK PROJECT

with

Matt Griffo & Andy Gailor

Enjoy!

Stay Tuned. More to Come.

Click HERE for more BuzznewsTV!

Kimberly Katz’ Platinum Press

“This Brilliant Jew is No Dummy!”

I have been eager to see the brilliant comedian and actor Don Rickles live and in concert for so many years. I saw him perform finally at The Venue in Hammond, Indiana last week and I was blown away by his abundant energy and razor sharp rapier wit. Even at 84, Don is still knockin’ ‘em dead with his own, unique brand of insult comedy.

The audience in the sold out house roared as Rickles’ hysterically skewered those in the front rows. “Hey look it’s a black guy in the front row, isn’t that nice, that’s lovely, send them some champagne. Oh and you the Jap, why don’t you take a picture of the nice black couple in the front row with their champagne - you’re never gonna’ see that again!”

I am Jewish too, and there is kind of an unspoken thing that if you ARE Jewish, you can joke about Jews, and since your people survived the Holocaust, well… you can pretty much safely joke about everyone else.

Rickles’ is a long time Democrat, and the thing that actually makes his insult comedy politically correct is that instead of spewing hate, he is actually defusing all the stereotypes and generalizations that most people have bubbling under the surface, and he allows them to come out into the light of day and pop like so many soap bubbles in laughter.

I was surprised to find out that this long time friend of Frank Sinatra is actually in possession of a great set of pipes himself. Rickles’ performs a couple of great tunes in his act with a full orchestra behind him and with great force and emotion. I was very impressed and had no idea he could sing so well!

I also loved the general atmosphere of his show. Many of my relatives, my grandparents and great aunts and uncles have all passed and being there with Don and his audience, which happily had a lot of alta cockers - old Jews in it, was like being back at home at my grandparent’s house in Miami, Florida as we kibitzed around trying to make each laugh. What a wonderful evening it was and I have rarely seen an audience this size and with so many races and ages in attendance, leave a show laughing and with such huge smiles on their faces!

One of my favorite bits was about his wife of 45 years, Barbara. Don says

”I still have to give her what she wants once in a while. When I come home and hear her saying, ‘Pussycat? Pussycat?’ I know I have to jump under the bed and say ‘Meow? Meow’ -Yeah, I still do it for her…because everything is in her name!”

Rickles continues to be very active on the stand-up comedy scene, and is still a popular performer in Las Vegas with many dates booked through the end of 2010. He has no plans to retire and as he recently said in an interview: "I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it!”

If you don’t like drinking with friends, playing drinking games with strangers, or laughter of any sort, better to stay at home than see this show at the Pub Theater. On the other hand, if you love any of those things, than you must see the show that truly understands the heart of Chicago. Bye Bye Liver is an interactive, engaging, eccentric, Chicago drinking play that will have you clutching your side for a solid hour between socials (Everybody Drink!).

“Come to drink, stay to laugh,” says creator, director and producer of Bye Bye Liver, Byron Hatfield. “The idea is celebrating all the crazy stuff you do when you’re drinking, not getting drunk while you watch the show.”

The Pub Theater is located in Lakeview and is situated – appropriately – above an actual pub. The audience area is made up of small café style tables that fit about four people with chairs facing the small stage that are taken out of your junior high English classroom. The concept is to make the audience feel like they’re about to be drinking in a pub with 100 of their newest and closest friends. In fact, before the show started, one of my ‘new friends’ stated “this is my third time seeing this show; you’re going to love it.” If she’s willing to come back a third time that gave me great hopes that it was going to be a great time.

With drinks in hand the show began, and here’s the general gist: when the lights were down, we were watching sketch comedy, when the lights were up, and we were playing drinking games with our neighbors and the cast members. The games were great, but it was the cast that stole the night, and my attention. I didn’t stop laughing throughout the entire show.  

“We call ourselves the gateway drug for comedy,” says Byron. “For many people, this is the first show they see in Chicago, but it’s one that they can relate to. And hopefully makes them want to see more Chicago theater.”

Adds cast member Sherra Lasley, “We’re the hub for good comedy. It’s comedy that speaks to the audience and the true culture of Chicago.”

The idea of interactive comedy is not new to the Chicago area, but Bye Bye Liver simply gets it right. The actors are classically trained in everything from Improv to Shakespeare, so you know you’re going to see great acting, but it’s the relatability of the material that makes this show a stand out. Talking with members of the cast and the director after the show, I learned that they draw from their own real life experiences as well as stories from audience members, fans, and Chicagoans.

The show holds up an oh-so-realistic, hilariously accurate mirror to society. From sketches that delve into the eternal question of “why do girls go to the bathroom in groups?” to hilarious scenarios of drunken hookups, dealing with issues of love and loss, or just plain embarrassing moments of having too much too drink and saying things we’ll regret in the morning (we’ve all been there), the cast of Bye Bye Liver spoofs them all, sparing no one.

But the show isn’t without its challenges…

“As the bartender in the show, and the host, my goal is to be the ultimate drinking buddy, the kind of guy you look at say ‘I want to hang out with him.’ It’s difficult to accomplish, but when you can balance that ability to lay down the law and still be likeable, then you’re going to have a great show,” says co-founder of the Pub Theater and actor, Josh Dunkin. “We really thrive on audience enthusiasm, and for us, the material is so true to life that every audience member can relate on some level and have a great time.”

The ensemble cast plays four shows a weekend, two per night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays, and if you still need validation of their talent, the show sells out every weekend.

This is one show that you must see, if only to get in a good laugh and a good drink with friends. But if you’re thinking that it’s just for the young (er) crowd -- think again. The audience was made up of long standing couples, first dates, big group gatherings, mother and daughter outings, and reunions with old college buddies. There is no age maximum, (though you do have to be 21 or older to see the show), so if you’ve ever been to a bar in Chicago, or have had a drink with friends, you will enjoy this show. That’s a promise.

I’m already rallying friends and getting ready to go again, and you should do the same.

I spent my most recent Saturday at a place called The Spot.  The upstairs area of this venue contained tables and chairs, a bar, and a stage.  I knew what I was here for, yet did not know what to expect.  This place, or Spot as it was, reeked of a casual crowd, all gazing their gawpers on the site of anticipated entertainment.  The stage was small and intensely surrounded by seating.  When the program begins, a woman of impressive bust and brogue introduces our evening and primes us for the main events.  She is soon interrupted and joined by a goofy gentleman claiming to be the "king of mardi gras."

The Extravalanche comedy flight offers a preview of some of the best shows in the Windy. Hosted Nick Lullo (Blu Mic), performers include Steve Mulcahy, Tony Sam, Kumail (Chicago Comedy Series), Jared Logan (Chicago Comedy Series), Rachel Lewis, Headcheese Fatboss, Flambango, Team Submarinne, and the improvised rock opera Baby Wants Candy.