Items filtered by date: November 2007

It’s a tough time to be a straight white male. Playwright Ellen Fairey returns to Chicago with a new play called ‘Support Group for Men’ now running at Goodman Theatre. Fairey’s work was last seen in Chicago when the now defunct Profiles Theatre produced her smash hit ‘Graceland’ in the mid-00s. Directed by one of the city’s foremost directors, Kimberly Senior, this of-the-moment play is certain to hit home for locals.

‘Support Group for Men’ isn’t exactly a winning title, but it does fit the bill. In it, four men of various ages and ethnicities meet weekly to discuss personal problems they’re having. Fairey took the idea from a real-life friend of hers who told her about a support group he went to for lonely men. Without that piece of info from the playbill, this scenario would seem somewhat unplausable. That said, how sad that there are so many lonely people out there that don’t seek company?

Fairey sets her four characters in Wrigleyville. There’s tough guy Roger (Keith Kupferer), new agey Brian (Ryan Kitley), sensitive Delano (Anthony Irons) and token millennial Kevin (Tommy Rivera-Vega), but it’s the entrance of Alex (Jeff Kurysz) in drag that changes the course of the evening. While most of the dialogue is topical and relevant, the jammed-in Chicago references ring very false. Suburbanites may appreciate the cultural shout-outs but really, how many locals actually go to Weiner Circle?

This is not to say the play is bad. Fairey’s characters discuss the things in everyday pop culture that are so fluid for the young, but so confusing for the middle-aged. Her points about middle-aged men feeling winnowed out are devastating. It almost answers the question of “why do people commit mass shootings?”

Roger is established as the main character and his monologue about the realization of middle age and the feeling of being invisible is heartbreaking. Keith Kupferer is perfectly cast for this role. When the Chicago stage needs an everyman, Kupferer is the guy for the job. There’s a toughness to his look, but a wealth of sensitivity just below the surface.

This is a comedy and though it does try to reach for depth, it often comes up empty. The problem here is that Fairey isn’t saying anything that hasn’t already been said better by other writers. Though, it is important for mainstream, suburban audiences to see themselves in a play. If they can’t relate, then how can a play make them see the world differently? Fairey’s play is a light-hearted referendum on male privilege and it’s easier to swallow a little criticism with some comedy. Is this a play everyone in America needs to see? No, but it’s a play that has themes everyone in American should be discussing.

Through July 29 at Goodman Theatre. 170 N Dearborn. 312-443-3811

With a mix of non-stop banter and radiant charm, Mark Toland’s one-man show, Mind Reader, is 75 minutes of fun. While audiences are told to keep quiet about what happens during his show, I can reveal that it is very entertaining, each show freshly scripted based on “reading the minds” of whomever might be in the audience.

“The audience is the cast, their thoughts are my props and their minds will be blown,” Toland declares enthusiastically. Audiences should prepare to take part in the show, as Toland attempts to get into their minds, his delivery punctuated by throw-away puns, zingers, and an occasional dark and twisted joke. 

It’s also a rare thing: Toland asks us to unplug completely from our digital toys and give in to his bewilderingly accurate readings on what's on our minds. Toland forthrightly tells the audience his powers are exclusively based on his finely-honed powers of observation and his refined perceptiveness. 

"I'm not a psychic," he says. "I just want to leave you with a sense of mystery." In fact, he scans and greets each member of the audience as they arrive, including this writer. But if you are like me, you will find it hard to believe he is not operating on a paranormal plane. 

Bringing an improvisational comedic style to his show, Toland is on the road with his show all week doing big houses and corporate gatherings. But he has made Chicago his based for a mid-weekly visit, where he presumably sees his wife – unseen in the show but referenced liberally times. See if you don't agree that in style and demeanor, Toland looks much like comedic actor Mark Helms (The Office, Hangover 1,2,3, etc.).

Toland has showed off his mind reading skills at other Chicago venues, including the Chicago Magic Lounge, The Lincoln Lodge, The Comedy Bar, and the Chicago Fringe Festival. He has appeared on WGN, NBC, FOX, ABC, NPR, Disney and the TEDx Stage. Toland claims to have correctly guessed the outcome of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and says he bicycled through Chicago traffic completely blindfolded.

Toland has a weekly blog at MarkToland.com that features a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a touring mind reader, helpful skills that anyone can use and travel tips from around the world. The reception has been strong enough for his run to be extended through October. “I’m thrilled to bring an exciting new show to Chicago audiences every week,” Toland says. It runs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. with general admission tickets at $25 and available at greenhousetheater.org  or by calling 773.404.7336

Hell in a Handbag is at it again, this time following up last summer’s smash hit The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes with a Volume 2 that might even be funnier than its predecessor, if that’s even possible. Last year, Handbag’s Golden Girls was so successful it added a second run at Stage 773 after an already extended run while at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville.

Like last time, the show opens with that ever-so-popular theme song, "Thank You for Being a Friend" that is eagerly sung along with by audience members.

I have to stop right here and THANK David Cerda "for being a friend"!

I grew up in Miami, Florida, watching The Golden Girls on TV with my mother who had just returned to the work force after a 30-year hiatus at First American Bank after the men in our family had left our home due to tragic disability, genetic Ataxia (cerebellar atrophy).

As two gals trying to keep a household afloat on our own, the recurring themes in the show about a woman's right to independence and struggling to make ends meet, trying to date again after divorce etc. all really gave my mom, Joanne, and I a sense that we were not alone in our struggles, not by a long shot. In fact, my mother Joanne Newmark-Katz, actually interviewed Bea Arthur and other stars like Ricardo Montalban back in the day as an English/ Journalism Major from Purdue University! My mom fondly remembers speaking to Bea Arthur backstage at The Coconut Grove Playhouse where Bea actually gave her a kiss on the cheek and ever so graciously thanked her!

Now, flash forward to 2018 and my mother Joanne is 84-years-old, a true Golden Girl and we are BOTH fighting for her life and financial well-being again. 

For me, in this totally stressful, very real "episode" of our lives, getting to have a few hours of superb acting and comedy by Jeff Award Nominee and dear friend, David Cerdas' Hell in a Handbag ensemble is like two hours in paradise, because in these turbulent times particularly trying for the elderly and disabled -- laughter is still the BEST medicine. 

Hell in a Handbag Artistic Director David Cerda wrote the show which parodies the famed 1980’s sitcom where four women who share a home in a Miami Senior Community are not ready to stop living life to the fullest. The show, still widely popular today and followed by a whole new generation, is the perfect target for Cerda’s rich and pinpoint lampooning.

Cerda again takes the treasured TV show to new heights, his knack for delicious camp blazing its way to what should be yet another summer hit for Handbag.     

Blanche is played by Grant Drager (A.J. Wright handling the role last year). Drager encapsulates Blanche’s flirty, southern charm with just the right amount of cheekiness and is stupendous in the role. Adrian Hadlock returns as Dorothy’s quick-witted mother who wisely and desperately needs to appease her roommates or be sent back to the dreaded "Nursing home". Hadlock trades jabs with dry as a martini wit and, as last year, steals a good share of scenes delivering razor-sharp barbs that are perfectly timed in Cerda’s hilarious script. 

Dear, sweet and naïve Rose is played once again by Ed Jones who is sheer perfection in the role.  Jones’ flawless timing and subtle expressions make Rose as endearing as she is funny. And Cerda as Dorothy? Priceless! Each add their own spice to the entrée but it is Cerda, Jones, Drager and Hadlock together that makes this production a veritable feast for the eyes, ears and arthritic funny bones!   
 
With every Handbag production comes a hysterical ensemble and Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes Vol. 2 is no exception. A series of hilarious performances are also offered by Chazie Bly, Michael Rashid and Michael Miller with fun-tastically talented ensemble member, audience wrangler and hostess, Lori Lee. 
 
Excellent stage and costume design, smart humor, a talented cast and a side-splittingly funny script make Golden Girls Vol. 2 an all-out, highly uniquely fun experience.
 
Golden Girls' Lost Episodes are more relevant than ever because they wisely combine humor with a cascade of compassionate understanding of each woman's precarious lifestyle when reaching middle or old age and the very real desperation that ensues when four women try to keep a household afloat in a man's world. David Cerda really comprehends and makes funny the things that push mother/daughter love and girlfriend to girlfriend love to its limits. 
 
The adventure continues! Created by popular demand, Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes Vol. 2 is as uproariously funny as ever. Perhaps (fingers crossed) a Vol.3 is on the horizon in what will hopefully become an incredibly fun summer tradition.
 
Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes Vol. 2 is being performed at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville through September 7th. Visit http://www.handbagproductions.org/ for more info. 

Ray Benson has been leading this wonderful group, Asleep at the Wheel, since 1970. The band falls into the Western Swing category pioneered by people like Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. Their newest album is dedicated to Wills and is called Still the King. Their latest stop – The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Benson carries on the tradition with the twin fiddles. As a fan of The Allman Brothers Band, I had to see this for myself. This is where Dickey Betts got the idea for the harmony guitars that made them famous. Katie Shore and Dennis Ludiker handle the job admirably. Shore also handled lead vocals on a few tunes. Ludiker doubled on mandolin and did some background vocal work.

The band has David Sanger on drums and Josh Hoag on Bass, compiling a very solid rhythm section - very much in that Texas tradition. Professionals make it look easy. Both musicians did exactly that.

The rest of the band includes Eddie Rivers on steel guitar and sax, Connor Forsyth on piano and background vocals and Jay Reynolds on sax and clarinet. Each member added melodic and harmonic coloration to the swing line up that put a bit more focus on the fiddles.

Oh, wait…what about Benson? Ray Benson sings a lot of the lead vocals and plays lead guitar. I found him to be quite the guitar player. Rhythm guitar is actually what he did more of than anything, but he did play some tasty leads. I really found him to be rock solid and he had an outstanding chord vocabulary. His vocals are strong and low, very Texas.

The band was formed in Austin, Texas, a place made up of a real pot pourri of music. Actually, Asleep at the Wheel is that all by themselves. At times, their sound was that of country. At times, we can hear early Rock and Roll. At times, there were even hints of Swing. There were even moments of Jazz improvisation with solos being traded all around. One could really appreciate this band as a musician or just a music lover.

A lot of familiar songs were in the set. “Route 66” is a staple of their repertoire. I love their version of the Bobby Troup penned classic. “Nobody Here but Us Chickens” is a great old song from Louis Jordan and it fits in well in their set. “I Taught the Weeping Willow How to Cry” is another familiar tune. A surprise to me was “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Well, maybe it shouldn’t have come as that much of a shock, but I haven’t heard that song in a while.

My only complaint is…you guessed it…I wanted more! What can I say? One set was not enough! I am still glad I saw them, of course. Old Town School has a nice little theatre and I love going there. Also, the band almost always does a meet and greet after the show, which is nice. Go see more live music...whenever you can!

Guards at the Taj, now playing at Steppenwolf Theatre, is certainly among the best shows ever to play in Chicago.

Set in 1648, Guards at the Taj recounts a gruesome legend that surrounds the construction of the renowned masterpiece, the Taj Majal in Agra, India. That apocryphal story holds that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj, decreed that the architect and 20,000 artisans involved in its construction should be behanded – lest anyone ever again equal its magnificent design.

Playwright Rajiv Joseph works with this fable as fact and explores the behanding from the point of view of the two Hindustan Army Guards who will carry it out. We first see them stationed at a wall that we learn is shielding the construction site from view. As the play opens, we meet the dutiful and rational Humayan (Omar Metwally), at his post since dawn, eyes forward, posture erect. A few moments later, in scurries Babur (Arian Moayed), a dreamer whose uniform is askew and who is late for his post and struggles to stay focused and hold his sword properly.

The two, who have known each other since childhood, are closely bonded – but with the tensions and friction that inhabit any long-term relationship. Humayan aspires to a rise in rank, and wants to bring Babur along with him, even though he knows Babur's quirky personality could present risks.

Joseph, who won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for his play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, gives us a sophisticated work, with banter by Humayan and Babur adeptly foreshadowing what is to transpire. 

From the historical record, we know that the Taj Mahal was surrounded by a brick scaffold during construction, which was demolished to reveal the architectural wonder when it was completed. This moment in time becomes a turning point in the play, as Babur turns away from his position to be among the first in history to gaze upon the magnificent Taj Mahal. He soon convinces Humayan to do likewise. And through their expressions, we see the Taj Mahal as if for the first time as well.

From that moment at the wall, we soon shift scenes to find the two in the aftermath of carrying out the behanding, which is not at all as off-putting as it sounds. Director Amy Morton has carefully metered the presentation of horror so we recognize it without experiencing it too directly.

Joseph also faces us with a perennial question asked by civilized society – when should our personal moral compass override external authority? And subtly, perhaps, Joseph may be asking how such a heinous event could so readily be accepted as likely to be true - is it because it happened in the Far East?

The dialog in Guards at the Taj is enthrallingly naturalistic and contemporary, giving it an immediacy that penetrates any distance from the characters on stage. It is no wonder the script won a 2016 Obie Award for Best New Play.

The production of this work is nothing short of perfect, and the play itself is extraordinarily good. Written by Joseph expressly for its co-stars, Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed, this production feels more like a slightly delayed move from Broadway, where it received a highly regarded run in 2015. Amy Morton, a Steppenwolf ensemble member, directed both shows.

Likewise, the set, designed by Tim Mackabee for the original show and this one, ingeniously transforms from a blank stone wall outside the Taj Mahal, into a subterranean cell. Costumes by Bobby Frederick Tilley are outstanding, as the guards move through various degrees of formal military attire, to layered garb for their nefarious job.

The show runs through July 22 at Steppenwolf Theatre, and is very highly recommended.

It’s nearly summertime in Chicagoland. As the weather turns warm, our minds inevitably turn to music festivals, picnics, and long lazy nights filled with cold drinks, good friends, and somewhere that combines all of these into one experience: Ravinia. Ravinia opened their 2018 season in May and has since had a continuous string of award winning and talented artists of all genres. The first week of June brought cool offbeat rhythms with Stephen Marley and Matisyahu.

Stephen Marley, the Jamaican-American reggae artist opened the evening as the warm air began to turn cold. Guests bundled under blankets and sipped warming liquors from the new Lawn Bar as the eight-time Grammy award winning musician took the stage and filled the night with the unmistakable elements of calypso, blues, and jazz filled the night air. The musical prowess of the Marley family never ceases to astound me. Like his father, Bob Marley, Stephen plays so naturally. The slow tempo of the music lent itself perfectly to Ravinia’s laid back charm.

After the sunset, and the temperature dropped, Matisyahu took the stage to a thinning crowd; a colorful light show emanated from the stage and a man flooded in white light took the stage. His beatboxed segued into a heavy bass, fast paced song complete with electronic keyboards and the familiar calypso from the previous performance. While stylistically his set had some familiar reggae elements, the blending of hard rock and hip-hop beats distinctively changed the mood and feel of the night. Matthew Paul Miller, most commonly known by his stage name, Matisyahu, is a Jewish-American reggae artist blending Orthodox Jewish themes with reggae, rock, and hip hop beatboxing sounds. The music was far more quick paced than Marley’s opening set, and didn’t quite fit the feeling of Ravinia. Listening to Matisyahu’s music alone with headphones you can hear where he draws his inspiration. From the Jamaican inspired rhythms with klezmer elements it is as unique as Reggae’s initial influence in the sixties. Unfortunately, it didn’t translate well in this venue. Given the chance to see him perform at The Riv, Metro, or Aragon Ballroom, again with Stephen Marley, I’d jump at the chance.

To be a good show, the artist and the venue must be a good fit. Both are needed otherwise the experience falls short. Still, the feeling of summer is alive and well at Ravinia. With the impressive 2018 lineup scheduled, be sure to put Ravinia on your 100 days of summer list. Scheduling and tickets for Ravinia can be found at https://www.ravinia.org/.

The tiny Gift Theatre, occupancy 50, has bitten off a big challenge with its determination to present Hamlet. Featuring Daniel Kyri in the title role of Shakespeare’s classic, director Monty Cole has hewed to the melodious Elizabethan English of the script.

The production has contemporary touches that largely respect the genius of the playwright, while delivering a show that the author would recognize, and which conveys the crucial dramatic conflicts. And, a mark of a serious production, Cole and cast examine anew the mysteries that will ever surround the motives and actions of the characters.

In a nutshell, young prince Hamlet suspects his mother Gertrude and uncle Claudius are complicit in the recent death of his father, King Hamlet. The two have married, and for the rest of the play Hamlet works through his feelings of anger and guilt, goaded by ghostly appearances of his father. Hamlet’s girlfriend Ophelia, her brother Laertes and their dad Polonius are killed in the fallout. Likewise for Claudius and Gertrude.

Producing any play requires envisioning and mastering the drama, psyching out characters and motivation, getting the script down. With Shakespeare, you also must account for the specific challenge of a language in iambic pentameter, and at times florid or obscure.

So Shakespearean acting is its own special skill. The cast has largely nailed the motivation and inculcated it to their roles on stage, delivering moving performances with conviction. But, alas, the language suffers a few slings and arrows along the way – though there are bright spots – including a rap version of one monolog that was very successful.

From the moment she appears, silently regal, completely in touch with the Gertrude, Shanesia Davis shows how it’s done. Her every line is immediately clear, even when we are uncertain of an archaic word or phrase – we totally understand her. Davis acting background makes it clear why – she has a lot of experience with Shakespearean roles.

Daniel Kyri has captured young Hamlet, and we ride with him through his internal turmoil. But Kyri is still working through what is one of theatre’s most demanding roles. Of those seven famous Hamlet soliloquies, I felt he did best with the fifth (“Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out”) and the sixth (“Now might I do it pat now he is praying, And now I'll do it, and so he goes to heaven.”)

Netta Walker’s performance as Ophelia was balanced and well done. Martel Manning as actor Guildenstern and the very funny Grave Digger, had a magnetic presence on stage. Gregory Fenner as Laertes has all the passion and constrined fury required. Alexander Lane carries a military strength and sinister swagger in his three roles as Fortinbras, Valteman and Marcellus. 

Not everything works, though most things do. Cole, who spent a year in the development of the show, keeps the play in its historic setting, but the production is unconstrained by period dress. Several younger characters have smart phones, and somehow, these make sense. They are used as flashlights in some scenes, and Ophelia sings along with her earbuds in. Smart phones are now a normal human appendage, like eyeglasses, and are almost invisible in their roles in the show.

The set was nice – a classic paneled plaster hallway illuminated by sconces with decaying carpeting on the floor, the edges lined by weeds and smashed beer cans. William Boles did scenic design, but I do quibble with whoever made the decision to encase the stage in a box of acrylic sheets, so the actors play behind a “glass.” This muted the sound and an effort to mic the space was unsuccessful. 

Hamlet runs through July 29 at Gift Theatre.

Jules Verne wrote one of the first science fiction novels in 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, the story of three travelers who find themselves imprisoned on the Nautilus, a submarine captained by the megalomaniacal Captain Nemo. The novel was light on political detail, though Captain Nemo occasionally claimed to use his supremacy in the seas to right wrongs committed on land, especially those perpetrated by colonial powers. Nemo’s reasons were more fully articulated in Verne’s follow-up, The Mysterious Island, elements of which become the framing device for this Lookingglass Production, adapted by David Kersnar, who also directs, and Althos Low (aka Steve Pickering). Ensemble member Kersnar shows a deft hand and strong familiarity with the resources he can muster to bring the undersea world of the novels spectacularly to life, though the attempt to explain Nemo’s vengeful politics weighs the production down.

At its heart, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas is an entertaining yarn, filled with hair-raising encounters with monsters, encounters made more terrifying by the fact that they take place in the unforgiving confines of the world’s oceans, with their more ordinary terrors. Kersnar and Low have done a remarkable job of bringing this world to the stage, staying true to Verne’s vision while making updates that make the story more accessible to contemporary audiences. One of these is changing the gender of the marine biologist who recounts Nemo’s travels and scientific discoveries. Pierre Aronnax and his aide-de-camp, Conseil, are recast as Morgan Aronnax and Brigette Conseil. This proves to be a strong choice in terms of storytelling, as it makes a little sense of Aronnax’s initial sympathy for Nemo, as both have felt the sting of being underestimated by those in power. The creators have assembled a team of artists and designers who are up to the task of bringing the tour of the seas to the stage. Todd Rosenthal’s set contains a toy-theater proscenium for the wide-angle shots of the ocean, from the sinking of ships to the horrors of the drowning sailors to the view from the windows of the Nautilus. The Nautilus itself is realized as an exterior platform that rises and tilts precipitously as the story demands, and hints at the confinement of the underwater craft that can be accessed only through a small hatch. Costume designer Sully Ratke combines story-telling and function, creating designs that capture the altered states of the characters as their journeys unwind, as well as their backgrounds and social stations. Props by Amanda Hermann avoid getting too steampunk, but capture the Victorian aesthetic of the novel, reminiscent of the original illustrations. However, it is the more ephemeral design elements that really transport the audience to the depths: sound designer Ric Sims and lighting designer Christine Binder immerse the audience in locations from New York City, the decks of various water crafts, to the depths of the seven seas. Floating in this aural and visual landscape are the puppets designed by Blair Thomas, Tom Lee, and Chris Wooten and athletic actors performing Sylvia Hernandez Di-Stasi’s brilliant aerial choreography, which allows the characters to float and dive beneath the waves. The puppets themselves are worth the price of admission: lifelike and magical at once, they float behind and off the stage to invite audience and characters fully into the terrors and wonders of the oceans.

The play begins with a group of refugees from the American Civil War meeting the man who enabled them to survive their escape, Captain Nemo, now older, alone and questioning his prior life as a terror of the seas. It then flashes back to where the book begins, introducing French professor of natural history Morgan Aronnax, who receives a last-minute invitation to join the crew of the USS Bainbridge, under Captain Farragut, who is commissioned to seek and destroy whatever is terrorizing the seas—be it craft or creature. Aronnax postulates a giant narwhal in a scene that brilliantly establishes her character and her position vis-à-vis her male colleagues. Kasey Foster does an admirable job of injecting charm into the generally no-nonsense and humorless professor, who is almost as single-minded in her pursuit of knowledge as Nemo in his pursuit of vengeance and domination. Kareem Bandealy is hampered by a script that does not allow him to fully realize the zealous evil of Nemo—despite his powerful presence and overbearing bluster, he gets bogged down in the scenes that switch to introspection and long-winded revelation. Scenes that allow him to do this while perpetrating acts of terror (the sinking of a naval vessel, for example) serve the plot much better than dinner time polemics and elegiac remembrances of his role in the Great Mutiny of 1847, which led to the losses that spurred his vengeance against imperialism. Rounding out the quartet that forms the center of the narrative are Walter Briggs as the cheeky Ned Land, a harpooner brought on board the Bainbridge to help destroy the monster responsible for the deaths of so many sailors, and Lanise Antoine Shelley as Conseil. Briggs brings the right balance of swagger and empathy to his role, and Shelley makes a good audience foil for the occasionally delusional professor, pointedly and humorously reminding her of the realities of their positions as women in a male world, and then as prisoners (not guests) of the mad Captain Nemo. Nemo’s “guests” also prove themselves to be up to the physical challenges of taking on human and cephalopod foes (Shelley has a brilliant and harrowing encounter with the latter). The rest of the cast—Thomas J. Cox, Joe Dempsey, Micah Figueroa, Edwin Lee Gibson and Glenn-Dale Obrero--provide some of the most striking moments of the evening and fill the stage with a multitude of supporting characters. Cox anchors the crew of Civil War wanderers and helps flesh out the alternate narrative. Joe Dempsey makes an impression as Pencroff, whose gratitude towards Nemo fuels his understanding and as the surprisingly open-minded and humorous Captain Farragut. Edwin Lee Gibson brings stalwart nobility to Cyrus Smith, one of the men who encounters Nemo in the first scene, and a roguish pragmatism to the self-serving constable who allows Ned Land to board the U.S.S. Bainbridge with a little persuasion from the Captain. Micah Figueroa and Glenn-Dale Obrero also fill the ranks of the Civil War escapees (with a humorous turn from Figueroa as the naïve Harbert), as well as handling the bulk of the fighting and diving, including an amazing sequence of pearl diving that captures the best of Lookingglass’s take on Verne’s novel—providing spectacle and social commentary in a seamless melding of physical theater, puppetry and characterization.

It’s not perfect, but 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas has enough to satisfy young (tweens and up) and old. Though it tries valiantly and not always successfully to engage with the political themes of human rights and colonization, ultimately it is buoyed by a strong sense of good old-fashioned story-telling. The breathtaking special effects, aerial dance, puppet magic, and a committed and capable cast who can match the acting and physical demands of the spectacle more than make up for some ponderous philosophical ballast. There is enough food for thought to inspire conversation, but the focus, as it should, remains mostly on the undersea journeys of the Nautilus and its willing and unwilling crew members’ battles with Kareem Bandealy’s power-hungry Nemo and the natural perils of the seas. It is well worth hopping on board to witness the sea battles, sea spiders, fish, squid and other undersea wonders dreamed up by Lookingglass’s team, under the assured direction of David Kersnar.

20,000 Leagues Under the Seas runs through August 19, 2018, at Lookingglass Theater, 821 N. Michigan. Performances are Wednesdays-Sundays at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm. For tickets and more information, visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org or call 312-337-0665.

*Extended through August 26th

“Broadway & The Bard”, Len Cariou’s idea of combining his two great loves – Shakespeare and the American Musical, is a heartwarming and tender paean to the art forms which made him an icon of the American stage. Conceived following his Broadway appearances as Shakespeare’s Henry V in 1968 and opposite Lauren Bacall in 1969, it consists of ingenious pairings of Shakespearian monologues, and both well-known and obscure musical selections from The Great White Way, in which Mr. Cariou gives full voice to his passion.

Mr. Cariou is 79 years old, so we really didn’t know what to expect. It has been awhile since his Tony Award winning triumph as Sweeney Todd. He did get off to a somewhat shaky start, most obviously with pitch problems in his upper range. Perhaps he was trying to conserve energy and had not properly warmed up. Perhaps there was lack of support because he was seduced by the false promise of amplification. The venue was a very small space – why bother with amplification? As a result, it took a while for the audience to immerse itself in the performance.

However, this was Len Cariou. A few flat notes are not a problem. The epitome of honesty, Cariou’s brilliance is rooted in total dedication to his art and his immersion in the meaning of the text, his compelling selfless confidence in the mastery of his craft, and massive stage presence. His irresistible charm, humor, and laser-like smile blasts across the footlights and envelopes his audience. Never maudlin, self-indulgent, or boasting, he shows a complete absence of self-consciousness, traits usually absent from other one-man-shows or cabaret acts.

The accompanist for a venture of this kind is often overlooked or given secondary status, but Cariou is blessed to have found Mark Janas, whose virtuosic, pianistic brilliance and bedrock support for the singer never strayed beyond the boundaries of collaborative ensemble. This was one of the finest examples of accompanying that we have ever heard. It wasn’t clear what Barry Kleinbort contributed; it seemed that most of the explanatory banter before each grouping could have just as easily been improvised by Cariou. Scenic design by Josh Acovelli looked as if whoever occupied the space last didn’t quite finish with their strike. We might have thought we were in the wrong theater, but for the obligatory bust of Will just upstage of the Steinway grand piano.

Performed at Chicago's Stage 773, “Broadway & The Bard” is often clever, such as when Benedick’s Act II, scene 1 speech lamenting his vow to never fall in love segued into Gershwin’s “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?”, or Petrucchio’s misogynistic speeches from “The Taming of the Shrew” morphed into “How to Handle a Woman” from “Camelot” - when we were expecting “Kiss Me Kate”. However, there were occasionally abrupt or jarring segues, such as when the viciously ambitious Act III, scene 2 speech of Richard II goofily became “If I Ruled the World”, by Ornadel and Bricusse. Nevertheless Matt Berman’s atmospheric lighting seemed to help soften these moments by gently taking the audience out of one theatrical reality into another.

Mr. Cariou’s concept of monologue and melody peaked with Marc Antony’s Act III “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech from “Julius Caesar”, in which Cariou gave full reign to the vestiges of former power and range of the great singing actor who dominated the Broadway Theater for nearly four decades, and was followed by a wonderfully insightful “Forget Medley” of songs by Rogers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, Alan Jay Lerner, and a setting of Shakespeare’s “Fear no more” by Stephen Sondheim which left the audience all but breathless.

Inevitably, as though in recognition that his days are numbered, Cariou entered Lear’s Act II, scene 4 monologue in which Lear acknowledges the fragility of life and rails against his daughters’ faithlessness. Segueing into Kurt Weill’s “September Song” provided the most moving and tender moment, as if Mr. Cariou was using this vehicle to say goodbye to his audience and career.
“Brush Up Your Shakespeare”, for sooth!

Bill & Margaret Swain

The renowned Israeli choreographer and director of Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin, is the spotlight of this year’s Hubbard’s Summer Series, 40th Season at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The program features DecaDance, a reimagining of Naharin’s most celebrated pieces and recreated every 10 years. Deca Dance/ Chicago was created specifically for Hubbard Street’s current company.

DecaDance/Chicago features excerpts from Minus 16 (1999), KYR (1990), Mabul (1992), Anaphase (1993), Zachacha (1998), Naharin’s Virus (2001), Three (2005), George and Zalman (2006), Max (2007), Seder (2007) and Sadeh21 (2011).

Most pieces of the show, in both music and choreography, are very Avant-guard: decidedly not particularly pretty, occasionally disturbing, frequently puzzling. The program has a certain bi-polar quality; even playful pieces have some sadness, even despair woven throughout. Naharin’s analysis of modern society is evident in one of the First Act pieces: it features several female dancers dressed in black elegant dresses, moving with some redundancy; the soundtrack being somewhat more important than the dance itself. It starts layering verses, from the top: “Ignore all possible concepts and possibilities.” And again: “Ignore all possible concepts and possibilities, pay your taxes” …copulate”, etc. It goes on and on, ever so slightly past the point of being amusing.

But the show does get much better in the Second Act. The most entertaining piece, involving audience participation, has a group of dancers (both males and females) dressed in black suits and black hats (costume designer Rakefet Levy) leave the stage and venture out into the audience, looking for dance partners. It’s a fun, light-hearted piece, and a very well received one.

The evening’s most intense work is an excerpt from Minus 16. It premiered in 1999 in Israel, then made its US debut the following year. Set to Passover song “Echad Mi Yodea”, it has a super cool tribal drum beat and drama to spare. And again, though “Echad Mi Yodea” is a juvenile Hebrew song recited around Passover table and designed to teach children some foundations of Hebrew religion, the dance is turned into a display of anguish and despair. Dancers, dressed in black suits and hats, are seated in chairs arranged in a semi-circle. They stand up and bend backwards one by one; the last dancer to stand up violently falls forward from his chair, as if being shot. As the verses accumulate and build up, the dance is repeated over and over. The dancers eventually shed their clothes and throw them into the center of the circle. A pile of clothes and shoes in the center looks vaguely like the grim reminder of history’s events of the past. It’s theatrical and hypnotizing. Much like the rest of the show, it clearly has a message.