Items filtered by date: November 2007

As a reviewer I've attended many productions of Rock of Ages and Paramount Theatre’s current production with its talented cast, wide-ranging set and rockin’ hair band rates right up there with some of the best I've seen.

For me, it was especially exciting to return to the gorgeous and comfortable Paramount Theatre after the long pandemic-based hiatus. And just like with most productions at this classic theatre, I was not disappointed.

Rock of Ages, also made into a movie starring Tom Cruise, Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin (to name a few) is a tongue-in-cheek love story about two Hollywood hopefuls, Drew (Kieran McCabe) and Sherrie (Taylor DiTola), one a rock singer and one an actress, who hope to make it to the big time in the 1980's. Multiple story lines also surround its main love story as The Bourbon, a long-time staple in the rock scene, is in danger of being shut down to make way for a modern chain store. The Bourbon is a gritty rock club (and really looks the part) that is run by Dennis (Karl Hamilton) the stereotypical club owner who only lives to rock another day, along with his animated sidekick Lonnie (Shea Coffman), who also narrates the story – and is hilarious doing so. The blend of humor and music is weaved together flawlessly. 80’s rock hits are showcased throughout by the show’s talented cast takes us from one scene to the other. From Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take it” to Nightranger’s “Sister Christian” to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” to Warrant’s “Heaven” the timeless classics seem endless. Each number is uniquely arranged and tremendously choreographed on the show’s super colorful and brightly lit set.

Taylor Ditola as Sherrie has a great voice and displays a fine sense of humor in her role and Kieran McaCabe, as the lead rock singer Drew, really stands out with his remarkable vocal range and delightful stage presence. Both really look the part and have a nice chemistry together. Though excellent performances in this production were many, I’d like to specifically point out the absolutely outstanding dancing of Christopher John Kelly, who is also the understudy for Franz. I simply could not take my eyes off his amazing dancing whether he was soloing or in the ensemble.  

The entire cast does a great job and occasionally a character bursts out with a voice that startles with its power and intensity as Melody Betts, for one, succeeds to do as Justice/ Mother.

Even if you've seen Rock of Ages before you will absolutely be blown away by the huge amount of ability and energy in every member of this seasoned cast and the spectacular presentation created by director/co-choreographer, Amber Mak, co-choreographer, Annie Jo Fischer and the entire production team. In the opening night performance, the audience was filled with people of all ages, and many hard-core fans of the show gleefully held up the flameless lighters and sang along with their favorite hits, screaming with laughter, as this is first and foremost a musical comedy. 

I highly recommend this production to everyone who has been eagerly waiting to return to seeing live theater as this tragic pandemic wore on. Rock of Ages at Paramount Theatre has all the raucous humor, big stage numbers, eye catching costumes and joyous energy that only live theater done right can provide. This Jeff Recommended production runs through May 29^th. For tickets and/or more information visit https://paramountaurora.com/events/rock-of-ages/.

On a final note, as one who appreciates having dinner before a show, I was very thankful to be invited to discover the offerings at Stolp Island Social Kitchen and Steakhouse. The experience was as impressive as it was convenient and cozy thanks to its tasty seasonal cuisine, super friendly service, and proximity to the theater - right next door to the Paramount. It was such a pleasure to be able to park once, and then enjoy a perfectly timed and delicious pre-show dinner in this lively atmosphere with lots of comfortable booth seating. Just like the Poison song says, “It don’t get better than this.” 

“Intimate Apparel” by Lynn Nottage is a story about 35-year-old Esther, a skilled seamstress in New York City. The year is 1905. She lives in a boarding house owned by Ms. Dickerson, a widow. This boarding house houses other women who are passing thru on their way to marriage. Esther has been living in the boarding house the longest with no proposal of marriage coming her way. She makes beautiful corsets and other intimate apparel for two of her clients, Mayme, a well-paid prostitute, who dreams of becoming a concert pianist and Mrs. Van Buren, an uptown married women in a childless, loveless marriage. There is a mutual attraction between herself and fabric merchant, Mr. Marks, an orthodox Jewish immigrant. They understand this relationship can never be more than what it is. Esther also has dreams. She has been saving her money over the years in hopes of owning her own beauty salon. She also dreams of being married and is afraid that she is getting too old. Her pastor’s nephew, while working on the Panama Canal, give her name and address to fellow co-worker, George Armstrong from Barbados. After an epistolary relationship, where Esther, not being able to read or write was helped by the other ladies, George proposes to Esther in one of the letters and she accepts. What a beautiful story if it ended there.

“Intimate Apparel” is one of my favorite plays. It reminds me of my family who immigrated from the Caribbean to New York City in the 50’s.

I am first generation to be born in America. My maternal Grandmother is from Barbados, my aunt was a seamstress in the garment district. Looking at faded pictures in a photo album I imagined how these people, my people, lived. I was hoping they lived in vivid color. The entire production of “Intimate Apparel” at Northlight Theatre was bathed in muted, faded, pastel tones. The set looked like the inside of a pale pink/baby blue corset. There is a full-sized bed in the middle of the stage with a sewing machine in front of it. This is Esther’s room. Left of the bed is a pink vanity set, signifying Mrs. Van Buren’s room. On the right of the bed, there is a pink upright piano, this Mayme’s room. Lights denote where the action was takes place. Nothing suggest New York City, 1905. It was a beautiful set, but this could have been Los Angeles, 1950. In addition Esther carries a leather handbag in her travels. Leather handbags real or fake didn’t come into vogue until the 1930’s. In 1905 Esther would carry a cloth bag possibly made by her. A small thing but it kept popping up.

There was nothing muted about the acting in this production. Mildred Langford is unforgettably poignant as the sorrowful, painfully shy Esther. In Langford’s eyes we see the strength and vulnerability, dignity and hurt, joy and pain of Esther. We suffer and rejoice with her, she becomes ours.

We want to protect her. Yao Dogbe has the best Caribbean accent I have heard on stage. He excels at portraying George Armstrong as a rough around the edges but good-hearted laborer and then revealing Armstrong’s more complex nature in Act 2. We want to feel for George’s plight, but our loyalties lay with Esther. Dogbe must be careful not to telegraph his intentions in Act 1 as I think he may have done at press opening. George is delivering his lines from a non-descript place behind scrim. Again, A design issue in my opinion. We, the audience, need to see George Armstrong’s face. We need to see his eyes. We need to believe and like George. The way it is presently staged, we, as audience members, are as much in the dark about George as Esther. Rebecca Spence does an excellent job portraying Mrs. Van Buren as a spoiled rotten, sex starved woman of privilege.  The beautiful Rashada Dawan as Mayme gives clear voice into the insecurities of her profession and a different point of view about marriage. The chemistry between Sean Fortunato’s Mr. Marks and Esther is apparent and heartbreaking. We wish that times were different, and this romance can be realized. Fortunato creates a man who appreciates fabric he cannot wear and admires a woman he cannot touch.

I love Felicia Fields; she brings vitality and life to every show I’ve seen her in. I hate to say this but, Felicia Fields was mis-cast. It appears that Northlight wanted some insurance of a packed house, so they hired someone who has a following. I can’t believe there was an open audition of equity actresses and ……..  . Fields is wonderful but not in this role. Mis-casting isn’t new, Denzel played Walter Lee at 60, David Alan Grier played Sgt. Waters…all to fill seats and these were on Broadway.

May 3, The role of George Armstrong will be taken over by the accomplished Al’Jaleel McGee. I know Al’Jaleel’s work. He will bring a new energy to this role making a return visit to Northlight more than worth it.

Director Tasia A Jones has directed a strong moving piece of theatre. The unidentified persons in the photos are brought to life. It is recommended for the beautiful acting

Intimate Apparel By Lynn Nottage at Northlight Theatre

April 14 – May 15

Tuesday: 7:30 May 3 only

Wednesday: 1:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursday: 7:30pm

Friday: 8:00pm

Saturday 2:30pm and 8:00pm

Sunday: 2:30pm and 7:00pm May 15 only

9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077

(847) 673-6300

For most of us—those reviewing theater or those thinking about attending or just about anyone, I guess—Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is omnipresent. Just a part of our existence. The original soundtrack in everyone’s grandmother’s vinyl collection, with all of those songs. The 1960s film version that once played on television annually, a family event (at least for mine). And all of the attached memories. It’s like The Wizard of Oz or The Bible or The Beatles. It just is and always has been, and we all have some kind of connection to it.

So, with that in mind, I was both excited to see the Marriott Theater’s new production of The Sound of Music, but also wondered how anyone might put on a production that can compete with memory, with perfection, with Julie Andrews. But, like so many other wonderful Marriott shows, Nick Bowling’s The Sound of Music delights.

The level of talent on the stage becomes clear right from the start. Nuns from an Austrian abbey parade down the theater-in-the-round’s four aisles with candles, then launch into the show’s opening “Preludium.” With all the beloved classic songs to come, this is still the moment of the show that stuck with me most—the cast throws down the gauntlet, announcing they can sing, and do they ever. I got chills from the acapella chorus. I’ve got chills remembering it as I type.

And then we meet Maria. While no Julie Andrews, Marriott newcomer Addie Morales doesn’t need to be. She’s herself, and she charms as soon as the spotlight first hits her. A lovely singer who shows off her range, it’s her overall being that shines from the stage just as much as her voice. Again, while all her own woman, Morales shares Andrews’ ability to draw the eye and ear whenever she’s onstage.

But the rest of the cast, those not in the nunnery, are every bit as good. The children, who I worried might be hamming or annoying, were all very genuine. Campbell Krausen, who plays 16-year-old Leisl, not only shows awkward teenage chemistry with Emmet Smith’s Rolf, she really seems to encourage and mother-hen her onstage siblings. Brody Tyner as Friedrich has not just astonishing vocal chops, but accompanies on guitar on a couple numbers. Erik Hellman plays Captain Georg Von Trapp, family patriarch with a rough edge that eventually softens.

Marriott’s ensemble, as always, is consummate. Heidi Kettenring and Rob Lindley really work as the two on-the-fence Nazis who provide a bit of drama and plot to this story that’s really about all those songs. And those songs... Again, the entire cast can sing. And they’re made all the better by conductor Patti Garwood’s orchestra. And, if you want to realize just what songs they are, what a show this is, and what a wonderful production that The Marriott Theatre is presenting of The Sound of Music, find out for yourself, now through June 5 in Lincolnshire.

It’s not often that Goodman Theatre imports plays from other theatre companies. It’s also an exciting moment when a frequent Goodman actress gets to showcase her newest play on the mainstage. “Relentless” by Tyla Abercrumbie was originally developed and produced by TimeLine Theatre in Chicago as part of their Playwrights Collective. The past year was still tricky for most theatre companies, and many had to reconfigure their seasons on short notice. Directed by Ron OJ Parson, “Relentless” premiered at TimeLine in early 2022 to rave reviews and has since been moved to the Owen stage at Goodman.

Set in 1919, “Relentless” tells the story of two Black sisters who return to their family home in Pittsburgh following the death of their mother. Janet (Jaye Ladymore) and Annelle (Ayanna Bria Bakari) are two bourgeois young women who live in Boston. Janet and Annelle see the world differently. Annelle sees the bright side of things, which seems easy from her perspective as a doctor’s wife. Janet is unmarried and doesn’t see much use for marriage. It’s when Janet begins reading her mother’s diary that she considers keeping the house and staying in Philadelphia.

For many Americans, the year immediately following WWI and the 1918 flu pandemic, was a time of great optimism. For those still reeling from the horrors of slavery, seemingly very little had changed in the 60 years since the Civil War.

In fluidly moving scenes, Janet is transported by her mother’s diary to the twilight years of slavery. As middle-class characters, her and Annelle have been somewhat shielded from some aspects of discrimination, but the details of their mother’s journal pull back the veneer on the gilded life they live. Annelle would rather not know anything at all, but the injustices spurn Janet to rage.

Abercrumbie’s story has the look and feel of an August Wilson play, but with a unique perspective. This is a story about Black women, told by a Black woman. Female characters are dimensional here, they swear, they drink, and they talk about sex. Culturally we assume previous generations were somehow more innocent but that couldn’t possibly be true. Though like Wilson’s plays, “Relentless” underscores that every generation of Black Americans has had to deal with the same issues of violence, racism and oppression. “Relentless” asks if anything has really changed.

Performances by Jaye Ladymore and Ayanna Bria Bakari are what this play hinges on. Both actresses fill the space with their characters, both giving them distinct personalities and similarities that create a sisterly chemistry on stage. Demetra Dee as the mother, Zhuukee, in the years of slavery is the discovery of the evening. There’s a fragile yet strong delivery in her lines. She’s soft in situations that would make others harsh. “Relentless” is a play with anger at its core, but perhaps Zhuukee represents a sense of forgiveness, or healing.

Through May 8 at Goodman Theatre 170 N Dearborn Street www.goodmantheatre.org

There are plenty of holiday plays, but how many plays are specifically about Passover? For that matter, how many people really know what Passover signifies? Victory Gardens premieres Ali Viterbi’s new play “In Every Generation”, which tells the story of one Jewish American family’s journey from 1940s Europe through the new century.

The play jumps time between various Seder dinners. Director Devon de Mayo makes a wise staging choice with the performance space at Victory Gardens. Including a seating section on stage asks the audience to look at one another, the same as though you were sitting around a Seder table.

While the family isn’t given a last name, we know from the grandmother, Paola’s (Camen Roman), thick Italian accent that this is as much an Italian-American home as it is Jewish. The first act takes place in the present day as the granddaughters argue over the modern elements of Judaism and slowly reveal why their own mother Valeria (Eli Katz) would rather avoid Passover altogether.

The second act probably can’t function without the first, but the play really gets going after the intermission. In the second act, there are three distinct time jumps. The most charming vignette tells the story of Paola and Davide’s first Seder in America, ten years after they survived the Holocaust. Carmen Roman is the heart of this play, and each scene she commands nearly all the attention. This scene in particular is the warmest moment of the play. The action then moves to 2050 and we can only assume by the conversations between now middle aged Yael and Devorah that being Jewish has become dangerous in America. This is a bleak and unpleasant prediction by the playwright, but it’s no question that Jewish institutions are being targeted by hate groups and supremacy organizations. The third vignette takes us back to the inception of Passover, in the desert, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This is a nice counter for the somewhat unresolved nihilism of the second vignette.

Playwright Ali Viterbi makes a really interesting choice by blending Italian American heritage with Jewish heritage. The popular assumption is that Italy is a Catholic country, and while the Vatican does sit in Rome, it’s not to say there aren’t Jewish people in all regions of the world. It helps builds empathy. Adopted daughter Devorah is Asian American, this is another interesting aspect of how Viterbi builds empathy. Just because you’re not born Jewish, doesn’t mean you can’t be accepted by the community.

If nothing else, this play asks for understanding. Through understanding we build tolerance. If audiences can see themselves, Jewish or not, in these characters then more can be done to protect the future of Judaism. Viterbi also points out that apathy within a minority group ultimately leads to its demise. “In Every Generation” might just be the definitive Passover play in that it fully contextualizes the history of Passover but it also gets to the point of all holidays, and that’s family and celebration.

Through May 1^st at Victory Gardens. 2433 N Lincoln Ave. www.victorygardens.org

A rare opportunity to see Brian Friel’s ‘Molly Sweeney’ is being presented at the historic Chopin Theatre building at its intimate Studio through May 8. The celebrated Irish playwright won a 1996 Tony Award for this very contemporary tale of a 40-year-old woman blind from infancy who has her vision restored, examining the aftermath.

It is based on a case study written up in 1995 by Oliver Sacks, telling of the real patient on which ‘Molly Sweeney’ is based. The notoriety of playwright Friel, who died in 2015, has been eclipsed by more recent Irish script writers like Conor McPherson (‘The Weir’ and with Bob Dylan, ‘Girl from the North Country’) or Martin McDonough (‘Beauty Queen of Leenane’ and ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’).

The Irish Theatre of Chicago has given the two-act play a skillful production under director Siiri Scott. Molly (Carolyn Kruse) is a vibrant figure, an athletic and successful woman living a rich life, who has married Frank Sweeney (Matthew Isler) who is a bit too much of a dreamer who attaches himself to efforts like saving whales in which he hopes to gain fame and distinction. But things end badly, usually, as in the case of introducing Iranian goats to Ireland. (The animals never quite adjusted to the time zone change and must be milked at ungodly hours).

Mr. Rice (Robert Kauzurlaric), an ambitious doctor also hoping to reclaim his clouded reputation with a medical miracle for Molly, who begins to suspect she is a foil in other peoples’ goals. The playwright’s mastery becomes apparent as the action is simply a series of monologues—each recollecting aspects of their lives and the story at hand. Yet my interest never flagged, and the recounting of dances and parties, by which other characters are injected into the action. The simple stage becomes all the world, as the Bard says. And we are left wanting more at intermission.

Like the real patient, Molly regains her sight, but with unintended consequences and a steep personal cost. The Irish Theatre of Chicago brings careful attention to dialect, and the Irish English which is its own language (like Puerto Rican Spanish, perhaps) is delivered convincingly to Chicago ears. Kruse is most vibrant and the perfect picture of Molly as it unfolds in the script. And likewise Kauzurlic as Mr. Rice and Isler in the role of Frank Sweeney.

One quibble would be the stage which spreads wide across the front row, so the spotlighted characters are far from each other, giving those in center rows a better view than the left or right seating. But it's a small thing in this lovely space. ‘Molly Sweeney’ is a lovely return to live production at the Chopin Theatre Studio, and demonstrates Irish Theatre of Chicago hasn’t been diminished a bit by the pandemic. Performances run Thursday through Sunday (except Easter) through May 8. www.irishtheatre.org

Perhaps it was the pandemic, or maybe it’s the cultural divide between the left and the right, but it seems like small town gay bars are vanishing. Playwright Samantha Mueller sets out to commemorate these safe spaces in their new play “Laced” making its world premiere at About Face Theatre. Directed by Lexi Saunders, “Laced” is a unique backstage look at LGBTQ nightlife and those who help create that world.

In the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub shooting and before the 2016 election, three bartenders at a small town Florida gay bar come to work to find the bar has been vandalized. Minnow (Daniela Martinez), Audra (Mariah Copeland) and Cat (Collin Quinn Rice) are close coworkers and the incident leaves them rattled. Minnow becomes obsessed with figuring out who did this. The three work to piece together the previous evening. In the telling, each share intimate thoughts and experiences.

There’ some heavy content here, but overall this is a play that celebrates queer spaces and those who work tirelessly to ensure everyone feels welcome. The staging by Sydney Lynne immediately sets “Laced” in a specific atmosphere. Local queer scene DJ Ariel Zetina creates a hot soundscape with tracks by Charli XCX and Robyn peppered in. About Face directly borrows from the Chicago queer nightlife scene and it lends a real sense of authenticity to “Laced” that is somewhat missing on the page.

Mueller makes some relatable observations about queer life in their 90 minute one-act. Mueller digs in deep on the idea of what makes queer relationships; romantic or otherwise, different from the heteronormative standard. In doing so, they build a compelling case for why queer spaces need to be defended.

There’s a lot of chemistry between the three leads. While some of the dialogue sounds like it was taken from internet memes, Daniela Martinez keeps it sounding fresh and cool. Mueller’s well-intentioned dialogue does beg the question, who is the audience for this show? The plot never quite builds but “Laced” seems more about the journey than the destination.

As more exclusionary laws are introduced around the country, theatre companies like About Face become even more essential. Much like the bar in “Laced” About Face is a safe space for LGBTQ stories and perhaps through storytelling can bring awareness to an epidemic of small-town gay bar closures.

Through April 16 at About Face Theatre at The Den. 1331 N Milkwaukee. www.AboutFaceTheatre.com

The preoccupation with the opioid crisis in our pop culture these days says a lot about the world in which we live. Rivendell Theatre contributes to the national conversation with a new play, “Spay” by local playwright Madison Fiedler. “Spay” is set in Appalachia, the heart of the opioid crisis, also where Fiedler grew up. Inspired by what she observed living in rural North Carolina, “Spay” furthers the conversation of how specifically this epidemic is effecting women.

Noah (Rae Gray) is a struggling heroin addict. She has a child, but her sister Harper (Krystel McNeil) raises him. Following an overdose, Noah agrees to live with Harper but she has to get sober. Noah’s boyfriend Jackson (Spencer Huffman) is her drug dealer and all around bad influence. The standard architypes of an episode of Intervention. Fiedler works against popular tropes or clichés to make these damaged characters likeable.  

A few years ago, Vice HBO ran a segment about Project Prevention, a nonprofit with a mission to help women and mothers with addiction. Except, there’s a little more to the mission of Project Prevention than just helping addicts. In Fiedler’s play Aubrey (Tara Mallen) mysteriously floats into Noah and Harper’s lives in an almost Mary Poppinish way. Aubrey is a representative of Project Prevention, and explains to Harper exactly what it is they do. Voluntary sterilization is one way Project Prevention sees a way out of the opioid crisis. Fiedler places this detail at a crucial moment of the play.

“Spay” examines how America looks at the opioid crisis, or rather how America chooses to hide the opioid crisis. While some can argue voluntary sterilization could cut down on the amount of children being born addicted and burdening the foster care system. Fiedler’s gruesome title suggests how she feels about the procedure.

Whether this play is a tragedy is up for debate. “Spay” is a play about exactly what its title implies. The comparison of human women to dogs. We get our dogs “fixed” in order to avoid a litter to care for. There’s a coldness to the idea that anyone would be given monetary compensation for a very permanent, non-essential procedure. A branding from society that you are not good enough to recreate.

Rae Gray and Krystel McNeil both deliver strong performances in this incredibly intimate production. Designed by Lindsay Mummert, the staging feels almost as if you yourself are sitting in Harper’s dingy living room. The atmospheric nature of this staging removes any veil audiences have with the realities of the opioid epidemic. It’s a first hand experience. As more and more opioid stories are told, calls for accountability become louder and plays like “Spay” help drive home the point that addiction is a disease not a character flaw.

Through April 17 at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N Ridge Avenue, www.rivendelltheatre.org

It’s hard to imagine a life without late night talk shows. Since the dawn of TV, late night talk shows have been a means for Americans to get to know celebrities better. During the pandemic these nightly comedy hours provided a necessary platform for connection and laughter. We watched the studio audiences fade away and our favorite hosts compressed to a Zoom call. Even if imperfect, their presence provided a sense of comfort.

The art of conversation is a gift. Jack Paar certainly had that gift, and was one of the first hosts of The Tonight Show on NBC in the 1950s. His playful banter with his often-intoxicated celebrity guests was unpredictable and made for must-watch TV.

Doug Wright’s new play “Goodnight Oscar” premiering at Goodman Theatre, imagines the backstage drama of a taping of The Jack Paar Show with Oscar Levant, who was a frequent guest and one of Paar’s favorites. “Will & Grace” star Sean Hayes gives a powerful performance as Oscar Levant. Hayes is nearly unrecognizable donning the slurred vocal mannerisms of a comedian struggling with substance abuse.

A lot of the world’s funniest comedians have led sad lives. Oscar Levant was both a gifted classical pianist and a Hollywood comedy actor. He struggled with mental health and substance abuse as many celebrities did in an era before rehab existed.

In Doug Wright’s telling, Oscar has been sprung from a mental institution on a four-hour pass in order to make an appearance on the show. Oscar’s quick thinking, off-color humor makes the NBC studio executives nervous, but his deteriorating health are what make his wife June (Emily Bergl) nervous.

Doug Wright has a knack for taking somewhat obscure pop culture and crafting an unlikely narrative around it. Wright and Goodman have a long history of collaboration, his last play “War Paint” premiered at Goodman before opening on Broadway. “Goodnight Oscar” nicely fits into his catalog. While the plot is fairly straight forward, it’s the character study of Oscar Levant where the heart of the script lies.

This play is mostly driven by Sean Hayes’ extraordinary performance. Hayes is best known as a comedic actor, but “Goodnight Oscar” gives audiences a chance to see him do a dramatic role. His transformative appearance and skills on the piano had the audience giving a standing ovation long before the curtain call.

This briskly paced 90-minute script is so full of one-liners, you don’t want to miss a word. While some of the humor is very specific to the 1950s, those with knowledge of classic Hollywood will find much to chuckle about. Jack Paar was not the first late night TV show host, but he knew good TV. He encouraged his guests to push the boundaries. So many of TVs most shocking moments have happened on late night talk shows. Doug Wright’s play provides the origin story of how late night TV became a nightly ritual for many Americans.

Through April 24^th at Goodman Theatre. 170 North Dearborn 312-443-3800

Of all the theaters whose return I’ve been most excited to experience, Theo Ubique was near the top of the list. And, with their current production of Mary Rodgers’ Once Upon a Mattress, directed by Landree Fleming, the Evanston company did not disappoint.

While Once Upon a Mattress is a rollicking take on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved “The Princess and the Pea”—humor we’ll get to in a second—it’s not without its heart. The love story between Sir Harry and Lady Larken provides the heart in this production. Parker Guidry’s Lady Larken is often the stately center of a production with all manner of hilarity occurring all around, and their onstage and vocal chemistry with Michael Metcalf’s Harry is real. Not to be outdone, Sonia Goldberg as the titular princess also brings the vocals.

And then the rest of the cast turns this love story into something fun. As Princess Winnifred’s love interest, Prince Dauntless, August Forman lights up the stage with their childlike preening and pouting, often dueling with their mother, Queen Aggravain, played totally over-the-top (in the best way possible) by Anne Sheridan Smith.

The Queen’s husband, King Sextimus, is forced to go over-the-top on account of his being mute. And Andrew Fortman turns this disadvantage into comedy gold, miming his way across the theater floor, often with Jasmine Lacy Young’s Poet and Michael M. Ashford’s Jester (especially in the trio for two, “The Poet, The Jester and I”). Ashford’s “Very Soft Shoes” dance routine also brought smiles.

But it’s all the movement and action and stuff constantly going on across Theo Ubique’s floor that most delights. That can be chalked up to Jenna Schoppe’s choreography (captained and assisted by J Alan, who also moves the story along as the Wizard). But it’s just as much the talented ensemble of Theo Ubique that keeps the show going—Sarah J. Patin, Nathe Rowbotham, Peter Ruger, and Laura Sportiello are every bit as vital as the rest of the cast, dancing, singing, sweating, and smiling to bring life to the kingdom.

And the smile they brought to my face showed that Theo Ubique is indeed back, doing what Theo Ubique does—bringing life to a beloved show, bringing smiles to those who wander into the cozy storefront off Howard Street, and bringing joy to Chicago’s theater community once again. Share in that joy as Theo Ubique presents Once Upon a Mattress, now through May 1.