Items filtered by date: November 2007

It’s hard to go wrong with ballet. From a toddlers’ class giggling nervously through Swan Lake to the zaniest comic piece by Los Trocoderos, ballet excites, inspires, and delights us. All these occurred at the American Ballet Theatre performance April 14 at the Auditorium Theatre. I was very much looking forward to this performance; American ballet Theatre (ABT) is one of the most celebrated companies in the world. But I hadn’t anticipated just how vigorously and comprehensively they would blow my socks clean off.

The show was in three acts – unusual to have two intermissions in a two-hour show, but as the night unfolded it became clear why it had to be so. Act One was “Songs of Bukovina”. I couldn’t resist googling Bukovina: the region, sparsely populated since the Paleolithic (!), is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided between Romania and Ukraine. The language spoken is Romanian with influences of Moldovan, Transylvanian, and Maramureș. Whew! … try saying that three times fast! Any road, one expects a folk-dance sort of thing, and one would be correct. “Songs of Bukovina”, including ten dancers and led by principals Isabella Boylston and Daniel Camargo, was a celebration of the global genre of folk dance, with brilliantly colored costumes designed by Moritz Junge whirling about the stage. The music in “Songs of Bukovina” is excerpted by composer Leonid Desyatnikov from “Bukovinian Songs [24 Preludes for Piano]”, performed by pianist Jacek Mysinski.

Scene from Songs of Bukovina. Photo by Marty Sohl.

I had noted that the first dance in Act Two, “Touché”, listed Sarah Lozoff as Intimacy Director – a common role in theatrical productions but not, in my experience, customary for dance. I have mentioned in previous reviews my predilection for male pas de deux, and “Touché” gave me the pas de deux of my dreams. It began with Calvin Royal III and João Menegussi standing motionless on the stage and shouting individual words: “No!”, “Come”, “Fuck!”. Slowly they began to move, individually at first but with a gradual transition to synchronicity. Christopher Rudd’s choreography made it progressively more clear that we were witnessing a mating dance, so it was perfectly natural when they began to shed their clothes. Once they were near-naked the dance became more sensual, enhanced by Brad Fields’ inventive lighting – at one point the house lights came up while leaving the stage nearly dark.

In fencing, touché means “touched”. Fencers who have been hit may call out “touché” to acknowledge the touch. If, however, no hit was actually made, the fencer's adversary would say, "pas de touché" (in English: no touch) to indicate that the hit should not be counted. Via Woodkid and Ennio Morricone’s music, and the danseurs’ brilliantly controlled balletic motion, this spell-binding pas de deux was enhanced by the aura of pas de touché, a tempestuous ambience that saturated the dance. The standing ovation continued through three curtain calls.

Touché

There was a brief pause between “Touché” and “Some Assembly Required”, during which I reflected that I did not envy the dancers who would have to follow Royal and Menegussi’s sensational performance. But Katherine Williams and Jarod Curley rose to the challenge. “Some Assembly Required” could have been simply a hetero apologia to “Touché”, but Clark Tippet’s choreography and Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner’s staging did a fine job on its own merits. The brooding atmosphere of “Touché” was lifted by Kobi Malkin and Emily Wong’s performance of William Bolcom’s Second Sonata for Violin and Piano, setting a more frolicsome tone to ready the audience for “ZigZag”, a sprightly medley of Tony Bennett songs (with a very special duet with Lady Gaga).

“ZigZag”, a work for 14 dancers, premiered in October 2021. This performance included four of the original principals, Devon Teusch, Luciana Paris, Cassandra Trenary, and Joo Won Ahn, with the addition of Aran Bell and Blaine Hoven.

“ZigZag” was a perfect finale, a dazzling whirlwind of music and movement. The Tony Bennett medley included such favorites as What the World Needs Now, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, and It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing. Costumers Wes Gordon and Carolina Herrera dressed the chorus in bumptious black-and-white polka-dot tutus, setting off the principals in bright primary colors. Jessica Lang’s choreography evoked a blooming Spring season with It’s De-Lovely, Blue Moon and Springtime in Manhattan., and Derek McLane incorporated artwork by Bennett in the scenery. The final song, How Do You Keep the Music Playing, brought the audience to its feet, where we remained through several curtain calls.

I’ve made no secret that my favorite piece was “Touché”, and the ovation and curtain calls demonstrated that I wasn’t alone in that. However, the brilliance of “Touché” was intensified by all the works surrounding it, as a diamond’s luster is enhanced by its cut and setting.

American Ballet Theatre is only in Chicago for a brief stay, but where- and when-ever you have a chance to see them perform, you will not be disappointed.

“Jagged Little Pill,” Alanis Morisette’s 1995, 16X platinum album, with 33 million copies sold, is her declaration of the terms of her self-emancipation. Timelessly truthful and inspirational, it remains an emotional catalyst for generations of people.

The album is at the core of Broadway in Chicago’s “Jagged Little Pill,” which opened Wednesday for a limited run (through April 23) at the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago. Nominated for 15 Tony Awards in 2021 following a pandemic caesura, this long-awaited Broadway roadshow is unlike other jukebox musicals— “Tina” or “Donna Summer” or “Carole King”—in that it is not a biography of Morisette. And unlike Sarah Bareilles’ “Waitress,” or The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” (coming to Goodman this summer) “Jagged Little Pill” doesn’t follow an inherent album-based storyline.

Rather, it was the emotional inspiration for a show written by Tony and Academy Award winner Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully), lyrics and music from Morrisette hits such as “You Oughta Know,” “Head Over Feet,” “Hand In My Pocket,” and “Ironic”, as well as brand new songs written for the show.

Like the album it relates an internal emotional journey, not of Morrisette, but of an upper middle class American family—rich turf for drama, from Ibsen to Chekov to Williams. “All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” as Tolstoy notes, and we watch the Healy's go their own way from ostensibly happy to quite a mess. But never fear, this is a Broadway musical and they make their way back to the road to redemption to deserving standing ovations at the end.

Heidi Blickenstaff reprises her role from the Broadway production as the mother, Mary Jane Healy, with Lauren Chanel as her adoptive daughter Frankie, Chris Hoch as her husband Steve, and Dillon Klena as Frankie’s older brother Dillon. Blickenstaff has both the sensitivity to deliver Morrisette’s soulful sentiments, and the Broadway belt to go full throttle. Chanel is perfectly expressive of Morrisette’s range and when joined by her first love-interest, Jo (Jade McCleod) we have a duet providing great renditions of the album melodies, woven so beautifully to the storyline. Klena is also notable singing Morissette as older brother Nick as is Rishi Galani as Frankie’s other love interest.

One aspect of the production is particularly inventive: choreography by Beyoncé collaborator Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. With Morrisette’s sensitive reflective lyrics (in a vein with Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, or Jewel) Cherkaoui and director Diane Paulus (known for Sarah Bareilles’ “Waitress) created dance avatars who are visually similar to the actors, but dance at major numbers relieving the leads from having to hoof it big numbers in ways that would seem out of character or clash with the underlying material.

At the other extreme, the potential for this approach can also be seen in an intimate pas de deux in which Mary Jane Healy confronts her inner demons with her dance double, Jena VanElslande. It’s a tour de force.

Another show stopper for creativity is a scene at a pharmacy played forward, then later reprised in reverse, as Mary Jane examines her path to drug addicition, a family secret until it became an undeniable plague. The recount of her growing addicition to oxycontin, graduation to harder drugs, and the crisis and intervention that led to her recovery are very accurate. 

Highly recommended, “Jagged Little Pill” runs through April 23 at the James Nederlander Theatre in Chicago.

Robert Falls is back! Well, for a short time at least to direct his adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” Falls retired as the Goodman Theatre artistic director in 2022, but his productions of Chekhov’s classics have become events to anticipate. “The Cherry Orchard” is the endcap to Falls’ Chekhov series that began with ‘Three Sisters’ and has included “The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya”. Each a definitive production that was met with critical acclaim. “The Cherry Orchard” is no exception, in fact, it might even be his best.

“The Cherry Orchard” premiered in Moscow in 1904, just a few decades after the end of serfdom in Russia. The story follows Lyubov Ranevskaya (Kate Fry) as she returns to her family’s estate after years of living abroad. The estate has fallen into disrepair and unless the taxes are paid, Lyubov is certain to lose the property her family has held onto for centuries. Her childhood friend, a former serf, Yermolai Lopakhin (Kareem Bandealy) eagerly awaits her return, and offers her family solutions that would allow them to keep the estate. It’s also implied Yemolai is in love with Lyubov. As with any Chekhov play, the lives of the serving class are also highlighted in all their unrequited loves and general discontent.

This “The Cherry Orchard” is a veritable who’s who of the Chicago theatre scene. Kate Fry plays Lyubov with an almost manic vacillation between childlike naiveté and a crazed addict. Her powers are immediately illuminated from the moment she walks on stage. Regular Goodman player Amanda Drinkall plays the maid Dunyasha. Her giddy and absurd physical humor brings a much-needed sense of humor to a role that doesn’t offer much kindness to the family accountant Semyon—played with as much physical humor but perhaps more guttural pathos by Will Allan. Chicago stage favorite Janet Ulrich Brooks returns with another wonderful performance as the governess/trickster Charlotta. Her sleight of hand magic tricks make you wonder if she really is magic after all. Perhaps nobody is as affective as Francis Guinan as the servant Firs, who may just be the last vestige of serfdom on the property. The pottering body language and stammering delivery are devastating.

Adding to the roster of Chicago theatre staples, set designer Todd Rosenthal’s staging is nothing short of epic. There’s a striking blend of minimalism mixed with the kind of over-the-top spectacle that Goodman audiences expect. While it’s not always a necessity to have larger than life sets, some occasions just call for it and a theatrical event like this is fitting to pull out all the stops. Costumes by Ana Kuzmanic play nicely against Rosenthal’s backdrop.

If you’re going to see a classic, the team behind “The Cherry Orchard” is your best bet. Robert Falls has had an influential career turning Goodman Theatre into the institution it is today and Chicago audiences will likely continue to be enchanted by his work for years to come. His own adaptation of “The Cherry Orchard” digs deep on the idea of what it means to be free. It also showcases some terrific performances from some of Chicago’s most beloved performers. This production feels like a love letter to the theater that made Robert Falls the mastermind Chicago has come to expect. You won’t be quick to forget this epic night at the theatre.

 Through April 30 at Goodman Theatre. 170 N Dearborn. www.goodmantheatre.org.

By the time Charles Fuller’s “A Soldier’s Play” debuted on Broadway in January 2020 it was already a classic in American theatre. It premiered with the Negro Ensemble Company in 1981, winning the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1982. It was adapted to film and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for the Late Great Adolph Caesar at the 1985 Academy Awards. After 40 years it finally graced the Broadway stage just before the death of its playwright. According to Fuller, his refusal to change the line “You’ll have to get used to Black people being in charge.” at the producer’s demand, prevented the show from going to Broadway sooner. I personally believe the universe was waiting for just the right director to bring the majesty of this play to Broadway. The only director filling that role is the talented Kenny Leon.

The play opens on an U.S.  army base in Louisiana in 1944 during World War II. Tech Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, (an excellent Eugene Lee) drunk and staggering out of his mind, has been brutally murdered.. Waters is a self-hating, sadistic evil man. He takes out his anger on his men. He hates his white comrades for who they are and his Black comrades for who they are not.

To investigate this crime, the Provost Marshal General’s office in Washington sends Capt. Richard Davenport (the debonair Norm Lewis), a Black lawyer. The white officers are shocked at the sight of a Black officer they may have to answer to. The Black recruits are bursting with pride to see one of their own in a position of leadership.

Davenport, despite roadblocks to his investigation prides himself on following the clues and getting to the truth of the murder. He meticulously interviews enlisted men both Black and white to understand why Waters would be a victim of murder. Based on interrogations and flashbacks we learn the murderer can be anyone even the very men in his charge.

Director Leon gets the best from this uniformly stellar cast.  Among the standout performances are the exuberant Alex Michael Givens as Corporal Ellis, our very own Sheldon D. Brown as Private C.J. Memphis, a simple guitar playing man and William Connell as the skeptical Captain Charles Taylor.

The two-level scaffolding set with bunks and footlockers works well, showing present action up front while when necessary showing what’s happening in the background. Scene changes were effortless and clean. The flashback effects were greatly assisted by Lighting designer Allen Lee Hughes lights. World War II military attire were realistic thanks to Costume Designer Dede Ayite.

Although it did not affect my enjoyment or enthusiasm for “A Soldiers Play “it must be stated, one of the major themes in this play is COLORISM.  “A Soldiers Play” is not just a murder mystery as Roundabout Theatre Company’s production would have you believe. Omitting colorism does a disservice to the script.  Fuller was extremely clear about casting. “A Soldiers Play” is Fuller’s exploration of Blacks’ attitudes toward each other as well as toward the white military community he was once a part of.   Rule of thumb, if you must ask a playwright is it alright to do something, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

“A Soldiers Play” is a classic from the Negro Ensemble Company demonstrating fearless writing, professional execution and top notch acting, for that it should not be missed.

When: Through April 16

Where: CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.

Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Tickets: $35-105 at 800-775-2000 

www.broadwayinchicago.com

After its successful run of Book of Merman, MadKap Productions decided to take on a brilliant, little known farce comedy - Neil Simon’s Rumors. Quick, witty dialogue is the name of the game in this fast-paced story that revolves around an upscale dinner party where everything that can possibly go wrong, kind of does – and then some. When Ken Gorman (Nathan Dale Short) and his wife Chris (Erin Renee Baumrucker) throw a 10^th anniversary party for New York’s Deputy Mayor, Charlie Brock and his wife, Myra, a gunshot in Charlie’s room changes everything and speculation between the hosts and their six invited guests runs rampant and riotously spirals into every direction possible. As one challenging scenario unfolds after another, the absurdity gets funnier and funnier. Truths become distorted and the lies told are modified more and more as emotions are let loose amongst this normally reserved group of friends. Let’s just say this dinner party is a complete train wreck – and it couldn’t be more fun watching it unravel.

Simon’s Rumors starts with a bang (literally) then gains more and more steam until it becomes a full-on expose of the emotional underpinnings of the upper class. Thanks to Wayne Mell’s outstanding direction and MadKap’s mature and very talented cast that effectively take on a slew of quirky characters, we are presented with one helluva hilarious production that rarely stops to catch its breath. While the entire cast deserves big props, Landon Cally truly takes command of the stage in just about every scene he takes part in as Leonard Ganz, better known as “Len”. Cally’s rapid-fire line delivery and ability to display such a wide range of emotions really drew me into the action. Julie Peterson also shines as a highly animated Claire Ganz, who could easily be mistaken for one of the very popular Housewives of New York, and veteran Chicago actress SarahAnn Sutter gets big laughs as Cookie.

Neil Simon, a Pulitzer Prize Winner, was one of the greatest Jewish writers of all time, and this choice of his little-known comedy Rumors by Director Wayne Mell at this moment in history with anti-Semitism on the rise worldwide is so perfect and timely.

One of the couples is hit by a car on the way to the party in their three-day old BMW, but they do not stop to go to the hospital. Instead they arrive breathlessly with excitement at the party, the husband with whiplash and the wife with a bloody lip. When they get there they find their best friend, Charlie, passed out on Valium having shot a bullet through his ear. His wife is nowhere to be found.

The first rumor that his friends attempt to quell is that Charlie, a Deputy Mayor, has tried to commit suicide.  His friends know that suicide is legally a crime and at that time ANY "criminal behavior" including mental illness was perceived by society as a way to ruin one's life and work. So they begin to make an effort to cover up what they think has happened before the rest of his friends even arrive. 

This is also kind of a fun whodunit, so I don’t want to give it all away, but the genius that Simon conveys through this particular farce is that even though each person ends up literally injured in some way - including back spasms, a bad cut in the kitchen, temporary deafness, etc., etc., - none of the partygoers actually leave to go home. Simon cleverly and compassionately shows that each of these bored, jaded, overworked and overly intellectual couples have nothing more exciting to go home to.

They have individually, and as couples, grown so bored with their lives and have been accustomed to playing certain restrictive and prescribed roles for their partners and each other by coloring within the lines on a daily basis. They have lost touch with everything real and genuine in their partners and sadly in their get togethers as well… until this night.  

Landon Cally and Julie Peterson in 'Rumors' at Skokie Theatre

In fact it is perfect Neil Simon humor and irony that the group of friends are finally forced to dance gleefully and laugh together in order to protect their friend’s reputation, that they all realize they have been lying to each other unnecessarily. By teaming up together they finally realize that laughter and friendship is the balm that each and every person present individually discovers they need deeply in order to be their best, most alive and genuine selves no matter how flawed or funny they have become as couples and as a community.

This quote from Simons' huge hit  and 1965 Tony Award Winner "The Odd Couple" really describes how every unique character in Rumors grows into a new person under pressure and finally have the chutzpah to "Throw their G-d Damned cup! 

“([FELIX] (suddenly stands up and cocks his arm back, about to hurl the cup angrily against the front door. Then he thinks better of it, puts the cup down and sits)

OSCAR. (Watching this) Why didn’t you throw it?
FELIX. I almost did. I get so insane with myself sometimes.
OSCAR. Then why don’t you throw the cup?
FELIX. Because I’m trying to control myself.
OSCAR. Why?
FELIX. What do you mean, why?
OSCAR. Why do you have to control yourself? You’re angry, you felt like throwing the cup, why don’t you throw it?
FELIX. Because there’s no point to it. I’d still be angry, and I’d have a broken cup.
OSCAR. How do you know how you’d feel? Maybe you’d feel wonderful. Why do you have to control every single thought in your head? Why don’t you let loose once in your life? Do something that you feel like doing—and not what you think you’re supposed to do. Stop keeping books, Felix. Relax. Get drunk. Get angry. C’mon, break the goddamned cup!”

Neil Simon considered Rumors his own first true “farce“ first produced back in 1988, Rumors is eerily ahead of its time in the comic portrayal of the lives of the rich and almost famous politicians that we know daily see and consume  as reality television. Rumors is quite a departure from the other 30-some plays he had written. On deciding to write a farce comedy, Simon was quoted in an interview with the New York Times.

"I was going through some difficult times...I wanted to work, because work is always a cathartic process for me, and I thought it would be really good just to get into a comedy. This is completely different for me...It's unlike anything I've ever written. It's my first farce." In describing the play, he said, "The play started with the idea of doing a farce...The next thing was to do it as an elegant farce, because the farces in Moliere's days were generally about wealthy people. These aren't extremely wealthy people, but they are well-to-do. So, I decided to dress them in evening clothes. There was something about having them dressed in evening clothes that I thought was a nice counterpoint to the chaos that was happening in the play. And so, I picked a reason for them to be dressed elegantly, and it was a 10th anniversary."

MadKap Productions also does this play right with its inviting and roomy set, which puts us theater goers in the midst of a dinner party while also giving its cast the spaciousness to let loose. In fact, the theater space itself is a wonderful place to take in a staged production. MadKap currently makes its home at Skokie Theatre after a nice run at The Greenhouse Theater in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Just a twenty-minute or so drive from northern Chicago (depending on traffic), Skokie Theatre is a beautifully renovated movie house with ample, and comfy, seating that offers parking right next door and accessible public parking right across the street. This is the perfect show to introduce yourself to MadKap if not already familiar.

I highly recommend MadKap’s Rumors at Skokie Theatre for an enlightening night of classic comedy for audiences of all ages.

Rumors is being performed at Skokie Theatre (7924 N. Lincoln Ave, Skokie) through April 23^rd. For tickets and/or more show information, click here. Next up is Hair beginning June 3rd.

Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) has been an integral part of Chicago’s performing arts community for 60 years – more than a half century of bringing groundbreaking commissions, instruction, outreach and (most of all) performances to Chicago and audiences worldwide. This year they are celebrating that 60^th anniversary with Season 60: Catch the Light, Feel the Radiance, Celebrate Giordano, a series of four performances over 2022/2023. This second work in the series was performed March 31 and April 1 at the Harris Theatre. In October 2022 I reviewed the initial production; it was absolutely spectacular. To my amazement, this second program was as good if not better!  

The company of dancers in GDC is extensive so I won’t name them – a full directory with bios is available on the website.

The organization of this production was ingenious, filling the ‘dead time’ between performances with videos where GDC directors and choreographers discuss the preparations for Season 60: Celebrate Giordano.  The first video, “The Magic of Giordano at 60”, introduced the performance of Sing, Sing, Sing. As in the October program, this first piece was one originally choreographed by Gus Giordano (1983) and refreshed by Nan Giordano for the occasion. 

The video “The Magic of Community” preceded the world premiere of Luminescence, specially commissioned in honor of Homer Hans Bryant and choreographed by the inimitable Kia Smith. This may have been my favorite of the night: the music was by U2 and Coldplay, two of my favorite bands; the costumes were totally stunning, and the dance very illustrative of the “Magic of Community”. GDC was joined by dancers from South Chicago Dance, each company enhancing the other. Every dancer’s movement was balanced and integrated with every other dancer: it was very much a company piece, headlining every dancer by spotlighting none.

The video “The Magic of Possibility” introduced La Belleza de Cuba, (The Beauty of Cuba), choreographed in 2013 by Liz Imperio and Whitney Anne Bezzant and danced by the entire GDC Company. The Latin music and costumes provided an intriguing foil to the other numbers.

At Intermission I spoke with several children – kids’ comments are always engaging and often very perceptive.  In addition to various iterations of “I wanna do that someday!” one little girl critiqued the format, saying “The movies were OK I guess, but I liked the other stuff better” – ‘other stuff’ presumably referring to the dancing.

The next number, Prey, is reputedly a favorite of the dancers. Choreographed in 2003 by Ron de Jesus, who also designed the costumes and sound, Prey is technically difficult but gratifying in that the dancers must place a great deal of trust in one another. Much of the movement involves dancers in groups of two, three, or more performing gymnastic stunts, from simply lifting and toting each other about the stage to complex aerobatics involving the entire company – a superb combination of floor exercise and Giordano dance. The powerful Giordano Technique of Jazz Dance is particularly compelling in combination with individual and collective gymnastic maneuvers. The Technique employs rhythmic complexity and precision and the consistent use of core while moving each part of the body in isolation. Stylistically, the dancers are regal and elegant but perform with kinetic urgency and vibrancy.  

The final number portrayed “The Magic of Our Dancers” with Randy Duncan’s 1997 Can’t Take That Away, featuring the Bourné family: Lisa (Mom), Elizabeth, Christina, Katherine, Paul, Timothy, Rebekah, Ehron, and John. Personally, I don’t much cotton to gospel music, but the Bournés are not gospel singers: their delivery of what from any other throats would be gospel transcends the genre – it eclipses music itself. The soaring sopranos seemed to lift the dancers ever higher in a primordial and sublime combination of music and motion.   

This finale, incorporating several gospel numbers and concluding with the title song, was dedicated as a farewell to Ashley Downes and Katie Rafferty, GDC dancers for over a decade. The company’s affection was evident in the esprit de corps the dancers brought to this final dance. Their jubilation spilled over the footlights and into the audience, bringing us to our feet. Finally, the dancers themselves cascaded from the stage to dance in the aisles with the audience, laughing and flinging droplets of sweat as the gamboled. I must admit I’m partial to a performance where I’m spritzed with the performers’ body fluids.

And the best part is that there will be two more performances of Season 60; Celebrate Giordano! I’ll definitely be there, and highly recommend that you check it out as well.

Artistic Home has given theater goers a rare jewel of a comedy, a 1928 send-up of Soviet society that was never seen by Russian audiences because Stalin banned it. Well, his censors must have read only half way through, and clearly had no sense of humor, because this is comedy of the highest order. 

I’ll admit I was tempted to bail at intermission, as the humor in the first half felt a bit forced, and was mostly inside jokes for Soviet citizens. But as a reviewer I am pledged to see it through, and the outcome of the pivotal turning point was set up right before break. So I had to come back to find out what would happen. OMG was it funny! Take my advice and see this whole play, because you need the set-up to get the jokes in Act 2.

I’ll offer no spoilers, but in the first act we meet the hapless Semyon (Daniel Shtivelberg), an unemployed and hopeless young man who lives with his wife Masha (Kayla Adams) and mother-in-law Serafima (Kathy Scambiatterra is a hoot) in a crowded flat—perhaps situated in the apartment building lobby. The public setting of their dwelling and a common bathroom shared with the other residents assures us the opportunity to meet the postman Yegor (Reid Coker is great)—a model Soviet citizen—and another gentleman, Alexander (Todd Wojcik is a delight, as always) who seems to be sex trafficking with his willing partner, Margarita (Kristin Collins).

Semyon laments his unhappy fate, jobless and living from the earnings of his wife, while his mother-in-law manages the housekeeping. The two women are supportive despite Semyon’s dire emotional state. After failing in a last ditch effort to become a busker—he gets a tuba and instruction booklet but can’t master the instrument—his inner conflicts drive him to end it all. (The original play by Nikolai Erdman was called ‘The Suicide’ and is freely adapted here by Moira Buffini.)

Kristin Collins, Kayla Adams, Todd Wojcik and Kathy Scambiatterra in The Artistic Home's production of "Dying For It" at the Den Theatre.

Ironically, his decision to off himself makes Semyon suddenly of interest to others, and we soon see the arrival of three counter-revolutionary tropes of Stalin’s day: a member of the intelligentsia, Aristarkh (John Laflamboy plays it for all he's worth), the Westernized temptress Kiki (Brookelyn Hébert) a romantic poet Viktor (Khyel Roberson in a spot-on performance), and an Orthodox priest Father Yelpidy (Patrick Thornton). All hope to leverage Semyon's suicide to their benefit, mostly by encouraging him to write about them in his suicide note.

His neighbor the hedonist sees the occasion as a good excuse for a party, and with that Semyon’s plans to off himself become bigger than him—and the laugh fest begins in earnest.
Watching the players perform for all they’re worth in the first act had me curious, their earnest performances almost over the top with energy. Now I know why: they had all seen the second act!

Comedy is all in the timing, and credit director Monica Payne for keeping everyone on cue. Scenic design by Kevin Hagen is excellent, and costumes by Rachel Lambert are noteworthy in their authentic feel.

This rare opportunity to see a hidden gem should not be missed. "Dying For It” runs at The Den Theatre through April 23.

“The Shroud Maker” is a look into the world of Hajja Souad, an 84-year-old Palestinian seamstress, plying her artisanal trade amid the rise and fall of violence in Gaza City adjacent to Israel. Her specialty: shrouds used in Islamic funerals to wrap the deceased.

Unfortunately for the world, Souad’s business is good, and demand trends offer a depressing timeline of decades of violence in what had been Palestine. Boiling down a lengthy history, in 1948 the British relinquished control in the region pursuant to a U.N. mandate that partitioned Palestine to create a place for modern-day Israel. Surrounding Arab states launched a war against the U.N. action, and in 1948 the Arab League established a state for Palestine, which along with Israel claimed Jerusalem as its capital. And the rest is more war-striven history.

A businesswoman and expert in crafting finely stitched shrouds, Souad has seen it all over the years, and is played ably by Roxane Assaf-Lynn. The 70-minute monologue by noted Palestinian author Ahmed Masoud is drawn loosely from a real individual. Souad shares the gallows humor that is a familiar companion to those whose lifework is death.

Souad is also a survivor, someone who has suffered personal loss as one by one, over the years, every member of her own family became collateral damage in someone else’s wars. Her non-stop descriptive chatter tells her own epic story—against the backdrop of that of the people of Palestine.

Set in Gaza City, the opening scene finds Souad mid-way through an animated phone conversation, where she is warned yet again that she is in danger and should evacuate her home. This time it’s because of a limited Israeli incursion into Gaza, intended to destroy border tunnels through which contraband flows, some of it the very cotton she uses for shroud making.

“I’m not going anywhere….Besides your bloody tanks are everywhere,” Souad yells into the phone. “Your freaking army will have to kill me first.” Is she just a cranky, unreasonable old woman?

We learn she is much more than this in the course of the play, and Souad voices other characters in her life: her younger self, her father, an adopted son, and his wife, and Ghassan, their child. Two more characters from her past also appear, all of them voiced by Souad, who at 11, was removed from her farm (along with her parents) to make way for a kibbutz.

During the period before Israel was formed, her father Mahmoud was hired by the British High Commissioner Sir Alan Cunningham, as a gardener for his estate—the same Sir Cunningham whose British Army forcibly removed Mahmoud from their farm. Lady Cunningham takes a liking to Little Souad, and enculturates her as a British girl with piano lessons and training in posh British English. Essentially she is wantonly stealing Souad from her parents to replace her own child, now lost. But Lady Cunningham also teaches Souad to sew, and in her later life, Souad applies these skills to producing traditional Palestinian garments, including shrouds.

The production by the International Voices Project is nicely directed by Marina Johnson with set by Jonathan Berg-Einhorn. Ahmed Mousad’s script leans a little more toward literary—something to be read—than to stage delivery, though he generally weaves exposition in effectively. The story comes across, though the emotional side is not fully expressed. Even the best actor would be challenged, especially the demand to voice numerous characters. But the story is so authentic and compelling, coming as it does from those living in Gaza, that is is one the must be heard

“The Shroud Maker” runs through April 8 at Chicago Dramatists, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.

“It should be a crime to not acknowledge another person’s humanity.”

Didi – “How Blood Go”

I’m not a fan of hospitals, television dramas taking place in hospitals or anything involving healthcare. From a very young age I’ve had an uncomfortable relationship with the healthcare industry. My grandmother, God rest her soul, was a diabetic double amputee.  From a young age I would accompany my grandmother to her doctor visits. I would visit her when she had extended hospital stays. I learned how you can be treated if you have no one to advocate for you. The last thing I wanted to see was a play about healthcare. When I saw Lisa Langford was the playwright of “How Blood Go”, my interest was piqued, and I had to be in the audience. I didn’t realize how much healing I needed…

I remember Lisa Langford from her sci-fi play “Rastus and Hattie”. It was written for the stage and beautifully reworked during the pandemic as an audio play produced by Ann Filmer’s 16^th Street Theatre Company. The play was inspired by the Black presenting robot manufactured by Westinghouse in the 1930’s and exhibited at the National Electric Light Association Convention in San Francisco. It is a powerful play. I was disappointed it didn’t receive the staged production it so rightfully deserved. I knew I would hear from Lisa Langford again; her writing was refreshingly daring and brilliant.

Courtney O’Neil’s set has the effect of making the audience feel like medical students watching a delicate medical procedure in an operating theatre.  We walk into an immaculately sanitized operating room. There is an industrial door one would find in a hospital separating two curtained areas. Instead of finding patients in the literal sense, behind those curtains, we find two very different worlds. One side takes us to a fully realized room in Macon County, Alabama circa 1930’s. Behind the other curtain is a contemporary apartment complete with a full array of junk food. The set along with Levi Wilkins lighting design and Mike Tutaj’s projections make for a most ingenious visual.

We meet Quinntasia (an energetic Jyreika Guest), a woman once 300 pounds but now fit and healthy. As she sits having coffee with her best friend Didi (a special performance by Yolanda Ross) we learn of the issues facing older Black women dating older Black men as well as issues of substandard healthcare in the Black community. Quinntasia is an exception. She is a success story. Her doctor has attached a device to her neck supposedly tracking her steps. Quinntasia is so confident in her progress, she decides to ask her doctor, Ann (Caron Buinis) for funding to start a wellness clinic, Quinnessentials.

We are drawn behind the first curtain. Ace (the excellent Ronald Connor) and Bean (David Dowd, who should be awarded immediate and permanent tenure on the role) are two impoverished sharecroppers. Bean isn’t well. He visits a government doctor and he’s told he suffers from “bad blood,” a local term used to refer to a range of ills. What he is not told is that he has syphilis or that the disease is passed on through sex. As Langford conveys thru the character Big Gal (Kristin Ellis) “they just send you out like a bomb” and “your kisses taste like mercury”, a treatment initially used for syphilis. Ace, on the other hand, gets an education and becomes a doctor. Both roles are written as archetypes, possibly because of how these men are seen by white society. BRILLIANT!

Behind curtain two we are invited to the apartment of Tron (Marcus Moore) and Quinntasia. There are issues with this relationship that could possibly be a play within itself. Qunntasia decides on something she cannot undo. It will affect her forever.

Tiffany Fulson has directed this play with a steady sympathetic hand. The scenes are surgically precise thanks to Fulson’s ability to merge distinct energies and voices together, forming a finely calibrated ensemble.

Lisa Langford is proving herself be the playwright of the future. “How Blood Goes” is a poignant reminder of how far America must go to reach equity. In my opinion, it is one of the most important plays written in the last 5 years. It will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. Langford writes bold and takes chances. She’s in Pulitzer Prize territory.  

Congo Square Theatre Company shows why they are one of the most respected African American theatre companies. Creating and producing new works isn’t easy and they do an excellent job of it.

“How Blood Go” is among their best work. It will probably be in NYC before long. (I’m calling it!)

When:  Thru April 23 - Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm.

Where: Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre – 1700 N. Halsted, Chicago, Illinois

Tickets:  $35 ($20 for seniors and students)

Info: www.congosquaretheatre.org.

In 2023, “iconic” is a word often used hyperbolically. It is flippantly used to describe and categorize an incredible movie, a famous influencer clap back, a beautiful piece of fashion, or even used to describe a viral TikTok video. When we overuse or misuse a word enough it loses its meaning. In 2023 I submit we reclaim the word and apply it to those in life that truly exemplify to word, where all generations can come together and for a fleeting moment bask in the glow and apt use of the word. Because there is only one word that can describe the biopic of the often revered Queen of Rock and Roll, only one word that can encapsulate her lifetime, her career, and her legacy that will live in the new musical medium of her life. Tina Turner. Iconic.

Much like the artist’s life, TINA-The Tina Turner Musical is a hard-hitting, fast-paced, exhilarating rollercoaster chronically Tina Turner’s extraordinary life and career. Spanning from her childhood days in Nutbush, Tennessee, her early career as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, her turbulent marriage to Ike Turner, and her incredible comeback as a solo performer which has often been hailed as the greatest comeback in music history. 

TINA- The Tina Turner Musical follows a similar style to some other blockbuster bio picks and plays such as Rocket Man (Elton John) and Mamma Mia (Abba), though it blows all other musical biopics out of the water. Tina’s catalog is sequenced into a timeline to tell her life’s story; “Nutbush City Limits”, released in 1973, opens up Act One of the musical where we meet Tina, born Anne Mae Bullock, who sings too loud for her 1940’s choir, “River Deep Mountain High,” released in 1966, is performed in lockstep to her storyline as she records the track with Phil Spector at the height of her career with Ike Turner, and “I Don’t Wanna Fight,” released in 1993, closes Act One as Tina is making up her mind to leave Ike after 16 years of marital abuse. Tina Turner’s catalog is filled with soulful, emotional, and powerful songs that provide the soundtrack to her life.

The audience is guided through the decades of Tina’s life through seamless stage transitions and beautiful costume design. A shuttered wooden door and simple cloth dresses for the 1940s, the big hair and glittering sequence against a tinsled 1970s Vegas stage backdrop, a microphone and desk in Phil Spector’s studio, bigger hair, a synthesizer, and a denim jacket for the 1980s. 

Zurin Villanueva and Garrett Turner, and cast, in the Broadway tour of "Tina - The Tina Turner Musical" at Nederlander Theatre. Photo by MurphyMade / Handout.

TINA arrives to Chicago and the theater circuit at a pivotal moment. Recent years have been tumultuous for women from the Me Too movement and recent infringement on bodily autonomy. The iconic Turner herself lived through horrid abuse at the hands of a man, and that abuse is still pervasive today. Skinny trends are threatening to plague women and further rollback the body positivity movement. Millennial women are equally too young to have a voice and not old enough to sit at the table despite having children of our own.As we look for hope or simple escapism in 2023, we can draw inspiration from Tina Turner’s remarkable career. She overcame segregation and performed in the Jim Crow south, facing rampant and often unchecked racism, sexism, and physical abuse. Women in Tina’s life loved and supported her as best they could at a time when women had little to no power or belief in their stories. Tina Turner still battled racism during a European resurgence during her work with her Australian manager, Roger Davies, and battled ageism at 45 being told she’s over the hill.As the bevy of female Oscar winners this year will show, the narrative that women’s lives are over at a certain age is patriarchal  nonsense. Without the fighting supportive and uplifting strength of women, Tina Turner would not have prevailed in her career and the world would be all the more dim without her light.

TINA- The Tina Turner Musical is the broadway musical we need to get us out of our seats and singing as Proud as Mary. The musical runs through April 2nd at the James M Nederlander Theater (24 W Randolph St), tickets are available at Broadway In Chicago, get your tickets today before this show rolls on down the river.