Items filtered by date: November 2007

The Dixie Dregs reunited for a tour recently their latest stop being The Vic Theater in Chicago. For those of you who don’t know who they are, they were one of the finer instrumental groups of the late 70’s/early 80’s. Some may put them in the category of Fusion, but they are more of an instrumental Rock band with influences that suggest sources from Jazz, Classical and Country. Essentially, the band has always been led by guitarist Steve Morse.

Morse has won Guitar Player Magazine’s best all-around guitar player award five consecutive years in a row, and even though that may have been thirty years ago, his playing is still right where it always was. Morse also kept himself busy in between touring with Deep Purple for twenty or so years and has released several solo albums throughout his long and brilliant career.

The Dregs current tour features the band’s original line up – something you don’t see that often today with bands from their era. Accompanying Morse, was Andy West on bass, Rod Morgenstein on drums, Allen Sloan on electric violin and Steve Davidowski on keys. The band gave the crowd exactly what they had hoped for, playing material from their first six albums. The Dregs’ music live is even more intense and just as technically-minded. Most of the band’s material is penned by Morse, who has a degree from Miami University in Jazz Guitar. In fact, it was while at Miami University when the band originated, then known as The Dixie Grits. Many of the members of the band also are degree-holding musicians.

The Dregs played two sets of impressive material. As concert goer and fellow guitar player, seeing the band play live was a stark reminder as to why Morse is so highly regarded in the guitar circle. In fact, I probably wouldn’t be far off in saying that more than half the people in the audience were guitar players. I had the luck (with a bit of well-planned timing) of getting there early enough so that I was able to stand right in front of Steve and his loud amplification set up. In retrospect, I should have worn ear plugs but that is my own fault. No matter - I got one of the best guitar lessons of my life.

The style of the band’s music is very distinct – truly unlike any other. It is comprised of a highly recognizable mixture that blows you away so much, it almost overwhelming. Often over the top most of the time, subtlety is not the band’s forte. Every song is overstated, as the music is so tightly constructed, it leaves very little breathing room. I would best describe their music as an adrenaline rush of sonic energy.

I really did enjoy seeing one of my idols in action. To me, Steve Morse was a superhero and am sure the same is true to an entire generation of guitar players. I would bet most of the audience went home and instantly started practicing their guitar, maybe attempting to play something they stole from Morse that night. I know I did. That’s how influential he is. I can remember trying to copy Morse over thirty years ago and can say with certainty his licks are still worth learning. No question about it, decades after they made strides in the music world as the new musical prodigy upstarts, the band still holds up to their legacy today - audience responded with nothing but admiration to that legacy. They don’t make bands like The Dixie Dregs anymore. I feel a lot of the appreciation for this type of music is gone. I am fifty-years-old and I was probably on the younger side of the age bracket of the crowd…but so what….old people rock, too!

Set 1:
Divided We Stand
Free Fall
Holiday
Assembly Line
Twiggs Approved
Take It Off the Top
What If
Country House Shuffle
Moe Down
Odyssey
Set 2:
Rachel
(violin solo)
Northern Lights (Steve & Allen duet)
Go for Baroque (without Rod)
Day 444
Refried Funky Chicken
Leprechaun Promenade
Wages of Weirdness
The Bash
Cruise Control
(with drum solo)

Encore:
Bloodsucking Leeches

Akvavit Theatre’s latest presentation brings Astrid Saalbach’s Danish comedy “Bad Girls: The Stylists” to the U.S. for the first time where it is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company.

Taking place in a beauty salon, the story follows four hair stylists through their daily endeavors in the workplace, getting all the more interesting as one client is more unique as the next. A series of outrageous scenes take place, the play offering plenty of laughs, as the banter between the stylists is quite funny at times along with some highly engaging interactions with their walk-ins.

An underlying plot takes place as a mysterious stranger, who shall be known as “A”, begins to visit the salon. First appearing as a homeless woman, more and more intrigue develops as she reappears as other characters. Jennifer Adams highlights this play as “A” and is absolutely hilarious in practically ever scene she graces. Adams well-executed line delivery, expression and comic timing make this play, transcending it from a so-so production to putting it on the worthwhile list.

Though the plot is iffy and the ending questionable, there is enough good comedy to make this production quite enjoyable. Some scenes are flat out shamefully funny. There is plenty of original humor to be found here.
In a story that examines individuality and appearance, Breahan Pautsch directs this dark comedy where five women bravely play twenty-eight characters. Adams is joined by Kim Bolger (Boogie), Jennifer Cheung (Jorun), Kirstin Franklin (Mette) and Madelyn Loehr (Trine).

Making up the production team for “Bad Girls” and putting us in the center of a beauty salon is Chad Eric Bergman (scenic design), Lily Walls (costume design), David Goodman-Edberg (lighting design), Nigel Harsch (sound design), Hillarie Shockley (props design), Rick Gilbert and Victor Bayona (violence/intimacy design) Keith Ryan (hair/wig design), Lindsay Tornquist (asst. director), Harrison Ornelis (technical director) and Hannah Harper-Smith (stage manager).

“Bad Girls: The Stylists” is being performed at Strawdog Theatre Company through April 14th. For tickets and/or more information on this often laugh out loud production, visit www.chicagonordic.org.

Returning to the Auditorium Theatre after a long 20-year absence is Hubbard Street Dance Chicago with its 40th Anniversary Spring Series. This edition spotlights Spanish born Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, who joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, and was named Choreographic Fellow in 2008 and became the company’s first Resident Choreographer in 2009. He’s a recipient of multiple awards, including prestigious Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance.

The show is a progression of Cerrudo’s works, from old to new. It has a pleasant start with his earliest piece, Lickety Split, originally performed in 2006 at the Harris Theater as part of the Inside/Out Choreographic workshop. Celebrating athletic femininity and confident masculinity and set to music by renowned songwriter Devendra Banhart, Lickety Split is about modern love and romantic relationships. It’s very beautiful and has well balanced energies.
But then something completely unexpected happens. The spotlight is on a balcony where a captivating, extravagantly dressed and coiffed female (Rena Butler) is seated, casually talking to the audience about the nature of reality. She is smoking a pipe, while blowing our minds with [Alan Watts’] philosophical concepts. Amazing.

And so the drama begins. More new age philosophy is injected into the show when David Schultz walks out on stage, wearing a cane and delivering another serving of food for thought. The following piece, Off Screen, though highly theatrical, doesn’t take itself too seriously. Inspired entirely by film, it makes lighthearted mockery of Italian musicals and romantic European movies. The music is comprised of 16 passages from various movie scores. Off Screen features seven dancers layering gorgeous fluid movements as if in a dream, their dancing defying gravity and somehow helping to get across the spiritual points introduced earlier. Off Screen was Cerrudo’s third work created for Hubbard Street back in 2009.

After the intermission, it’s the energetic Silent Ghost that originally premiered in 2015 at the Aspen Santa Fe ballet. It feels tribal yet romantic, despite the monochromatic costumes.

The grand finale of the evening is the world premiere of Out of Your Mind. This piece brings everything together: the mysterious monologues earlier in the show, the flow and progression of the pieces, the dreamy dancing. What makes it futuristic is the pulsating energy, and the shapes and configurations of the dancers. At some point, orderly chaos ensues on stage, dancers moving in waves [and somehow particles]. Set to the soundtrack of the soothing voice of the contemporary philosopher Alan Watts, it’s a breathtakingly beautiful and uplifting experience. The piece was inspired by Alan Watts’ lectures called “Out of Your Mind”; Cerrudo borrowed the music that was used in the audio of the lectures and used it in this piece. I’d say contemplating God possibly never looked more spectacular.

On Your Feet! is the compelling rags to riches tale of Emilio Estefan and Gloria Fajardo Estefan’s odyssey - from dreaming Cuban immigrants, to stars who brought a fresh Latin flavor to the American song book.

It’s also a love story, and a musical journey. It wasn’t painless, either. And the story line – they flee the island as the Communists rise to power, they fight against great resistance by recording studios to allow them to cross over to general audiences - provides sufficient grist for a dramatic mill that makes this much more than a juke box musical.

The Estefans’ music, popularized through their band, the Miami Sound Machine, in the 1980’s, may be less a fixture of our contemporary music scene – Shakira, from Columbia, is now better known as a Latin music star and alone has sold more albums than Gloria. But without question the Estefans’ songs are embedded in our collective culture.

At first, producers refused to release their music outside the traditional Latin markets, thinking it couldn't sell to "ordinary" Americans. In the show, Emilio goes nose to nose with the record label executive, telling him, “This is the face of an American!”, a line that won healthy applause from the Cadillac Theatre audience.

The Estafans resorted to guerrilla marketing, bringing records directly to dance clubs and pop stations, and performing for free at bar mitzvas and a Shriners convention. The strategy worked, launching the 1985 hit, “Conga,” to the top of the charts While nowadays YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook would do the trick.

To tell their story, the two developed On Your Feet! With its creative team and the rich vein of Gloria Estefan’s music, On Your Feet! made for a likely slam dunk, and indeed it is. The road show is directed by Jerry Mitchell – he won a Tony for Kinky Boots - with choreography by Sergio Trujillo (you saw his work in Jersey Boys). And the book is Alexander Dinelaris, who received an Academy Award for the movie Birdman (about a Broadway play, by the way).

Excitement comes from the moment the curtain rises on the big orchestra, which plays from back stage. The scene soon moves to Miami’s Little Havana, where the dutiful young Gloria Estefan is doing laundry, and singing traditional songs. In fact, the varieties of music - from renditions of street songs, to a fully orchestrated and choreographed night club act from pre-revolution Havana (starring Gloria’s mother, played with panache by Nancy Triotin - shades of Chita Rivera!) - enrich this show musically.

The quality and precision of the choreography is also worth noting. These highly expressive yet disciplined dancers are among the best I have seen in any musical, anywhere.

In addition to featuring the best-of songs (“Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Get On Your Feet,” “Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” “1-2-3” and “Coming Out of the Dark”) the Estefan’s added some new transitional pieces for the show. Some familiar greats, such as “Words Get In the Way,” aren’t included in the show.

The drama crescendos when a severe bus accident nearly paralyzes Gloria, and her struggle to recover. In a fresh approach, Emilio (Mauricio Martinez) solos on, “I Don’t Want to Lose You Now,” one of Gloria’s most beautiful singles. It is a real showcase for Martinez, Mexico’s telenovela heart throb, who commands the stage and dominates his scenes. It also turns out he can dance really well.

While Gloria Estefan’s lovely contralto can’t be matched, she is said to have hand selected Christie Prades to play her character for this road show. Prades delivers a great performance both in song and dance, and she is a good actress to boot.

On Your Feet! originated here in Chicago in 2015 before making its celebrated Broadway run, and then returning to a road tour across the country and around the world. (It opened again in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on March 23 and runs through April 8.)

By now we all know who’s coming to dinner. Based on the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn, Court Theatre presents a new stage adaptation of ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.’ Written in 2013 by Todd Kreidler, this fresh look points at the progress America has made regarding interracial marriage, as well as the progress that still lies ahead.

Marti Lyons directs this quickly-paced comedy-drama. The scenes are trimmed with a sweeping score that recalls the golden era of 60s television. The mid-century mod set by Scott Davis drops us square into 1960s suburban San Francisco. A solid white house on a hill, obvious symbolism. Kriedler’s script begins on an impossibly rosy note, a sure sign that trouble is afoot for these fine looking white folks.

Christina (Mary Beth Fisher) and Matt Drayton’s (Tim Hopper) upper middle class, pseudo-liberal lifestyle is upended when their adult daughter Joanna (Bryce Gangel) brings home an acclaimed African American doctor, John (Michael Aaron Pogue). The two naïve lovers wish for their parents’ blessing before they proceed with a hasty marriage. In asking, Joanna and John call into question everything they’ve known about their so-called progressive parents.

In today’s world, some may see an interracial marriage as no big deal. And largely, for most parts of America, it’s not a big deal. That’s what’s so interesting about this script. The characters don’t spend much time debating if it’s right or wrong for races to intermarry. What’s at stake for them is how the world will perceive their coupling and whether it’s actually putting them in danger.

This is a prickly little play about the nuances of race. That is not to say it’s not funny. In fact, it’s the sit-com style set-up of jokes and physical humor that make this show so fun to watch. Mary Beth Fisher is a gifted physical comedian. It’s a real treat to see her quickly twisting facial expressions, she’s able to get so much across without dialogue. Working off her is Sydney Charles in the role of the Drayton’s maid, Tillie. Sydney Charles has some of the best one-liners of the evening and really brings her character to the focal point.

The young lovers portrayed by Bryce Gangel and Michael Aaron Pogue are what this show comes down to. There’s so much chemistry between these two and that is key. The audience has to believe in this love in order to believe in the parent’s eventual coming around. Gangel so aptly captures the stubborn optimism of her character through an almost lilting speech pattern. In her final monologue, Gangel goes from school girl crush to a woman seriously in love.

The Court Theatre’s area premier of Todd Kriedler’s stage adaptation of ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ is very cute. It’s strange to say a play about tense race relations is cute, but it’s a play about love. It’s also incredibly sleek. The costumes and sets are like an episode of Mad Men. While the direct themes may not be entirely relevant in a post Marriage Equality world, there are still indirect themes that must be discussed. This play is making a bigger point about the subtler forms of racism that are present in even the most liberal minded places.

Through April 15th at Court Theatre. 5535 S Ellis Avenue. 773-753-4472

Women Laughing Alone with Salad from Theater Wit is a funny mess. Based on the popular meme of stock photos of women who always seem to be having the time of their lives while eating a bowl of tasteless raw vegetables, the play tries to satirize this concept. The concept being that only stringently healthy and active women can be happy, and the only happy women are stringently healthy and active. As if the hysterical laughing accompanying the salad in the photo will trick us into loving the most boring meal known to humankind.

The best scene might have been when the four person cast did exactly what it says on the tin: they smiled and laughed and eventually full-out boogied while eating salad. The satire here was on point, and I loved the straight-up mocking of ridiculous advertisements aimed toward women. Look at how much FUN we're having depriving ourselves of any carbohydrates - a thing our bodies *need*, by the way!

As far as the actual storyline goes, it was, like the lettuce confetti that rained down onstage at one point, all over the place. Many things were trying to be said, I think, but the play never makes a clear point. Nobody learns anything, characters or audience. The audience is led to believe that all skinny women are annoying and bulimic and "real" women are confident in their voluptuousness, until the rug is pulled out from under us and we learn that, surprise, the "real" woman is a slave to salad, too.

There were a lot of elements that, on the surface, give this play an edge: nudity, a threesome scene, an Oedipal complex, some gender-swapped roles, which were entertaining, but to me seemed like folderol distracting from the fact that the story was haphazard.

I appreciated the bravery of the actors and playwright Sheila Callaghan for taking the leap -- the acting was well-done and the script did shine through occasionally with some great, funny lines -- but this play was anything but salad: Big, flashy empty calories. Fun to eat, but with little nutritional value.

Women Laughing Alone With Salad is playing at Theater Wit through April 29th. Tickets at TheaterWit.org.

*Extended through May 2nd!

At The Ready, a small theatre on Chicago’s Northside is currently hosting the classic parable play “Round Heads and Pointed Heads”. Penned by Bertolt Brecht in 1936, its current Chicago run is being brought to you by Red Tape Theatre - a fine theatre company I would urge one to become familiar with. The play is a sardonic anti-Nazi tale that takes place in in the made-up land of Yahoo where its leaders explore maintaining and strengthening their control by pitting “round heads” against “pointed heads” which replaces racial relations for their aggressive class relations.

Composed of 11 scenes in prose and poetry and 13 songs, the story unfolds in two acts that include an intermission. I found the play a bit long-winded but very well done. Multiple plot lines intertwine throughout and is sometimes quite a bit to digest in one sitting, but its overall message is quite poignant. Having said that, the play is very entertaining.

Several actors in this extremely well-acted production successfully take on more than one role, showcasing a wide variety of talent. Despite the fact that “Round Heads’ is not really a musical per se, there were a good handful of interesting songs that helped tell the story in a unique way.

Social issues like racism, revolution and prostitution made up some of the plot lines. Like I said, it was a lot to digest. As much as I enjoyed the play, the fact so many serious topics are brought to the table and are condensed into a couple hours, can overwhelm one’s attention span at times. However, the story ties together nicely.

Directed by Max Truax, the cast features Maryam Abdi, Ambrose Cappucio, Ben Chang, Casey Chapman, Nora King, Peter Laughlin, Diana Lee, Felix Mayes, Emily Nichelson, Brandon Rivera, Caleb Roitz, Kelsey Shipley, Stephanie Shum, and Ann Sonneville.

What I really like about productions like this set in intimate settings, is that the audience feels they become part of the scenes taking place. I guess having a powerful play so rich and meaningful presented up close and personal is not much of a surprise with a group like Red Tape Theatre. I felt some on the audience consisted of fellow thespians who were there to support the theatre community. Works for me. I like that idea.

Small theatre in Chicago has a lot to offer. There is much to see, and the price of admission is generally reasonable…in this case, free but they do appreciate donations. This production is well worth your time to see, and I look forward to checking out more Red Tape productions. These actors are not doing this to be rich, although it may be a stepping stone to greater things. So, go give them the lift they need…it all comes back to you.

Red Tape's “Round Heads and Pointed Heads” is being performed at At the Ready (4546 N Western Ave, Chicago) through April 21st. https://redtapetheatre.org/  

I was 16 years old, digging through a used record bin at a flea market. I came across an album by a Fusion band named Return to Forever. I had heard of the guitar player, Al DiMeola, so I bought the used LP for a dollar. It was money well spent. At that time, I was a relatively new guitar player and I was already getting onto Progressive bands like Yes. At first that is how I saw Fusion. It was kinda like “Prog Rock” sans vocals. It was at that time I first heard Stanley Clarke. The man’s name translates to the word bass in some language. I am sure of that. I know of very few players that have the kind of command over the instrument the Clarke does.

Stanley Clarke just hit Chicago on his latest tour and his performance at City Winery was top notch from beginning to end. His lineup included two keyboardists, drums, electric violin and Clarke on electric and upright bass. What, no guitar player? Blasphemy! I was devastated. Not exactly. There was no void in the music by the lack of having a guitar player that evening. With such a large ensemble of musicians, I’m not sure that there would have been room on the stage anyway. Needless to say, Clarke was already playing through one of the largest bass rigs I have seen in a venue of that size. It really wasn’t even all about that bass either, all the musicians were of the highest caliber.

Beka Gochiasvill and Cameron Graves were the two keyboardists, and both were outstanding. Beka is from Georgia, not the state, the nation that formerly belonged to the USSR. Only 22 years old, his playing reflected someone with much more maturity. Graves is a West Coast cat who has a reputation of his own and is also known for a lot of his own music.

Drummer Mike Mitchell was a solid groove machine, really holding down the fort with Stanley’s melodic monster bass lines. I love jazz drummers, they are never boring, and Mitchell was no exception. The art of being creative without showing off is another level of performance that takes time to achieve. There is an old joke: “A drummer is a person who follows musicians around”. When the drummer is really a musician, it makes all the difference in the world. It really does.

Last but not least in the lineup was the electric violinist. I feel terrible that I cannot recall his name and was unable to find out at the time of this writing! Ugh! I’ll just say that his performance was fantastic and that he was a very animated person. He gave the music a serious melodic boost, and almost upstaged Clarke yet his name is not listed in the band line up.

I say this in all my reviews, but go see live music! I am especially adamant about this when it comes to jazz. Clarke at age 66, is one of the younger players from back in the day. The newer generation does have the talent, no doubt about it, but it’s very educational to see the legends that were so influential in the genre. Thanks to venues like City Winery, this is still a tangible thing that is greatly available for people to seek out. City Winery also gets a great review from me, once again. They have a great staff and the sound there is always amazing. The wine is also fine.

Cheers!

"In real life, you're exploited by the moneyed class and then you die." says Petra in Robert Falls' new production of 'An Enemy of the People' at Goodman Theatre. His adaptation of Ibsen's 1882 play, spends two and a half hours exploring the theme of freedom.

"An Enemy of the People" is set in an ambiguous time and place but the highly conceptualized world in which this production exists is familiar. In it, idealistic small-town Doctor Stockmann (Philip Earl Johnson) discovers the water supply is poisoned. Hoping to save the town, he's politically thwarted by his brother the mayor (Scott Jaeck).

Robert Falls adapted the script from a translation by Eleanor Marx-Aveling and it's got some teeth. As Arthur Miller adapted Ibsen's play in 1950 to fit the McCarthy era, Falls aims his at Trumpism. Despite some occasional lapses in subtlety, this version chugs along at an urgent pace. Some liberties are taken with Ibsen's script but, given the current political climate, the topical dialogue fuels the thrilling intensity. Even 130 years later, this play is still a warning.

The square-off between Philip Earl Johnson and Scott Jaeck for the town's soul is all too relevant. Johnson physically exhausts himself trying to scream the truth while a calm and dignified Jaeck lulls the townspeople into submission. They're both so convincing you're almost able to see both sides, which is precisely the danger. Many of the most provocative lines come from Petra played by Rebecca Hurd. Her performance is sincere and brings more depth to the character than just what's in the dialogue.

It's an event when Robert Falls produces a classic at Goodman. 'Enemy of the People' lives up to the hype. As he's done with Chekhov, Falls has a vision for these plays that is far from the faithful productions of yore. It's essential for directors to reinterpret these classics for new eras. It's how a younger generation will connect with Ibsen. This version is well designed and brightly colored. Almost too cheerful for the subject matter. The costumes will leave you unsure of the time period, but that's the point. Whatever the era, the costumes are chic and the sets are memorable. This isn't your average period piece melodrama.

This production is exciting from beginning to end. There's not a moment of dead air. The dialogue is fresh and mirrors the absurd hypocrisy of our times. There's a lot of lightness in this play, and it's not until afterward that the darkness of its themes settle in. That might be one of it's strongest assets, it's so engaging you forget how bleak the conclusion is. If you don't leave this play angry, there's probably something wrong with you.

Through April 15th at Goodman Theatre 170 North Dearborn. 312-443-5151

Each week as I sort through the invitations to theater and concert events taking place in Chicago, it’s rare that I find a title as intriguing and inviting as this one - "The Brink or Nobody's Ever Kissed Me like That". 

Walkabout Theater Company described this show in their press release as "experimental cabaret" set in "a cafe at the edge of the world." And that would be a very accurate description.  

“The Brink” contains a variety of beautiful, recognizable songs, like “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows,” "Beyond the Sea” and "You Don't Own me," along with some classic Jazz and Motown standards. Colorful, erotic and avant-garde, each number is performed with a uniqueness that makes this play a true original. What the company does with some of the songs is quite amazing and sometimes a little scary to watch. Many of the songs are slowed down or sped up mid-number, as one of the ensemble members appears to control the delivery of each song with an old radio tuner. 

“The Brink’s” talented cast includes Nigel Brown, McCambridge Dowd-Whipple, Cooper Forsman, Dana Murphy, Katie Mazzini, Thom Pasculli, Alex Rodriguez. The three women in the cast have accomplished singing voices, yet each of these standards is sung with the most interesting variety of twists and turns. For example, "You Don't Own Me" is sung by a female ensemble member who begins by standing in a tin water tub while another male member of the troupe pours water over her head from a tin garden watering can until her long, shiny black hair is wet and her beautifully applied makeup and mascara are running down her face like black tears.  She then dance/ crawls her way over to a piano and sings the rest of the song in halting bits to an invisible suitor warning him not to try and change her with the following lyrics, but then tells him to kiss her over and over again. 

You don't own me
I'm not just one of your many toys
You don't own me
Don't say I can't go with other boys
Don't tell me what to do
And don't tell me what to say
Please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display
You don't own me
Don't try to change me in any way

The full effect of this number is stunning and sexy, yet sad and lonely all at the same time. 

The play is fair to both sexes when it comes to describing how hearts are easily toyed with and broken, yet there is a decidedly feminist and therefore humanist bent to the whole piece which I enjoyed immensely. With original text by Nigel Brown, quotes from renowned feminists Gertrude Stein and Ann Carson are scattered about like prose poetry and fall off the lips of the ensemble like rose petals off a dying rose instead of being shouted at the audience rally style.

At one point a female cast member says something to the effect of: All men lie, they cannot stop telling lies. I must leave this place as I am becoming bitter and hard from the thought that the basis of a woman's entire life is only about enduring humiliation. I will run and skip to find a new place to escape this one.

This is a feminist statement that really rings true with many women and got a lot of sympathetic nods of recognition from women and men in the audience.

I really enjoyed studying the delicately made and cut costumes and makeup in this show. Each costume is fitted to each ensemble member to perfection and is made of a variety of beautifully colored silks and linen, which grace the whole show with a decidedly French couture or, at times, Italian couture feeling. The brilliant costumes by Myron Elliott-Cisneros undoubtedly enhance the many, many beautiful images created by the cast in each scene or vignette. 

I highly recommend this bewitching and enchanting ensemble production for anyone seeking a night of thought provoking romantic idealism, dance and song in a surrealistic atmosphere that will allow you to explore new places in your own minds memories of love you have lost or found with new insight. 

The production is coming off previews in Cricoteka Centre in Krakow, Poland, and continue its journey to India for the 8th International Theatre Olympics in Mumbai and New Delhi following its three-week Chicago run. 

"The Brink or Nobody’s Ever Kissed Me Like That" is being performed at Links Hall through March 31st. More information on this amazing show can be found at http://walkabouttheater.org.