Items filtered by date: November 2007

I absolutely adored Theatre at the Center’s production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown based on the Pedro Almodvar film of the same name from beginning to end.  Set in the 1980's in a part of uptouching and hilarious upper crust Madrid, "Verge" tells the hilarious and touching story of three women who are literally brought to the edge of sanity by their lovers. 

Cory Goodrich is dynamite in the lead role of commercial actress and singer Pepa who receives a phone message from her cheating lover Ivan that he is breaking up with her just as she discovers that she is pregnant with his child.  At the same time, Summer Naomi Smart is super sexy and funny as Pepa's nervous best friend and unwitting fashion model, Candela, whose boyfriend turns out to be an actual terrorist.

And Hollis Resnik as Ivan's ex-wife, who has actually been committed to an asylum because of Ivan's constant playing around with her mind and heart, is sheer delight in her portrayal of a woman who is still in love with her ex, partly because he keeps stringing her along. 

It’s just a complete and sensational cast assembled for this production.

To continue in praising this cast, Larry Adams is hysterical as Ivan, the wealthy Lothario who tells his son it is not important what you say to women but how you say it and then proceeds to sing "Blah, blah blah" to one woman after another in such a sexy seductive tone that they all drop at his feet.  Ivan also reveals that his secret to keeping women in love with him , even his ex-wife of twenty years who had been driven to madness by his loving is that he loves each woman at a distance "Forever and ever and will not let them out of his thoughts... forever." 

Sadly, the lead of this production, actor, Bernie Yvon, was killed in a car accident about two weeks before the show opened on his way to rehearsal. The performances in this run are dedicated to Bernie, who will certainly be missed in the Chicago theatre community. George Andrew Wolff, who plays the taxi driver and narrator did a great job in Bernie’s stead and had one of the best and funniest Spanish accents in the whole show. 

The set, period costumes and actual taxi driven around during the show were all beautiful, colorful and very interactive for the audience. There are all kinds of fabulous dance numbers and the songs are catchy and cleverly funny, especially “The Microphone” performed wonderfully by Larry Adams and “Model Behavior” where Naomi Smart really gets to show her comedic ability as an actress. There is even a handsome Spanish biker that cruises the stage on his motorcycle. 

Although the 1980's cocktail which helped fuel and then alternately slow down the characters frenetic actions through life was a milkshake made of "gazpacho and Valium", you will not need a Valium to relax and laugh at this wonderful woman driven comedy. I highly recommend seeing this rarely produced hit while it is here! 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is playing at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana (30 minutes from downtown Chicago) through October 12^th. For tickets and/or more information, visit www.theatreatthecenter.com.  

These nervous women deserve respect!

The romantic and richly textured tale of East versus West, THE KING AND I,comes toThe Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL., previewing October 22, opening October 29, and running through January 4, 2015. Nick Bowling (Juno and The Normal Heart at Timeline Theatre) makes his Marriott Theatre directorial debut with a fresh take on this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, merging history and romance with today’s social and political issues. THE KING AND Itakes audiences on an uplifting journey of the power of education as characters transform from instructor to students themselves, learning from one another in the process. In consultation with the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute of Chicago, Bowling and Choreographer Tommy Rapley will explore ancient Siamese customs, dance and traditions, and bring them to life on stage.

Set against a dazzling and exotic backdrop of 19^th century Siam, THE KING AND I follows the tumultuous relationship of the strong-willed British Governess Anna (Jeff Award-nominee Heidi Kettenring) and the larger than life King of Siam (Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte), as they try to find common ground between Siamese and British traditions. In an attempt to modernize his country, the King seeks Anna’s assistance in teaching his children and wives about Western culture. Conflicts arise, however, as both refuse to give up their respective traditions and values.  As the story unfolds, Anna and the King grow to understand and respect one another, and ultimately, fall in love in a truly unique romance. THE KING AND I takes audiences through a captivating journey of music, dance and enchantment with timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein classics “Getting to Know You,” “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” and “Shall We Dance?”

THE KING AND Istars Heidi Kettenring as "Anna" (National Tour of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Broadway in Chicago's Wicked, the World Premiere of Hero at the Marriott Theatre), Andrew Ramcharan Guilarte as “The King of Siam” (2G's World Premiere of Galois The Musical; Macbeth at Lincoln Center/Clarke Studio Theater; NAATCO'S Obie Award-winning production of Awake And Sing; New York and U.S. premiere of Immaculate at La Mama, World Premiere of Bunty Berman Presents at The New Group), Megan Masako Haley as “Tuptim,” Devin Ilaw as “Lun Tha,” Kristen Choi as “Lady Thiang,” Joseph Anthony Foranda as “Kralahome,”Michael Semanic as “Louis Leonowens,” Matthew Uzarraga as “Prince Chulalongkorn”, and Rod Thomas as “Sir Edward and Captain Orton.” Also starring in the production are Alexis Aponte, Audrey Billings, W. Blaine Brown, Nicholas Dantes, Jasmine Ejan, Lilly S. Fujioka, Monique Haley, Raymond Interior, Jillian Jocson, Scott Alan Jones, Dylan M. Lainez, Rika Nishikawa, Sayiga Eugene Peabody, Hanna Savella, Scott Shimizu, Yu Suzuki, Rose Le Tran, Zachary Uzarraga, Janelle Villas, and Sophia Woo.

THE KING AND Iproduction team is led by the Marriott Theatre’s Lead Artistic Director Andy Hite. Set Design is by Tom Ryan, Costume Design by Nancy Missimi, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, Sound Design by Bob Gilmartin and Properties Design by Sally Weiss; with Dialect Coach Jill Walmsley Zager.

The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Ticket prices range from $40 to $48, excluding tax and handling fees. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, there are a limited number of Dinner and Theatre tickets available and can only be purchased through the Marriott Theatre Box Office. On Friday and Saturday evenings, dinner reservations can be made at the King’s Wharf restaurant. Additionally on Sundays, dinners in the Fairfield Inn are available. To make a reservation at either of these two restaurants, please call 847-634-0100.Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

"Stories in Motion” is a beautifully selected trio of individual story ballets performed at the Auditorium Theatre on Congress.The first "Prodigal Son" with choreography by George Balanchine tells the well-known biblical tale of the rebellious and curious son who leaves his home only to be beaten down by life and love in the city. Although Balanchine is one of my very favorite choreographers I found the movements in this piece to be somewhat slapstick and jarring. However, Christine Rocas as the Siren who lures The Son, Alberto Valazquez was a petite delight, moving sinuously and majestically through the piece. And the final moment when the Prodigal son returns broken and crawling to his father masterfully played by Ashley Wheater, and crawls/climbs up his father’s legs and into his arms to be carried offstage is a satisfying heart wrenching finale. 

“Lilac Garden" is completely and refreshingly different and is set in the Edwardian period where two lovers are forced to have their last dance before retiring into the loveless marriages arranged for them by society. The characters, simply called Caroline, Her Lover and The Man She Must Marry are all subtly, beautifully and delicately danced by Victoria Jaiani, Dylan Guitierrez and Miguel Blanco.

Raku, which means “pleasure” in Japanese, is the stunner of the evening. Based on the tragic tale of a Princess who is stalked by an evil Monk who rapes her, kills her lover and sets fire to the temple she lives in, is a devastating ballet full of acrobatics and sword play that really moves the audience with well-played melodrama. 

Victoria Jaiani as the Princess has a real tour de force performance here and does something I have never seen before in a classical ballet program. After the horrifying rape scene, after her servants/ guards have been beaten and dispersed and her temple is burning to the ground, the Japanese Princess takes down her long flowing hair. 

The Princess has had everything taken from her, her lover, her guards, her virginity, and her home are all destroyed by the evil Monk. Finally, Jaiani’s tightly wrapped bun of hair is pulled out to reveal her waist length, shining black hair.

As Jaiani crawled, shaking with rage and despair across the stage, half on pointe and half on her knees, she pulled her long, beautiful black hair out and away from her face with her hands like a lions mane and scooped up the ashes of her burning temple to pour them over her head and face in a final dramatic gesture of complete destruction and loss of sanity. 

I highly recommend seeing an ever dynamic and always richly staged Joffrey Ballet production. Swan Lake begins October 15^th. 

*photo - Lilac Garden: #362 (Victoria Jaiani) 

Death Tax by playwright Lucas Hnath is about a wealthy 70-something woman who believes that her daughter is paying off her nurse to kill her before the New Year's death tax kicks in thereby reducing her inheritance significantly. When the play opens, Maxine, played ferociously if not sympathetically by Tony Award winner, Deanna Dunnagan states a truism that I found touching, about the fact that people who have money late in life are "preserved" while those that do not have money are not "preserved."

Dunnagan is absolutely riveting, and beautiful to look at. Even her hand gestures resemble those of a ballerina, very sparing and graceful.

I had hoped that the play would demonstrate more of the very real danger to senior citizens who find themselves deteriorating physically and mentally due to subpar care because of their financial situations, as this happens every day in this country and indeed many elder citizen's deaths are hastened for financial reasons. Unfortunately, Maxine's delusions and combative personality which are common in patients with dementia are treated as the main problem instead of the system of health care in this country that often pits patients and family against the nursing home or hospital in a race to save money or make money off the dying person.

There are several great, rapid fire speeches in the play for all four actors, and Louise Lamson as her hapless estranged daughter, and J. Nicole Brooks, as the nurse Maxine attempts to bribe into her loyalty do a great job delivering them in a way that makes the audience constantly ask themselves, "What would I do in that situation?'”

Hnath is a popular young writer at the moment with two plays in production at once, but in this play he misses the mark when he chooses to make Maxine the villain of the piece. However, there is not enough warmth either in the characters or the staging that cause you to really care much what happens to each character. Instead we are asked to believe that a nurse and her supervisor would easily accept large bribes from an obviously paranoid and overmedicated patient without thinking they would be caught. 

Overall this was still a compelling, quickly moving piece of theatre that raises many important questions about how aging Americans are placed at the mercy of their relatives and caregivers at the very time they need support the most.

Death Tax is playing at Lookingglass Theatre through October 12^th. You can find out more about tickets and other dhow information at www.lookingglasstheatre.org.  

Despite the typical Chicago weather Friday evening, Ravinia audience members on the lawn donning raincoats and umbrellas in case of further torrent, enjoyed their candlelit dinners and drinks in preparation for the on stage arrival of The Moody Blues.  Celebrating The Moody Blues’ 50^th anniversary this year, 26 different albums, and 29 hit singles steadfast, dedicated fans filled the pavilion and lawn areas.

Eager anticipation paid off for the thousands in attendance. The band was tight as ever and played each song with passion and precision to old fans and newer alike. One thing was evident within the first couple of songs - band members Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge all still know how to rock a crowd and put on a show!

The program included such all-time favorites as “Tuesday Afternoon”, “The Story in Your Eyes”, “Isn’t Life Strange” and “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)”.

After a very entertaining set full of Moody Blues faves, the band’s finale was a perfect ending to a magical evening, pleasing the crowd even more so with the classic “Knights in White Satin”.

You can hear the influence of the time periods in their lyrics, in their music and even in the background screen images and photos, a vibe felt throughout the crowd.  Within their music a strength of understanding of their definitive age that became so influential. You can even hear tunes and melodies created by the Moody’s that are in songs you hear on the radio today - a lifetime of influences heard from this other British Invasion. 

Ravinia has been home to many great concerts this summer and still has many coming up including Joss Stone, Poi Dog Pondering, John Mayer and Five For Fighting to name a few. For more information, visit www.ravinia.org.

I just love a good whodunit. Who killed who, how and why – the suspects, the accusers, the whole shebang. The Game’s Afoot, currently running at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, is just that – murder, suspense and also plenty of laughs.

The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig, author of “Lend Me A Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo”, is a very engaging mystery/comedy that revolves around William Gillette, an actor best known for his on stage portrayal of the famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. We are taken back to Christmas Eve, 1936, where Gillette hosts a dinner party for some of the cast members in his latest production. It’s a wintry night as the guests arrive throughout the early evening to Gillette’s Connecticut mansion. Soon after guests acquaint themselves with each other, a murder takes place and Gillette calls himself into action as his Sherlock Holmes character in order to solve the mystery. Hilarity ensues as everyone becomes a suspect, including Gillette himself.

The Game’s Afoot is anchored with a fine cast, most notably Derek Hasenstab as the energetic and always deducing, William Gillette, and Angela Ingersoll as the vivacious Daria Chase. Hasenstab recalls, “I love William Gillette and I like Ken Ludwig’s writing. He writes fun stuff for the actors to play with.” Rod Thomas also makes a splash as Gillette’s longtime friend, Felix Geisel.

Incidentally, Gillette is based on an actual person. Gillette wrote the stage version of Sherlock Holmes back in the late 1800s, adding to the character the pipe and deerstalker cap. Hasenstab adds, “He was an eccentric person. He built a castle in Connecticut, he was an inventor and he loved keeping up with the technology of the day.”

The show is set in the inside the living room of Gillette’s mansion and is quite jaw-dropping once exposed as it is lavishly rich and has murder mystery written all over it. Snow constantly falls behind its large windows giving the desired effect of a winter storm, while an entire wall spins back and forth from fireplace and mantle to cocktail bar with the pull of a lever – a sconce near the living room’s entrance way.

The show has some pretty funny moments but is really consistently humor rich from beginning to end, at the same time presenting a compelling enough mystery to entertain on its own. The characters are quirky and likeable – more so as you get to know them, and one kind of gets the feeling that they are part of the dinner party even though they might be rows away from the stage.

The Game’s Afoot is simply fun. If you, like myself, enjoy whodunits, you’ll really find this show a treat.

For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

Ravinia plays host to so many memorable concerts throughout the year, but one of the most unforgettable came last Tuesday night when The Beach Boys shared the stage with the legendary Temptations. Amply called “Surf and Soul” audience members were able to take in some of the most celebrated classics in music history under the stars.

Taking the stage first were the Temptations led by Bruce Williamson and the band’s only original member, Otis Williams. Dressed in matching, brightly colored suits the band clapped, spun and added some fancy footwork to such favorites as “Treat Her Like A Lady”, “The Way You Do the Things You Do”, “Just My Imagination” and “My Girl”. Gracing the crowd with smooth harmonies and romantic lyrics, the Temptations still had women swooning as they probably did some fifty years ago.

After a healthy set of soulful bliss, The Beach Boys then came out to perform headed by original members Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. Fun videos of 1960s nostalgia and band footage were displayed on each side of the stage throughout the show while The Beach Boys launched into an array of their famous surf hits. Strangely however, Brian Wilson seemed to be shunned from such footage barring a few quick shots were it was nearly impossible to exclude him. Obviously missing was Brian and Carl Wilson, but the band still managed to pull off a highly efficient performance taking on such songs (most Mike Love driven hits) as “”Do It Again”, “Sloop John B”, “Surfin’ USA”, “Catch A Wave”, “Be True To Your School”, “409” and “I Get Around”. Also thrown into the set, and maybe a bit unnecessarily, was Mike Love’s solo project number “Pisces Brothers”. The band did venture into a few Brian Wilson led songs with the touring musicians handling his high vocal range quite nicely – the same goes for the terrific harmonies in each song.

The Beach Boys played two songs from Pet Sounds – “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows”, the latter of which the band got creative with the jumbo screens to allow the late Carl Wilson sing the lead (as only it should be) while they gently played and sang harmonies underneath. Ending on a high note, Love and gang jumped into the band’s last big hit “Kokomo” from the late 1980s and their ever so popular anthem “Good Vibrations”.

Not to be a band that walks away from challenges, Mike Love was greeted with a bucket of ice water over his head in support of ALS awareness to put the finishing touches on a fully enjoyable experience.

Overall, though at times a bit sad to be reminded of our mortality and the inevitable aging process we all must endure, both bands were thoroughly entertaining, tight and most of all – fun. I can only hope both will return to Ravinia in 2015. Surf’s still up, boys! 

Chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo! The Wallflowers and Train are about to play at Ravinia, an outdoor venue. Yup not only one grand band is playing, but two!

Over the years I have seen large numbers of people play lots of The Wallflower’s and Train’s songs at bars. Plus teenyboppers blasting their tunes and bopping their heads, and probably even grandmas and grandpas, while riding on their scooters or in their cars. The Alternative Rock band, The Wallflowers, and the Rock group, Train, each have won Grammys, and have had immense success on the charts, proving they are truly stars.

People young enough to be in diapers, as well as individuals old enough to be in them (“butt” depends), made up the huge crowds’ age range. It was a big surprise to me yet pleasantly strange. However Ravinia’s policy of no food or booze in the pavilion was a first for me, when it comes to a concert-going experience change.

The Wallflowers started off quite tranquil. It is a good thing I did not take a dose of Nightquil. But soon enough they were a thrill!

The Wallflower’s, Jakob Dylan, is The Bob Dylan’s chilln.’ And he seemed like an extraordinarily appreciative and gracious person, thanking the audience very often. The highlight of The Wallflower’s performance was when Jakob had Train’s lead singer, Pat Monahan, join him onstage to sing “The Letter,” and they did an awesome rendition!

When Train came out playing “Calling All Angels” for a second night in a row at Ravinia, rose to the occasion. Pat Monahan went out into the audience, gave away a generous amount of photos, auto-graphed t-shirts and drumsticks, creating so much way cool band and audience interaction. He also got the crowd singing and even brought, Julie Schwartz, who Monahan stated texted him over 400 times, asking to sing onstage with him, and he did so, causing another highly exciting crowd reaction.

The largest portion of The Wallflower’s concert included them performing “One Headlight” and “6^th Avenue Heartache,” their most popular tunes. Train’s performance did too, playing such massive hits like “Drops of Jupiter “ and “Soul Sister,“ with the addition of mighty “danceable” songs from their new album The Bulletproof Picasso, much of will probably be heard for many moons. The Wallflowers and Train are definitely, greatly talented artists—they are not the least bit a bunch of fly-by buffoons.

"On the Town" with music by Leonard Bernstein; book and lyrics by Tony-winning writing partners Betty Comden and Adolph Green is about to be staged on Broadway but the Marriott Lincolnshire has beat Broadway to the punch with this thoroughly entertaining and beautifully staged rendition which has never before been staged in Chicago.

Three young sailors arrive in New York City with just one night, 24 hours to have fun and find love hopefully in the arms of one young lady named "Miss Turnstiles" for the month of June. "On the Town" really captures the frantic energy of youth and love, when every hour of your life, indeed every minute counts desperately to you as life calls you to return to work, or other duties forcing you to leave your hopes and dreams behind. 

The two young leads, Max Clayton & Alison Jantzie are both very, very talented young dancers and singers.  Alison Jantzie is lovely and is absolutely delightful in her role as "Miss Turnstiles" a struggling actress who is bullied into burlesque dancing as a way to stay afloat in the big city.

Marya Grandy and Johanna McKenzie Miller were perfectly cast as the other two female leads. Grandy and Miller are both mature actresses with great voices and superb comic timing which held the whole show together and gave it real belly laughs and heart as well.

Alex Sanchez’s choreography and director David H. Bell use the intimate space at Marriott Theatre to their full advantage filling the stage with 22 dancers and some of the most exciting and even classically erotic ballet and modern dance numbers I have seen in a long time. 

Nancy Missimi’s period costumes are so much fun to watch on the dancers. I absolutely love this period of fashion especially for the women Thomas M. Ryan’s brightly light New York City  set caught my eye even before I entered the theatre and utilizes a turntable effect to show cabs driving through the city and other action in a fun and exciting way visually.

I highly recommend seeing "On the Town" while it is here in Chicago. "On the Town” is a funny, and romantic way to end the summer and remind yourself that life goes by fast, you have to get out "On the Town" once in a while to really celebrate it!

“On the Town” is playing at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire through October 12^th. For tickets and/or more information, visit www.marriotttheatre.com.

Everyone is looking to be loved and to give love though it’s not always that easy as we find out in Stupid Fucking Bird. In this twisted and very comical take on Anton Chehkov’s The Seagull that is filled with bird references relating to life, Stupid Fucking Bird is the story of dysfunctional friends and family who are defined by their own complexities, self-absorption and yearnings. Also relating theatre to life, Aaron Posner’s Stupid Fucking Bird uses stage performance as insightful metaphors to human behavior.

Sideshow Theatre Company’s production of Posner’s adaptation of Chehkov’s boring and often hard to watch stage classic is nothing short of hilarious at times and funny all the way through despite a heavier ending than expected. Assembled in this witty play is a dynamite cast led by Nate Whelden who plays “Cody Proctor”, a tortured playwright who is in love with his subject “Nina” (Jeff nominated Nina O’Keefe) whom will never love him in return. Cody Proctor is incensed with commercial theatre that is not “world changing” and is determined to write provocative and meaningful art that has an effect on society. In the meantime, emptiness, loneliness and lack of purpose are ever present in those close to him and “Nina” wants to be a seagull – thus the title, Stupid Fucking Bird.

The story is filled with dark humor and clever parodies of the original it spoofs. There are moments where the actors interact with the crowd, whether to ask for advice on a specific situation or to simply vent to us. The set is modest but effective to which its simplicity actually adds to the show’s theme of hollowness and the constant longing to be complete. 

Stupid Fucking Bird is not only funny it is also heartwarming and can be thought provoking on occasion. It is a journey that most are all too familiar with and it is a struggle that can often be overcome. There is a good reason this play was a hit on the East Coast, that being it’s engagingness and cast of characters that are easy to identify with. 

Stupid Fucking Bird is playing in the upstairs theatre of Victory Gardens (2433 N. Lincoln) through September 21^st. For tickets and/or more information, visit www.victorygardens.org or call (773) 871-3000.    

*Above photo - (left to right) Matt Fletcher, Katy Carolina Collins, Nina O’Keefe, Nate Whelden, Cody Proctor, Stacy Stoltz and Norm Woodel in Sideshow Theatre Company’s Midwest premiere of STUPID FUCKING BIRD by Aaron Posner, sort of adapted from Anton Chekhov’sThe Seagull, directed by Jonathan L. Green.  Photo by Jonathan L. Green.