In Concert Archive

Displaying items by tag: Chicago

I've been a devoted fan of David Cerda's Hell in a Handbag Productions for so many of the 23 years they have been in Chicago, and I still get the same great feelings whenever I attend one of their award-winning camp comedy/musical shows.

Having grown up in Miami, Florida with my Golden Girl mom, Joanne, during the years in which the TV show was on the air I have a special affinity for all of their Golden Girls adaptations, especially the Christmas Editions. 

The plotline for The Golden Girls Save Christmas - A Lost Parody Episode at Center on Halsted involves a very sexy Blanche who boffs old Saint Nick until his back gives out and the whole gang has to band together to save Christmas. This show is just a nonstop funny reminder that holidays are for loving up your family, friends, and lovers like any other Holiday. 

This year's Christmas production directed by Frankie Leo Bennett features original cast members David Cerda as Dorothy, Grant Drager as Blanche, Ed Jones as Rose, and Ryan Oates as Sophia as the fearsome geriatric foursome - and they are as spot on as ever in their expert renditions of all four great actresses in the TV show. The fantastic performances from these four original cast members are reason enough for me to keep returning year after year for all of the Golden Girls Handbag shows. 

With the leads taking on the famous TV roles - Cerda as Bea Arthur’s Dorothy the dry, cool anchor of comedy, Drager as the flirtatious unabashedly insatiable Blanche, played by so well by Rue Mclanahan and Ed Jones as the naive, scene stealer as Betty White’s Rose, the Handbag company goes way beyond parody and even beyond camp into a realm of musical theatre genius. This talented cast is compelling and endearing to watch as one feels that you are at times witnessing a live theatrical performance from these three grand dames of comedy!

There are fantastic cameos and lots of big laughs and songs coming from the supporting cast this year from Eustace Allen, Kelly Bolton, Terry McCarthy, Michael Rashid, Scott Sawa, Tyler Anthony Smith, Danne W. Taylor, and Robert Williams.

Hell in a Handbag Golden Girls shows always begin with the whole audience singing the theme song, "Thank you for being a friend," which perfectly sets up the audience for an evening of lighthearted, sentimental, yet bawdy, good adult fun. 

If you are one of those people who delight in period costumes from the 80's you will LOVE all of the fantastic hair makeup and costumes and shoes in this show. The production team includes Madeline Felauer (Costume Design), Liz Syd Genco (Make-Up Design) and Keith Ryan (Wig Designer). 

Hell in a Handbag Productions’ The Golden Girls Save Xmas also has a generous intermission for drinking and catching up with your friends that begins and ends with terrific full cast song and dance numbers like the great tune “You Can't Stop Christmas! It's Coming!”, so you feel you've gotten a nice full night out of socializing and entertainment!  

Be sure to pose for a picture with the fully costumed cast of stars after the show and your donation will be given to AIDS-related charities. Also, mark your calendars for Peep Show, the team’s yearly fundraiser on December 10th at Center on Halsted to support Hell in A Handbag Productions, a Chicago classic camp favorite theater company that keeps on creating compassionate, funny, camp extravaganzas with live singers - not impersonators - who maintain the highest level of comedic expertise! For more information on Peep Show, click here.

The world premeire The Golden Girls Save Xmas - A Lost Parody Episode by Artistic Director David Cerda is being performed at Center on Halsted’s The Hoover-Leppen Theatre through December 30th. Tickets are just $42 if purchased in advance and $45 at the door, and $36 for group rates of 10 or more. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.handbagproductions.org.    

Highly recommended!

Published in Theatre in Review

As twinkling Christmas lights return to Michigan Avenue and holiday themed bars pop up in trendy neighborhoods, Chicagoans are kicking off their pre-winter days by flocking indoors. Fortunately for us, Chicago theatre continues to deliver an exceptional lineup of classic holiday favorites and new ingenues hoping to become a staple in the cold winter months. One such production is “Christmas With Elvis” by Terry Spencer Hesser, directed by Dexter Bullard playing at the charming Chopin Theatre.

“Christmas With Elvis” tells the story of a lonely, anxious and slightly angry woman who discovers, on Christmas Eve, that her ex-husband is getting remarried. Before she can indulge in her misery, the very dead and not too debauched ghost of Elvis Presley appears in her apartment. The two-person cast features Brenda Barrie (Trudy) and Victor Holstein (Elvis).

The premise of “Christmas With Elvis” is captivating; a lonely woman with a bevy of mental and physical health issues puts on an old vinyl record, Elvis crooning “Are you Lonesome Tonight.” Answering the vinyl record, she soon gets to answer Elvis, the King, in person as he appears in her Chicago apartment. After getting past the initial shock, both characters begin to share their feelings as they unpack what brought them to that moment on Christmas Eve. As wonderful as the premise it was, the play itself had some consistency issues with the character development. Trudy is plagued with a bevy of health issues from anxiety to alcoholism to an eating disorder. With so many issues, it struck me as odd that when Elvis questioned Trudy about what an eating disorder was, she replied crudely with “it’s a diet that works.” It wasn’t the fault of the actor, it was just dialogue that didn’t quite fit. In the same first act, Elvis chastises Trudy by telling her he didn’t drink as much in life as she claimed, only to turn around and order an entire case of Jack Daniels to be delivered along with eleven dominos pizzas for them to eat. Little lines and moments like this pull you out of the magical moment, quaking your eye at the oddity of the dialogue. The starkest example of this was at the end of the first act, Trudy admitting to Elvis she wasn’t a huge fan of his music, even when he was alive, as Elvis flips down her couch into a bed. The scene moves rapidly to Elvis crooning out some of his biggest hits to Trudy, while Trudy writhe like a sixties Elvis fan, driving herself to orgasm as the doorbell rings with their delivery.

There were some incredibly tender and raw moments of dialogue between Trudy and Elvis, Barrie and Holstein had a real chemistry that was palpable throughout the two actor’s time on stage. Holstein had incredible vocals and truly captured the King’s mannerisms and cadence, even if it were a bit stereotypical. From the moment Barrie walked onto the stage she commanded your attention, able to portray a woman alone in her apartment, admittedly not in her finest moments or appearance. She played a lonely and broken woman, finding solace with an icon and the simplest of Christmas lights. The characters Hesser created could have really driven deep into the parallels the characters had, gone deeper into the concept of loneliness. It was noted in the playbill that someone “did not understand Elvis until they got divorced,” indicating it took a certain mindset and mood to really understand the sadness, love, and loneliness captured in Elvis’ music. While that was the prevailing theme of the play, some of the attempts at sarcasm and levity fell flat or fell back on commonplace language and stereotypes, when the material and premise offered and promised more.

Overall, Barrie and Holstein were an incredible duo to watch. Holstein’s renditions of "Love Me Tender", "Don't", and “Blue Christmas” felt like you were listening to Elvis incarnate, and Barrie is a Chicago talent that will have a long and prosperous career ahead of her. For a magical night out, “Christmas with Elvis” is a dramedy with a lot of potential, promising to, at least for the evening, stay off the blues during this Christmas season.

“Christmas With Elvis” is now playing at the Chopin Theater, 1543 W. Division, Chicago through January 7. For tickets, visit www.Chopintheatre.com.

Published in Theatre in Review

After stuffing myself with a fat plate of Thanksgiving leftovers, I made my way over to Theater Wit for the Who’s Holiday! opening show. The show kicks off with a grand entrance of a much older Cindy Lou Who in a dinky trailer home. Cindy gets comfortable with the crowd and even offers a famous Chicago drink as she takes you back in time. She retells the childhood story of her and the Grinch, and also shares the untold stories of her adult life with R-rated commentary and endless rhyme.

After her introduction and drinks are poured, Cindy shares her plans for hosting a Christmas party that evening with some famous Dr. Seuss friends. As her friends flake out on her party, she takes you back in time with her life’s stories. Cindy’s monologue carries you beyond her childhood as you journey through her memories of her bizarre relationship with the Grinch, her struggles with her family, and her adjustment to a not-so cheery lifestyle. Her life story takes a turn for the worst when cops are called, and she finds herself behind bars. Something none of our inner-child selves could have imagined.

Who’s Holiday! directed by Christopher Pazdernik is now in its third outing and continues to draw in large crowds. The comedy by Matthew Lombardo is bawdy and full of holiday and Grinch themed references. Many people in the crowd were filled with laughter and enjoyed the twists and turns of Cindy’s life story.

The show has just one actress, Veronica Garza who plays the 40-year-old Cindy Lou Who. Garza does an outstanding job playing Cindy and never misses a beat. She is captivating, hilarious and has fun engaging with the crowd. She brings the character to life with unclassy mannerisms and a trailer park twang in her speech. She captures her emotions as they rollercoaster through eagerness, sadness, and Christmas cheer. Trailer park Cindy feels like your long lost childhood friend, someone you can totally let loose with.

Despite having a rough life and a few more years under her belt, Cindy still has amazing hair. The wig, makeup and costume design were all on point. Her blonde hair is fabulous and is pinned up with Christmas colored bows that match her red dress. She also has beautiful makeup that aligned with the holiday theme. Not to mention the eye-catching sparkly Crocs and ruffled white ankle socks.

The first thing I noticed when entering the theater was the decked-out trailer home covered in Christmas decor. It looked like an old 70s shack on wheels with red, green, and white accents along with twinkling lights and tinsel garland. The set was perfect for the show. It was cozy and gave an intimate look into Cindy’s trailer park life.

Something that totally shocked me was the music. A Christmas show isn’t complete without a few Christmas songs, and I have to say this Cindy Lou Who delivered. In one of her songs, she breaks out into a hilarious rap about her parents’ disapproval of their “Green Son-in-Law”. It was an impressive performance with a smooth holiday flow. Later on, Cindy wowed the crowd with a beautiful performance of a sad song of her past traumas. After each song she sang, the crowd filled the air with clapping, cheering, and even snapping.

Following this show, I will probably never look at The Grinch Story the same. However, I did enjoy a good laugh and holiday cheer. If you’re looking for some raunchy comedy, a Christmas-themed cocktail and love the Grinch, I recommend checking out Who’s Holiday. Just make sure to leave the kids at home. The show is playing at Theater Wit located in the Lakeview Neighborhood at 1229 W Belmont Ave. Showtimes continue from November 25-December 30th, at 7 p.m. The show runs for about 60 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $39-$48. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org or call the Theater Wit box office, (773) 975-8150.

Published in Theatre in Review

It was such a pleasure to see a Chicago not for profit dance company, Identity Performing Arts, now in its seventh season, meet such high levels of ballet and modern dance!

With several choreographed pieces by Founder and Artistic Director Ginny Ching-Yin Lo under her belt, the premiere of Enliven will mark her 10th creative work. Lo, born in Hong Kong and trained with the Hong Kong Ballet, is both a choreographer and dancer whose works have been performed in the US as well as in China, France, and Germany.

I can't say enough about the sensual and energizing choreography by Ginny Ching-Yin Lo!

In her own words…

Perpetual

This piece premiered in Spring 2023. Perpetual reveals the delicate balance between our dual natures. Experience the angelic and the demonic, all under the veil of ethereal love, harmoniously juxtaposed and eternally connected. While precisely executed, this piece was beautifully fluid and, in many moments, hypnotic, and was the perfect opening segment for what the rest of the performance was to offer. 

Ginny has a great gift for staging and creating multiple levels of emotional depth and the feeling of synchronicity in action for her talented group of nine dancers.

Kindred

There was an interesting and refreshing 15-minute multi-media short film presentation by director Spence Warren of the premiere of Ching-Yin Lo's piece titled Kindred.

Kindred is a celebration of the merging and new possibilities that arise when individual artists get together to collaborate creatively.  

The short film was shot in one 8-hour day in a sunny private home with dancers striking beautiful and sometimes somber poses on common objects like stairwells, tabletops and even on top of beds, which gave this piece a modern identifiable setting that made you realize that our homes can also be a place for the physical expressions of creative dance.

Enliven

The final third of the program was Lo's premiere of her newest piece Enliven.

I am including the music choices for this piece because they were so striking and perfect with Ginny Ching-Yin Lo’s flowing, powerful and sexy choreography; Enliven Music: “Lemon Tree” by Jingxuan (Guzheng) and Felix Nunes (Cello), “China Wind” by Zhuolin Wang, “Fusion” by Estas Tonne”, “Abundance” by Future of the Forestry, “Glittery Green Vibrations” by Wilson Hicken and “Mortise & Tenon” by Young Yan.

I would like to acknowledge the dancers, all of whom were classically trained and surpassed my high level of expectation for a dance troupe under Lo's direction. The dance ensemble included Josephine Castillo, Mark Gonzalez, Mackenzi Bolyard-Pizaῆa, Amelia Harris, Audrey Hartnett, Wilson Hicken, Hayley Midea, Hanley Simpson, and Tiana Thompson.

While the two male dancers were clearly skilled and dynamic in their own right, it was the seven women in this troupe that really exuded full expression of this stunning and complex choreography and were just fascinating to watch. Also, the use of lighting for both live works performed was perfectly managed to effectively heighten the experience, creating dream-like sequences.

Ginny Ching-Yin Lo states that her mission is to create dance that addresses "universal societal issues and affirms the values of our individual and community diversity with the intent to heal and restore." And I really felt a sense of meditative restoration and exuberance while enjoying this program. Lo has achieved and will continue to achieve her goal of "healing and restoring" the senses by reminding her audiences of the healing qualities of eternal and ethereal love in motion.

Recently performed at Ruth Page Center for the Arts and again this past weekend at Studio5 in Evanston, I highly recommend this exciting, stimulating yet peaceful dance program and future performances by Identity Performing Arts to audiences of ALL ages for dance lovers who are accustomed to seeing high quality ballet and modern dance.

For upcoming events and more information on this wonderful dance company, visit www.identityperformingarts.org.

Published in Dance in Review

It’s hard to find words to describe DEEPLY ROOTED DANCE THEATRE’s performance. Phenomenal …  wondrous … magnificent … incredible – all these and more apply but even all together they’re insufficient to the task.

DEEPLY ROOTED DANCE THEATRE, a Chicago-based dance company, has been expressing the transformative power of art through dance education and performance since 1996. In their own words, Deeply Rooted Dance ‘reimagines and diversifies the aesthetics of contemporary dance by uniting modern, classical, American, and African American traditions in dance and storytelling’. That last word, storytelling, is uniquely cogent. Friday night in the Auditorium Theatre every dance told its own story within a program that formed an artistic digest of Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre’s history.

The first chapter was Junto [translation “Together], choreographed in 1990 by Kevin Iega Jeff.  Junto was comprised of three episodes: a duet with Rebekah Kuczma and Mekeba Malik, a quartet of Emani Drake and Ahmad Hill, Nyemah Stuart and Sam Ogunde, and a second duet with Alyssa MacCullum and Louis Pearson.  Costume Designer Victoria Carot expressed Pat Metheny’s jubilant music in vivid primary colors: each pair of dancers wore leotards of radiant blue, red, yellow, or verdant green. Sarah Lackner was Lighting Designer for this and every piece, and was masterful, including in some numbers of various images projected against the back of the stage. Stage Manager Gwenne Godwin, with Assistant Razor Wintercastle, molded all components into an exultant whole.

The revival of 53 Inhale, choreographed by Gary Abbott in 2009, recounted Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre’s middle years, expressing Abbott’s ‘heartfelt tribute to the artists in my life’. Cherae Grimes, Joshua L. Ishmon, Mekeba Malik, Sam Ogunde, Taylor Ramos, and Nyemah Stuart performed in costumes designed by Victoria Carot.

NOTE: The Aud Theatre had a program kerfuffle, and I had no program to refer to and make notes on until Intermission; apologies in advance for any errors.

Vespers, a perennial favorite, was choreographed in 1986 by Ulysses Dove; he also designed the original costumes, redesigned by Lea Umberger. The dance began in a pas de deux with Emani Drake and a straightback chair; gradually she was joined by Taylor Ramos, Alyssa MacCullom, Heather Cagle, Rebekha Kuczma, and Nyemah Stuart. Mikel Rouse’s “Quorum” provided an electronic percussive score that displayed the dancers’ lithe and dynamic elegance. Gravity-defying leaps and the interrelationships and energies between the six women combined beautifully.

This was Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre’s company premiere of Mama Rose, a solo performance by Emani Drake to the music of Archi Shepp / Jasper Van’t Hof. Victoria Carot designed the beautifully austere black costume. Choreographer Keith Lee dedicated this work to New York dance icon Thelma Hill. Emani Drake’s brilliance is, naturally, most gloriously appreciated in solo performances, but I’m just as enthralled by her ability to integrate with other dancers without eclipsing them – like Cassie in A Chorus Line.

A pause followed Mama Rose, giving the stage crew time to carefully sweep the floor so the finale could safely be performed barefooted. Deeply Rooted often performs barefoot, a striking feature one doesn’t commonly see in professional dance, for the obvious reason that a dancer’s feet must be as cherished as a pianist’s hands and a singer’s throat. I experienced the absence of footwear as a powerful statement for the final chapter in this chronicle of Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre.

The finale was a World Premiere of the entire 30 minutes of Madonna Anno Domini, choreographed by the company’s Artistic Director Nicole Clarke-Springer. Costumes, an ‘inspiration from Men Ca Acnem’ were stylized street clothes, eloquently drab. The soundtrack was unique, as much spoken as musical, began with excerpts from President Barak Obama’s 2008 victory speech in Grant Park and Aretha Franklin singing The Long and Winding Road. Culoe de Son and Alev Lenz were followed by Sinead O’Connor, with a rich narration running throughout, one phrase of which stays with me: “take my ex-cannibal’s kiss and make a revolution”. Madonna Anno Domini was an anthem to 200 painful and triumphant years of struggle for racial equality, and specifically three generations of civil rights work in Clarke-Springer’s family history. Madonna Anno Domini was about persistence and about community, about tyranny and leadership, and the complex aftermath of all that empowerment.

The audience is a vital part of any performance, and never more so than with Deeply Rooted Dance. I’m not given many opportunities to be, as a white woman, in the minority. In a crowd. As always it was both compelling and effectual, but as a reviewer it was challenging. The Auditorium Theatre was packed, yet within the throng there was a powerful atmosphere of kinship; a kinship that did not include me: the stranger at a family reunion, writing a review from the outside looking in. I mention it to put my views in context.

It seemed that every dancer – certainly every one of the principals – had a squadron of family and friends in the audience. They applauded for every brief solo or pas de deux, never disruptive, just enough to herald their specific and loving support. And after the final curtain the dancers beckoned everyone – Artistic Director, Rehearsal Director, Executive Director, Choreographers and Uncle Tom Cobbleigh and all – onstage for ovations, flowers, and hugs.

Family. Community.

Eloquent.

November 3rd’s was a single-night performance, but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you attend DEEPLY ROTTED DANCE THEATRE at the first opportunity.

Published in Dance in Review

The witch is back, Jen Silverman’s ‘Witch’ that is. Since first being commissioned by Writer’s Theatre back in 2018, Jen Silverman’s take on Jacobean theatre has become a somewhat popular selection for regional theaters. The Artistic Home Ensemble brings this play back to Chicago in a revival directed by Devon Carson going on now at The Den.

What continues to be striking about this play is its exploration of hopelessness. ‘Witch’ is about an ostracized woman living in the 1600s who the townspeople have decided (without basis) is a witch. Her miserably lonely life is spiced up when the devil himself comes to town and begins meddling in the lives of the villagers. Some are more easily tempted than others, but the supposed witch, Elizabeth Sawyer (Kristin Collins), is harder for the devil to convince. Besides, what can anyone offer someone who has lost hope for a better future?

The devil played with fiendish fun by Julian Hester finds himself enamored with skeptical Elizabeth Sawyer who is also drawn to him. They spend long nights discussing their world views and within their conversations, Jen Silverman peppers in some humorous, but unsettling monologs about the human condition. Kristin Collins as Elizabeth has a great way of shifting between comedic relief and heart-rending vulnerability. Her character all the while pleading, “can things ever really get better?”

As the devil and Elizabeth get to know each other, the devil also inserts himself into the lives of the richest family in town. His gentle suggestion sets in motion a bitter rivalry that plays out with classic dramatic irony.

Silverman’s script is wise in its sharp tongue and makes a statement on the general apathy many feel every day. In her version, the devil himself has hopes and dreams, but outcasts like Elizabeth have long lost hope that her neighbors can ever evolve past their pettiness.

Like Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’, this play holds a Puritanical mirror to our own time, but unlike John Proctor, Elizabeth doesn’t have altruistic intentions. She may be the protagonist, but she’s not your standard heroine. Silverman’s point in comparing our two eras is to show that people haven’t gotten any wiser. People are still inherently selfish and highly subject to influence.

‘Witch’ is well-acted and well-styled. For a play with such a dark core, there’s a lot of comedy here and this cast really plays that up. Kristin Collins brings a Molly Shannon quality to the lonely Elizabeth that makes her plight far less depressing than it sounds. Hogan’s chemistry with Julian Hester is fun to watch.

More than anything, this play remains as timeless in 2018 as in 2023, because while some political and societal things have gotten better, some have inevitably gotten worse. There will always be cynics and optimists duking it out and perhaps the easiest place to be is somewhere in the middle.

Through December 3rd at The Artistic Home Ensemble at The Den. 1331 N Milwaukee. 773-697-3830.

Published in Theatre in Review

When my husband announced that his company holiday party this year was 80s themed, my first thought was that it had been done before. I’d donned enough leg warmers and sported enough side ponytails at enough parties. My second thought was why not the 90s? Surely in 2023 people want to worship another decade? But when I read Chicago was getting American Psycho: The Musical, I dug out my favorite oversized blazer and headed to Wicker Park to watch the book-turned-movie-turned-musical that encapsulated and glorified the very decade I dared to criticize..

The cast was led by the showstopping talent of Kyle Patrick as Patrick Bateman, the stylish and sadistic center of American Psycho. Patrick’s performance was riveting, one couldn’t take his eyes away from him. He perfectly captured Bateman’s devilishly attractive and hypnotic presence, pulling you in with his charm and wit, turning psychotically evil effortlessly before falling back into his charm. The range Patrick displayed as Bateman was nothing short of breathtaking. The murderous chemistry between Patrick and John Drea as his nemesis Paul Owen was haunting and electric, their bravados embodying the 80s and their fight staging choreography scarily convincing. The play was accompanied with an indulgent soundtrack with original numbers like “Cards” and “Not a Common Man” along with seminal 80s bangers Everybody Wants to Rule the World and of course Hip to Be Square. You were dancing in your seat along with the cast.

The play was set appropriately on a cat walk, white business cards adorning the path, the cast using the cat walk to seamlessly transition from the Tunnel nightclub Tunnel, to the gym, to the office, to Paul Owen’s apartment, the entrances draped cleverly with white tarp. The choreography, directed by Breon Arzell, was nothing short of art. Arzell was able to take extremely difficult and violent scenes and make them hauntingly captivating. In one particularly sexually violet scene (read the book or watch the film if you are curious about this referenced scene), an adonis-like Patrick puppeteered two women, played by Emily Holland and Quinn Simmons, through a series of graceful movements, simulating a sexual throupling without being obscene, and navigating the violence with dignity, masked through the art of dance. Such scenes were made to be very effective thanks to Kokandy's incredibly talented Intimacy Coordinate Kirsten Baity and Fight Choreographer Kate Lass. 

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(left to right) Kyle Patrick and John Dreain Kokandy Productions’ Chicago premiere of American Psycho: The Musical

The book-turned-movie-turned-musical has real staying power. Comments Director Derek Van Barham,  It’s horror, it’s satire, it goes for the guts and getsinto your head. And it’s all tinged with that David Lynchian unease of ‘What is actually happening?’ Extending that question of uncertainty into the live experience, we’re playing with what we show vs. what we don’t show, what you see vs. what you think you saw. A lot is going to be left up to the audience.” American Psycho: The Musical has many themes that are still applicable and relatable today. If I concede that the musical glorifying the 80s is still relevant and significant in 2023, then by proxy the 80s are still relevant and significant today, meaning I must find neon bangle earrings to match my leg warmers this holiday season…

Kokandy Production's American Psycho: The Musical runs through November 26, 2023 at The Chopin Studio Theatre (1543 W. Division St., Chicago). Tickets are available at https://www.kokandyproductions.com/american-psycho/.

 

*Extended through December 10th

 

Published in Theatre in Review

Ahoy matey! Climb aboard Lyric’s thrilling, new-to-Chicago production of Wagner’s ‘The Flying Dutchman’ This spooky, nautical classic opens the 2023/24 season and is a perfect way to kick off the Halloween season. While short by Wagner standards, this two-and-a-half-hour opera is performed without intermission, but the cinematic score and dazzling theatrics make the time sail by. This Dutchman leaves its audience spellbound all the way through the final curtain call.

Despite its fantastical elements, ‘The Flying Dutchman’ might be one of Wagner’s most straightforward and easy to follow operas. Based on a century’s old myth, ‘The Flying Dutchman’ spins a yarn about a ghost ship doomed to sail the sea for all eternity unless the supernatural captain can have the true love of a mortal maiden. When the Dutchman suddenly appears on sea captain Daland’s ship offering riches for his daughter Senta’s hand in marriage, an eeriness starts to creep into the port town where Senta awaits her father’s return. If the Dutchman can have Senta’s unwavering love, he can remain mortal and bring about his sinister plans on land.

What’s always striking about Wagner’s operas are how much they sound like today’s movie scores. Though sung in German with English subtitles to guide you, there’s something immediate about the way Wagner’s score conveys emotion. A creepy plot paired with abundant full-cast choruses all add up to an exciting and suspenseful final act.

Dialed-up vocals up under Christopher Alden’s direction really pay off. Part of what keeps people coming back to the same operas time after time are the beautiful moments of song that seem almost fleeting amidst something as sprawling as an opera. Such moments are plentiful too many to count in this production. This is especially true of Tamara Wilson as Senta. Not only can the Chicago native sing to the rafters, but she can also act. The same can be said of her co-star Tomasz Konieczny as the Dutchman.

When an opera takes place on the sea, staging is crucial. Kudos to the cast for doing this entire show on a diagonally slanted stage. Allen Moyer’s vision is more or less minimalism with touches of the old school. The ghostly wedding alone is worth spending two hours in the dark for. Each act though similarly staged provides an uneasy sense of suspense to match Wagner’s haunting music.

Some operas are just plain fun and ‘The Flying Dutchman’ much like Gounod’s ‘Faust’ is a devilishly good time. Wagner’s classic has a little bit of everything and it’s here you start to hear the beginnings of what would become musical theater as we know it today. An enormously talented cast of singers along with reliably sumptuous staging will have audiences under its spell and wondering where the evening went.

Through October 7 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. 20 N Upper Wacker. www.lyricopera.org (312) 332-2244.

Published in Theatre in Review

There is something bittersweet of a one-time performance. The single moment in time displaying artistic excellence, be it music, dance, or art, retreats as quickly as it appears. The audience is often left reeling and wrestling with their emotions, reflecting on the performance, and recalling the beautiful moments they witnessed, as if trying to convert the fleetingness of the art to memory and make sense of their emotions. There is no better venue in all of Chicagoland suited to those brief artistic moments than Ravinia. 

This June, Ravinia was the backdrop for the Ruth Page Civic Ballet and Friends showcase featuring four talented dance companies (Ruth Page Civic Ballet, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Hedwig Dances, and Jumaane Taylor) performing classical and contemporary dance pieces that explored human nature and our emotions. More notably, the companies featured trainees of the dance companies, young burgeoning Chicago talent looking to launch their careers as professional dancers. Many of the young artists had offers in hand to prestigious programs and companies around the country with many more offers hopefully to follow.  

Ravinia23 400x600 THU

The showcase featured eight beautiful pieces roughly ten to twenty minutes in length. Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s piece “Aisantnaf” featuring Ahmad Hill was a standout performance with intricate lighting highlighting the dancer’s body and movement in intricate detail, making the slow burning performance entrancing to watch. Hedwig Dances featured a single contemporary piece “Syzygy” featuring H. Meneses, Rigo Suara, and Paula Sousa that explored the power of three as both humans and something more cellular. The piece had an odd track that made it almost uncomfortable to watch and the musical accompaniment played almost too loud, distracting from the interlacing of the dancers on the stage. It would be worth a second watch and a possible track change to see the piece performed again. 

The absolute crowd favorite of the showcase was Jumaane Taylor and Kayana Latimer of Jumaane Taylor and Stone Soup Rhythms performing “Cheap Suites 1-5.” The tap dancers play in these five short lived rhythmic minutes-long wonders, scratching deep into the floor until they decide to "check-out." The ensemble taps into a determination to morph the strategi rthymic patterns of Karriem Riggins (Detroit master drummer and producer), using detailed tap steps to particularly collaborate with these intrumental vibrations. The tap number was high energy and showcased the incredible skill, speed, and mastery the craft requires. Each small tap or pounding step resonated with the stage and the music in perfect lock step. It brought a smile to every face in the audience and was a difficult act to follow within the showcase.

In every showcase there is one performance that leaves you wanting more. For me it was a Ruth Page piece. While “Pasajera La Lluvia” featuring Kaelen Gouveia and Oscar Uribe Zapata was a beautiful contemporary piece, the standout was the finale performance of “Abscission” by Adrián Marcelo Sáenz. The number featured all the Ruth Page trainees within their ballet company; Keely Clark, Kaelen Gouveia, Hannah Gonzalez, Mian Hirasawa, Alicia Rene Kenefic, and Oscar Uribe Zapata. The contemporary performance was an exploration of the most intimate and dark places of ourselves; a self-imposed chain, a toxic past, a double edged decision, are we free or lost without them? It was an intimate, technical, and passionate performance by all the dancers and truly was a culmination of their years of hard work and talent. The entire piece could be expanded on to be a standalone show.

While a single performance can leave one bittersweet, it can also be the culmination of years of training displaying the years of hard work and talent put into the artform. The young talent on display at Ravinia for Ruth Page Civic Ballet and Friends was beautiful in its fleetingness. Chicago and Ravinia should expect to see these talented artists soon as they embark on the next chapters of their careers. To learn more about the Ruth Page Center of the Arts’ programs and initiatives, please visit www.ruthpage.org. To view Ravinia’s 2023 and lineup and purchase tickets visit www.ravinia.org.

Published in Theatre in Review

It's Mother's Day today and you know what that means, 

It's the day we honor those who rock cool mom jeans.

Don't pretend you don't own some, they're back in fashion, ya know,

So don those old favorites and step out for a show.

Maya Rowe Leah Morrow Tafadzwa Diener Jacquelyne Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grab your friends, hire a sitter, and venture out to the city,

To see a play that is irreverent, honest, sharp, and so witty.

Mothering figures will rejoice at this theme that’s well understood,

There is nothing quite like MotherFreakingHood!

The musical comedy plays out in two simple acts,

The songs encapsulating straight motherhood facts,

From pregnancy pee sticks and kid drop-off lines,

To postpartum, pharmacology, and teen robotic crimes.

Three women meet while preggers, each one a mom troupe,

Finding love and support with each in the groupe.

Tafadzwa Diener plays Rachel, the excited new mom,

Whose joy is contagious but she’s anything but calm.

Jacquelyne Jones depicts Angie, the Type A CPA,

Planning every minute of kid life like a project ETA.

Leah Marrow plays Marcia, a seasoned mother of three,

She's blunt and uncensored and longs to break free.

Rounding out the ensemble is the great Maya Rowe,

Who plays “everywoman,” and who often steals the show.

Julie Dunlap and Sara Stotts who wrote the music and book,

Understood the assignment and knew just where to look,

For the content and humor that peppered this play,

For the sometimes sad, lonely, and miserable days.

The long lonely nights, the joy and the pain,

That only a mother figure can capture and explain.

It truly takes a village, we make mistakes and we try,

But like motherhood this musical made us laugh more than cry.

MotherFreakingHood! The musical runs through mid-June

Find tickets here and get to Southport very soon,

Buy the tickets to thank all the moms who’ve been there,

Grab a Mom Water, or two, or three (you don’t have to share!)

While we reflect on this day, with the mothers we love,

Be them our own, the ones we make, or the ones now above,

This world would be greyer without them around,

And remember they’ve loved you, from that first ultrasound.

If we can agree on one thing, it’s that we all do good,

In this crazy, fantastic, thing called MotherfreakingHood!

Published in Theatre in Review
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