Items filtered by date: November 2007

Dunanana. Snap. Snap.

Dunanana. Snap. Snap.

Dunanana. Dunanana. Dunanana. Snap. Snap.

The opening theme to the popular television series The Addams Family christens the overture of the new musical The Addams Family, playing this week at the Cadillac Palace in Broadway in Chicago.  After a pre-Broadway tryout in chicago with Nathan Lane as the horny patriarch Gomez, the production has been revamped and retooled and still plays on Broadway as the touring production visits its birthplace.

Each Addams is accounted for: the ghostly wife Morticia with a plunging neckline, the violent and pudgy Pugsley, the angsty Wednesday, and a whole slew of undead Addams that serve as the chorus.  The story they tell is a classic clash of families - Romeo & Juliet style, but with a quintessentially Addams twist.  The pale and ruthless Wednesday has found herself falling for a “normal” boy and is worried her family, especially her mother, will disapprove.  The macabre and the mundane clash at a large dinner that should showcase the morbid, twisted psyche of all things Addams.  But some over-characterization of the boy’s family distract from the titular family: the Mom speaks in poetry, the Dad has lost that loving feeling, and the Son has almost no personality, except for when it sets up a punchline for the Addams crew.  Rather than serve as a grounded juxtaposition to the Addam’s crazy, this invented threesome is bit too quirky and ends up fighting the titular family for focus.

Of course, this misstep might be forgivable if the show’s songs were tuneful and passionate.  But while the witty book deserves snaps, the songs in The Addams Family are more dunanana.  And I can put my finger on the it (or Cousin It).  Wednesday’s power ballad about being “Pulled in a New Direction” by love stands out as a song with emotion and a witty game to boot (as she sings, she tortures her brother by pulling his limbs in a new direction); but the other melodies, mostly unmemorable save the opening, tend to explain the plot rather than further it.  Lacking passion, the songs don’t build stakes or tension and end up flatlining  – which I suppose the Addams family would support.

A clever and witty book by the team behind Jersey Boys (Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, whose other credits include co-writing Annie Hall and work with The Walt Disney studios) saves the night from complete death, with plenty of punchlines that celebrate the macabre and backwardly dark family.  But a central plot device - a mysterious “game,” which turns out to basically be “take a shot, tell a secret” – utterly misses the mark.  While the game and song, “Full Disclosure,” might properly close the first act of Lysistrata Jones or Legally Blonde, the Addams Family should develop a game a bit darker than your average peppy sorority sisters.

At its Chicago opening night, The Addams Family attracted a fair share of families, as kids as young as seven sat up straight to watch torture and ghosts abound.  And I felt like a kid at points, truly enjoying some of the clever and humorous puppetry (Fester’s love dance with the moon stands out).  But while the production might be enjoyed by most families, I still expect big budget musicals to offer something more passionate and moving to theatre-goers than the even-keeled nostalgic romp that The Addams Family is.  Snap. Snap.

The Addams Family is altogether spooky at the Cadillac Palace through January 1.  For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

The Greeks, who gave us theatre and big, fat weddings, have always been a rich source of inspiration for contemporary culture makers.  From James Joyce’s Ulysses to Disney’s Hercules, the iconic gods and legends of ancient Greece have been re-imagined, rebutted, and redone by painters, philosophers, and playwrights.  Penelope, a new play from the pen of Irish writer Edna Walsh, draws upon these distant myths to create a visually arresting, intellectually stimulating, but emotional lacking piece of theater which entertains in fits and starts.

Ancient myth (and a black-and-white comic in the Steppenwolf program) tells of the warrior Ulysses, who wages war, wins it, and pledges to return home to his love Penelope.  In the ten years’ meanwhile, hundreds of suitors vie for her hand while her husband is away.  Walsh’s Penelope starts with the final four.  In a drained swimming pool, the last of the suitors – one in each of their 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s – have set up camp and outwitted and outlasted their weaker competition.  The lounge chairs of suitors that have fallen before are haphazardly stacked in the corners of the pool, creating a sculpture-like symbol of failed love that looms throughout the piece.

The Speedo-clad men enjoy modern luxuries – a gas grill, potato chips, and a table full of alcohol and shot glasses – as they wait to make their daily plea to Penelope (the silent and stunning Logan Vaughn).  A blaring siren and red lights announce her entrances, as the suitors scramble to fix their hair and ready their remarks.  They beg - with spoken word and vaudeville routines – as she watches on a flat screen from her secluded loft.  Their pleas fall flat, but Fitz, the eldest suitor originally cast as John Mahoney and now played by ensemble member Tracy Letts, catches her attention.  Letts brings a boisterous energy to the weathered suitor, who hides his shyness in a book, but speaks with raw sincerity.

While none of the men are ultimately successful, it is their struggle and its universality that forms the shaky core of the work.  Despite the trappings of the contemporary – gas grills and potato chips – the ancient and eternal battles shine through: unrequited love, fierce competition, and the quest for friendship amidst it all.  A strong ensemble (Yasen Peyankov as the fiery Quinn, Ian Barford as the pained Burns, and Scott Jaeck as the chaotic Dunne) under the simple direction of Amy Morton bring powerful performances to the swimming pool floor.  But at its core, Penelope is more thought experiment than emotional journey, more clever than clear, and more brain than heart.

By play’s end, the audience has become a sort of meta-Penelope.  You watch the performances, but your interest ebbs and flows.  You appreciate the wit and devotion, but the recited words start to blur meld together.  In the end, you’re left waiting silently for something more, something truer to finally come home.

Swim with Penelope at Steppenwolf through February 5.  Tickets available at steppenwolf.org.

The Joffrey Ballet production of The Nutcracker ran for its 25^th season this year in Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. Having once seen The Nutcracker ballet as a child, I was delighted to have the opportunity to see this performance once again as an adult; and it certainly was a treat. The venue; The Auditorium Theatre, is an absolutely beautiful place to visit if you've never been there before. It's a very unassuming building from the outside, however,once inside the theatre, you can't help but awe at it's magnificent appearance. I'm not certain if this is the same venue I once saw The Nutcracker as a child, but, the theatre's beautiful gold curtains, adornment and interior decor did feel remarkably familiar to me once I sat down. My girlfriend and I had been anxious to see this performance for months, so were both very excited for the performance to begin once we arrived!

It's Christmas Eve, and Mayor/Mrs. Stahlbaum and their children (Fritz & Clara) are preparing for a wonderful holiday party to celebrate Christmas.  As the evening move's on the family's guests soon begin to arrive, and they've all come with a magnitude of gifts for the family to enjoy!  The last to arrive, is the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer, Fritz and Clara's godfather, and he has come with a plethora of gifts!  He's come with a variety of mechanical dancing dolls to entertain the guests with, and a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a soldier just for Clara.  Clara instantly loves her new toy given by her godfather, however in the mists of playing, Fritz and his friends accidentally break the nutcracker that Clara loved so much.  To make up for the broken nutcracker, Dr. Drosselmeyer takes Clara on a magical journey to see the Nutcracker Prince and all her toys come to life!  It's a classic story I remember clearly from my childhood, and in it's 25th season, the Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker is more fantastic then ever before! 

As I sat there watching the performance, I soon came to realize that as a child; you really cannot appreciate the subtleties and beauty that is ballet.  The graceful movements of the dancers, the perfected symphany of the orchestra and the passion that everyone has for their roll in the performance.  It is all very obvious to an audience.  After watching the performace, I can certainly appreciate the dedication that dancers have to ballet.  Just how do they stand on their tippy-toes so effortlessly!?  The jumping, twirling, and timing of the dancers is all so perfectly matched to the fantastic orchestra music.  To explain it into words does not even come close to how great the performance really was.  The orchestra, to me, was my favorite.  Everything from the oboes to the timpany can be clearly heard throughout the theater, and it was a real treat to hear live and in person.  This being the first time I had seen a ballet as an adult, I was really quite moved by the over all performance as I really did not know what to expect going into the theatre.  

I am very thankful I was able to experience The Nutcracker ballet again, as it was much more enjoyable experience from when I was a child.  I certainly am looking forward to seeing more ballet performances in the future.  The Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker is a wonderful show that I think is appropriate for all to see.  Though children may not appreciate the beauty of the ballet as much as an adult may; it is still a visually spectacular show that any child would love!  The Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker Ballet will still be showing through December 27th.  It's a great show to take a date to and an even a better show to take some family to.  It's the Holiday season, and a lot of family comes to visit.  So for all of you living in the greater Chicagoland area, I highly reccomend taking someone to see this production before it's too late! 

If you do happen to miss The Nutcracker ballet this year however, rest assured it will be back next year for it's 26th season in 2012 as Chicago is the true home for Joffrey's, The Nutcracker.

You can visit, www.joffrey.org for more information on the Joffrey ballet company, as well as performance and ticket information on future shows. 

Lisa Lampanelli really killed it from beginning to end during her sold out comedy concert at The Venue in Hammond, Indiana’s Horseshoe Casino.

As she began her usual rant hitting on every race, sexual orientation, religion and minority group, she mentioned that the Hammond casino crowd of 3000 was “cute, not as ugly as she expected”, and called out for a show of hands on any Jews in the house. Seeing as I was in Hammond, Indiana, alone in an empty row reserved for reviewers - I was the only one who raised my hand.

“Oh great, only ONE Jew in the house!” she roared and mentioned that she would, “Appreciate a booking in CHICAGO!”

I absolutely love her appearances on the Comedy Central Roasts, where she has really set the tone and pace and her monologues are very memorable.

It's true she is one of the most insult driven comics out there, but it's also so obvious that she is doing the “Don Rickles - Mr. Warmth” thing by throwing the audiences' own prejudice and massive generalizations about all of these groups right back in their faces so that they can laugh at the sheer nonsense of hatred based on stereotypes. “As a professional comic, I only make fun of ethnic and other groups that I love- that's why you never see me making French jokes.” And on gays, “Gays love powerful, talented women, they just don't like their vagina's. If I saw a drag queen dressed as me I would be elated. It's like being inducted into the gay Hall of Fame - except the ceremony is in a Denny's men's room.”

Lisa shared a great example of the healing power of this type of comedy - when done right - about Zsa Zsa Gabor’s leg amputation earlier in 2011. When Lampanelli joked about the leg a little “too soon” for critics, Zsa Zsa sent Lisa a funny personal note back, saying how much she actually laughed and appreciated the attention at that difficult time.

Lisa recently met and married a great man - with great big balls apparently - because his nickname is Jimmy “Big Balls”.  A good portion of her hysterical set was devoted to describing his monstrous package. “Honestly, these freaking balls are disgusting, they're H-U-G-E!!!” I think this newfound love is the reason Lampanelli recently lost 30 pounds and seems well, a lot more “girly” and dare I say happy?  

At the end of the show Lampanelli announced that she will have her own show on Broadway next year and sang a show tune about not wanting to be “mean” anymore but I really hope she doesn't give up her astounding reign as the “Queen of Mean”. 

Women in general are so repressed and restricted from expressing anger, disgust and a vast array of  “socially unacceptable” topics in their daily lives. We all need Lisa Lampanelli's comedy to remind us it's perfectly okay to let off that steam, it feels great to let it out, especially if you can make it funny. Lampanelli has inspired this Jew to let out a little mean here and there too.

For more information on Lisa Lampanelli on tour: www.insultcomic.com. 

Most people have never been audience to a radio show, let alone a radio show set in the 1940s. Well, here’s your chance. Set in 1944 as a live broadcast at Chicago’s legendary Biograph Theater, spectators are able to capture an enjoyable and entertaining glimpse of yesteryear. American Blues Theater's “It’s A Wonderful Life: Live at the Biograph!’ is original, fun and heartwarming, but most of all it is a true experience.

As we walk into the theatre there is already a festive feel in the room with the sound of singing as cast members are leading the participating crowd in holiday classics. Between songs it is explained to us how radio shows work. We are shown an overhead sign and instructed to be quiet when the “On Air” light is on and to applaud when we see “Applause”. Cast members rotate from the three microphones stationed up front, a couch in the rear a chair to the side and a piano. They are having pleasant conversations with each other and laughing, reminiscent of a holiday gathering while taking turns addressing the audience.

Once the show actually begins we are already acquainted with the cast and primed for more holiday fun. Soon after, the curtains are drawn, shutting out the outside world, the house lights are turned down and the story of “It’s A Wonderful Life” commences.

The story begins, like in the film, with a conversation in heaven between “Joseph” (James Joseph) and “Clarence” (John Mohrlein) discussing the life of “George Bailey” and his need for help. From there the play continues to follow the classic story, as we know it. Each cast member takes on multiple roles, barring Kevin R. Kelly who has his hands full as “George”, in which he does a stupendous job. Zachary Kenney is fantastic as brother “Harry”, son “Tommy”, bartender “Nick” and “Ernie”, everyone’s favorite cab driver, while Gwendolyn Whiteside handles to perfection the voices of “Mary” and “George’s” mother. Like the others, Dara Cameron is also terrific in handling multiple roles, as is James Joseph, especially as “Uncle Billy”. As truly wonderful as each and every cast member is in this production the sheer brilliance of John Mohrlein is a true jewel to behold. So spot on is Mohrlein’s impression of Lionel Barrymore’s “Mr. Potter” that it actually prompts occasional laughs of disbelief and joy from the audience.

Rounding out the sensational cast is Michael Mahler who mans the piano, but also takes on a few characters himself, and Shawn J. Goodie who handles the show’s Foley, creating genuineness to the radio show.

It’s even fun when the show pauses for commercial breaks. Customized corporate jingles are sung as a product or service is being pitched just as done in the 1940s. At this time messages are also read to the crowd submitted by other audience members.

The show ends in its tremendous feel good fashion and the audience is then invited to have cookies and milk with the cast. Fun, fun, fun - Can you say "Must See"?

For more information, visit www.americanbluestheater.com.

*Featured in photo - Kevin R. Kelly (left) and John Mohrlein

It wasn't that long ago where I gushed and gollied over what an incredible album Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Watch the Throne" collaboration turned out to be. While so called experts and critics felt it was 'under-whelming" and 'self-absorbed", I knew better. And quite frankly the streets don't lie. You know what else doesn't lie...numbers. And by the shear amount of sell-out crowds and acclaim garnered from previous stops on their 'throne" tour, you just knew the touchdown in Chicago was going to be epic. Not only is Chicago the hometown of Mr. West, its also one of Jay-Z's favorite spots to perform.

I've had the pleasure of seeing Kanye West at Summerfest in June, and while he was very theatrical, he also was extremely emotional and energetic. So I knew what to expect from the hometown kid who was bout to live his dream of playing a packed house in his hometown next to his hero. As for Jay-Z, well he's gotten better and better each time I've seen him, so with their last two shows in my head I came in expecting nothing less than a total euphoric hip hop experience.

No opening act needed for these two, as the sounds of "HAM" came reigning through the speakers (yes I know how I spelled reigned...I like that description!). With both performers on dual rising cubes across from each other, they tore into a "Throne" favorite "Who gon stop me", in which Jay-Z just tears through his verse like Jason through the first hundred Friday the 13th movies. Why Kanye thinks wearing a kilt cool is anyone's guess, but hey, he's Kanye., he does what he wants...clearly.

Both artists took turns on stage seperate and together ripping through crowd favorites back to back to back...there was no time to rests as the crowd spent the concert on their feet the entire night. I once pointed out the differences in stage approaches in both Jay and Kanye, and it was the same here: Kanye, emotional, eccentric, not sure what he's going to do or say, while Hov is like the world's best poker player on stage, never letting his guard down, never giving you too much, always making sure each gesture and lyric is well planned, well thought out...none more evident that the encore where as Kanye would put on any hat thrown on stage by the crowd , as Jay stayed focus...Yankess hat tilted over his eyes, only removed for purpose and to get his point across.

The duo hit an entire catalog of hits, and the visual aspects on the background screen helped give some of the "throne" songs more of an emotional connection. But this show wasnt about selling an album, it was the two kings of hip hop and music worldwide showing just why they are in a league of their own. A setlist like no other hip hop or rock show before it, its clear why they have gotten rave reviews in every city. Its a can't miss show filled with 3 hours of nonstop hits. From die-hard to casual fans of eaither artist, this is the show you'd want to see.

My favorite moment of the show..one that was repeated from last year's Jay-Z show is when the lights go out upon the crowd as Hov finishes up his monstorous crowd pleaser "U don't know", and they show the entire crowd, hands in the air in the diamond position rocking back in unison to Jay-Z like an army...its a breath-taking thing to witness as its amazing when music connects so well with its biggest listeners.

I didnt sit down until the encore...well, midway through the encore, which was the duo ripping through their hit "Niggas in Paris" a record 8 consecutive times! This song is currently the hottest record on radio and even in high school gyms (almost every high school basketball team has this song in their warm-up, which means it must be hot, right? The kids are even listening to it!!) Hearing a song 8 times in a row is just way too much for me, no matter how hot the song is at the moment, but it was clear that the duo was actually having alot of fun on stage together, and enjoying the chemistry and crowd reaction. You could tell they were having too much fun as even the poker-faced king of rap let down his guard with a smile and tip of his hat, as he ripped through his "Paris" verse a 6th and 7th time. And despite it all the crowd ate it up.

There's currently a lil' Wayne/Eminem tour oversees that may make its way to the states before the year is out, but it will be hard-pressed to come close to the energy and emotion given by Jay-Z and Kanye on this night.

SETLIST:

1.Intro: HAM

2. Who gon stop me?

3. Otis

4. Welcome to the jungle

5. Gotta have it

6. Where I'm from

7. Jigga what, Jigga who?

8. Can't tell me nothin'

9. Flashing lights

10. Jesus Walks

11. All falls down

12. Diamonds...

13. PSA

14. U don't know

15. Run this town

16. Monster

17. Power

18. Made in America

19. New day

20. Hard Knocks Life

21. Izzo

22. Empire state of mind

23. Runaway

24. Heartless

25. Stronger

26. On to the next

27. Dirt off your shoulder

28. I just wanna love you

29. Thats mu bitch

30. Good life

31. Touch the sky

32. All of the lights

33. Big Pimpin

34. Gold digger

35. 99 problems

36. No Church in the wild

37. Lift off

38. Niggas in Paris

39. Niggas in Paris

ENCORE:

6 more renditions of Niggas in Paris (tour record).

I have heard about ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ my whole life and don’t know why I waited so long to see this musical. I remember bits and pieces from seeing it as a child, but probably couldn’t begin to appreciate how true-to-life the play really is. ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ embodies the same challenges, struggles and changes that families have had for hundreds, I’d wager thousands, of years; from breaking arranged marriages, to falling in love with a teacher, and even falling in love with an outsider not of the same faith. The themes portrayed in this musical and set to amazing musical numbers and scores you can find in modern society.

For those who have never seen the play, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is a musical about Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, and his five daughters living in the 1905 Tsarist Russian village of Anatevka. Tradition is a way of life in the village, where fathers are the bread winners and teach their sons their trades, like tailoring, butchery and farming; the mothers are the keepers of the household and teach their daughters to sew, cook, clean and maintain a household for their husbands. Throughout the play, Tevye attempts to maintain his religious traditions and his family’s happiness while outsiders, and outside forces, threaten their simple way of life.

The most prominent storyline focuses on Tzeitel, Tevye’s eldest daughter, who objects to the village matchmaker’s ‘match’ for her with the butcher. She confesses to her father her love for the village tailor and beseeches her father to allow her to marry him, thus defying tradition of matchmaker’s making matches for young girls (matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch). But what if you were forced to walk away from the one you love to marry someone your father chose? It was a harsh reality for girls, and a tradition that was thankfully broken long before my generation. In the play, it’s Tevye who must decide if the proposal of marriage with the butcher (a match that would ensure prosperity and financial security) be broken for his daughter’s happiness or if he sticks with tradition and deny his daughter’s heart (but inevitably save her from a life of a tailor’s wife and financial hardship). Sweetly, he rescinds the offer and he allows Tzeitel and the tailor to wed.

Don’t think that sounds scandalous? Well let’s put this into perspective, shall we? In 1905, males ruled the household, tradition ruled the day, and beggars were not choosers. Tzeitel and the tailor were defying a father’s decision, a big no-no in patriarchal society. Also, a ‘match’ like one that Tevye and the village matchmaker struck, would allow a poor man’s daughter to marry into a rich and prosperous marriage. It was one of the greatest things a man could ask for; the betterment of his children (and his female children at that). Tevye embodies a man who chose the happiness of his daughter over that of his better judgment. Which leads him to one of the best numbers in the musical, “If I Were a Rich Man,” a song so true and timeless that Gwen Stefani sampled it in her 2004 hit ‘Rich Girl,’ (a fact which an enthusiastic twelve year old in our audience was too happy to share with us). It was challenge enough for Tevye to allow his daughter to choose her husband, but Tevye is challenged further when his second eldest daughter, Hodel, falls in love with her tutor, Perchik, the idealistic outsider from Kiev. In the second act his next eldest daughter, Chava, elopes with the Russian gentile, Fyedka, whom her father has forbidden her to see, let alone marry. A Jewish girl marry an outsider and a man not of their faith? It was Tevye’s breaking point which made him disown his daughter. Don’t worry, Tevye makes amends before his family and the villagers are viciously cast out of their homes and village by the Tsarist Russians.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is a wonderful show that captures Jewish and family culture and the happiness and hardships that eclipsed the village of Anatevka. The humor and love in the musical are timeless, the humor priceless, and the lively Jewish Klezmer tunes will have you dancing on the Auditorium Theater’s roof. Let’s hope the wandering Fiddler hitches a ride to Chicago on Tevye’s wagon soon, and when he does you won’t want to miss it.

BAH HUMBUG! Ebenezer Scrooge's famous line from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."  It's a story all too familiar to most of us and (I hope) we all still remember it from our childhood; I know I do.   It's one of the most memorable Christmas tales ever told and I was particularly pleased to hear it was playing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.  Now still being particularly new to theatre, I was unaware that this production is done nearly every year.  However, had I known, I would have certainly seen it sooner.

After seeing this production I can certainly see what attracts so many people year after year to this play!  Whether you're a child, an adult or even an elderly person, I want to make one thing clear; you WILL enjoy this play.  You would have to be real Scrooge to not enjoy this show; seriously.  Of all the plays I've had the honor of reviewing for Buzz Magazine, this was by far my favorite.

The play of course, tells the classic tale of a greedy old man (Ebenezer Scrooge) whose love for money and success eventually consumes him to the point that he is nearly void of all humanity.  He is then haunted by three ghosts who take him on a journey in a last ditch effort to save him from himself, his greed and lack of love for others.  It's a story about equality, love for one another, and change.  Over all, I think that everyone has a lesson to learn from this classic and once you see it brought to life on stage, you may even find yourself humming a Christmas tune or two as you'll be gleaming with holiday cheer.

The most impressive aspect of the show was the productions visual appeal.  The stage scenes were obviously made to look absolutely perfect, and as you sit there watching the show, you almost forget that you’re at the theater.  Of all the Christmas Carol movies there have been throughout the times (and I've seen most of them), this play was certainly the most enjoyable one I have ever seen.  It's lively, it's exciting, and it leaves you feeling that holiday cheer that many of us seem to have lost as we've grown older.  I was so pleased with the production that I was smiling and talking about it for hours after it was over.  I could only imagine how exciting this show would be for a child to see.  It really brings something to the viewer that TV or movies cannot.

A Christmas Carol will be playing November 18 - December 31 at Goodman Theatre in Chicago.  Prices vary depending on the seats and box seats are also available.  Please visit www.goodmantheatre.org for ticket/venue information. If you've got kids, nieces or nephews, taking them to this play would be a perfect gift.  Forget the gift cards, video games, and itchy wool sweaters.  Everyone should be familiar with A Christmas Carol and seeing this production live is sure to make a memory that will last for many years to come.  Don't be a Scrooge and see this play!

Jukebox musicals have become as common as dancebreaks in the past decade. Popular songs of yesteryear are strung together with a loose story to create a Broadway show that feels more like a scrapbook of memories than something memorable in its own right. Given this musical landscape, it’s a rare treat top find a show with all new songs that feel as if you’ve magically tuned into a 1950s radio station. Joe Dipietro and David Bryan (of Bon Jovi keyboard fame) have penned such a treat. Powerful songs that channel the tone and changes of the early years of rock ‘n’ roll are driven by a surprisingly emotional book in their Tony Award-winning musical Memphis.

Huey Calhoun, an irreverent DJ played by the talented Bryan Fenkart, falls in love with “black music” and a black woman – Felicia (played by the sultry Ms. Boswell of the same name). Loosely based on real-life Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips, Huey’s passions wouldn’t pose a problem had he been born in the past 30 years. But Tennessee in the 1950s kept black and white separate, and Huey’s graying passions weren’t apropos. Of course, Huey was never one for conforming; with a wardrobe that pairs plaid, tie-dye, and Hawaiian prints, he lives to mix things up.

With his own radio show, Huey plays the music he adores on the radio, and gets the whole city dancing.  While integration laws were essential to enacting racial change, minds aren’t changed in Congress; they’re changed in dance halls and concert houses. Huey plays his part in racial integration by getting white folk singing and dancing to the songs of black folk, but in many ways, he was a bit ahead of his time.  He catches the attention of TV execs who like his style, but not the company he keeps. They’ll give him his own primetime show on black-and-white TV (wonderfully dramatized on stage) as long as the performers are all white. 

Not to spoil the story, but Memphis doesn’t fall victim to the happily-every-after, clichéd Broadway ending. The show doesn’t let the pieces come together perfectly for our hero, which makes it much more real and that much more heartbreaking.  Light-on-his-feet and easy-on-the-ears, Huey possess the power to be heard and the rare youthful energy that makes you believe anything is possible – whether it’s falling in love, becoming a star, or changing the world. But believing and achieving are two separate tasks.

Memphis is not a jukebox musical, but don't be surprised if you hear its songs on tomorrow’s jukeboxes.  They be blaring loudly and irreverently as young couples like Huey and Felicia dance, kiss, and cry to the beat.

Memphis plays at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through December 4, 2011. Additional information and tickets available at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

After a 12 year run at Bailiwick Repertory, The Christmas Schooner sails again in a wonderfully revamped form at The Mercury Theater.

The Christmas Schooner relates the true story of German immigrants who risked their lives on the freezing waters of wintry Lake Michigan to bring Christmas trees to Chicago back in the 1880's.

The entire cast is excellent with lovely voices. 12 year old, Daniel Coonley (Karl Stossel) is very good in his role and not too saccharine sweet as some child actors can be.

Jim Sherman, (Gustav Stossel, Karl's grandfather) holds down the fort with his solid character study and really choked me up during the scene when he laments his dead son with a strangled cry of

“I miss him!”

Cory Goodrich (Ana Stossel, Karl's Mother) has a really rich, beautiful singing voice. Goodrich performs the role with grace and a great sense of humor.  Goodrich’s character Ana Stossel, really is the heart and center of the entire production, the schooner, if you will, that propels her son, husband, and father in law to become a part of history by attempting these dangerous but much lauded heroic voyages to Chicago.

This is a really lovely holiday production to bring your family to, as it makes you feel a part of the true history of Christmas in Chicago.  The Christmas Schooner also elucidates the history and magic of the Christmas tree itself as one of the things that helped families get through the long cold Chicago winters inspiring well wishes with it's beautiful shining lights and hopeful meaning.

At the end of the show the cast passes a branch of a Christmas tree hand to hand, right into the audience who continued to pass it along with the wish that each who touches it find love this holiday season.

The theater space at Mercury is really perfect for this show, as it is both intimate and expansive at the same time. I also loved that they served cookies, hot chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps in the lobby at intermission and that you can step straight out of the play and slip straight into the cozy confines of Cullin's Pub without going out in the cold.

I highly recommend making The Christmas Schooner at The Mercury Theater a new tradition in

Christmas Theater going for the entire family to enjoy together. For more information, visit www.mercurytheater.com.