Items filtered by date: November 2007

You know it’s that time of the season when Chicago gets blitzed by one holiday production after another. And, while many of them are well done and thoroughly entertaining, there are just a few that really stand out each year. This year, one of them is ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’ now playing at Cadillac Palace on a limited run that holds its final performance on December 15th. So, don’t delay and make your way over to Cadillac Palace before this enchanting, warm and dazzling production packs up for the winter.

The story begins when two talented army buddies, Bob Walace (David Elder) and Phil Davis (Jeremy Benton), entertain the troops with song and dance numbers during World War II. They proudly serve under gruff General Waverly (Conrad John Schuck) who is all business but hints a liking towards the two and their routines. After the war, Bob and Phil take off to superstar status, appearing regularly on the Ed Sullivan show and selling out houses wherever they perform. But they still feel they are in need of a sister act to keep their performance fresh. Enter Betty (Kerry Conte) and Judy Haynes (Kelly Sheehan) – two attractive and gifted singer/hoofers that are looking for their big break. A plan to unite seems to go into action when Bob and Phil hear about General Waverly’s financial woes at the lodge he had purchased years ago called the Vermont Inn. The guests just aren’t coming in like they used to. Through a bit of finagling, the four head out to Vermont to put on a show that is sure to attract guests. They even invite a team of dancers to join them for this holiday extravaganza that will be performed – in a barn.

Concierge Martha Watson (Lorna Luft) is there to greet them as they arrive and soon the plan goes into action. Young Susan Waverly (Emma Grace Berardelli and Kyla Carter alternate) also volunteers to help – and even perform if need be. The fun is just getting started.

The cast is star-infused with Conrad John Schuck (M.A.S.H., Star Trek IV and VI, Curse of the Jade Scorpion and many other TV and Broadway productions) impressively taking on the role of a General who is having a tough time relating to the world after his Army days are over. Lorna Luft (daughter of Judy Garland and Sid Luft) is terrific as inn concierge Martha Watson and is both extraordinary with her vocal talent and her comedic timing.

Jeremy Benton and David Elder dazzle in 'White Christmas' at Cadillac Palace through December 15th

While Schuck and Luft are certainly big plusses, the production’s greatest success might be in its casting of Elder, Conte, Benton and Sheehan as our four leads. David Elder (I couldn’t stop thinking of Ken Berry circa early 1960’s) and Jeremy Benton are like peanut butter and jelly and highly believable as two -long-time best buds. At the same time, Conte and Sheehan are fun to watch together, but when the four are together, it’s like dynamite. They can dance, they can sing and they inject the perfect amount of comedy into each role. Though just about every song and dance number is a highlight, Conte’s “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me” is sizzling while Luft’s “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy” is highly enjoyable and showcases her adept singing talent. The enjoyable, high quality musical numbers are endless as favorites “Blue Skies,” “How Deep is the Ocean” and, of course, “White Christmas are performed to perfection. Randy Skinner’s choreography is tough to beat, each routine as impressive as the last, especially the big tap dance numbers.

Produced by Work Light Productions, the creative team is unstoppable with scenic design by Anna Louizos, scenic adaptation by Kenneth Foy, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Keith Caggiano. This production is full of surprises up until its very last scene and is a tremendous ode to the 1954 classic film that starred Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney.

Highly recommended as the perfect pre-Christmas celebration.

At Cadillac Palace through December 15th. For more show information, visit www.BroadwayinChicago.com.

As Chicago stages turn to Dickens and Tchaikovsky, you can find darker but equally fun fare in Trap Door Theatre’s high-flying production, The White Plague. This imaginative, high-energy show brings us the black-gowned denizens of a futuristic nation in the throes of a plague, with rising fascism and an imminent war as backdrop.

The story is drawn from “The White Disease,” Czech author Karel Capek’s 1937 play (it was also a film by Hugo Haas), sometimes characterized as an absurdist work.

What Trap Door does with this the material is rather miraculous – with the ethos of Terry Gilliam’s "Brazil," it conjures an engrossing tale of a leprosy-like flesh-eating plague afflicting those 45 and older. Terms like "Pandemic" and "Peking Virus" are shouted among the populace. "Death follows in three months - mainly from sepsis," intones one expert solemnly, calling it the "Leprosy of Licentiousness." I had to remind myself this is long before AIDs, because public reactions to its spread were strikingly similar. 

The action takes place in a fascist state (Germany?) where Sigelius (Dennis Bisto) has been running a clinic that is treating the well-to-do as the disease spreads. But he treats just their symptoms, salving their pus-filled sores with ointments that mask the putrid smells, while his minions continue research on a real cure in the laboratory. In a nod to Capek’s robots, Sigelius’s aids, First Assistant (David Lovejoy) and Second Assistant (Emily Nicholson) are Cyborg-like automatons who must dock to recharge when emotions overwhelm them.

Then arrives Dr. Galen (Keith Surney), who has developed a real cure, which he is ready to test on a broader basis. Sigelius, fearful of losing this well-heeled clientele to a real cure, allows Dr. Galen to test his life-saving meds only on the indigent patients, housed, as one might expect, in Ward XIII. Dr. Galen also provides a moral center for the play's action, as he has been asking himself why, as a doctor, he treats people only to see them wounded and killed in war. He is angry about the complicity of his medical profession in war efforts in general. "Preaching against war is against our national interest," Sigelius advises him, but Dr. Galen is unconvinced.

The play also brings us a more middle-class family, and we meet Mother (Robin Minkens, above) and Father (Michael Mejia) and their children who have more conventional struggles with the disease. Minkens and Mejia have developed believable characters who are also caricatures. Mejia does double duty as the conflicted and compromised Commissar, who is loathe to leave his high stature post, even though it will help spread the cure. Likewise, Minkens becomes someone else altogether, as the dictator Baron Krug, and resists giving up her office for the same reasons. 

Soon enough we encounter the powerful leather-clad Marshal (Marzena Bukowska), in steampunk choker and flare collar, riding roughshod over the land, readying the nation for war. Bukowska and Bisto deliver inspired performances, as surely Jeff-worthy as anything I have seen this season. Marshal is the military apparatchik of the dictator Baron Krug. Both drive the war machine.

This rendering of The White Plague is liberally adapted from the spirit of Capek’s script, by director Nicole Wiesner, who says presenting a literal translation would be difficult to follow. Unlike Western Europe and North America, “In Eastern Europe, the director is freer to adapt,” Wiesner says. Capek with his brother Josef were known as science fiction authors, and claim fame for originating the word “Robot” in their other play, a 1920 work called R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots).

Such works, along with a focus on other European scripts, are the métier of Trap Door – which is celebrated for its wide-ranging dramaturgy (credit to Milan Ribisic for this show). The scene design, Plexiglas and voile partitions by J.Michael Griggs, is intentionally minimalist, but director Wiesner amps up the show by keeping actors on stage throughout (80 minutes, no intermission). Each character periodically retreats behind these see-through partitions, and becomes part of the set, creating a mosaic, miming and mugging in their multiple character roles. Also notable - the sound design by Danny Rockett, who rehearsed assiduously with the cast to achieve precision timing to match blocking and scene changes. Rockett's sound score is on par with the best. 

The character’s on stage are individual personalities, but some like Sigelius and Dr. Galen represent archetypes. These two joust with each other not just verbally, but in psychic power struggles where each bests the other in telekinetic trials much like Dr. Strange - a theatrical expression of role-play type board games.

Highly recommended, The White Plague runs through January 11 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland in Chicago.

A non-traditional story about Christmas might just be becoming a tradition at Goodman Theatre. No. I’m not talking about Goodman’s masterpiece production of ‘A Christmas Carol’. For its second year in a row comes David Sedaris’ satirical, hysterical AND anything but conventional (see what I did there?) story of a thirty-something’s plight into becoming a Macy’s Christmas elf in ‘The Santaland Diaries.’

Directed by Steve Scott, ‘The Santaland Diaries’ is a fantastically told story that walks us through the holidays when a man, who never realized he needs skills to be marketable in the workplace, searches for a job and stumbles across an ad searching for elves for Macy’s. He scoffs at the ridiculousness of the ad, but then applies – and guess what? He gets the job! Great.

We are then walked through the painfully real, yet very funny, transition of a young man’s journey into elf-dom, as we are told detail by humorous detail everything from elf training to all the silly events that lead up to the big day – Christmas Eve. Each elf can choose their own name – ours chooses ‘Crumpet’. Crumpet likes his smoke breaks.

Steven Strafford excels as Crumpet. Always one of my favorite actors to watch perform, Stafford is wisely cast and delivers an engaging 70-minute one-man show that doesn’t slow down for a moment. His story telling is fascinating, his comic timing executed to perfection and, well, he’s just Crumpet. Strafford was last seen at Goodman in ‘Wonderful Town,’ but has also entertained audiences with his performances at Drury Lane Theatre, First Folio, Marriott Theatre and many more including regional tours and even a European tour of Grease. Though most remembered for his comedic roles, I’ll never forget his dynamic performance in the one-man show ‘Jesus the Jew as Told by His Brother James at Greenhouse Theater Center.

‘The Santaland Diaries’ was a breakout piece for David Sedaris who first read the essay on the National Public Radio’s ‘Morning Edition’ in 1992. In 1996 Joe Mantello adapted the story for the stage where it debuted at The Atlantic Theater Company in New York with actor Timothy Oliphant taking on the role of Crumpet. Since, Sedaris has been on quite the role as a writer/storyteller (Theft by Finding, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, Barrel Fever) and ‘The Santaland Diaries’ has popped up regularly during the holiday season in theatres all over the nation.

Steven Strafford’s performance is airtight and the colorful Macy’s Santaland set is the perfect backdrop for this very fun holiday story.

Highly recommended.

‘The Santaland Diaries’ is being performed at Goodman’s Owen Theatre through December 29th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.goodmantheatre.org.

For the fifth year in the row, the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory has become temporary home to Midsommer Flight’s annual production of Shakespeare comedy ‘Twelfth Night’. Admittedly, this was the main draw for me, as I love visiting the tantalizingly lush greenhouse space during Chicago’s colder months/ most of the year.  To accommodate the show, one of the Conservatory room has been turned into an intimate theatre with a catwalk-like narrow stage and two rows of chairs on either side.  Directed by Dylan S. Roberts, original music by Elizabeth Rentfro, Alex Mauney and Jordan Golding, this highly spirited and energetic play turned out to be a pure delight, amid green plants and ferns, notwithstanding Shakespeare’s witty dialogue.

Love is in the air, and mischief closely follows. A young woman, Viola (wonderfully played by Jackie Seijo), after being shipwrecked and stranded in a foreign land, poses as a man, becomes a servant to a nobleman, but then promptly falls in love with her master, Duke.  Duke’s heart, however, belongs to another – a wealthy woman Olivia, whose servant Malvolio (sassy Erika B. Caldwell, she’s so fun to watch!) gets pranked by his mistress’ household into believing that he, too, can merry into wealth and become a nobleman. Historically, there’s an old Christmas English tradition of role reversal, and it is believed that Shakespeare has written Twelfth Night as an entertainment for this tradition.

All of this role and gender reversal is a source of much confusion, and the actors masterfully act out every nuance and emotion, so, even with Shakespeare’s famously challenging dialogue, the show is highly entertaining and easy to follow. And speaking of dialogue, the actors have no trouble at all with that olden English (partial credit undoubtedly goes to text coach Amy Malcom). There’s a live band that’s part of the play, as musicians are also active participants. With all of that music, knife fighting, and dancing and prancing, it’s an occasional madhouse, but a really-really fun one.  

Highly recommended!

The usual holiday tales that bring us together around the winter season fill us with joy but there has also been a not-so-usual tradition in Chicago that brings a titillating thrill to the holiday season! Who needs the Nutcracker Ballet, when you can have the Buttcracker Burlesque (#buttstuff)! The fantastical holiday show gives a sexy and alternative spin to the traditional Nutcracker tale and you can catch it at at The Den Theater for 4 showings in December (the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th.)

Join Clara at her holiday party and delight in the wild trip she takes to the Land of Sweets. Enjoy the treats of this partial parody and variety show- as Clara battles the rats, and experiences the thrills of burlesque/boylesque, ballet, body positivity, and circus acts. ‘The Buttcracker is wonderfully directed by Leah Urzendowski and choreographed by Jenn Freeman/Po’ Chop.

Each show will have a new cast of featured dancers and acts, nodding to the traditions of vaudeville, cabaret, and burlesque.

December 5th's introductory show of the season delighted Clara with the following sweet treats as her reward for victory over the Rat King. Vodka (Rockabilly Ronnie), Tea (Brad French - a juggler with brilliant comedic timing), Coffee (Lolita Love- a lady who can work a cape/crepe dress), Chocolate (Sio Bast a stunner with feather fans) and Mother Ginger (Angelica Grace an unbelievable high kicking, high energy dancer). The show is supported by a great ensemble cast - Clara (Nikki Hartung), The Buttcracker (Scarlett Begonias), Drosselmeyer (Miguel Long), Boss/Rat King (Molly Gloeckner), The Sugar Plum Fairy (Mocha Mocha) and the Ensemble dancers (Michael Ashford, Harlie Honeypot, Nicole Amber, and Olivia Cucco.) ‘The Buttcracker’ is hour and a half of exciting costumes, solo performances and group dances with fun that just keeps on going.

Bring your friends and, if you like, bring most of the family! Have dinner and drinks in the Haven Lounge before the show. Bring your drinks into the theater from the bar, refill them during the show. With a variety of seating options: GA $25 (to stand) and $30 (to sit) and VIP tickets available at $55 (which offers early entrance, table seating, cast meet and greet, swag and entrance to Clara’s Late Night Holiday Party), this show accommodates every which way to enjoy theatre. All ticket holders can also stay for Clara’s After Party! For an additional $15 theater goers are treated to another hour of more intimate, scintillating performances beginning at 10:30 after the show.

‘The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque’ should be your new holiday tradition. Go to one show or go to all of them for unique holiday memories you will never forget! Each show will be a new gift and different performers to unwrap!

Happy Ho-ho-ho-holidays!

Veteran actress Tandy Cronyn, the daughter of legendary actors Hugh Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, helms ‘The Tall Boy’, in a solo performance. The award-winning play centered around the matron of an orphanage and three young boys, all convincingly played by Cronyn, is a meticulous look at what happens to child refugees in the aftermath of World War II.

Written by British playwright Simon Bent and directed by David Hammond, ‘The Tall Boy’ is based on "The Lost," a short story by Kay Boyle. The play premiered in Chicago, Thursday, December 5, at Stage 773 on Belmont Avenue.

The opening scene could easily be depicting the events of today as we see Cronyn, in army fatigues, sitting at a desk attempting to write a memo on how to treat unaccompanied minors or DPs (displaced persons). No force can be used, she notes, but pressure can be applied with carrots – more food rations or other inducements.

The matron is struggling with the situation and what she is required to do. We see her move from one distraction to the next across the simple stage filled with a cot, wooden crates, and makeshift table before finally taking pleasure from a bite of chocolate and settling back at her desk poring over the memo and letters.

The war, which ravaged much of Europe, set refugees – men, women, and small children – on the move in search of shelter, security, and hope. "It's like a puzzle people dropped and broke all over Europe," the matron laments. But as refugees surged across borders, a question that arose among those in power was, "What to do with them?"

That question is perfectly illustrated in the circumstances of the three young boys who have come under the matron's care. The boys, a 15-year-old Czech, a 14-year-old Pole, and a 12-year-old Italian, are vividly portrayed by Cronyn as she seamlessly shifts back-and-forth between each character.

The performance is even more stunning as we watch the ease with which she goes in and out of the varied accents: Not the accents of their native homes, however. The boys, fresh from the care of American GIs before reaching the orphanage, had picked up the accents of their caretakers. They had imprinted with the soldiers, picking up a Southern accent, a Brooklyn accent, and a Jimmy Cagney accent, the matron tells the audience.

And through this compelling point of view, we learn of the boys' powerful connections with those U.S. servicemen and of their desperate desire to join them in the U.S.

One boy, in particular, Tall Boy, the one with a Southern accent picked up from his army buddy, Charlie, a black man from the South, is convinced they will be reunited. Charlie promised him.

But it is up to the matron to gently explain the state of race relations in the U.S.

The young boy, faced with the harsh realities of war for most of his life, is again forced to face another harsh reality: All those who fight for freedom are not necessarily free themselves.

What makes ‘The Tall Boy’ resonate with such an eerie sense of Deja Vue is the feeling that this story could easily lead the evening news today. The anti-immigration sentiments rampant in the U.S. and across Europe in the 40s are just as prevalent in many countries now. And the term, unaccompanied minor, is just as much a part of our lexicon in 2019 as refugees from war-torn countries from all over the world whether in Latin America, Northern Africa, or the Middle East, desperately search for shelter, security and most of all hope.

History is a repetitive teacher, it seems, and the governments of countries worldwide are recalcitrant students when it comes to the state and status of refugees and the ultimate question, "What to do with them?"

In a Q&A session after the performance, Cronyn discussed how she acquired the rights to this story and commissioned a stage adaptation from Bent. She worked with Hammond over eight years developing and tightening up the script as well as working on her ability to assume multiple characters and accents without hesitating or missing a beat.

‘The Tall Boy’ first premiered in August 2012 at the University of North Texas, and in the following year, was presented by The Clarence Brown Theatre restaged for their Carousel Theatre by Bruch Reed.

In 2014 the play moved to New York playing three sold-out performances on Theatre Row on 42 Street as part of the United Solo Theatre Festival, where it won the Best Adaptation Award. In 2015, it played The John Drew Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton as part of the 2015 JDT Lab new play series.

The award-winning play returned to New York in September at the 10th Anniversary Solo Festival as one of the shows invited to participate in its "The Best Of" category featuring critically acclaimed and audience favorites from previous Solo festivals.

‘The Tall Boy’ is now in a limited run at Stage 773 through December 15. For more information, visit www.stage773.com.

Many of us already know the story of the spirited, loveable orphan girl who is saved from an abusive orphanage after a billionaire takes a liking to her and decides to adopt her. Daddy Warbucks is that billionaire, Miss Hannigan is the abusive, alcoholic who runs the orphanage and the musical is ‘Annie’. Yet, if you know the story or not, it is a musical that inspires, offers hope and shows us that positivity can go a long way.

Citadel Theatre, located in Lake Forest, is the latest to bring ‘Annie’ to the stage. Directed by Robert D. Estrin, ‘Annie’ is a fun production for the whole family to enjoy.

It’s 1933 and Annie (Sophie Kaegi) and her gang are often mistreated at the orphanage by Miss Hannigan (Ellen Phelps), who finds sadistic pleasure in disciplining the kids. Miss Hannigan drinks openly, flirts with every serviceman that enters the orphanage and resents Annie most of all. The only thing the kids can do is hope they get adopted and, in the meantime, praise Miss Hannigan on command and sing “It’s A Hard Knock Life” while scrubbing floors. But everything changes when a billionaire’s assistant, Grace Farrell (Chamaya Moody), drops in unexpectedly to pick out a child to spend with the powerful Oliver Warbucks (John B Boss) over the holidays. And guess who she picks? Yep. Annie.

After Mr. Warbucks takes a liking to Annie he offers to adopt her, but Annie is determined to find her real parents. So the billionaire offers a huge monetary reward to the father and mother that come forward and claim Annie as their own - though he must be careful of imposters.  When Miss Hannigan finds out the reward offerd by Mr. Warbucks, she, her jailbird brother Rooster (Kyle Ryan) and his girlfriend Lily (Becca Duff) begin scheming. But can they fool Mr. Warbucks and his sharp assistant, Miss Farrell?

Citadel makes the best of their space to accommodate such a large cast and include a changing set that that takes us from the orphanage to Warbucks giant mansion – and it works quite well. With this production you also get strong ensemble and individual vocal performances, particularly from lead Sopia Kaegi, Chamaya Moody and Bill Chamberlain who plays Franklin D. Roosevelt, Oliver Warbucks very good friend. The children actors add much of the show's charm while players of multiple roles like Nick Mendelson (who killed it in Hell in a Handbag's 'Poseidon! The Musical'), Alexander Rubin and Emily Lewis (to name a few) lend strong credibility to the ensemble's sturdiness.

The show's many catchy song and dance numbers (music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin) are admirably performed by its ensemble and there is a lot to like in this production although I would have liked to have seen a bit more put-up-your-dukes-spunkiness out of Annie, more gruffness from Oliver Warbucks so that we can more effectively feel him gradually soften to Annie's warmth and good-heartedness, and a bit more tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top, cruel and erratic behavior out of Miss Hannigan (not sure if there is a reason she is not portrayed as an alcoholic as much as we are used to seeing her, outside of her opening appearance in the orphanage). I also didn't feel that a romance was blooming between Miss Farrell and Mr. Warbucks until near the show's end scene. Still, the leading characters are effective, each having their share of fine moments, while the entire cast pulls off a solid all around performance and delivers a nice fun-filled production providing one hit after another including “Tomorrow,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and “Easy Street,” a deliciously pleasing song and dance number that has Miss Hannigan, Rooster and his girlfriend Lily (Becca Duff) setting their scheme into place.

‘Annie’ is an entertaining production that reminds us of the things we should not take for granted and the little things in life to be thankful for – sometimes it takes a special kid to show us the way. Extended through January 5th, ‘Annie’ is being performed at Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest.

For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.citadeltheatre.org.

Please note that Kayla Norris plays the role of Annie on alternating nights. 

There are certain theatrical events that I look forward to attending each season and Hell in a Handbag's Holiday shows are always at the top of my list. ‘The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes – The Holiday Edition, Vol 2’ should be on the top of everyone’s list.  

When I'm sitting in the super cozy Mary's Attic filled with Christmas lights watching one of their wonderful camp parodies, I always feel like I am at home and in the company of great friends and family. This time I love everything about this show, including the opening when host Lori Lee (sidekick Flo) leads the audience in singing the theme song from Golden Girls TV show set in sunny Miami where I grew up. 

Thank you for being a friend.

Travel down the road and back again.

Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

.And if you threw a party,

invited everyone you knew.

You would see the biggest gift would be from me

and the card attached would say,

thank you for being a friend.

This year’s 'Lost Episodes,' written with cheeky humor- as well as great compassion by Artistic Director David Cerda has especially sweet plotlines that remind me again how lucky one is to have friends and family around you... particularly during your golden years. 

Ed Jones as Rose Nylund, who still believes in Santa Claus is a scene stealer, as always delivers his spot on and totally endearing portrayal of the character made famous by the still "golden" Betty White. 

Grant Drager as Blanche delivers the sass and unabashedly sexy spice that shows even golden girls still have sexual needs that they should not be ashamed of! David Cerda as Dorothy and Ryan Oates as her mother Sophia bring home the dry humor that makes me laugh out loud every time. But I am also reminded of the true bond between mother and daughter when Sophia breaks her poker face and gently asks her daughter, "What's wrong pussycat?"  

Directed and choreographed by the very talented Stevie Love, each scene has a huge variety of great physical comedy and lighting surprises that make you wish the play was longer. Lori Lee is the host of the evening and gets acquainted with the audience between episodes with fun Golden Girls trivia that includes prizes for the audience members. Having the house lights up and interacting with Lori and others as they try to guess the answers lets you actually get to mingle with the audience you are sitting in and is a lovely part of the show.

If you've already been to a Hell in a Handbag Production and are addicted to their special brand of camp humor and music like I am, you already know how unique and fun their shows are. If you haven't been to one yet, ‘The Holiday Edition, Vol 2’ of Golden Girls is a PERFECT production to attend. 

Tis the season to curl up on one of the comfy couches at Mary's Attic with a hot toddy in hand and have a long, hard... laugh with your favorite family of friends! 

‘The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes – The Holiday Edition, Vol 2’ is being performed at Mary’s Attic through December 29th. For more information visit www.handbagproductions.org.

Rutherford and Son tells the story of an early 20th century glass making factory in northern England. It’s run by rough a tumble owner, Rutherford – played convincingly and powerfully by Steppenwolf’s Francis Guinan. Under his thumb are hundreds of workers, who he treats as recalcitrant peasants; and his three children – all of whom chafe under his rule, which has forced them into unrewarding lives. Yet Rutherford is driven only to keep the glass furnaces blasting, oblivious to his tyrannies petty and grand.

This Chicago premiere of the 1912 play by Githa Sowerby is handsomely produced, and relatively engaging, especially considering the antique nature of the work. In its day this first script by Sowerby, a children’s author, was a sensation – though she did not manage to write a successful sequel.

That’s surprising, given how fully drawn and realistic the characters are in what is essentially a melodrama. Perhaps the author could not have a follow-on success because it is somewhat autobiographical, since Sowerby’s family operated a similar glassworks, this was the only play Sowerby had in her. It is not so different than a PBS upstairs and downstairs style drama, as Rutherford and Son tracks three generations of the glass manufacturing dynasty. 

Rutherford and Son is also is regarded as an early feminist work.For example, the female protagonist, Mary (Rochelle Therrien is excellent), challenges and bests her father-in-law, Rutherford, in a nicely turned dramatic closing. Mary is the wife of John (Michael Holding), the older son seen - portrayed as a ne’re do well impractical dreamer who is heir to the Rutherford fortune. Holding gets this role just right.

The play takes place in the family mansion, where Rutherford’s sister Ann (Jeannie Affelder is good as the skinny dowager), daughter Janet (Christina Gorman is compelling), and other son, a hapless Anglican chaplain Richard (August Forman) are generally at odds with each other about how to manage the volatile patriarch, Rutherford.

Notable as well is Janet's surreptitious love interest, Martin (Matt Bowden), the quintessence of a dutiful plant manager who goes all to smouldering in an elicit affair with Janet. (The scandal eventually drives both of them away from the factory town.) The assertive Janet is also an empowered female, asking Martin to elope with her, and when he refuses, heading off on her own - certainly an unusual woman stage character, especially in its day.

Under Rutherford’s dominion, hundreds of employees churn out bottles and jars, and inexpensive consumer products in a classic, 19th century style unenlightened capitalist setting. Unwelcome or un-understood by Rutherford are emotional or spiritual matters, or even innovative thinking – nothing but grinding harder to get more and more work done. But the business operations and the family wither under his dark indifference.

The production and sets are excellent, though this is a wordy play. Director Mechelle Moe has chosen to have the players use the regional north country dialect, which may be precise, but is laid on a little too thick at times, impairing understandability. With all that, it is somewhat recommended, though feminist sympathizers and theatre buffs will want to see what is listed by Royal National Theatre “100 best plays of the century.” Rutherford and Son runs through January 12, 2020 at the TimeLine Theatre in Chicago.

Disney’s 1991 Award-winning musical Beauty and the Beast was an instant hit. Its songs were memorable, and its story considered one of Disney’s best. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice and Howard Ashman, a live musical took the Broadway stage in 1994 that successfully ran for thirteen years (Broadway’s tenth longest run) and has since been stage in theatres all around the world. Fairy tale lovers in the Chicago area now get their chance to see this highly acclaimed fantasy-musical once again, this time at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, in what is truly a visually stunning, heart-warming and vocally charged adaptation of the modern classic. 

A spell is cast on a handsome prince that turns him into an unsightly beast after his horrible behavior and selfish ways have gone too far. He now lives in a dark mansion deep in the woods along with a once human staff that are slowly turning into household items - a candlestick, a clock, a dresser and a teapot. The more time that passes the closer each is to losing their human likeness altogether - forever. Only one thing can save them – should the beast fall in love before the last pedal of a magic rose falls, the spell would be reversed, and all would be come human again. But…the love must be returned to him. For a hot-tempered beast that lives hidden in the middle of a vast forest, this is much easier said than done.

 
Belle (Beth Stafford Laird) is a beautiful village girl who is courted by town hero Gaston (Emmett O’Hanlon) but she repeatedly fends off the egotistical hunter’s aggressive advances. But Gaston doesn’t give up so easily and he, along with his comical sidekick Lefou (Nick Druzbanski) are always scheming their next move. Belle’s kind-hearted father Maurice (Ron E. Rains) is an inventor whose keen ideas are often looked at as kooky by the fellow villagers. He loves his daughter more than anything but stumbles into trouble when he gets lost in the woods and Belle goes on the daunting task of searching for him on her own. After a series of happenings have the two crossing paths deep within the trees, Belle then Beast’s last chance for love before time runs out.

Paul-Jordan Jansen, who recently left a strong impression on theatre goers for his strong performance in Drury Lane’s ‘And Then There Were None’ is magnificent as Beast. His deep, strong speaking voice and precise annunciation of every syllable lends to his regal background, so we never forget who he was despite his beastly appearance. Jansen effectively delivers rage as well as he does tenderheartedness, making Beast a well-rounded counterpart to Belle. And Beth Stafford Laird is well cast as the musical’s leading lady, charming, warm and adventurous when need be, she so effortlessly captures the essence of our fairy tale Belle. Both Jansen and Laird complete the package also showing off their powerhouse vocals in many numbers throughout the show.

 
Though our leading characters are nearly flawless and are simply a pleasure to watch from scene to scene, the musical gets a lift from a very solid supporting cast. Emmett O’Hanlon’s rich baritone gives us a showstopping moment or two while he is also able to pull of the needed over the top cockiness that makes his role so humorous (Trevor Vanderzee will be playing the role of Gaston January 8th through 19th). Druzbanski as Lefou is just plain funny nearly every time he takes the stage while other notable performances would have to include Jackson Evans as Lumiere (the candlestick) whose comedic timing is just superb, Ron E. Rains as Maurice, the highly-imaginative inventor, and Becca McCoy who delivers big as Madame de la Grande Bouche, the former singing star who is slowly becoming a dresser thanks to the spell cast upon them. So many great performances grace the stage in this all-out production that includes an impressive ever-changing set, astonishing costumes and several memorable numbers including the instant classic “Be Our Guest”.

Directed and co-choreographed by Amber Mak, ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’ is a colorful, exciting and thoroughly engaging adventure filled with fun surprises and outstanding vocal performances.

Recommended for theatre goers of all ages.

‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’ is being performed at Paramount Theatre in Aurora through January 19th. For more information visit www.paramountaurora.com.