Rachel Weinberg - Page 14

Chicago, fasten your seat belts-the world premiere musical HELLDRIVERS OF DAYTONA has parked at the Royal George Theatre...and it's a bumpy, messy ride. Billed as a spoof of 1960s racing films, composer Berton Averre (known for 'My Sharona'), lyricist Rob Meurer, and book writer Mark Saltzman have developed a show that's entirely too on the nose. HELLDRIVERS lacks the satirical tone it seeks; instead, the first act replaces the sexual repression common in those 1960s movies with blatant, unoriginal sexual innuendoes and jokes in poor taste. Though conceived as an ironic take on the movies of that era, HELLDRIVERS feels overall cringe-worthy in the first act. The show shifts gears in the second act to focus more on sending up a number of great American musicals (and one Billy Joel song). The overall experience is erratic.

Evan Linder's new play BYHALIA, MISSISSIPPI begins with a scene familiar to those in the audience: a mother and her adult daughter squabbling. The daughter, Laurel, is several months pregnant. And while her mother just wants to be present for the birth of her grandchild, Laurel has had enough. But as the play progresses, we soon learn that Laurel and her husband Jim may not be quite ready for the demands of parenthood. And in a surprising twist following the birth of the child, Laurel and Jim-who are self-declared "white trash"-must also come face-to-face with some harsh realities and confront long-standing, deeply embedded racist beliefs. In this way, Linder's play provides striking food for thought on contemporary social issues, while also becoming a specific portrait of the life of this one couple. And while Chicago audiences may largely be unfamiliar with the small-town Southern lifestyle of BYHALIA'S characters, he makes us feel for these flawed personalities.

Both Melissa James Gibson's play THIS and Windy City Playhouse's production exist on a precipice. For the characters in Gibson's script, they stand on the ledge approaching forty and the onset of middle age, while also waxing nostalgic about the good old college days.These college friends-Jane, Marrell, and Alan (plus Marrell's spouse, Tom, and Jean-Pierre, a new, misplaced member of the circle)-stand firmly in that liminal space. The characters must navigate both the loss of a loved one (Jane is recently widowed) and the creation of new life (Marrell and Tom are parents to a newborn son). And while Gibson's characters seem to be contemplating major life experiences, she also paints them as exceedingly privileged and self-absorbed-in such a way that it becomes rather difficult to sympathize with them. Similarly, Windy City Playhouse's production (with direction by Artistic Associate Carl Menninger) occupies an in-between status-partly entertaining (with an occasional laugh-out-loud funny line delivery), partly striving towards deep emotional complexity. Unfortunately, THIS never swings far enough in either direction to be memorable. 

Broadway In Chicago's engagement of THE SOUND OF MUSIC national tour makes for a pleasant and tuneful evening at this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. Under the direction of Jack O'Brien, this production teems with a lively and joyful energy. In Kerstin Anderson, O'Brien has found a stunning anchor for the the leading role of Maria Rainer. Anderson, a current undergraduate studying Musical Theater at Pace University, exudes optimism and youthful vivacity onstage. And from the moment she begins singing the show's title song, it becomes evident that audiences are in good hands.

In the opening moments of Nick Payne's new play CONSTELLATIONS-now in its Chicago premiere in the Upstairs Theatre at Steppenwolf-the playwright presents audiences with an archetypal 'Boy Meets Girl' story. But then that moment occurs again and again, each time playing out in a different universe. And thus, in a swift 80 minute run-time, Payne crafts the love story of Roland, a bee keeper (Jon Michael Hill), and Marianne, a theoretical physicist (Jessie Fisher). Each time Roland and Marianne 'meet' in the first scene, the outcome varies-sometimes closely mirroring the first 'universe' that audiences see, other times radically diverging from that first encounter. Over the span of the play, Payne plots seven sequences in Roland and Marianne's relationship-from the awkward first moments to those of deep connection, heartbreak, and unimaginable suffering. 

For Strawdog Theatre Company's final production in its Broadway home, the company fittingly presents George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's 1930 comedy ONCE IN A LIFETIME-both play and production are rife with charm and sly winks to the audience. Director Damon Kiely's choice to stage this particular Kaufman and Hart comedy is also an intriguing one. ONCE IN A LIFETIME chiefly concerns itself with the changes to the entertainment industry after the appearance of the first 'talkie' (a film with spoken dialogue) and a frantic trio of three former vaudeville performers-May, George, and Jerry-who scramble to Hollywood hoping to strike it rich. And just as Jerry contemplates what these new 'talkies' will mean for the future of the 'legitimate stage,' so too do we now find ourselves on the precipice of immense change for the film and entertainment industry.

Under the direction of Lee Blakeley at Lyric Opera (who originally staged this production for Paris's Theatre du Chatelet in 2014), Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical THE KING AND I is heightened to the lavish and beautiful spectacle it deserves. This story of British school teacher Anna Leonowens who arrives in Siam to instruct the many children of the King has moments of sweeping grandiosity but also many of emotional intimacy-the Lyric's production makes the full emotional arc a delight to watch. Visually, the creative team captures every inch of the musical's opulence. Sue Blane's costume designs are breathtakingly elaborate and incorporate an inspiring display of color; Anna's magnificent hoop skirts are definitely a highlight. Jean-March Puissant's set design also captures the grandiosity of a royal palace with many intricate details, while also giving the performers the space they need to execute Peggy Hickey's choreography, and Rick Fisher's lighting adds to the decadent atmosphere.

Ike Holter's new play SENDER, now in its world premiere production at A Red Orchid Theatre, thrives on the contrast between order and chaos. Or, more precisely in the millennial world of the play, the tension between wanting to remain in childhood and the need to face the realities of adulthood. The crux of SENDER focuses on a group of four friends struggling with this very issue, all of whom are in various stages of growing up. One of the friends disappeared a year ago and has since been presumed dead. The twist? At the beginning of the play, he shows up-and completely offsets the balance that has been established in his absence.

Victory Gardens Theater's world premiere production of Lucas Hnath's HILLARY AND CLINTON invites audiences to imagine an alternate universe, though similar to our own, in which a woman named Hillary Clinton is running for United States president. And in setting up the play this way, Hnath has crafted an intriguing, multilayered play that simultaneously is and is not about the Hillary Clinton recognizable to 2016 audiences. With direction by Victory Gardens Artistic Director Chay Yew, this play invites audiences to consider themes both intimate and expansive.

KILL FLOOR at American Theater Company is truly a killer production. Abe Koogler's intense and poignant new play is in excellent hands in this Midwest premiere directed by Jonathan Berry. KILL FLOOR insightfully examines contemporary issues of humanity, race, and identity, and with its superb casting, also genuinely moves. This exhilarating production certainly merits the attention of any Chicago theater lover.

Cast members Will Allan and Caroline Neff from Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of THE FLICK reveal their top five favorite films.

Eugene O'Neill's blazing masterwork LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT introduces audiences to the enormously dysfunctional Tyrone family, who over the course of the play's three-and-a-half-hour run time, completely and utterly destroy one another. O'Neill felt that LONG DAY'S JOURNEY was such a personal and exposing play that he wished to have it published 25 years after his death. And in almost every moment of the play, we feel the immense agony and suffering of this deeply troubled, addiction-riddled family.

Under the direction of Bartlett Sher (whose work is currently represented on Broadway with Lincoln Center Theater's revival of The King and I, Charles Gounod's 1867 French opera ROMEO AND JULIET comes to opulent, dramatic life--with the quality and grandiosity that characterize Lyric Opera's productions. This production of Gounod's opera--with libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre and which was first performed at the Lyric in 1981--retains the original Renaissance setting of Shakespeare's classic play and renders it larger-than-life. The inherently dramatic nature of the play makes it a fitting choice for an operatic adaptation--Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story becomes even more heightened when set to Gounod's decadent score.

One of the most pervasive images in Sarah Gubbins's play COCKED, now in its world premiere production at Victory Gardens under the direction of Joanie Schultz, is an incredibly shiny silver pistol. This prop pistol reveals itself at the end of the first scene in the play--and while it then quickly disappears, we know that it lingers--and that it has a high probability of going off at some point in the play. Likewise, Gubbins's timely play, which is set in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood and examines our relationship with guns, strikes a balance between tense and frequently hilarious. Gubbins' natural, laugh-out-loud funny dialogue for all three characters in the play never ceases to entertain but the tension underneath those moments of levity also stays present.

Upon entering the Den Theatre's Heath Main Stage to take in The Hypocrites' production of THE GLASS MENAGERIE, I was immediately struck by the bottles upon bottles of breathtaking glass that cover Grant Sabin's decrepit-yet-beautiful set. Like director Hans Fleischmann's production itself (a remount of a production he originally envisioned for Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company), the set for this GLASS MENAGERIE both exhilarates yet also supplies a sense of foreboding. When Fleischmann (who also stars) takes to the stage as Tom Wingfield, he embodies the role of the vagabond dreamer in every way. In this staging of Tennessee Williams' classic 1944 memory play, Fleischmann beckons audiences anew into the story--but his mangy hair, wild beard, and tattered attire (Mieka Van Der Ploeg's costume designs are a treasure throughout) keep us slightly distrustful. Nevertheless, this GLASS MENAGERIE captivates throughout-and though this play has been around for 72 years, the material felt entirely fresh to this first-time viewer.

Porchlight Music Theatre's production of FAR FROM HEAVEN marks the musical's Chicago premiere--the show debuted Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 2013 and takes the titular 2002 Todd Haynes-directed film as its source material. And while this musical from composer-lyricist team Scott Frankel and Michael Korie was written three years ago, FAR FROM HEAVEN touches on issues of gender, sexuality, and race in 1957 suburban Connecticut that poignantly resonant with the present moment. At the center of the musical is Cathy Whittaker (the superb and stunning Summer Naomi Smart), a 1950s housewife and mother--decked out in Bill Morey's outstanding period-authentic dresses and residing in Grant Sabin's charming set. At the top of the show, she catches her husband, Frank (Brandon Springman) cheating on her--with a man. Stunned by this secret, Cathy is forced to confront the reality of what happens when her life cannot conform to the societal pressures and ideals coming at her from both the media and friends--a matter which is further complicated when she strikes up an unexpected friendship with her black gardener, Raymond Deagan (Evan Tyrone Martin).

The touring production of Roundabout Theatre Company's CABARET dazzles just as much as it did on Broadway--where it was a critical and commercial success both from 1998-2004 and more recently, when it was remounted from March 2014-March 2015. Now Chicago audiences have the opportunity to witness original director Sam Mendes and co-director/choreographer Rob Marshall's stunning, beautifully constructed musical revival--undoubtedly one of the best I've ever seen. Robert Brill's Broadway set design is replicated almost exactly here, setting the stage with a powerful mix of glitz and decrepitness. The split-level stage showcases a large, lopsided frame with bright shining bulbs--though some are conspicuousness missing. Like John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical itself (with book by Joe Masteroff), this tour staging captures the vivacious and entertaining atmosphere of 1930s Berlin while also allowing us to clearly see the cracks beneath the surface. William Ivey Long's masterful costumes also strike this balance. And, of course, so do the performances. When the Kit Kat Klub ladies (portrayed here by Alison Ewing, Margaret Dudasik, Hillary Ekwall, Aisling Halpin, and Dani Spieler) walk onstage during CABARET's famous opening number 'Willkommen,' they execute their choreography with precision--but the looks of disdain and apathy on their faces indicate they'd rather be elsewhere. And yet, these captivating performances keep audiences engaged.

Dan LeFranc's world premiere play BRUISE EASY, his second collaboration with American Theater Company, begins by introducing us to the story of two estranged siblings (played by Kelly O'Sullivan and Matt Farabee)-reunited for the first time in several years on the driveway of their mother's house in southern California. But the play doesn't start with a conversation between the two central characters. Instead, six teenagers-known as the "Neighborhood Kids" and portrayed by members of ATC's Youth Ensemble- walk onstage wearing creepy plastic masks, and in unison, introduce the narrative using dialogue peppered with "like's" and "whatever's." In this way, LeFranc sets the scene for BRUISE EASY as a modern Greek tragedy-with a twist in its Greek chorus.

Equal parts self-congratulatory and self-deprecating--and wholly entertaining--the three-man show BARITONES UNBOUND pays homage to that elusive vocal part between the tenor and the bass: the titular baritone. Conceived by Marc Kudisch (who originated the role of Pastor Greg last spring in Broadway's Hand to God), and written by Kudisch, Merwin Foard, Jeff Matsey, and Timothy Splain, BARITONES UNBOUND traces the evolution of the baritone from the 18th century to the present, with fun quips and historical tidbits along the way. The show deftly follows the path of the baritone from Mozart's 1791 opera THE MAGIC FLUTE to the emergence of American musical theater with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1943 OKLAHOMA! to present-day Broadway--with some popular music thrown in there, as well--all in under two hours.

The Chicago engagement of the first national tour of BEAUTIFUL--THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL rightfully earns the show's title. This entertaining and emotional production delivers tons of heart and talent at the Oriental Theatre. This engagement also signals the homecoming for lead Abby Mueller in the role of Carole King. Mueller grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and she has big shoes to fill in this role--her younger sister, Jessie, won the 2014 Tony Award for originating the same role on Broadway. There's no cause for concern, though, as Mueller, and the rest of the touring production's cast, deliver big-time. As King, Mueller provides the emotional and musical center of this production--and it is sheer pleasure to listen to her dive into some of the singer-songwriter's greatest hits.