Items filtered by date: November 2007

The Scottish city of Glasgow wallows in economic depression, as this laborer’s family struggles through the hardships of basic survival. “All we’ve done wrong is to be born into poverty,” the father says in comforting the overworked wife wrapped in his arms. A crash look into the real housewives of Glasgow circa 1930, overcrowded and unsanitary apartments, unfaithful relationships, being unemployed and broke, rebellious teenagers, and human rights verse human cruelty clash in this epic three-act play at Edgewater’s Raven Theatre.

A complex tale of interweaving lives, Robin Witt impeccably directs a strong cast in the creation of this fast-moving family drama, sure to be a summer hit! Touching on many modern issues, this story carries its audience through a roller coaster of fears and tenderness: the joys of raising children, the sorrows of disaster befalling loved ones. Family, even society, pull together as economic struggles break them apart.

Especially touching is the graceful performance of Lori Myers playing Maggie Morrison, the matriarch who leads her family through this desperate saga. She clings to love although gossip, fighting, rejection, and illness nearly break her heart in two. A masterful portrayal, Myers carries the show with a touch of genius, inviting the audience to share her trauma and rejoice in her triumphs. 

Great talent work in Chicago, nowhere more so than in this production.  A slice of life, featuring excellent costuming by Kate Murphy and ingenious audio effects by Victoria Deiorio contribute to making this charming production an evening that leaves its audience with hope and enjoyable entertainment.

Griffin Theatre Company’s Men Should Weep runs July 5 to August 10 at 7:30pm at the Raven Theatre Complex, 6157 N Clark St in Chicago. The show runs 2:40 with two 10 minute intermissions. Tickets are available at www.griffintheatre.com or by calling 866-811-4111.

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Four strangers are quarantined together as the Black Plague sweeps through London. They must struggle through personal and social prejudices as they try to survive being cooped up together for weeks. Fear of contamination and imminent death from the agonizing plague, hope of escape, and sexual strain haunts their daily confinement. Will the fittest survive not only the plague, but each other?

Director Jeffrey Clark Stokes has brought a team of newcomers and old hands returning to the stage to create his directorial debut. The highlight of the cast is Caroline Phillips, the young actress playing Morse, a strange girl who sneaks into the boarded-up house and has a profound effect on the wealthy owners’ lives. Her belief in each moment is governed with a direct simplicity and a strong voice, bringing bewitching contrasts of innocence and depravity to this ravaged setting.

A fresh look at a small space, the audience is in effect taken into the quarantined room and has the chance to experience the ghastly confinement through all-around, staggered seating, bringing actors and audience close together. Stripping away any semblance of presentation, a tension-filled realism is achieved as these family-like relationships tauten and wind around themselves.

A brilliant score by DePaul student David Samba ushers us into this hellish house utilizing murmuring winds, groans and repetitive dripping and tapping. The score emphasizes Wallace’s poetic wordplay and grotesque imagery, which startles, horrifies, and repulses even as it invites a closer look into the physical agonies of life in the Black Plague era.

Ghost Light Productions’ One Flea Spare runs July 13-25 at 7:30pm at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave, in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The show runs 2:10 with a 10 minute intermission. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com.

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Another TV classic has found itself in a musical, this time being The Beverly Hillbillies. Credited as one of the most popular shows of all time, The Beverly Hillbillies aired from 1962 through 1971 and told the story of a backwoods family that found wealth in oil and then migrated to stuffy Beverly Hills where they were completely out of their element. Most of us are already familiar with the Clampett clan headed by the all too honest and often naïve Jed and his short-tempered nevertheless often sweet Granny, who would choose eating possum innards any day over y’alls favorite fine dining establishments. Jed’s daughter, tomboy yet bombshell Elly May is along for the ride with his ever so gullible nephew Jethro, who is as dumb as dumb gets – and we love him for it.

Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana (30 minutes from downtown Chicago) has taken on the world premiere of “The Beverly Hillbillies – The Musical” where our favorite family from the sticks will grace the stage through August 10^th. The book is shared by the team of Tony-nominated David Rogers, who passed away before its completion, and daughter Amanda, who took over from where her father left off. Composer Gregg Opelka was then called in to handle the music and lyrics. The final result is a lukewarm comedy with a wide assortment of songs, some hitting and some missing. One of the more memorable numbers comes as  Act One’s closing number - “Stamp It Like A Clampett”, a rootin’ tootin’ hoedown- throw-down that gets the audience clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Thereis just enough intrigue in the storyline to keep it interesting as the Clampetts are getting hustled for some of their millions by a couple of quirky grifters and there is just enough Beverly Hillbilly-esque humor to bring out a plausible amount of laughs.

As sure as Granny’s cooking is sure to cure what ails ya, Theatre at the Center puts forth a strong cast for this production. Local theatre trouper and Jeff-Award winner James Harms leads the way as “Jed” while Kelly Anne Clark can be downright adorable at times as “Granny”. The Clampetts are rounded out with fellow Jeff-Award winner Summer Smart romping around as the innocent, wide-eyed and button poppin’ “Elly May”, while John Stemberg gets his dumb on as likeable and simple “Jethro”. Thanks to this talented foursome, we have an assemblage of heartwarming country bumpkins who are still capable of occasionally tugging at our heartstrings despite not having the strongest of material to work with.

The show does have a strong visual presence as it is set inside a large mansion complete with more than ample square footage for the actors to freely frolic around. Its defining prop also makes a welcomed appearance much to the audience’s delight – the Clampett’s famous jalopy complete with Granny aboard her rocking chair in the bed of the truck as seen in the TV series’ opening credits.

The Beverly Hillbillies – The Musical, directed by David Perkovich, has just the adequate share of happy-as-a-raccoon-up-to-its-knees-in-vittles moments and downhome fun to keep it on the cusp of sufficiently entertaining, making it hard to imagine this becoming a musical comedy that will go down in theatre history.

For tickets and/or more information on The Beverly Hillbillies – The Musical, visit http://www.theatreatthecenter.com/ or call 219-836-3255.      

Having never seen this show, five minutes in I felt that I was really going to enjoy myself. Twenty minutes later, I knew that fifteen minutes ago I was correct in feeling so. As the minutes into the show increased, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee only got better and better.

The show, set in a high school gymnasium, starts with a janitor nonchalantly setting the clock on the scoreboard to a countdown while the house lights are still on and people are searching for their seats. Those already familiar with the show release scattered cheers knowing that show time is just around the corner. Sure enough the buzzer sounds as the theatre darkens and our attention is directed to a high school teacher who is clearly reminiscing about her days as a spelling bee champion. We are then introduced to the high school vice principal, a community service volunteer and a collection of nerdy, overachieving and socially awkward competitors and the cast breaks into the title song. Ms. Peretti then addresses the crowd from a center stage microphone and calls out for four other contestants who are randomly selected from the audience. The spelling bee begins.

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee brilliantly parodies many of the distinguishing nuances of actual spelling bees, lightheartedly poking fun at the process and those involved while at the same time becoming a tribute that shows the dedication, intelligence and pressures involved. As each contestant approaches the microphone, Ms. Peretti reads aloud a fun factoid (often to the utterly ridiculous) about them. Vice Principal Panch reads the word to be spelled then, if asked, provides the language of origin, its definition and how it can be used in a sentence, which was always a hilarious highlight.

Playing Vice Principal Douglas Panch was Joe Dempsey who could be funny literally doing nothing at all. With a penchant for superior comic timing, northsiders, like myself, are very familiar with Dempsey’s talent to draw laughs as a Neo-Futurists alumn and his work in many other Chicago theaters. The exceedingly gifted Frances Limoncelli was also just terrific in every sense of the word as Rona Lisa Peretti while each and every cast member playing a contestant brought their own unique humor to the table providing a bus load of hoots and hollers to be had for a full night of entertainment.

Let’s not forget about the music. From the “I Love You Song” to “My Unfortunate Erection” to “Magic Foot” to the goodbye’s that were sang whenever a contestant was escorted off stage, we are never shorted of fun, catchy and witty songs.  

Nerd or not, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is deliciously delightful from beginning to end and will be playing at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook through August 17th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.drurylane or call 630-530-0111. 

Here's hoping I did not spell any words in this review incorrectly.

* Top Photo - (L to R)(Back Row)-Stephenie Soohyun Park, Jordan DeLeon, Guest, Zach Colonna, (Front Row)-Guest, Eli Branson, Carolyn Braver

*Below Photo - Zach Colonna, (Back Table)-Frances Limoncelli, Joe Dempsey

"Anybody got a pick?" asked Cat Power, after losing hers in the Ravinia Pavilion on Wednesday night. She was halfway through her set, which started a bit late, and would go until a stagehand cut her audio when she tried to do a 20-song medley as her last song.

The 42-year-old is a rare talent, with a career spanning nine albums of varying and blurring genres. Armed with only a piano, two guitars, and her raspy, weathered voice, she entertained with popular songs like "Colors and the Kids" to "The Greatest." Her characteristic unpolished performance was peppered with apologies, twitches, and self-reassuring head nods. If she were an actress playing a role, she was captivating; but she is a person, so my captivation was colored with concern. Her set felt plagued by her crippling stage fright and echoed a past of alcohol abuse – despite her announcement of sobriety in 2006.

The audience was supportive throughout her set, filled with fans and leftovers from Rufus Wainwright's flawless opening set which included two cameos – his sister and his sister as Liza Minnelli. But Cat's support, at times, felt like helping a stumbling friend home after a hard night, rather than the usual support of applause, attention, and album-buying. Wainwright, a remarkable talent and gay icon, served as a perfect pairing, and the mash-up heightened what is unique about each artist: a polished, soaring tenor with a rougher, earthy alto.

Ravinia's star-studded, eclectic season continues through September 20. Info and tickets @ https://www.ravinia.org/

In reference to (www.guitarsite.com), the lead singer and guitarist of The Trews revealed where the groups’ name came from in one of his interviews. He said the mom of the bands’ bassist suggested we call ourselves trews. Scottish trousers are known as trews, and the thought of the men wearing them makes for numerous woo-hoos! The front man adds “Given our Scottish heritage the name would be a fitting one to choose.”

The first photo I saw of the Hard rock/Alternative rock band, The Trews, made me wonder if I may have a few loose screws. Was I seeing double views? Are there two sets of male twins in The Trews?

Before you get a Double Mint Gum commercial stuck in your noggin, I should unveil I soon discovered there are not any twins in The Trews. The born and raised Canadian artists, Colin MacDonald (lead singer and guitarist), his brother, John-Angus MacDonald (guitarist), and their cousin, Sean Dalton (drums) along with their childhood bud, Jack Syperek (bassist), have all been playing together since ten plus years ago. The Trews’ hometown is Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and their present cribs are in Toronto. Also, The Trews have won a lot of prestigious awards, some include two #1 singles and 13 Top Ten from Canadian radio.

Yes, The Trews are not just some Joe Schmos. Bruce Springsteen asked The Trews to play on stage with him while he performed (kudos!) In addition, Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, the new Guns n’ Roses, Kid Rock, KISS and others invited them to open for their shows.

The Trews graced the stage on Tuesday evening at Chicago’s Double Door, where The Rolling Stones have played before. Promoting their new album, The Trews, is the main reason for their current tour. And for the record, I did not witness anybody bored out of their gourde.

There was a very close to even amount of men and women, as far as The Trews’ fans go. A fraction of the hot ladies wore super tight jeans, but thankfully I did not see any camel toe. (Although, that is not the nastiest of things, and does not make one a straight-up ho.)

Most of The Trews’ tunes they played had hooks that wheeled me, and the rest of the audience in and really feelin’ it. The Trews were the s***! They also had me and the crowd singing, dancing and head banging—I loved every bit!

And let me tell ya, The Trews left us wanting more, more, more! Indeed, their show was absolutely not a bore. You have to see The Trews on tour.

www.facebook.com/thetrewsmusic

www.guitarsite.com

www.thetrewsmusic.com

www.twitter.com/thetrews

www.youtube.com/thetrews

*All photos by Tracy Walsh Fun Photography – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Steppenwolf Theater will be the testing ground for Kenneth Lonergan’s “This Is Our Youth” before the play goes to Broadway for its launch in September. Powered with young, talented actors Micheal Cera, Kieran Culkin and 18-year-old fashion blogger turned actress, Tavi Gevinson, we are taken to a lived-in Manhattan apartment in 1982 during the Reagan era. Archetypal slackers, “Dennis”, “Warren” and “Jennifer” are rich kids with all the drugs and self-indulgent worries a group of college-aged kids can ask for.

It all starts when Warren (Cera) intrudes on his self-absorbed pal, Dennis (Culkin) with fifteen thousand dollars that he had swiped from his father after the two had a major argument. Having spent some of the money already, Warren recruits Dennis’ help in trying to replace it before he returns the cash back to his father – hopefully undetected. Dennis, not at all cool with the fact that Warren has now made him accomplice, devises a hair-brained scheme where they would buy some coke, keep some for themselves, cut it and then resell it for a profit exceeding the amount needed to replace the full fifteen thousand dollars. Of course, nothing goes as planned.

In the meantime, throughout constant belittling of Warren by Dennis, Jennifer comes into play, a girl that awkward and nerdy Warren has had a crush on for some time. Plenty of clumsiness takes place between the two before common ground and mutual interests are observed. As the story develops we see plenty of layers shed from each character exposing various vulnerabilities.

The plot is not rocket science – simple and to the point, but the dialogue is plenty and engaging enough to capture one’s attention all the way through to where interest is never lost for a moment. For those whose youth enveloped those early 1980s years, plenty of references are made that will make you think, “Oh, yeah. I remember those – or that.” “This Is Our Youth” is a witty comedy that is refreshingly not overly dark, heavy and depressing. It’s a classic story of a bad situation that gets worse in a very realistic way. Cera and Culkin are a wonderful team and their chemistry is through the roof whether they are bickering or horsing around.

“This Is Our Youth” is a modern day classic that has been performed around the world and has had a revolving door of talent taking on its roles, most notably Jake Gyllenhaal and Anna Paquin during a West End run over a decade ago. Anna D. Shapiro directs this production to perfection, brilliantly capturing all the character nuances and bringing this story to life in a theatre-in-the-round setting, creating an atmosphere to which one feels a part of the play.

Funny, charming and sharp, “This Is Our Youth” is pure theatre bliss. Cera, Culkin and Gevinson are electric.

“This Is Our Youth” is playing at Steppenwolf Theater in the upstairs theatre through July 27^th. For tickets and/or show information, visit www.steppenwolf.org or call 312-335-1650.      Captivate

I was eager to see the show but felt really bad as I settled into my seat for the opening night of GODSPELL at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Pain was shooting through my legs, and my mind was overwhelmed after yet another day of wrangling with difficult business decisions. But by the time I left the theatre I genuinely felt uplifted and renewed by the youthful and fresh energy and the heartfelt message of hope in Jesus that poured out of this production.

The cast could have, and maybe should have, been cast older; except for two token adults most of the cast seemed straight out of high school or college. Their voices were fantastic in the way singers on American Idol are, but as soon as they formed the Tower of Babel as 9 to 5 city workers dressed in black and grey, I thought what do these kids know about how hard the workplace is?  Later during the heavier scenes regarding Jesus’ scourging and crucifixion I thought, what do these kids know about loss? Though one thing this young cast did have was talent – and plenty of it.

Brian Bohr played the role of Jesus.  I was at first shocked and taken aback by a Jesus who resembled a 22 year old, baby-faced, California surfer kid wearing a sky blue preppy polo shirt. But Bohr’s rich, smooth voice and determined lightheartedness eventually won me over. Although I was surprised by Bohr's youthful appearance and super clean cut costume and looks, I grew to enjoy his interpretation of the role because it reflected on just how very strong and happy Jesus must have been during his early ministry before he was attacked and weighed down with betrayal.

Samantha Pauly had the most dynamic voice of the women and did a great job with the humor and tone of “Turn Back O Man”. At the same time, Devin DeSantis who had more of the hippy, wildman look I would have expected from Jesus, also had a great rich voice and made a very sympathetic Judas. The numbers were exciting and colorful, especially “O Bless the Lord My Soul” where golden hula hoops were incorporated into the dance choreography and “Light of the World” that really had the audience toe tapping and nodding their heads to the beat.  

As always I thoroughly enjoyed the use of the intimate space at The Marriott Theatre and all of the colorful ways the entire theatre was decorated with multicolored plastic drinking cups sticking out of fence walls like a rainbow. I noticed that most of the audience seemed to feel the same way, as more people were laughing and chatting after the show rather than stretching and yawning on a weeknight and rushing to get home.

Overall this is a great production that is perfectly suited for everyone. Even the crucifixion scene was exceptionally light and non-violent as Jesus is tied up and crucified with blue and white silks suspended from the ceiling.  I especially recommend this as a children’s theatre production for parents who want to take their children to an adult theatre piece with a great message about Jesus and the Gospel of John and Luke that will be very clean and cheerful all the way through.

GODSPELL is playing at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire though August 10^th. For tickets and/or more information, visit www.marriotttheatre.com. 

Hell in a Handbag Productions has done it again, bringing yet another hilarious musical to the Chicago theatre scene, this time to Theater Wit. Caged Dames is one bad ass campy ride behind bars at a women’s correctional facility where “shocking” is just another day in the life. Writer and Artistic Director, David Cerda, brilliantly lampoons the old 1950s prison flicks, particularly “Caged” starring Eleanor Parker who lead character “Mary Anderson” is clearly created after.

Caged Dames, first produced in 2006, tells the story of innocent-natured Mary Anderson who, by a series of unfortunate events, winds up in the Calumet City Women’s Penitentiary. While in prison she comes across plenty of tough cookies while contending with a shady and sadistic prison matron and a warden who believes she can reach out to the inmates with psychiatric treatment and other unconventional methods. Matron Emerson and Warden Hope do not see eye to eye.

AJ Wright fantastically directs this Jeff Recommended production while each of the main characters bring something thoroughly entertaining to the table. Ed Jones is amazingly funny (as always) as the hard hitting “Matron Emerson” while Sydney Genco as “Big Lorraine” and Elizabeth Lesinski as “Myrtle Price” get constant laughs throughout along with the rest of this talentedly funny cast including lead Elizabeth Morgan as “Mary Anderson”. The show also comes with a live band and a larger than life set that takes its audience inside Calumet’s murky and dank prison walls.

Caged Dames is a fun take on film noir and then some, literally delivering laugh out loud moments nearly nonstop from beginning to end. We are treated to witty song and dance numbers with bite, Cerda’s delightfully genius humor and a smash performance by a very entertaining acting troupe that is considered among the funniest in Chicago. Cerda’s knack for parodying film classics is unbeatable. He has a keen ability to know when to push forward and when to hold back to perfectly capture, in some cases, the tiny nuances of a character while in other cases letting bold personality exaggerations fly to the extreme without going so far over the top the humor is lost.

Tickets are very reasonably priced at just $18-$37 leaving little reason not to see this greatly amusing production. Caged Dames – now Ken Recommended, as well – is running through July 13^th at Theater Wit located at 1229 W. Belmont. For more information visit www.theaerwit.org or call 773-975-8150.

Engaging and uproariously funny, Caged Dames is also plenty affordable, making it a show to enjoy on more than one occasion.   

In what could be the sleeper theatre smash of the summer, One Hit Wonders has just about all the ingredients a show would need to have the staying power for an extended run. And Chicago theatre fans should hope that to be the case, as this is a production that can be enjoyed over and over again. Finely directed by Daryl D. Brooks, the audience is thrust into the middle of a hilarious play, a live concert and even a dance party that spreads like wildfire from stage to seats close up through farther back. Sitting high above the set, a rockin’ live band that is often incorporated into the show’s storyline, is led by musical director and drummer, Robert Reddrick. It’s only a matter of moments that one realizes this band can play with the best of them.

The story revolves around a show that is being put together based on popular R&B songs by artists that have, after releasing a successful hit, for the most part, vanished from the music scene never to recapture such fame and popularity again. In fact, though the songs played in One Hit Wonders were recognized immediately, it would be a challenge to know who the artist that created it. We are taken from the ground floor of this production (also called One Hit Wonders) to, as expected, a big finale full of flash and fervent celebration. In between there are many bumps in the road and several rotating mini plots that keep the story flowing ever so smoothly. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and an arsenal of great R&B music delivered to the audience in rapid succession.  

Each of the cast members are very accomplished singers and get their chance to show it in their own solo numbers and even in the beautiful harmonies heard in the background. Songs such as “I Will Survive”, “Ring My Bell”, “It’s Raining Men” and even a lively version of “Da Butt” by Mark J.P. Hood incite spontaneous cheers from the crowd throughout, and deservedly so considering their polished and wholehearted performances.

One Hit Wonders is a feel good story that is power-packed and bursting with a bevy of enjoyable performances. Perhaps R&B’s answer to Million Dollar Quartet, this is a show that truly delivers in every facet and will have the toes tapping and the hands involuntarily slapping the thighs to the beat.

One Hit Wonders is playing at Black Ensemble Theater through June 29^th. Black Ensemble Theater is located at 4450 N Clark and tickets are just $55-$65 depending on the show date. For more show information visit www.blackensemble.org or call 773-769-4451.

*photo - (from left) Ta-Tynisa Wilson and Kelvin Roston Jr.