The Little Mermaid at Lyric Opera House is an incredibly beautiful and massive production that holds the audience spellbound from the moment it begins until the final magnificent scene of love transcendent. 

This ballet created by John Neumeier for the Royal Danish Ballet in 2005 was way ahead of its time in that it tackles a lot of somber adult themes including surviving assault, struggles with mental health and physical disability when the little Mermaid is confined to a wheelchair and sees all the healthy young people around her dancing through their lives, falling in love and marrying while she is pushed and carried through human life by the adoring Poet who feels everything she feels. This ballet is so wonderfully choreographed and danced, the music and lighting and set design so sumptuous, that the audience is allowed to fill in their own blanks of this timeless tale of unrequited love through the wordless yet completely emotive dancers of the Joffrey Ballet Company, the highest caliber of dancers in the world today.  

The brilliant Neumeier also created fantastic sets that include giant arcs of white light that represent the moving seas, a starry night that descends into their bedroom and carries the lovers into heavenly bliss. Also impactful is a white box shaped room with a ceiling that frighteningly closes in on the Little Mermaid, as she the incredibly expressive Victoria Jaiani literally "climbs the walls" while struggling to maintain her sanity working out her deep grief and anxiety over human love and life in her final transformation to immortality.

According to the program notes, this production has reinterpreted Hans Christian Andersen's dark yet uplifting fairy tale to include the unrequited love of The Poet, played with wonderful intensity and longing by Stefan Goncalvez, for the Prince (Dylan Gutierrez) a gallant, athletic alpha male. However, the Prince, it appears, is actually more suited for the cheerful blonde debutante Princess (Anais Bueno) that he eventually marries than either the Poet or The Little Mermaid who, in this interpretation, both long to win his heart and marry him, but this amazing interpretation represents archetypes of human personalities not genders. 

Again, it is important to mention this is NOT the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, and there is a scene described as violent in her transformation that has sexual assault undertones as she is stripped naked by the Sea Witch and left on the beach alone. In the 1838 original and the Disney film, the moral message or warning to girls and women was more about The Mermaid giving up her VOICE, when she agrees to be made mute by the Sea Witch who cuts off her tongue as payment for the spell to pursue her beloved Prince. Yet, I loved that Neumeier focuses on the disability that crushes her spirit by sacrificing her beautiful, graceful and strong swimmer's tail because even though she is still able to dance better for the Prince than any human, the Sea Witch has ensured that every step she takes for her Prince will hurt her terribly, "filling her shoes with blood". 

From Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid;

"Every footstep felt as if she were walking on the blades and points of sharp knives, just as the witch had foretold, but she gladly endured it. She moved as lightly as a bubble as she walked beside the Prince. He and all who saw her marveled at the grace of her gliding walk. Graceful slaves now began to dance to the most wonderful music. Then the little mermaid lifted her shapely white arms, rose up on the tips of her toes, and skimmed over the floor. No one had ever danced so well. Each movement set off her beauty to better and better advantage, and her eyes spoke more directly to the heart than any of the singing slaves could do." 

Although her name and the other leads, like The Poet and Prince and Princess are only listed in alphabetical order in the program as a member of the company, this ballet is not a true ensemble piece. 

I want to acknowledge the superb dancer, the superstar who brought to life and danced the lead character of the Mermaid, Victoria Jaiani, throughout this two-and-a-half hour long, highly emotionally and physically demanding role. Jaiani is absolutely stunning and heartbreakingly expressive in this sublime role with every single move of her graceful expressive hands, legs and face. 

"The most eager of them all was the youngest, She was an unusual child, quiet and wistful, and when her sisters decorated their gardens with all kinds of odd things they had found in sunken ships, she would allow nothing in hers except flowers as red as the sun, and a pretty marble statue. This figure of a handsome boy, carved in pure white marble, had sunk down to the bottom of the sea from some ship that was wrecked. Beside the statue she planted a rose-colored weeping willow tree, which thrived so well that its graceful branches shaded the statue and hung down to the blue sand, where their shadows took on a violet tint, and swayed as the branches swayed. It looked as if the roots and the tips of the branches were kissing each other in play."

Stefan Goncalvez as The Poet in 'The Little Mermaid'

The choreography was spectacular and modern, like watching a silent movie wherein the actors express everything they are feeling through their faces and bodies without words. 

The costume design also by Neumeier was lush and rich in every scene, especially in its ingenious depiction of the underwater world in which Jaiani appears to swim, float and twist in the water like a real fish, suspended in the air by three black-clothed dancers who disappear in the wake of her beauty like puppeteers. 

A final note from Hans Christian Andersen on the relationship between The Poet who watches The Little Mermaid and literally carries and comforts her emotionally throughout her ordeal on earth is that everyone can identify with the Poets' quest to find his own true self and love through the Little Mermaid, who represents his Everlasting  Soul, which is not truly in his control nor is the Little Mermaid his "Creation". 

“Who are you, toward whom I rise?" she asked, and her voice sounded like those above her, so spiritual that no music on earth could match it.

"We are the daughters of the air," they answered. "A mermaid has no immortal soul and can never get one unless she wins the love of a human being. Her eternal life must depend upon a power outside herself. The daughters of the air do not have an immortal soul either, but they can earn one by their good deeds. We fly to the south, where the hot poisonous air kills human beings unless we bring cool breezes. We carry the scent of flowers through the air, bringing freshness and healing balm wherever we go. When for three hundred years we have tried to do all the good that we can, we are given an immortal soul and a share in mankind's eternal bliss. You, poor little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to do this too. Your suffering and your loyalty have raised you up into the realm of airy spirits, and now in the course of three hundred years you may earn by your good deeds a soul that will never die."

The little mermaid lifted her clear bright eyes toward God's sun, and for the first time her eyes were wet with tears.

"We may get there even sooner," one spirit whispered.

I was so moved by this piece I will see it again before the short run ends. I highly recommend this explosive, hypnotic and mind-bending extravaganza of superb dancers for everyone over the age of 16. 

Through April 30^th at Lyric Opera House. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

After its successful run of Book of Merman, MadKap Productions decided to take on a brilliant, little known farce comedy - Neil Simon’s Rumors. Quick, witty dialogue is the name of the game in this fast-paced story that revolves around an upscale dinner party where everything that can possibly go wrong, kind of does – and then some. When Ken Gorman (Nathan Dale Short) and his wife Chris (Erin Renee Baumrucker) throw a 10^th anniversary party for New York’s Deputy Mayor, Charlie Brock and his wife, Myra, a gunshot in Charlie’s room changes everything and speculation between the hosts and their six invited guests runs rampant and riotously spirals into every direction possible. As one challenging scenario unfolds after another, the absurdity gets funnier and funnier. Truths become distorted and the lies told are modified more and more as emotions are let loose amongst this normally reserved group of friends. Let’s just say this dinner party is a complete train wreck – and it couldn’t be more fun watching it unravel.

Simon’s Rumors starts with a bang (literally) then gains more and more steam until it becomes a full-on expose of the emotional underpinnings of the upper class. Thanks to Wayne Mell’s outstanding direction and MadKap’s mature and very talented cast that effectively take on a slew of quirky characters, we are presented with one helluva hilarious production that rarely stops to catch its breath. While the entire cast deserves big props, Landon Cally truly takes command of the stage in just about every scene he takes part in as Leonard Ganz, better known as “Len”. Cally’s rapid-fire line delivery and ability to display such a wide range of emotions really drew me into the action. Julie Peterson also shines as a highly animated Claire Ganz, who could easily be mistaken for one of the very popular Housewives of New York, and veteran Chicago actress SarahAnn Sutter gets big laughs as Cookie.

Neil Simon, a Pulitzer Prize Winner, was one of the greatest Jewish writers of all time, and this choice of his little-known comedy Rumors by Director Wayne Mell at this moment in history with anti-Semitism on the rise worldwide is so perfect and timely.

One of the couples is hit by a car on the way to the party in their three-day old BMW, but they do not stop to go to the hospital. Instead they arrive breathlessly with excitement at the party, the husband with whiplash and the wife with a bloody lip. When they get there they find their best friend, Charlie, passed out on Valium having shot a bullet through his ear. His wife is nowhere to be found.

The first rumor that his friends attempt to quell is that Charlie, a Deputy Mayor, has tried to commit suicide.  His friends know that suicide is legally a crime and at that time ANY "criminal behavior" including mental illness was perceived by society as a way to ruin one's life and work. So they begin to make an effort to cover up what they think has happened before the rest of his friends even arrive. 

This is also kind of a fun whodunit, so I don’t want to give it all away, but the genius that Simon conveys through this particular farce is that even though each person ends up literally injured in some way - including back spasms, a bad cut in the kitchen, temporary deafness, etc., etc., - none of the partygoers actually leave to go home. Simon cleverly and compassionately shows that each of these bored, jaded, overworked and overly intellectual couples have nothing more exciting to go home to.

They have individually, and as couples, grown so bored with their lives and have been accustomed to playing certain restrictive and prescribed roles for their partners and each other by coloring within the lines on a daily basis. They have lost touch with everything real and genuine in their partners and sadly in their get togethers as well… until this night.  

Landon Cally and Julie Peterson in 'Rumors' at Skokie Theatre

In fact it is perfect Neil Simon humor and irony that the group of friends are finally forced to dance gleefully and laugh together in order to protect their friend’s reputation, that they all realize they have been lying to each other unnecessarily. By teaming up together they finally realize that laughter and friendship is the balm that each and every person present individually discovers they need deeply in order to be their best, most alive and genuine selves no matter how flawed or funny they have become as couples and as a community.

This quote from Simons' huge hit  and 1965 Tony Award Winner "The Odd Couple" really describes how every unique character in Rumors grows into a new person under pressure and finally have the chutzpah to "Throw their G-d Damned cup! 

“([FELIX] (suddenly stands up and cocks his arm back, about to hurl the cup angrily against the front door. Then he thinks better of it, puts the cup down and sits)

OSCAR. (Watching this) Why didn’t you throw it?
FELIX. I almost did. I get so insane with myself sometimes.
OSCAR. Then why don’t you throw the cup?
FELIX. Because I’m trying to control myself.
OSCAR. Why?
FELIX. What do you mean, why?
OSCAR. Why do you have to control yourself? You’re angry, you felt like throwing the cup, why don’t you throw it?
FELIX. Because there’s no point to it. I’d still be angry, and I’d have a broken cup.
OSCAR. How do you know how you’d feel? Maybe you’d feel wonderful. Why do you have to control every single thought in your head? Why don’t you let loose once in your life? Do something that you feel like doing—and not what you think you’re supposed to do. Stop keeping books, Felix. Relax. Get drunk. Get angry. C’mon, break the goddamned cup!”

Neil Simon considered Rumors his own first true “farce“ first produced back in 1988, Rumors is eerily ahead of its time in the comic portrayal of the lives of the rich and almost famous politicians that we know daily see and consume  as reality television. Rumors is quite a departure from the other 30-some plays he had written. On deciding to write a farce comedy, Simon was quoted in an interview with the New York Times.

"I was going through some difficult times...I wanted to work, because work is always a cathartic process for me, and I thought it would be really good just to get into a comedy. This is completely different for me...It's unlike anything I've ever written. It's my first farce." In describing the play, he said, "The play started with the idea of doing a farce...The next thing was to do it as an elegant farce, because the farces in Moliere's days were generally about wealthy people. These aren't extremely wealthy people, but they are well-to-do. So, I decided to dress them in evening clothes. There was something about having them dressed in evening clothes that I thought was a nice counterpoint to the chaos that was happening in the play. And so, I picked a reason for them to be dressed elegantly, and it was a 10th anniversary."

MadKap Productions also does this play right with its inviting and roomy set, which puts us theater goers in the midst of a dinner party while also giving its cast the spaciousness to let loose. In fact, the theater space itself is a wonderful place to take in a staged production. MadKap currently makes its home at Skokie Theatre after a nice run at The Greenhouse Theater in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Just a twenty-minute or so drive from northern Chicago (depending on traffic), Skokie Theatre is a beautifully renovated movie house with ample, and comfy, seating that offers parking right next door and accessible public parking right across the street. This is the perfect show to introduce yourself to MadKap if not already familiar.

I highly recommend MadKap’s Rumors at Skokie Theatre for an enlightening night of classic comedy for audiences of all ages.

Rumors is being performed at Skokie Theatre (7924 N. Lincoln Ave, Skokie) through April 23^rd. For tickets and/or more show information, click here. Next up is Hair beginning June 3rd.

Just on the heels of a very successful run of The Sound of Music, the three-hour production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award winning Into the Woods at the lushly appointed art deco Paramount Theatre is here to delight another round of theatregoers. Simply stunning and jam-packed with talent and energy, Paramount gives us another production to rave about. Upon entering the theater, the enormous set by designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec, with romantic and powerful lighting by Jose Santiago, is a spectacle to behold with its beautiful stately trees and fairy tale castle towers which dazzles the eye and ignites the audience's senses.

Into the Woods is a slightly adult version of a mashup of Brothers Grimm fairy tales that is really a metaphor for venturing out into the world and in everyday life on new paths to find happiness and love. Mixed together in this epic and humorous adventure are characters and plot lines from Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel.   

Although this is clearly an ensemble piece with a large and exciting cast, the play is held together and given a continuous depth of meaning by its Narrator, played by outstanding character actor Larry Yando (he also doubles as Mysterious Man). I went to college with Yando at the Goodman/DePaul School of Drama back in 1987 and now all Chicago audiences know and love his work as Ebenezer Scrooge in Goodman Theatre’s long-running Christmas favorite, A Christmas Carol.

The production contains numerous catchy Sondheim musical numbers including its title track that opens the show along with "Our Little World", "Ever After", "No One Is Alone" and the very funny “Agony” wonderfully performed by Cinderella's Prince (Alex Syiek) and Rapunzel's Prince (Devin DeSantis) – in perhaps the one of the shows funniest scenes. Another standout for me includes outstanding vocal performances from Cinderella, played with great humor by Hannah Louise Fernandes who questions why she is "running from a Prince?” after her fairy Godmother used magic to help her attend the ball. Also, Little Red Riding Hood, played by the sardonic and ruby-lipped Lucy Panush, is adorable throughout. Panush is forever changed by her encounter with the lusty Wolf who sniffs her as if she is a tasty pastry and she recalls with misty wonder how being "swallowed by the wolf" let her fall into a deep dark place that she surprisingly found quite fascinating. 

Paramount Theatre’s Into the Woods features (from left) Stephen Schellhardt as the Baker, Will Koski as Jack, Natalie Weiss as the Witch, Hannah Louise Fernandes as Cinderella and Lucy Panush as Little Red Ridinghood. Photo by Liz Lauren.

The show is bursting with talented performances throughout and peppered with brilliant comedic and singing performances including that of Sarah Bockel as the Baker’s Wife, Will Koski as Jack and Natalie Weiss as The Witch. Its story is fun and has a twist around every corner while the extraordinary set and lighting/sound effects keep us smack dab in the middle of an enchanted world like no other.

The music throughout is impressive and big. I always love to walk down at the end of a show to see the orchestra in the pit, and this large gifted group of musicians led by Music Director/Conductor Kory Danielson are a character in their own right. And the music that comes from an orchestra of this size is something you can feel pulsing in your heart as the play takes the audience through all "the feels" from joy to loss, sensual longing to satisfaction and everything in between. 

Into the Woods has so many great characters and intertwining storylines, each with their own moral lesson, that there is something everyone can relate to at every age, whether it is the joys and disappointments that come with leaving home, reckoning with your parents’ goodness or mourning the loss of a loved one.

I highly recommend this outstanding and exciting, colorful and dramatic production for audiences between the ages of 12 to 91 (the age Sondheim passed away in 2021) who are seeking a rich, quality and satisfying night out at the theater. 

Into the Woods runs through March 19th at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Ave., in Aurora. For tickets visit paramountaurora.com or call 630-896-6666.

The Book of Merman is a delightful musical theater piece that beautifully spins the popular Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon.

When doing home-to-home missionary work, I’m sure no one can predict how the day will go. So many different situations can present themselves whether the expected or least expected. From slammed doors to willing listeners to who knows what, each house approached is certainly a new adventure. Well, this day was no exception as our fearless and faith-led Mormons arrive upon a house only to get the surprise meeting of a lifetime. Elder Braithwaite (Alex Iacobucci) and Elder Schumway (Danny Ferenczi) play the two Mormon missionaries who are doggedly going door to door trying to make converts when they discover that the house they have been welcomed into belongs to none other than the legendary Ethel Merman! After being invited inside by Merman (who mistakes the two as salesman), the story soon evolves into an unconventional, but effective journey that takes us down the path of self-acceptance – a path that in many ways teaches us to embrace every part of ourselves. And this path is often hilarious thanks to a very funny script along with a host of original songs that work incredibly well.     

Julie Peterson, who was the understudy for this role in the off-Broadway production, really steals the show as the leading character with her lively personality and spot on singing in that wonderful powerhouse style that the grand dame Ethel Merman was famous for.  

Although the two missionaries played with great energy by Iacobucci and Ferenczi had to wear their missionary suits the whole show, the period costumes by designer Patti Halajian for Merman kept upping the ante on glamour throughout the almost two-hour show and were so much fun to see Peterson perform in.

I really enjoyed this show produced by MadKap Productions at the lovely, intimate - yet airy and comfortable - Skokie Theater.  The set design worked nicely with lighting by Pat Henderson and sound designer Kevin J. Mell.

The Book of Merman was written by Leo Schwartz and D.C. Cathro, with music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz and I absolutely adored the message of all the songs in this especially "A Little Bit of Me" and "Because of You".

The underlying message of this show has to do with so many current issues regarding loving oneself, success and failure at midlife and how getting the encouragement from even one good friend or true fan of your work can revitalize an entire life whose heart has been broken by loneliness and what one may perceive as failures in an otherwise illustrious past. 

"A Little Bit of Me" is a tremendous number for Peterson to shine in vocally which urges the audience to remember that their uniqueness is of the greatest value in life, that being yourself fully in your art and life, no matter what society or even your fans of your quirky style or belief system, is the best way to fulfillment and happiness on earth. 

It’s clever, it’s entertaining and it’s FUN. Keenly directed by Ty Perry with brilliant Musical Direction by Jeremy Ramey, I highly recommend this production for audiences of all ages who will enjoy the lively song and dance numbers and strong messages of positivity. Also, the Skokie Theatre was a great place to see a show with ample free parking right next to the theater and comfortable modern seating. 

The Book of Merman is being preformed at Skokie Theatre through February 26^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

Have you ever fallen in love – or out of love? Have you ever lost the love of your life only to find the new love is waiting for you right around the corner at just the perfect moment? Have you ever found love when you weren’t even looking for it? In John Cariani’s play, Almost Maine, the audience follows a series of several vignettes that revolves around these questions, each taking place in a small out of the way Maine town that sits under the Northern Lights. Skillfully directed by Susan Gorman, the stories we are presented with are touching, charming and often very funny. While some scenes are more direct in their nature a few are intended for the audience to interpret – leaving myself in a healthy conversation on the way home on where we felt the writer was going. The nice thing about this play is that it relates to just about everyone who has been in a relationship in one way or another, so throughout the performance it was easy to say to myself on a few occasions, yep, I’ve been there…

To successfully pull off its nine heartfelt sketches, this talented cast of four take on the daunting task of playing five-plus roles each – and they absolutely nail it. Cast members, Eileen Dixon, Zach Kunde, Whitney Minarik and Rio Ragazzone each get to show off their wide ranges, particularly impressing with their spot-on comedic timing. The casting couldn’t have been more perfect as all four leave notable performances – and to be fair, I caught the final preview just before opening night.

The creative team does a fine job in staging this production. The set is simple – not much more than a few pine trees thoughtfully moved around a home or establishment entrance for each scene – but it works well thanks to an engaging script that really keeps our focus on each actor so that the set works more as a subtle background that leaves the actors with a wide open, nearly blank canvas, leaving the deeper details of its scenes up to the imagination of the audience.   

In all, I found Almost, Maine an irresistible collection of quaint love stories that touched on every end of the spectrum. Delightful and often laugh out loud funny, Oil Lamp Theater kicks off 2023 with a sure-fire winner that is sure to capture the hearts of so many. Almost, Maine runs through February 26^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click HERE.

Recommended!

*On a side note, it was my first time attending an Oil Lamp production in their Glenview home. Just a short (and easy) drive from Chicago, I found the theater space perfectly sized for an intimate, yet roomy, experience and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. I’d suggest arriving to a show early to check out the charming bar/lounge area that includes loads of comfy seating and the added nice touch of providing cookies for its guests. And with parking just next to the theater, it couldn’t have been a better all-around experience.

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie 

is an absolutely fantastic seasonal Christmas show that pulls out all the stops!

I am a huge fan of the original film White Christmas and this talented cast, which was well-directed by Sasha Gerritson, brings so much of the magic of Irving Berlin's amazing music and the fun romantic storyline to colorful life from beginning to end. 

Tommy Thurston (Bob Wallace) and Jimmy Hogan (Phil Davis) play two World War II veterans with a successful song-and-dance act who meet and fall in love with two performing singers, Kelly Britt (Betty Haynes) and Anna Marie Abbate (Judy Haynes) who are sisters traveling by train to perform at what they are hoping will be a snow filled, vacationer packed holiday crowd at a quaint but flailing Vermont Inn owned by the two men's previous commanding officer. When the snow doesn’t arrive, they have to think fast if they want to draw that big holiday crowd.

All four leads are great singers and dancers! Wallace as Tommy Thurston really hits his stride with a deep note of romance with "How Deep Is the Ocean" in a call and answer number withKelly Britt (Betty Haynes) belting out “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me”.Britt is a delight and wows the audience in several numbers including the comical "Falling Out of Love Can be Fun". 

Alicia Berneche (Martha Watson, the inn’s concierge), is a mature actress who blows the audience out of the water when she transforms from what we think is an amateur wanting to join in on the show to a powerhouse singer and comedienne with her jaw-dropping and heart soaring performance of “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy”.

The stage is a holiday feast for the eyes. The costumes and large moving set are colorful, festive, and exciting. The huge Christmas trees are all lit magically and draw you into their warmth and glow. 

ALL of the dancers/ensembleare fantastic and positively wow the audience with a variety of dance forms including a spectacular tap dance to “Blue Skies”.

I LOVE a huge cast and seeing this many dancers onstage at once is a holiday treat for the eyes and ears that every single member of your family will be dazzled by. 

I highly recommend seeing this Joyful Christmas extravaganza in cozy comfort with all your family and friends. This great production show will make you appreciate the season as we ourselves are snowed in by our own freezing cold White Christmas! 

Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley now playing at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie offers the third and final installment of Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon’s trilogy which follows some of the most cherished characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 

For those who enjoy the Jane Austen themed material but have not seen the first two installments, have no fear, this play stands just fine on its own and is a lighthearted delight from beginning to end.

Janyce Caraballo takes on the role of Georgiana Darcy, the younger sister of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, who is a feminist musician before her time. Janyce Caraballo is a beautiful ingenue who plays the role with charm and grace. Kitty Bennet (played by Samantha Newcomb), the younger sister of Mr. Darcy’s wife Elizabeth, is her best friend and supporter. Mr. Henry Gray, played by Erik Hellman, makes a nervous but inwardly passionate admirer - and the chemistry between Caraballo and Hellman is the romantic cement that holds the whole show together as the audience is really rooting for them to succeed as a couple. 

Gray has met Darcy at one of her concerts and the two flirt with each other using the language of love in obscure musical terms that only they both fully appreciate which is a delight and shows how much he loves her despite the times being unwelcoming to female musicians and songwriters of any kind. 

The entire cast, that also includes Yousof Sultani, Amanda Drinkall, Emma Jo Boyden, Andrea San Miguel, Preeti Thaker and Nate Santana, is full of both newcomers to the Northlight stage and mature actors who do a great job in all the supporting roles keeping the pace and humor of the piece moving along nicely. 

There is a wonderful message about women, music as a career and freedom of human rights for women to publish music when the two friends create a society to help budding female musicians that gives the entire play a decidedly feminist bend while not detracting at all from the love story unfolding. 

The costumes designed by Raquel Adorno are very colorful and lush and give each scene a lovely period feel. Richard and Jacqueline Penrod designed the set, which is simple but effective, although I would have liked to see some movement in the set, and some change between the first and second act which occurs on Christmas day in their home that celebrates the lights and colors of the holiday. The only set decoration that indicates this wealthy home has been decorated for the Christmas day concert event are three little poinsettia plants set gingerly on the edge of the stage. A fully pre-lit Christmas tree or even a projection of Christmas lights and colors would have given the second act the Christmas joy that the title implies will be included. 

Marti Lyons directs this very talented cast well and moves the large cast aptly around the beautiful, if static, set design in a way that shows off the best lines of each character. The intimate theater setting at Northlight is a three-sided thrust stage, wherein every seat is a great seat is perfect for this romantic and cheerful holiday offering. 

I highly recommend this cheerful, funny, romantic show for audiences of all ages who would like to enjoy a pleasant evening revisiting some of the most beloved Jane Austen characters in a classic yet freshly presented production set in turn of the century London. 

Wonderfully directed by Marti Lyons, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley is being performed at Northlight Theatre through December 24^th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit northlight.org.

From the moment the sisters along with Mother Abbess sang “Maria” in one of the show’s earliest numbers, I knew I was in for a special performance. Their voices soared through the theater with a magnificence beyond what I had hoped. And when Mother Abbess (so richly performed by Susan Moniz) sang the final line in the song, “How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand”, it nearly brought tears to my eyes – just the beauty in her voice and the compassion within her words.

Paramount Theatre is currently taking on one of the most timeless musicals ever created in stage history in Rogers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music”. And though many excellent renderings of this musical have come through Chicago over the past several decades, I can only imagine that this production would join the others among the best produced, casted and performed. From its majestic sets that seamlessly change from scene to scene to its large catalog of masterpiece musical theater numbers, this production wows the audience one scene after another.

The Sound of Music is based on the 1949 memoir penned by Maria von Trapp The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. The story was first staged on November 16^th, 1959 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre before being released as a film in March of 1965 where it won just about every award imaginable, taking off internationally thanks in part to memorable performances by Julie Andrew and the late, great Christopher Plummer. Taking place in 1938 Salzburg, Austria, its story revolves around Maria, a wannabe nun that might not be quite ready for life in The Abbey. Wanting her explore life again on the outside before committing to sisterhood, the Mother Abbess sends free-spirited Maria to serve as a governess for the widowed Captain Georg von Trapp, a retired naval officer, where she would care for his seven children. Georg is strict and has distanced himself from his children since his wife’s passing. His children now answer to whistles and march as though they were in the military. Maria becomes intent on not only breaking through to the children (who are now on their seventh governess) but also connecting them once again with their father whom they once knew much more closely. While doing so, unexpected feelings emerge between Maria and Georg. At the same time, Nazi Germany is spreading throughout Europe, Austria being no exception. The beloved country was being annexed by Hitler’s dark empire. But Georg is a devout Austrian and refuses to serve under the Third Reich. So, then the story also becomes one of escape.

For a Sound of Music production to work well, Maria must be cast well. And in Paramount’s production, they have done just that. Alicia Kaori is extraordinary. She gives us a Maria who is playful, warm, understanding, loyal, devoted, brave and adventurous. She brims with confidence when needed yet occasionally wrestles with her doubts. Kaori’s vocals are also impressive - her range is remarkable.

The remainder of the cast is superb.  As mentioned prior, Susan Moziz excels as Mother Abbess though excellence is also found in Christopher Kale Jones’ portrayal of Captain Georg von Trapp. He does a great vocally but also in capturing the captain’s exacting behavior while showing his vulnerability and his need for love again. With a cast so large, the standouts are plentiful. Included in that group would be Julia Aragon as the eldest von Trapp sibling, Liesl – one of the show’s highlights being her and Rolf’s (Michael Harp) rendition of “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”. Stephen Schellhardt as Max Detweiler and Nellie Shuford as Baroness Elberfeld are both quality additions and take on their roles with much aplomb. The children are fun to watch as their talent should not be overlooked, as well as the production’s ensemble roles.

Every aspect seems to have been taken in consideration while creating this production. The sets, massive and detailed, take us inside the von Trapp home so much that we, the audience, almost feel we are invited guests during the party scene and concert goers during the Sazburg Music Festival. The costumes are rich and painstakingly precise, giving the production an element of authenticity at every turn.

If you are already familiar with the story and are looking forward to hearing to hearing such classics as “Do-Re-Mi”, “Edelweiss”, “So Long Farewell”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” or its exhilarating title track, “The Sound of Music”, you will not be disappointed. If you’ve never seen the film or staged production before, you will undoubtedly become a fan.

Adeptly directed and choreographed by Amber Mak, this incredible production of The Sound of Music is being performed at the Paramount Theatre through January 14^th. For tickets and/or more show information click here.

Highly Recommended!

The Twenty-Sided Tavern is a funny, lively, and very interactive theater experience based on the game Dungeons & Dragons that was first published in 1974 and soared in popularity in the 1980s. And thanks to its devoted following, the fantasy role playing game that takes its players on epic journeys through multiple worlds is still popular today and has countless versions available. In fact, the game has even developed its own culture – thus, the Adventurers. Nerd heaven indeed.

But alas, I am one of the people who never played Dungeons & Dragons and wondered if The Twenty-Sided Tavern would be enjoyable to me or even comprehensible given the complexity of the rules. Well, as an outsider, I am happy to say that even though I didn’t have the thrills that most of the diehard D&D fans in the audience clearly had throughout the night with every roll of the die, I did find myself caught up in the excitement and was able to catch most of the great improv humor that cast member/creators were putting out. 

Thanks to Gamiotics software that combines with live theater, audience members are summoned to roll the die and/or choose a character either of which can change the direction of the show. The play, co-created by Sarah Davis Reynolds and David Andrew Greener Laws (DAGL), brilliantly (and often hilariously) takes audience members on various voyages based on audience participation. The fact that the show is different every night definitely adds to its drama, and I love that show goers are encouraged to keep their smart phones on to vote to figure out word puzzles and play along with the cast! 

Head writer DAGL has along with Reynolds come up with an idea that has met its time to blossom. That idea is now manifested on Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse Stage.  

Reynolds and DAGL not only created this funny production, but they also participate as key players on the stage – Reynolds as the Tavern Keeper and the latter as the Gamemaster. DAGL is extremely funny in his role as headmaster and really is the heartbeat of the entire show. He's got great comic timing and can riff with the audience without skipping a beat. The entire revolving cast has a good lively energy, some clearly a bit more experienced at comedic improv than others. 

The well-designed set puts experienced gamers and curiosity-seekers like me right smack in the middle of a fantasy world, adding to the whole other realm experience. The glowing colorful digital backdrops lend to an inviting ambience that helps pull attendees into an adventure like none other.

Filled with riddles, puzzles and a sorcery and sword-laden adventure that is steered by audience participation, the production not only keeps one intrigued, but it also keeps one laughing and laughing and laughing. As one not at all familiar with the fantasy role playing game, The Twenty-Sided Tavern also offers a glimpse of the D&D phenomenon and why it has garnered so much appeal throughout the years.    

By the end of the show, I truly understood what makes this game so fun and that is the experience of community and at the fun of self-expression and role playing combined with friendship and imagination. Dungeons & Dragons is all about being yourself and unapologetically showing all your wonderful nerdy sides – and The Twenty-Sided Tavern captures that so very well. Although this is not your usual theater experience and it is not a play per say with the usual scripted plotline and established characters, it is a unique and fast-moving night of wonderful entertainment that D&D enthusiasts will probably want to experience more than once. 

Whether you are a seasoned D&D participant or someone who is familiar with the game’s name but has no idea what it is really about, this show is sure to entertain. 

The Twenty-Sided Tavern is being performed at Broadway Playhouse through January 15^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.   

Ken Ludwig has adapted the beloved Agath Christie whodunit 'Murder on the Orient Express' in a rich and wonderful way. The play revolves around the murder of a wealthy businessman aboard a luxurious train. Detective Hurcule Poirot is on the case and there is no shortage of suspects aboard the Orient Express. 

I know a murder mystery by Christie is done really well when I can not remember how it ends even though I may have seen the play countless times, and that is exactly how Drury Lane's production had me - on the edge of my seat desperately trying to guess who the murderer was the entire time!

Going in, I had concerns about how the train and its movement would be represented, but all were dismissed the minute Andrew Boyce’s scenic design was revealed in a series of spectacularly luxurious and well lit projections by Anthony Churchill in train compartments that started revolving on the stage. The audience gasped and applauded for each one and the projections of snow and other movement in the windows of the train was really a fun and exciting way to recreate the movement and style of the sumptuous Orient Express for a live audience. 

This was a true ensemble cast with solid performances all around. 

Of course Larry Yando (Poirot), a mainstay of Chicago theater, was the heartbeat of this classic production and the audience hung on his every word. Yando's parting speech wherein he ponders the  philosophical correctness of his part in solving the mystery was Tony worthy, and though brief, really ended the play on a genuine note of sympathy with all of the depth and emotional honesty one would expect from such an accomplished actor. 

Janet Ulrich Brooks as Helen Hubbard was pure delight in this show as she plays a brassy American with such great physical comedy and impeccable comedic timing that every scene she appears in draws laughs and comparisons to great comedians like Lucille Ball and Phyllis Diller. 

I also thought Sean Blake as the young lover with a thick scottish brogue was very funny and got laughs out of lines that otherwise would have been throwaways to a less talented actor. 

Yes, there was a bit of a slow start in getting the action and dialogue moving but I think the actors were trying to wring every bit of humor out of each moment onstage and the whole flow of the show got going at a nice pace once the opening night jitters were quelled by the enthusiastic audience response.

I can highly recommend this exciting and suspenseful production to audiences of all ages to enjoy a real night at the theater with beautiful costumes, ingenius stage settings and the ensemble of mature and very gifted actors all giving their best performances at the lovely Drury Lane Theater.  

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ is being performed at Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook through October 23rd. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.