Items filtered by date: November 2007

There’s something about a good mystery that keeps us engrossed. Maybe it’s the colorful suspects, maybe it’s the dissecting of clues involved, maybe it’s our own morbid curiosity that comes with murder - after all isn’t Forensic Files still one of the most watched TV shows? We like the detective work, plain and simple – the search for motive and opportunity and the gathering of evidence. And we certainly like the thought that everyone in the room is a suspect, no matter how unlikely they might seem. There’s a reason that Shear Madness has been running for forty years and is now one of the longest running non-musical plays ever (the whodunnit The Mousetrap leads all stage productions with the longest ever run). Well, amateur detectives, get ready because there’s been another murder in Chicago and your help is needed to solve the case. Once a mainstay in Chicago from 1982 through 1999, Shear Madness has returned, this time making its temporary home at Mercury Theater.

Taking place inside Shear Madness, a Chicago salon, life seems normal for the most part until the landlady upstairs is brutally murdered – stabbed repeatedly with a pair of – guess what - shears. But fortunately, Detective Nick Rossetti (Joe Popp) has been working undercover and is on the scene and through a bit of interrogation and deducing we find that everyone has a motive. Suspicion runs rampant as accusations fly everywhere and it soon becomes clear – the audience will need to help in bringing the killer to justice.    

Like in any engaging whodunnit, Shear Madness gives us a handful of intriguing characters and though the play starts off a bit sluggish to the point where one asks themselves where the story could possibly be going, the excitement quickly accelerates once the murder occurs and its direction is no longer in question. After a few scenarios are tossed around onstage, Detective Rossetti asks the audience to participate as the cast reenacts everything that had happened prior to the murder with as much detail as possible. If something is amiss or does not match what had actually happened, theater goers are invited to call out the discrepancy to help the detective put the pieces together. We are then encouraged to toss out any theories we might have to Detective Rossetti during the intermission where he makes himself readily available, at the same time we prepare questions to ask the play’s characters once the second act begins. Yes, we get to interrogate the suspects.

Best put, Shear Madness is just plain old fun. It’s a hilarious show that gives us a chance to crime solve along with the detective, some of its funniest moments the participation between audience and cast. Also entertaining are the many references to Chicago and several jokes that have been updated to include todays politics and pop culture. Sure, some of the humor is dated. The show was created in 1980. But it works – and works well. Thanks to Warner Crocker’s well-piloted direction and a superb cast that works well together and can also seamlessly interact with the audience on the fly, we see that funny is funny no matter when it was written so long as it’s delivered well. And no one was off limits. Touching on famous personalities from Taylor Swift to Bill Clinton to Joe Biden to Rod Blagojevich to dot, dot, dot, the play certainly takes its share of swipes. And while some of its jokes might be geared to ruffle a few feathers, the audience clearly takes them as just that – jokes. Even in its more contrived moments where predictable humor is used, a laugh is usually found. In the end it’s a silly comedy, not a show to be taken seriously, and lord knows we could all use a laugh or two.

The show does get a boost from audience involvement and even some good-natured heckling, but it naturally relies heavily on its cast. Ed Kross is a sheer delight to watch as Tony Whitcomb, the flamboyant salon owner, both his well-timed innuendos and physical comedy garnering one laugh after another. Mary Robin Roth as Mrs. Schubert also has many scene stealing moments as does David Sajewich as “used antique dealer” Eddie Lawrence while Brittany D Parker’s Barbara DeMarco hits the mark, as well. Detective Rossetti’s partner Mikey Thomas is played well by Sam Woods to round out an overall solid cast. Joe Popp as Detective Nick Rossetti is perhaps the most noteworthy of the bunch, as his character is kind of the glue that holds everything together in this production. As theater goers bounce one question or theory off the detective (sometimes with spot on observations and often quite absurd), Popp impresses repeatedly never wavering from his character and never absent of a quick, often humorous, response.

Shear Madness is also a play that can be enjoyed more than once. The story has four possible outcomes based on how the audience votes, and even if one gets the same outcome twice, you can be sure the audience participation will differ each and every time.

A unique theatre experience that has the audience laughing as much as it has them guessing, Shear Madness breaks down the fourth wall and delivers two one-of-a-kind fun-filled hours.

Shear Madness is being performed at Mercury Theater through March 29^th. For tickets and/or more information visit www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com.           

Some reviews are as easy to write as 1, 2, 3; an intro, a body, and a conclusion. Some reviews are more difficult to write, even when following that simple formula. Even time is broken into three parts: past, present, and future. Well, I cannot go into the past to change watching The Queen of Spades, now playing at the Lyrics Opera, and I cannot predict I won’t read the Russian novel the opera is based on sometime in the future. But presently, I find three large issues with this opera that prevent me from simply writing a review.

The Queen of Spades is a story of obsession and deceit, following Gherman (Brandon Javanovich) an officer obsessed with gambling who also fancies a young noblewoman Lisa (Sondra Radvanovsky) who is engaged to another. As luck would have it, Lisa’s grandmother, the countess (Jane Henschel) could hold the secret to Gherman winning the girl and a fortune as the countess holds the secret to 3 winning cards that won her fortune. The countess has already revealed the secret of the cards to two people, and if she tells one more person she will die. Gherman manipulates and uses Lisa to get close to the countess and learn the secret of the 3 cards. These three characters' lives are intertwined and obsession eventually leads to everyone’s demise. 

The sheer talent that goes into an opera is astounding. The stage, the orchestra, and most importantly, the singers. It’s such a rare and exceptional gift to sing such powerful lyrics in this way, and Javanovich and Radvanovsky were no different. The audience frequently ooed and awed at their musical prowess. But their acting fell short, and it was difficult to decipher what the characters were feeling through the body language, staging, and acting portrayed. In one scene, it was unclear if Lisa  was fighting her feelings of love for Gherman, or if she was fearful that he would take her virtue. In another scene, it was impossible to understand if someone was paralyzed with fear or simply forgot their lines. The story is intricate but it’s not complex, so it might have been that the opera singers are simply not triple threats in singing, acting, and dancing, but just uniquely talented singers.

Russian is a difficult language. It’s difficult to learn, to speak, and even more difficult to sing in if not a native speaker. Chicago is home to a large Russian population, a population that represented a large portion of The Queen of Spade’s audience. Throughout the opera, Russian speakers could be heard exclaiming, “that’s not what they said,” as the English translation of the Russian lyrics displayed across the prompters for the audience to read. One Russian couple behind me was frustrated with the translation and wanted a Russian or cyrillic counterpart. At times, there was no translation at all. Multiple lines belted out in Russian only for no translation to appear on the prompters, no doubt adding to the confusion around what the audience was hearing and what they were seeing. Did we miss a character’s motivation? Wait, why is she crying? The Russian couple did not return for the second act and the remainder of the play, and intermissions were time for native Russian speakers to remark about how bad the accents and pronunciation were. I have sympathy for the opera singers as the language is not easy to learn and native speakers are not very forgiving to those who do not speak, or sing, the language well. 

The third and final issue of The Queen of Spades is that the opera is very long. The Queen of Spades novella can be read within an hour, so the opera lasting over 3 hours is difficult to sit through. Tchaikovsky as a composer composed a beautiful opera, but it convolutes the story and is challenging to follow. There isn’t a gut wrenching climax or surprise twist, and (spoiler alert) there isn’t much surprise when the three main players die. The opera is just left wanting. Perhaps it was merely this interpretation and production of The Queen of Spades, or perhaps it was a combination of acting, storyline, and translations. Afterall, a good story needs three elements: character, setting, and plot. If one element is lacking, the others won’t be able to support it. All three are needed to put on an exceptional play.

In Russian, the number 3 is “troika” which means “satisfactory.” Unfortunately, even with so much illusion and elements of 3, this play did not satisfy the opera scene in Chicago.

Remaining performance dates for The Queen of Spades are February 23, and 26 and March 1 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N Wacker Dr., Chicago. For tickets and information visit lyricopera.org/spades. The Queen of Spades is performed in Russian with projected English translations. Estimated running time is 3 hours 45 minutes, including two intermissions.

When I remember John Denver, it’s hard not to think about crisp country air, clean rivers, pristine mountains and, well, just a healthy planet. John loved nature. It was abundantly clear in his music. His life was cut short at just 53 years old when a plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay, but the folk and country singer left quite an impression on the world in his four decades with not only the music he wrote and performed but also his work as an activist and humanitarian.

In Almost Heaven, a musical revue created by Harold Thau, the singer’s longtime manager, John Denver’s life and music are celebrated in brilliant fashion. Currently being performed at nearby Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana, Artistic Director Linda Fortunato skillfully directs this wonderful tribute as William Underwood lends his special touch as the productions’ Music Director to bring Denver’s most memorable songs to life.

(left to right) Actors Steven Romero Schaffer, Tommy Malouf, Sara Geist and Andrew Mueller - Photo by Guy Rhodes

While telling the story of Denver’s life from the start of his music career in the 1960’s through his untimely death in 1997, the musically gifted cast takes turns singing and playing songs that include fan favorites “Rocky Mountain High,” “Annie’s Song,”, “Sunshine on My Shoulders” and, of course, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. The often-moving story touches on Denver’s anti-war stance despite growing up in a military family, his meteoric rise in becoming a household name, his marriage, his love for a rich, clean environment and the impact his music had on so many people. A particularly touching moment occurs when a letter is read from a young fan in China who shares what a positive effect Denver has left on her and her music teacher – even at a time when it was illegal to listen to his music in their country. We are also made privy to Denver’s shortcomings in his later years, since he, too, is after all human.

A rotating cast commands the three-quarter round theater. Steven Romero Schaeffer, Shannon McEldowney, Andrew Mueller, Sara Geist and Tommy Malouf each deliver strong solo and group performances, beautiful harmonies filling the venue as the five also impress on stringed instruments playing along with the Underwood-led band that also features musicians Malcolm Ruhl and Alison Tatum.

Almost Heaven is a well-crafted musical work that flows at the perfect pace while grabbing its audience from the very beginning - and it never lets go. Whether a fan of John Denver’s already or for those that have been recently introduced to his work, this production is sure to entertain and touch hearts.

Highly recommended.  

Almost Heaven is being performed at Theatre at the Center through March 22^nd. For tickets and/or more information visit www.TheatreAtTheCenter.com.

Chicago is just days away from ‘Middletown’ hitting the stage with its nearly four-week run taking place at the Apollo Theater. The play, produced by GFour Productions (Menopause the Musical and Fiddler on the Roof), kicks off on February 27^th and centers around two couples that share the roller coaster of life together – the highs, lows and in-betweens. But Middletown is different than most stage productions in that the actors read directly from scripts with minimal use of a set.

“I wanted to tell a relatable ‘every-person’s’ story in a direct and straightforward manner where human emotions are front and center – without bells, whistles, special effects, or props,” says writer Dan Clancy, best known for his play The Timekeepers, which ran Off-Broadway and in Israel for 13 years. “I wanted the words to speak for themselves.” 

The play also comes with a powerhouse quartet of actors comprised of Sandy Duncan, Donny Most, Adrian Zmed and Kate Buddeke. The talent in this show is undeniable and coupled with a work that has already received such critical acclaim (including a Carbonell nomination for ‘Best New Work’ in 2017), Middletown should be on everyone’s radar over the next couple of months.

A fan of his while growing up, I had the chance to catch up with cast member Donny Most fresh off recording some new tracks in Nashville for his upcoming album. Most, probably best known for his role of Ralph Malph on Happy Days, has not only left an impression with his acting work, he has also worked behind the camera as a director. But perhaps most impressively (this coming from a fellow musician), Most has recorded a handful of albums, his latest ‘D Most Mostly Swinging,’ an ode to the standard singing greats. Most, who began studying music at an early age, clearly has the chops to take on such a monumental task, even taking his act on the road with ‘Donny Most – Sings and Swings’ tour. 

Most’s career is well-rounded, and he really seems to enjoy the change of pace. Looking forward to taking the live stage again and spending time in Chicago, the veteran actor/musician talks Middletown, his path into both an acting and music career and even has some fun stuff to say about his Happy Days pals.  

Ken Payne - Thank you for giving me the opportunity to chat for a few minutes. I’ve been looking forward to this and it’s a thrill to speak with you.

Donny Most - Sure. I appreciate that. Thank you very much.

Ken - Oh, you bet. So, I read that you originally started out studying engineering and then went into business. And then I saw that you landed Happy Days on your third audition and what was that like?

Donny - You have some of it right, but you are missing some key elements so let me expand the picture a little bit. What happened was, I grew up in Brooklyn, New York and at a pretty young age I started really wanting to pursue acting, singing, all that. Initially, I went to a private studio in Manhattan to a class to learn singing and dancing and acting. I was like thirteen, fourteen years old when I got picked to be part of a professional revue they put together with the teenagers and I was singing in the Catskill Mountains one summer at all of those nightclubs up in the hotels for the summer. So, I was really going after it from a pretty young age. Then I switched my gears after that summer and started working at an acting workshop and it was a much more serious class than I had been doing previously. The one prior to that was more focused on music.

Ken – So quite the switch of direction at that point.

Donny – Right. So now I was switching my focus to acting. I was in this class for a couple of years while I was in high school. Through that teacher, I was introduced to a manager and I started going out on auditions in New York and read a lot of commercials. I did about 40 commercials over the next four years, and some of that was while I was going to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. So, I was involved in a theater club at Lehigh and was driving into Manhattan a lot for these auditions and doing commercials and back and forth a lot. I got my engineering and business degree because my parents wanted me to have a college degree - and something as a backup, as opposed to majoring in theater. After my junior year, I went out to California for the summer to make some contacts for after I graduated. I wanted to expand the possibility because most of TV and film was being done in LA and not in New York, so I wanted to have that as an option as well. So, I went to Los Angeles for the summer, went on auditions and landed a few guest starring roles. I was supposed to go back to Lehigh for my senior year after the summer, but the agents convinced me that I had some good momentum going and that it would be silly to stop that flow. “Take six months off of school. You have something cooking, let’s see where it can go.” So, I did. I decided to take six months off and stayed out in LA and landed another role. And then I got nothing for several months and I thought “oh, I made a big mistake,” but then the audition came up for Happy Days. I think the three that you mentioned is because I went back a second time and then they called me back a third time for a screen test. But I had already landed guest starring roles on three other shows before Happy Days.

Ken – Gotcha. Your Wikipedia page makes it sound like you jumped into Happy Days out of nowhere. I was like WOW, that’s pretty fortunate!

Donny - Yeah, Wikipedia page… I thought I should fill in the blanks.

Ken - It sounds like you were into music at a very young age and I noticed that you tour as a musician with ‘Donny Most Sings and Swings’ - which I thought was super interesting. You cover many standards, which is one of my favorite types of music and I thought that was fascinating.

Donny - Great!

Ken - Is that something you are still doing today? Touring as a music act?

Donny - I am still doing it. I haven’t been doing it quite as much as I was about a year or two ago because I got very busy with film projects and other theater projects. I was doing a movie over the summer in Michigan called Lost Heart with a great production company called Collective Development, Inc. It was my second film with them. I also acted in a film with them a year ago called, MBF: Man’s Best Friend, which was actually just released a month ago on Amazon Prime. It’s a really interesting film. Pretty powerful movie and I play a defense attorney defending a wounded vet in the film. It’s a dramatic role and completely different from my past. After Lost Heart this past summer, I did the play Art up in Canada. And then I came back and did a little more music. I did a show a few weeks ago, a cabaret in New York, for two nights. And this past Friday night, I was a guest with Linda Purl, who I’ve done some shows with. She is an actress/singer, as well. So, I’m still doing music but not as much only because I got busy with a few different projects. And now I’ve got Middletown coming up. On that note, I’m near Nashville and I just came out of a meeting because I’m recording with a producer here. We are having a session tonight. We have done four songs so far and I’m doing another four this week. And after Middletown in Chicago, I’ll do the last four songs. So, yeah, I’m juggling the singing and acting, which I love. I love mixing them up and going from one to another.

Ken – We’re certainly looking forward to having you in Chicago. As far as Middletown goes, what was it that attracted you to work on that project? I know the play has a stellar cast with Sandy Duncan, Adrian Zmed, Kate Buddeke and yourself.

Donny - The play is the thing. I really liked the play a lot. And I’ve also worked with Adrian before. See, we’ve done this play in the spring for the first time at a theater in Las Vegas, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. I did it with Adrian and then we did it at Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania and now we are doing it in Atlanta for a week and then coming to Chicago. I’ve done a tour with Adrian, a Broadway tour of Grease years ago, and Adrian and I have also played ball together- we are on the same softball team. So, I knew it would be great to work with Adrian. I have not worked with Sandy, but I’ve heard great things about her, as everyone knows with her reputation from people who have worked with her. And the play itself, more than anything, because if you don’t like the material, you know, it’s nice to work with friends and people you like, but you have to love the material. So, it’s really a wonderful play that takes you through so many different emotions. There is comedy and then there are very heartfelt moments and very dramatic moments in the play. I think it’s something so many people will relate to.

Ken – Based on what I’ve read about it, I think you’re exactly right when you say the play will hit home for many theater goers.

Donny – For sure. Middletown is about two couples who have been friends for 30 something years and they have dinner every Friday night. You see them at the beginning when they are a little older, but then you go back to see how they became friends and the audience goes on this journey with them as they go through life whether it be their friendship, and having children, and marriage challenges, and then getting older and dealing with all kinds of things. It’s a real rollercoaster. I love that kind of material where it runs the gamut. It’s not just a comedy. It’s not just a drama. It’s like life is- it combines the two in a way that is very fulfilling. So that’s the main aspect. And also, that they are doing the design of the play was not to do it - you know how Love Letters was done by the actors reading the script. It’s similar in that regard. We are reading. There is some staging and minimalist kind of staging, but it’s pure. It’s pure storytelling with great characters and great words and great vehicles for actors. So that was interesting to me to do it in that manner. It really works. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but it surprised me when I did do the play how powerful it was doing it in this fashion.

Ken - So this story, about two couples meeting together for some 30 years, I looked it up and it looks like you have been married for about 38 years, if I’m right?

Donny - Yeah, it will be 38 in a couple of weeks.

Ken - Congratulations! I was wondering if this play had any parallels in your own life. And maybe that was also something that kind of grabbed your attention when considering this role.

Donny - Um, I would say that I was aware when I was reading it that I was like, “Oh wow, this is sort of uncanny about marriage and something from my life,” but there were enough moments in the play that, yes, I felt like I had experienced this, and I think everybody will have that same kind of feeling and reaction. There is something for everybody, you’ll recognize, it will hit a chord within, and you’ll have a smile on your face, with that recognition, or the pang deep down where you feel the pain and the emotion. It’s that kind of a piece. There wasn’t anything that was like, “My god, this is my story,” but there was enough in there that everybody will feel a connection to it.

Ken - When was the last time you visited Chicago and what are you looking forward to the most? You are going to be here for almost a month.

Donny - Yeah. I am looking forward to it. I was in Chicago, I performed at a place called Andy’s Jazz Club about three and a half, four years ago with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. I always enjoyed the city very much and I’m looking forward to taking it in and being in the downtown area. You know, I grew up in New York, so it has a similar feel to me in terms of a cosmopolitan kind of a city. There is so much to do and the bustle of it and the variety of it and the food and the music and everything that a great city has to offer. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to play softball in Wrigley Field a couple of times. Happy Days had a softball team and we played at Wrigley Field before their regular game with the Cubs. We were playing there, twice. And I was with another team called the Hollywood Allstars, a celebrity softball team that played at Wrigley Field, so I think I played at Wrigley like three times. That ballpark holds a special place in my heart, being a huge baseball fan growing up. Unfortunately, I will be there right before the new season begins, so I won’t get to go to a game, but it will just be great to be back in Chicago again. I’m really looking forward to it.

Ken - So, as far as Middletown goes, after the Chicago run, are there any plans to continue this play with the same group of actors in other locations?

Donny - They are talking to other theaters in other cities and I know they are lining them up. I think there will be a break after Chicago. There will be a bit of a break until they have coordinated them all. But the plan is to do it. The cool thing about it is when I did it in Las Vegas last spring and in Buck County, Cindy Williams played my wife and Didi Conn was playing Adrian’s wife. But they weren’t available, so in Atlanta, Didi is going to be able to do it, but then she’s not available after that. That’s why they brought Sandy [Duncan] in and a local actress that has done a ton of stuff in Chicago and stuff on Broadway, Kate Buddeke.

Ken – Sure. Kate is great. We are very familiar with her work here.

Donny – Kate is playing my wife. I’ve met her on Skype and she is lovely and I know she has done a ton of theater so I’m looking forward to working with her. What I was getting at, is that I think they will have some select pool of actors that work for this, but if some aren’t available, then you have this group doing the play in this city. And then it might be a mix and match for the next one. That kind of thing. Keep doing it and who knows, maybe it will go Off-Broadway. It’s all kind of fluid right now. I know they are lining up other theaters as we speak.

Ken - That is great to hear because it sounds like a terrific show and we are excited to have it run here in Chicago’s Apollo Theater. So, back to Happy Days because I have to ask for all the Chicago fans of that show - I was curious if you are you are still in contact with any fellow cast members at all, and it sounds like you have been with Cindy Williams.

Donny - Yeah, Anson [Williams] and I are tight, maybe tighter than we have ever been. We see each other and talk to each other all the time. As a matter of fact, he filled in for me, after Bucks County Playhouse. They had a production in Delaware, and I couldn’t do it, so Anson filled in for me for that particular run. Anson and I, we are in constant communication. And then the others - I happened to see Scott Baio just the other day. And Ron [Howard], he’s a very busy guy, but we will stay in touch by email and I’ll see him once or twice a year, that kind of thing. I had lunch with him about eight, nine months ago out in LA. And Henry [Winkler], I spoke to just about two, three weeks ago, and we are supposed to get together for lunch once I get back from Chicago.

Ken - That’s always good to hear because you watch these shows, we grow up with them, and sometimes you find out later that the cast never speaks to each other afterwards and it pops the bubble a little bit.

Donny - Yeah, we were very lucky that we had such a great relationship - and got along so well - and it was a very fortuitous casting, whatever you want to call it. You must give the Happy Days’ producers and the casting people a lot of credit. It was one of those things that happens occasionally where you bring a group of people together and they just hit it off professionally and personally - and we really did become a family. It sounds like a cliché, but it totally was the case with our group. So, we will always have that. I saw Marion Ross not that long ago and she is still doing amazingly well. I think she is 91-years-old and she looks like she could be my age. She’s amazing. We will always have that feeling. It’s almost like when we see each other, it’s like seeing your cousins and aunts and uncles, that kind of feeling. You could be away from each other for a while, but you still have that bond and you have all those feelings for each other.

Ken – Fantastic! So, I’ll just finish with one more question, I wanted to backtrack since you mentioned that you are recording in Nashville and are currently laying down some tracks and will be recording some more after this run. Are these standards that you are doing? And, when can we expect to hear the new music?

Donny - Good question. There are some standards that are going to be on this one, but not quite as much, it’s a little different. I have a CD that is out now called “D Most: Mostly Swinging” and those are all great standards with a big band and it’s “mostly swinging”. Those are all jazz standards that [Frank] Sinatra’s done and Bobby Darin and all the people that I loved growing up and listening to. What happened is I was introduced to a producer in Nashville and he saw what I was doing, and he really liked it. And when we talked and he came out to LA for something and we met, he said he thought I should do something more in his wheelhouse, but he also thought it would be a good move for me. It wouldn’t be just strictly the jazz kind of thing and that style. It’d be a little more contemporary, but we could still maintain some of the jazz feel while maybe including songs that weren’t jazz standards but were standards to my generation - songs that they were well known songs from the late sixties, maybe seventies, from  the classic rock era - open it up a little bit more so it wasn’t just the jazz standards. So, it’s a whole new thing, it’s a little different, but I’m enjoying it because we are still able on some of the songs to put in some of the jazz feel that I love. But I also love a lot of the other music. I have an eclectic kind of taste. It was a renaissance of music in the late sixties when after The Beatles and after classic rock. People were doing all kinds of mixing rock with jazz, or rock with folk, or rock with blues, progressive rock, all kinds of things. It was so experimental. So, I grew to love a lot of that music as well. It’s kind of fun for me to integrate some songs that are not part of the old jazz standards and do some of the stuff from a different era of my life. I’m enjoying that. ***

Be sure to catch Donny Most along with Sandy Duncan, Adrian Zmed and Kate Buddeke in Dan Clancy’s Middletown during its run at The Apollo Theater (2540 N. Lincoln Ave) February 27^th through March 22^nd. For tickets and/or more information visit www.apollochicago.com.

Though I loved her music and her voice, I knew little about the celebrated Queen of Disco, Donna Summer - before seeing the Broadway in Chicago show about her. Summer: The Donna Summer Musical tells it all, an engaging narrative spiced with the diva’s great music, beautifully performed.

Musically, Donna Summer was distinctive from other techno-driven disco singers when she burst on the scene in the late 1970s. Her music had a spirit to it, an emotional depth, a poignancy suggesting a trapped soul yearning to escape and express itself.

In Summer the stage musical at the Nederlander in Chicago, her songs are set against the arc of her life. Three singers play her at various points: Alex Hairston is the younger Disco Donna; Dan’yelle Williamson is the older Diva Donna; and Olivia Elease Hardy, “Duckling Donna,” plays scenes earlier in her life. 

Donna Summer wrote or co-authored many of her hits. Not every song is sung in total (though many are) - but we hear enough of each one to be satisfying, and to advance the action. Of course not all her hits would fit in the show - which is one hour and forty minutes with no intermission.

We hear the incomparable "McArthur Park" cover - the first release that fulfilled her ambition to be more than a just disco queen. We hear “She Works Hard for the Money” and learn it was the completion of a contract obligation as she left her old studio for a better agreement.

Reared in Boston, third of seven children in a close-knit, nurturant family, she was the irrepressible performer, the ham, always putting together shows with her sisters performing and her family as audience.

As a teenager, she cut school to audition for a new musical, Hair - and was cast in the Munich production. (Her first single was "Aquarius," was recorded in German.) She found her way into another German recording studio on the strength of a demo track - where she was later discovered by another recording studio on the strength of a demo song, “Love to Love You.” From there she entered the wild ride of the pop star career - but Summer kept a level head. 

As the show recounts it,  "Love to Love You" got her branded as a “Disco Queen,” a label she resisted at first. She always wanted to be a full-range vocalist. But the gates to fame and fortune beckoned, and she walked through them. 

We follow her home life - two husbands, both German, the second one Bruce Sudano, a bass player who fathered two of her three daughters. Played by Steven Grant Douglas, his duet with Alex Hairston as Disco Donna dancing within his guitar strap to "Heaven Knows" is a delight. 

This show is not a typical jukebox musical. Unlike Carole King, Tina Turner or Cher, the inspiration for Summer on stage passed away (from cancer, at age 44, in 2012.) Instead of a living legend, she is now legendary. And Summer the Donna Summer Musical at Broadway in Chicago will give you an appreciation of her life, well lived, through her songs, well sung. It runs through Feb. 23 at the Nederlander

Raven Theater has a penchant for aptly timed revivals, and their production of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House is no exception. Published and set circa 1879 in Norway, the play offers a snapshot of domestic life at the time, reminding us how much progress has been made since then -- and warning us not repeat history.

Nora is a happy wife with a loving husband, three children, and a comfortable home. Everything seems grand, until the cracks start to show in the veneer of their supposed domestic happiness.

Husband Torvald, smiling, makes passive-aggressive comments to his wife about her spending habits, even though she's merely purchased some Christmas gifts for the children. Nora, of course, is not allowed to work to earn her own money either. In other words, money is a catch-22 for Nora, and for Torvald's it's a way to assert dominance. He spends most of his time holed up in his study, occasionally checking in on his wife and making sure she knows her place, calling her gentle pet names like "songbird" and his "doll."

Little does Torvald know or even deign to imagine that Nora has hopes, fears, opinions, and secrets of her own that she works to hide from him. In this house, she knows it is not her place to be her own person; that is the husband's job. She is meant to decorate, care for the children alongside the nanny they already hire to care for the children, tend to her husband, and dance well at parties.

Nora is not even allowed to open the household mailbox, to which only Torvald has a key, yet another way for him to keep her under his thumb. The locked mailbox serves as a tangible symbol of the world, life, and opportunities that Nora can't access due to her position and gender. For all intents and purposes, she's a prisoner in her own domestic life, requiring permission from the warden, her husband, for anything she may need or want.

There's satisfaction in watching Nora realize over the course of the play what kind of man her husband really is, and actress Amira Danan deftly conveyed this transformation from bright and cheery to wise and wary. Whether or not she escapes her prison I'll leave a mystery. But I will leave you with the fun fact that this play caused significant controversy when it went into production in 1879.

According to playwright Ibsen at the time A Doll's House was written, "a woman isn't allowed to be herself in modern society." While that, thankfully, has changed, it should be pointed out that it was not so long ago Ibsen said this -- less than 150 years -- and to see this dynamic of the controlling husband and stifled wife play out onstage serves as a stark reminder of how far we've come, and where not to go again.

A Doll's House is playing through March 22 at Raven Theatre at 6157 N Clark St. Tickets and schedule here. 

We are rarely privy to the forthright conversations traded among the wealthy about class dynamics and privilege. Doubly so when they involve the rarified class of rich, well-borne African Americans.
In Stickfly, playwright Lydia Diamond said she wanted to “write a play that talks about class and class strata within the African American community. I don’t think people think of that very often, and it is fascinating.”

In Diamond’s Stickfly, receiving a stellar production at Writers Theatre, we become a fly on the wall for a combative and contentious family battle, one that veers toward ugly, and delves into family secrets perhaps better left unspoken.

All this makes for a rousing, thought provoking evening, with a beautiful production under the direction of Ron OJ Parsons. Part melodrama, part soap opera, the two acts fly by, as engrossing as a Netflix binge watch.

We meet the LeVay family, who are like any other African American family in many ways, exceptional in that they are very well to do, highly educated and they own property in the elite Edgartown section of Martha’s Vineyard. We learn this property has been in Mrs. LeVay’s family (the Wickhams) for generations, a gift to one of her ancestors. But it’s Joseph LeVay’s money that keeps it up.

The set design (Linda Buchanan) suggests a wealthy, old money lifestyle. There is expensive (including museum-caliber impressionists) artwork on the walls. Outside the kitchen window sailboats ply the Atlantic Ocean. There is a staircase leading up to several bedrooms. The family room is nicely appointed with fine furniture and bookcases. The kitchen has the latest appliances and a fully stocked refrigerator. To the left of the kitchen, a door leads to the back porch and garden, with seating. You can almost feel and hear the seaside.

Class dynamics figures prominently in this excellent production. As the play opens, a young woman, Cheryl (Ayanna Bria Bakari) is preparing the house for guests. She is college bound, but filling in for her mother, the longtime housekeeper who has fallen ill. Cheryl is in some respects an honorary member of the LeVay household, but within limits - owing to her household duties.

The first family member to arrive is Kent (Eric Gerard), a highly educated but meandering writer, along with his fiancée Taylor (Jennifer Latimore) a researching entomologist. Kent tours the property with Taylor, explaining his great great ancestor.

“He was never a slave. He was a shipper. But we don’t talk about that,” Kent says, foreshadowing other matters that we learn have also been unspoken.

Taylor, who comes from a poorer background, is awed and shocked, and intimidated, by the casual wealth of this family. But the gardens make good grounds for her research into insects, referenced by the play's title.

Soon we meet Flip (DiMonte Henning) the misogynistic, arrogant, plastic surgeon, the older brother of Kent. These two men are nothing alike. Where Kent is warm and understanding, Flip is abrasive and smug.

Tensions build and sparks fly when we learn Flip and Taylor had a fling several years ago – but no one else knows about it. Flip also exerts the pressure of class structure pressure on Taylor, who is an exuberant, free spirit.

“You seem to have no social constraints, which concerns me, because you will be my brother’s wife,” Flip says to her.

Joseph LeVay (David Alan Anderson) the family patriarch, arrives without his wife. He seems to be preoccupied, and when questions arise about Mama LeVay’s absence, Joseph quickly puts them to rest, revealing himself as a controlling bully.

Flip announces that his girlfriend is coming – and, notably, that she is Italian. This says a lot about his character. Flip could not introduce just any white girl to his parents, even though her family is as rich and accomplished as the LeVay’s. Her family has a home in tony Kennebunkport, and she looks good on his resume.

Tellingly, Kent says not that he is so in love with her, but that she’s Italian, which makes her exotic. He’s a playboy by his own admission. He’s also his father’s favorite…the reason why becomes clearer as the action unfolds.

When we finally met Kimber (Kayla Raelle Holder) we realize that she is in fact just your average socially conscious WASP. She is nether impressed nor notices the wealth around her - well, except for the housekeeper - but that is no biggie. She is comfortably at home, unlike Taylor, who feels compelled to assist Cheryl with her housekeeping duties.

The first half of Stickfly establishes the tensions among the characters. The fast-paced dialog turns up a notch in the second act, with emotions spinning out of control. Parsons does an excellent job keeping the highly charged production on pace. The actors move about the set, entering and leaving with a precision that looks natural.

By the end of the night you realize you will have weathered emotional storms with six very different people. And these characters are so real, you feel they have studied themselves, and some have even grown, as well. Stickfly is highly recommended. It runs through March 15 at Writers Theatre in Glencoe, IL.

Each season Joffrey Ballet Company presents a show comprised of works of various influential artists; this winter’s repertoire is a worldly combination of five works by four contemporary choreographers: British-born Christopher Wheeldon’s Commedia, Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili’s Mono Lisa and The Sofa, Chicago’s Stephanie Martinez’ Bliss!, and Chicago premiere of Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing.

Opening the performance is Commedia (created in 2008), which takes us to the French-influenced 1920’s world of dance. For this piece, Christopher Wheeldon drew inspiration from Igor Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite”, which was originally composed in 1920 for a ballet featuring harlequin costumes by Pablo Picasso. Commedia is the longest piece of the evening, with several scenes set to the beautiful, albeit occasionally disturbing, Stravinsky’s music. It starts out with a group dance (Sinfonia) which sets the tone for a gorgeously expressive and athletic ballet. Dancers are wearing very Picasso-ish black and white harlequinade costumes designed by Isabel Toledo, which also bring out the whimsical nature of Wheeldon’s choreography. This ballet is mesmerizing in its entirety. Pas des deux dances (such as Serenata by Brooke Linford and Yoshihisa Arai, and Gavotta by Gayeon Jung and Edson Barbosa) all have some hypnotic fluidity that takes one’s breath away. The ballet’s highly creative choreography is only matched by Joffrey dancers’ exquisite skills, resulting in a piece that is simply stunning.

After the first intermission, the next three pieces are united by a common theme of modern courtship. Mono Lisa and The Sofa, both choreographed by Itzik Galili, playfully explore the nature of romantic relationships. Mono Lisa, created in 2003, features the fabulous Victoria Jaiani and Stefan Goncalvez. He likes the girl; she plays hard to get – the old game of cat and mouse. Percussive sounds of an old typewriter set to a cool bit (original music by Itzik Galili and Thomas Hofs) create intensity, as in some futuristic tribal music.  Completed by the dancers’ precise moves and skilled acrobatics, Mono Lisa is decisively void of any romantic quality. This is further enhanced by the set design consisting of steel frames and bright lights.

 Galili’s second piece of the evening, The Sofa, has certain elements of a pantomime. The sofa on the stage becomes piece de resistance, where the couple fights for space and independence. The boy is a little aggressive towards his girl, but then he gets a taste of his own medicine in a comical gender-reversal twist half-way through the dance. Danced by Temur Suluashvili, Anna Gerberich and Fernando Duarte, it’s a fun and highly energetic piece set to music by Grammy Award-winner Tom Waits.

Included in the program is Chicago choreographer Stephanie Martinez’ ballet The Bliss! which she created for the Joffrey Ballet Company as a part of an Igor Stravinsky evening. For this piece, Martinez was inspired by Mildred and Robert Bliss who commissioned Stravinsky to compose Dumbarton Oak Concerto for their 30^th wedding anniversary. On stage there’re six handsome topless male dancers, possibly looking for a testosterone-fueled action. A pretty girl enters and a scene out of Michael Jackson’s video “The Way You Make Me Feel” immediately comes to mind. It’s a mating game, no doubt, full of flirt and seduction. A beautiful as well as an interesting piece whose many different flavors and textures develop as it moves through Stravinsky’s music.

The program concludes with The Times Are Racing, Justin Peck’s so called “sneaker ballet” for 20 dancers. Dancers wearing street clothes (costumes by Humberto Leon) including shirts with word-messages such as “defy”, “change”, “protest”, “shout”, and “fight”, move with purpose and grace. Set to the last four tracks of Dan Deacon’s album America, it’s a very youthful and explosive ballet, which draws its inspiration from a variety of dance styles. Featuring an incredibly expressive dancer Edson Barbosa, as a boy lost in the city, exploring and seeking, trying to learn and ultimately fit in.  

Through February 23rd

http://joffrey.org/

Drury Lane has wowed audiences over and over with big song and dance productions. Not only recognized for its intricate choreography, the theater has also been known for its dazzling sets and stunning costume design. From ‘42nd Street’ to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to ‘West Side Story,’ impressive musical stage adaptations have practically become common place. In Drury’s latest endeavor, ‘An American in Paris,’ the theatre pulls out all the stops.

Based on the 1951 Academy Award Winning film of the same name that starred dancing greats Gene Kelley and Leslie Caron along with Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary and Nina Foch, ‘An American in Paris’ is the epitome of a big song and dance musical. Taking place in Paris, where love is always the theme, the story revolves around Jerry Mulligan (Josh Drake), a vivacious expatriate who wants to make it as a painter. It’s not long after World War II and Jerry is stricken with the city and has no plans on returning to the U.S. anytime soon.  Jerry’s neighbor, fellow G.I. and friend, Adam Hochberg (Skyler Adams) is a struggling concert pianist who tells us the story - that gets a bit complicated once his long-time friend and associate, French Singer Henri Baurel (Will Skrip), and talented dancer Lise Dassin (Leigh-Ann Esty) get introduced. Turns out the three fellas all have eyes for Lise, and though they talk to each other about their newly found love, they have no idea they are referring to the same person – thus the song “S Wonderful”.

The dancing scenes are certainly the highlight in this production and Josh Drake makes the most of his opportunity as Jerry to astonish the audience with his fancy footwork every chance he gets. Though Drake’s acting comes across a bit rigid, he more than makes up for it with a strong voice and eye-popping dancing prowess. Drake is flat out exciting every time his feet begin to move. Leigh-Ann Esty as Lise also startles with her graceful moves, making the most complicated of motions seem effortless. Also, well-cast is Will Skrip as Henri who is not only very funny in the role but is capable of belting at any given moment – and does so with power and flair. Skylar Adams might just offer the best all-around performance in this dynamic musical as Adam Hochberg, giving a well-balanced display of vocal ability, dancing talent when called upon and strong acting. The already superb cast also gets a lift from Erica Evans who shines as Milo Davenport and a Drury ensemble that is ever-reliable.

Karl Green goes all out with fantastic costume design. According to an Instagram post a few weeks prior to the show’s opening, the team had already spent nearly 2,400 hours on costumes, greatly surpassing the theatre’s average of 1,000 hours per show. And it shows, with costume changes aplenty, each detailed to perfection.

The dance scenes are memorable (thanks to Dance Captain, Allyson Graves) and many of the songs unforgettable such as George and Ira Gershwin’s “I’ve got Rhythm” and “(I’ll Build a) Stairway to Paradise”. ‘An American in Paris’ is a story of perseverance, passion for life, but mostly love. 

Highly recommended.

“An American in Paris’ is being performed at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook through March 29th. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.drurylanetheatre.com.

"Life's a god damned laugh riot," writes Mart Crowley in his 1968 play "The Boys in the Band". Windy City Playhouse revives the iconic play under the direction of Carl Menninger. This is the first revival in Chicago in over twenty years. "The Boys in the Band" just ended a successful Tony Awarded run on Broadway in 2018. The film remake produced by Ryan Murphy is scheduled to premiere on Netflix later this year. 

Mart Crowley's play was a pivotal moment for LGBT representation when it opened off-Broadway in the late 60s. A play about five gay men throwing a birthday party for their friend struck a chord with both straight and gay audiences. It was a window into the previously taboo urban gay lifestyle complete with frank sexual references and queer vernacular. Crowley's observations about aging and love cover universal ground that many in their 30s and 40s can relate to. 

Windy City Playhouse's production is an immersive experience. A chic set by William Boles serves as both the seating and the performance space. Patrons are invited to the party snacks and are offered drinks throughout the two-hour show. This quirky touch adds to the fun of the first half of the play. The main character Michael (Jackson Evans) is hosting and one by one he receives his guests and bit by bit their life stories are revealed in searingly funny dialogue. The ensemble cast has great chemistry and the party environment is contagious fun. 

As the drinks flow and Michael's straight college roommate arrives, the play takes a decidedly darker tone. Similar to an Albee play, the witty banter ratchets up to cutting insults. The party is in Harold's (Sam Bell Gutwitz) honor but Michael has other ideas and initiates a demoralizing game. The battle for dominance between the two characters is uneasy and authentic. Gurwitz commands the stage in brief but withering lines. Jackson Evans makes Michael a sympathetic character even as he lobs outdated, racially insensitive insults at Bernhard (Denzel Tsopnang).

Despite 50 years of LGBT progress, the themes of aging, substance abuse and self-acceptance explored by Crowley feel as relevant today as ever. The world is much more accepting now than it was in 1968, but it's because of plays like "The Boys in the Band". Some aspects transcend sexual orientation while others are very specific to gay life. The play serves to humanize what people at the time thought of as perversion. "Boys in the Band" helped further a growing movement that would later open the door for more plays, novels and movies to tell LGBT stories in the mainstream. 

At Windy City Playhouse. 3014 W Irving Park Road. 773-327-3778

*Extended through May 17th!