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The
Long Red Road
Critical Evaluation: * out of ****
The
Goodman's small Owen Studio Theatre is giving audiences the world
premier of Brett C. Leonard's "The Long Red Road". If
you like to see plays about dysfunctional families in a time when we
need uplifting productions then I suggest this depressing show will
be your meat and potatoes in its short run. The director is
Hollywood's Phillip Seymour Hoffman and English actor Tom Hardy heads
the cast. Many will see the show for those two reasons.
The show has
an excellent cast with Greta Honold as Annie who is a school teacher
of Native American students. Then we have Fiona Robert as Tasha,
Chris McGarry as Bob, Katy Sullivan as Sandra, Marcos Akiaten as
Clifton. These actors are all that make the slow-paced two hours and
fifteen minutes move along but I found it to be a yawner.
Sam is an
alcoholic and his naked girlfriend make love during the opening
scene. His excuse for drinking is caused by the loss of one daughter,
the accident of his wife and the absence in his life of another
daughter. The constant drinking and his hangovers make you sick to
your stomach. The accident has left his wife Sandra an amputee and it
would be hard to cope with one daughter dead and another a troubled
teenager. Sam might tell Annie that he loves her but does she believe
him or is he a big loser? It if wasn?t for the acting I might
have left at intermission and I never leave before the end whether I
like the play or not. "The Long Red Road" runs
through March 21. For show times and reservations call 312/443-3800.
Tickets are $40-$45.
Twelve
Angry Men
Critical Evaluation: *** out of ****
The
Raven Theatre on Clark Street is doing its second show of the season
which is the courtroom drama from 1954 "Twelve Angry Men"
by Reginald Rose. Raven is a non-equity storefront theatre that does
some tough productions with high caliber actors. "Twelve
Angry Men" runs one hour and forty-five minutes but it is fast
moving with engrossing acting in this all male cast. The show is
under the direction of Aaron Todd Douglas of the Congo Square Theatre.
Since turning
21 and being a voter, I've been on jury duty eight times. I loved
being on jury duty and listening to the testimony of the witnesses.
I've been on cases where after two or three days they were settled
out of court, one where we came to a verdict, some where I wasn?t
picked to be on the panel and another where we had a hung jury due to
one jury member who lied when he said he wasn?t prejudiced.
Fortunately I've never had to serve in criminal court. The
strong cast for the show are Fernando Albiar, Steve Herson,
Christopher Brown, Reginald Vaughn, C.L. Brown, Ron Quade, Leonard
Kraft, Dwight Soro and Eddie Diaz.
The story
deals with a 16-year old ethnic young man who is accused of killing
his abusive father with the charge of first degree murder. In a
criminal murder case where a verdict of guilty hangs over the
accused, the district attorney must prove the defendant guilty beyond
a reasonable doubt before a death penalty can be issued. Eleven
of the jurors find the plaintiff guilty but the exception is the
twelfth juror who by day is an architect. C.L. Brown stands his
ground and refuses to find him guilty. Dan Loftus who has been around
Chicago theater for a long time is one who could come to blows with
his arguments - he is a man who has father and son issues. The
show packs a wallop and gives audiences something to remember and
think about. If you're about to go on jury duty make it a point not
to miss this show. "Twelve Angry Men" runs through
April 17. For show times and reservations call 773/338-2177. Tickets
are $25-$30.
Fiddler
On The Roof
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
The
Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is opening its 2010 season with the
classic "Fiddler on the Roof." Some critics call the
show an old war horse having been done so often in regional theatre
since it premiered in New York in 1964 and not counting revivals
played 3,242 performances.
Directing the
Marriott production is the fantastic David H. Bell with musical
direction by Doug Peck. Mr. Bell for many years was associated
with the Marriott before departing for several years in Washington
but he is now back in Chicago and a professor of musical theatre at
Northwestern University. Mr. Bell is also the show's
choreographer and all I can say is that he has assembled a strong
cast that audiences should love. Ross Lehman plays Tevye.
Paula Scrofano is his wife Golde and their five daughters are Dara
Cameron as Hodel, Jessie Mueller as Tzeitel, Laura Scheinbaum as
Chava and the two younger ones are Arielle Leigh Dayan and Talia Rawitz.
Other
excellent men in the cast are Justin Berkobien as Perchik, Andrew
Keltz as Motel, David Girolmo as Lazar Wolf, James Harms as the
Rabbi, Craig Spidle as the Constable, Patrick Sarb as Fyedka and
Gregory Hirte as the fiddler. I shouldn't forget Rebecca
Finnegan as Yente and Heidi Kettenring - all first-class actresses
and singers. One wonders why there are troubled times in the
world and we can't live in a peaceful one. My favorite songs
are "If I Were a Rich Man," "Now I Have
Everything," and "Do You Love Me" which is a standout
when Paula Scrofano sings it.
I've seen Zero
Mostel, Topol, Luther Adler, Hershel Bernardi but Ross Lehman is well
cast in the lead role. Jessie Mueller and Laura Scheinbaum as
two of the five daughters give strong performances. You don't
have to be Jewish -- it's a play every ethnic group should see
and love. "Fiddler on the Roof" runs through April
25th. Running time is two hours and thirty five minutes.
For show days and show times and reservations call 847-634-0200.
Tickets are $45.
Noises
Off
Critical Evaluation: *** out of ****
"Noises
Off", the Michael Frayn Farce, is opening the 2010 theatre
season at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana. Frayn is
one of England's top playwrights and this show deals with a theatre
comedy in England. William Pullinsi is the show's director and
he is one whose talent lies in directing farces. "Noises
Off" is a three act play that runs two hours and thirty minutes
with two fifteen minute intermissions. The show has a cast of
nine that is lead by veteran actors Marilynn Bogetich as Dotty Otley
and Dale Bensen as Selsdon Mowbray.
Mr. Bensen is
a master craftsman at farces having done hundreds over the years at
the now defunct Shady Lane Playhouse in Marengo, Illinois.
Others in the cast are Will Clinger, formerly of PBS' Wild Chicago as
Lloyd Dallas, Jeff Cummings as Gary LeJeune, Laura E. Taylor as
Brooke Ashton, Anna Hammonds as Poppy Norton-Taylor, Clay Sanderson
as Frederick Fellows, Laura Leonardo-Ownby as Belinda Blair, and
Jason R. Wroblewski as Tim Allgood.
Act One is the
last run-through of the play they are performing called "Nothing
On." The Second Act takes place backstage and the Third
Act is an evening performance of the play. As with most farces
we have slamming doors and an actress running around in her bra and
panties but there is nothing vulgar about the escapade. Dallas
is the director and his cast have all worked together. The
troupe is made up of has-beens, never was, and wanna-be actors.
Some love each other, some hate and you see a share of jealousy and
they all drive the director to lunacy.
While I found
it to be somewhat outdated I did find it had its share of
laughter. Every actor in the show headed by the zany
performance of Dale Benson and Marilynn Bogetich make the evening
shear fun and get the audience to laugh. "Noises Off"
runs through March 21st. For performance days, show times and
reservations call 219-836-3255. Tickets range from $20 to $40.
The
101 Dalmatians Musical
Critical Evaluation: * out of ****
Purina
Pet Supplies is sponsoring Magic Arts and Entertainment production
of "The 101 Dalmatians Musical " that has a book by B. T.
Mitchell with music and lyrics by Dennis De Young of the Styx rock
group and B. T. McNicholl. While this is a family show and on
opening night the audience was loaded with children and I being a big
dog lover having eight over the years looked forward to seeing the
show. That doesn't mean everyone will be.
For me the
best part of the show were the fifteen dogs on stage. The cast
could sing, dance and act but it was the book that fell flat for me
in the two hours and a half. I know there is one critic who
hates animals and will be gloating over the negative reviews.
When the dogs walked the red carpet he departed for his seat.
The dogs are adorable and I wish I could say that about the
book. I have a fear of heights and most of the cast are on
stilts and I was getting dizzy watching them and hoping they wouldn't
get injured.
All the dogs
have their biography in the program along with the live cast.
All are strays who have been trained. Some of the dogs' names
are Rascal, Bella, Envy, RV and so on. I had no problem with
the songs as the cast indulge in sixteen numbers. Some of my
favorites were "Man is a Dog's Best Friend," "Be a
Little Bit Braver," "Having the Crime of our Lives"'
and "101 Dalmatians". The story takes place in
London, England in 1957 and features a cast of thirty. Sara
Gettelfinger is Cruella De Vil the villainess of the story and she
can sing and act and is perfect in her role if only the material was
better. If I were a dog I'd bite her in the butt for the way
she treats animals. Jerry Zaks is the show's director and he
does his best with the campy material.
Dalmatians is
based on a book by an English writer Dodie Smith that follows the
Dalmatian spouses Pongo played by James Ludwig and Missus played by
Catia Ojeda who are bright young singers and actors. Pongo and
Missis are living the good life in London with their pets Charles and
Catherine Dearly played by Mike Masters and Erin Mosher when their
ten puppies are suddenly "dognapped" by the nasty villain
Cruella who sets up to have the dogs destroyed. Our heroes
rescue them and we have a happy ending through the mild laughter,
mayhem and music. Read the notation "About the
Dalmatians". I have a female boxer "Noel" and
she is my best friend better than some humans I know. "101
Dalmatians" runs through February 28th. For show days,
times and reservations call 800-775-2000. Tickets are $18 to $85.
Over
the Tavern
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
I
first saw "Over the Tavern" at the Northlight Theatre in
Skokie that was directed by William Pullinsi. It was so
successful after its run there it was transferred to the Mercury
Theatre in Chicago for a long run of several months. To enjoy
this funny and yet touching family comedy it isn't necessary to be
Catholic as that was proven when it first opened in Skokie.
John Gawlik, the artistic director of Noble Fools Theatrical, has
assembled a terrific cast and has done an incredible job in directing
this show. It is a show that should and could have a much
longer run. It is a "Don't Miss It" production.
The show requires a cast of seven and runs a fast two hours with
intermission. It might even run a little longer by ten or
fifteen minutes. It is based on the playwright Tom Dudzick,
growing up in 1959 Buffalo, New York, when Elvis, drive-ins, Ed
Sullivan, and The Honeymooners were a part of most households.
That made life fun and simple with exceptions.
Chet and Ellen
Pazinski are a Polish-Catholic family who live above the tavern they
own with their four teenage children - Eddie, played by Alex Adams;
Rudy played by Gabriel Harder; Annie played by Katrina Syrris; and
Georgie played by Dan Velisek. Their mother Ellen is played by
Stacy Stoltz. The show has two equity actors who are veterans
and they are Renee Matthews as Sister, the nun who is tutoring Rudy
and Scott Cummins and Chet, the father of the family. The young
actors playing the teenage children all have great futures ahead of
them if they follow through in their current profession.
Gabriel Harder and Alex Adams should go far and Katrina Syrris is not
far behind. Daniel Velisek is also excellent but we hear he
wants to become a professional chef.
The story
deals with the son Rudy who plays a wise-cracking 12-year-old.
Rudy questions the Roman Catholic Church to the ruler-cracking Sister
Clarissa, before his confirmation. One of his funny lines is
when he tells Sister, "I read where there are over thirteen
hundred religions in the world and I'd like to shop around!" --
to the frustration of Sister. Eddie, the older brother, enjoys
taking adult magazines in the bathroom to look at the pictures.
Annie is a typical teenage girl and Georgie is a handicapped teenager
who sucks his finger and loves watching Rudy impersonate Ed
Sullivan. It's great to see Ms. Matthews back on the
stage. She is a top draw actress whether its musical, comedies
or dramas. She fits the role perfectly as an actress.
"Over the Tavern" has been extended through April 3.
For show dates, show times and reservations call 630-584-6342.
Tickets are $29 and $39.
The
Analytical Engine
Critical Evaluation: *** out of ****
The
Circle Theatre is a blackbox storefront non-equity theatre that does
first rate shows. They do dramas, comedies, musicals and revive
some of the classics. This will be (2010) their last season at
their current home and one only hopes a new one has been located for
the 2011 season. After the current show they have the musical
"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"; in July
"The Philadelphia Story"; in September they bring a musical
that has never been on tour or at any regional theatre in Chicago but
had a run in New York called "The Wedding Singer", and
rounding out their season will be a holiday show.
Their current
production by actor, director and playwright Jon Steinhagen is the
romantic comedy "The Analytical Engine". People who
have cable may have seen the old Red Skelton movie, "Excuse My
Dust". While that was about a car this one is about the
first computer that finds the perfect match for people and is set in
1850 in the Powell Family home in Chester, Connecticut. The
play has a cast of six excellent actors and runs two hours with a
ten-minute intermission. Steinhagen won the 2009 Julie Harris
Playwright Award for this show. This romantic comedy is under
the astute direction of Bob Knuth, the theatre's gifted producing director.
Patricia
Austin has the role of Hippolyta and Catherine Ferraro is Marigold
Powell her sister. Playing the two suitors are Eric Lindahl as
Nathaniel Swade and Jon Steinhagen as Eppa Morton. The tall
Denita Linnertz is Ada Lovelace who is a worldly woman who is the
daughter of the romantic poet Lord Byron. Rounding out this
first-rate cast is Mary Redmon, the dotty mother of the two girls who
is a first-rate actress one should be hearing a lot of. One
gets the impression she is not a first-rate cook but underneath it
all she is a shrewd woman. While the machine doesn't solve
mathematical equations it is supposed to be the perfect
matchmaker. The machine matches the wrong suitors and in the
end, well go see it to see how the mess unscrambles itself.
"The Analytical Engine" runs through March 28th. For
show dates, show times and reservations call 708-771-0700.
Tickets are $20.
The
Old Settler
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
The
Writers Theatre in Glencoe, Illinois, is honoring Black History
Month with their production of John Henry Redwood's play "The
Old Settler". I know I've seen the show once before but I
don't remember if it was at "The Goodman Theatre",
"Court Theatre", "Steppenwolf Theatre" or
"Northlight Theatre". While it takes two and a half
hours to tell this warm, heart-breaking story with intermission it is
an engrossing evening of theatre and it does have some funny scenes.
Ron OJ Parson
has done a wonderful job in his direction and casting with Cheryl
Lynn Bruce as Elizabeth Borny, Wanda Christine as Quilly McGarth,
Kevin Rosten, Jr. as Husband and Alexis J. Rogers as Lou Bessie
Preston. The play is set in Harlem in the spring of 1943.
Elizabeth and Quilly are sisters who share their quiet lives
together. When Elizabeth encounters Husband who is from the
country she invites him to rent a room since he is having a difficult
time adjusting to the Big City.
Every actor in
this production that is poetic, lyrical, melancholy, has its humor
gives a powerful performance. Quilly is a spunky sister and at
times at odds with Elizabeth who has a good heart but goes through
her share of pain and suffering when she falls for the handsome
Husband. Husband comes to Harlem chasing after the sexy Lou
Bessie Preston who provides the comedy element in the show.
Husband thinks he is in love with Elizabeth in this poignant play but
in the end Elizabeth realizes that the age difference between the two
that their relationship won't work. The two sisters find
strength and forgiveness that families should have. I'm glad I
saw this show as it gives audiences a lot to think about.
"The Old Settler" runs until March 28th and could get
extended. For show schedule, times and reservations call
847-242-6000. Tickets are $50 - $65.
Master
Harold...and the Boys
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
For
the third production of the season TimeLine Theatre is doing a
three-person play by Anthol Fugard - Tony award winning play
"Master Harold...and the Boys". The play runs one
hour and forty minutes and the time flies by. Fugard is also
being showcased at the Remy Bumpo Theatre in the Greenhouse with
their production of "The Island". And then Court
Theatre will do a production of Fugard's "Sizwe Banzi is
Dead." The 2010 theatre season is presenting some
excellent dramas, comedies and musicals and yet some theatre critics
look to find minor flaws such as the age of an actor to have negative
things to say because they feel that makes them a critic.
Jonathan
Wilson has put together a strong cast for this show and those three
actors are Daniel Bryant as Willie, Alfred H. Wilson as Sam and Nate
Burger as Hally. Fugard was born in South Africa in 1932 so his
subject matter is universal in themes, humanity and unforgettable
dialog. The play takes place during the 1950's era of
apartheid. The story deals with a white seventeen year old and
two black workers he has known all his life and their story connects
in the restaurant the boy and his parents own on a rainy day.
We see from their wide-ranging discussions what unites us and what
still divides us.
The play is
considered to be a personal play in his attempt perhaps, to forgive
his past behaviors and reconcile with his family and friends since it
draws heavily from his childhood. The play takes place in the
St. George's Park Tea Room. Hally not only has problems with
his parents but the two workers he has in his control. The show
is engrossing and well acted by the cast of three. "Master
Harold...and the Boys" runs through March 21st. For
performance dates, show times and reservations call
773-281-8463. Tickets are a mere $25 - $35.
Private
Lives
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
The
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's main objective is to give audiences
Shakespeare's plays with top quality productions, directions, and
cast. On occasion they will give Chicago audiences a classic by
a playwright other than Shakespeare and this season is one of those
that they are giving audiences Noel Coward's "Private
Lives." I know of only one subscriber who resents a
theatre that doesn't stick to what their goal is. She complains
when Court Theatre doesn't stick to classics, as they are known for
and this year besides this production she is complaining because
Lyric Opera is giving audiences "The Merry Widow", which is
an operetta and not an opera. Audiences who overlook this seem
to enjoy and are not complaining.
"Private
Lives," is a battle of the sexes that make this show a romantic
comedy that is one classic play well worth seeing. The show
requires a cast of five and the show's director has assembled a
stellar cast with Chaon Cross as Sybil Chase, Robert Sella as Elyot
Chase, Tim Campbell as Victor Prynne, Tracy Michelle Arnold as Amanda
Prynne and Wendy Robie as Louise. As with Lyric Opera's
"The Merry Widow", Griffen's direction is powerful and one
can see why he is in demand.
I saw a
production of this show at Writers' Theatre in Glencoe and possibly
one staged at Court Theatre. I also remember seeing Elizabeth
Taylor and Richard Burton in a touring production at the Shubert
Theatre in Chicago. This production however is a standout
one. The story deals with Elyot and Amanda who decide after
three years of a stormy marriage, to end it. They run into each
other five years later when they discover they have adjoining terrace
apartments while they are on their current honeymoon in the same
French hotel. Then the fun begins. I suggest if you're
not familiar with the outcome you rush to purchase tickets to see it
as it will be a sellout. The male and female actors are strong
in their roles on the slow revolving in the round stage setting.
"Private Lives" runs until March 7, 2010. For
performance dates, show times and reservations call
312-595-5600. Tickets range from $55 to $75.
Funny
Girl
Critical Evaluation: *** out of ****
Drury
Lane Oakbrook Theatre is now presenting "Funny Girl", the
life of Fanny Brice. One thing about this production that I
don't understand is why it took three directors to stage it?
The show has been conceived by Gary Griffin and William Osetek.
Osetek is a talented director who could have handled the production
by himself being the theatre's artistic director. Griffin is
tops at what he does but when you have so many fires on the stove it
can hurt a show. Besides being a co-director of "Funny
Girl" he has directed "Private Lives" for Chicago
Shakespeare and "The Merry Widow" for Lyric Opera and he is
an Associate Producer of Drury Lane Oakbrook. Also listed as
Associate Director is David New, a talented actor in his own right.
The show
offers three newcomers to Chicago and they are Sara Sheperd, Paul
Antony Stewart and Jameson Cooper, along with a stellar cast of
Chicago actors. For me the show didn't come up to the high
standards I've been seeing at the Oakbrook venue. And that is
no fault of the cast. I blame that on the three directors and
in the capable hands of Osetek the show might have come up to higher expectations.
Standouts were
Sheperd, Cooper, Iris Lieberman, Catherine Smitko, Marc Grapey, Adam
Pelty, David New and the dancing feet that Matt Raftery has staged
for his ensemble that include Tammy Mader, Ariane Dolan, Nicole Hren,
Michael Accardo, Holly Stauder to make up the twenty six in the cast.
I would rate it two and a half stars but to be honest the acting,
singing and dancing of those mentioned it gets a slim but higher
rating. New as Mr. Renaldi, has a small role and I found no
chemistry with Paul Anthony Stewart as Nick Arnstein. I didn't
feel his singing was strong but his acting I didn't have much of a
problem with. The show has music by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill
with a book by Isobel Lennart.
The show
offers some strong songs with "Don't Rain on My Parade,"
"People," "If a Girl Isn't Pretty" and "I'm
the Greatest Star." Jameson Cooper as Eddie Ryan is a
bright new talent to the Chicago Theatre scene. Marc Grapey is
a perfect Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., as is Iris Lieberman as Mrs.
Strakosh, Adam Pelty as Tom Keeney and Catherine Smitko as Mrs.
Brice. If you remember Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks of radio fame
and want to know more about her start on the stage and her personal
life you'll come away enjoying this show. "Funny Girl"
runs through March 7th. For show times and performance days as
well as reservations call 630-530-0111. Tickets range from $29
to $38. There is free parking and the Martinique Restaurant
offers excellent dinners. I know as I've eaten there many times.
Oh
Coward!
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
The
current show at Writer's Theatre in Glencoe is a cabaret revue
called "Oh Coward" and hopefully they have another major
hit on their hands in the small theatre in the back of Books on
Vernon. Noel Coward was a brilliant playwright and performer
and his shows were witty and sophisticated. Director Jim Corti
has done a superb job with the direction of this show. Jim is
an actor who has Broadway credits but makes his home in Chicago.
New York audiences will remember him as Harry Houdini in "Ragtime"
Doug Peck, one
of Chicago's top musical directors, directs music for the show and is
an outstanding pianist as well. The shows offers a cast of three very
talented singers Kate Fry, Rob Lindley and John Sanders. The
show features 34 songs by Coward and most notable are
"Zigeuner" from the operetta "Bittersweet",
"Sail Away" from the show of the same name, "Mrs.
Worthington", "I Went to a Marvelous Party",
"Someday I'll Find You", "London Pride" and I'll
Follow My Secret Heart". Each performer has a solo number
as well as singing in duets and trios. The book has been
devised by Roderick Cook and he has kept the dialogue witty, humorous
and sophisticated. This delightful show is 90 minutes long
including one intermission. "Oh Coward" runs until
May 16, 2010. For show times and reservations call
847/242-6000. Tickets are $40-$60.
The
Pillowman
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
The
Redtwist Theatre is a tiny black box theatre that is known for
white-hot drama that they say has a little red twist. "The
Pillowman" is by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh and his claim
to being a top Irish writer is to write strong meat and potatoes
dramas and this is no exception. Kimberly Senior is the
director and the show features three Redtwist ensemble members -
Andrew Jessop as Katurian, Johnny Garcia as Ariel and Peter Oyloe as Michal.
The show runs
two hours and a half and is a spellbinding drama with dark humor
about a writer Katurian who is accused of perpetrating the very acts
depicted in his murderous stories. The show offers audience its
share of violence and blood. Tom Hickey is Topolski, one of the
interrogators and Ariel is the policeman who loves to torture his
prisoners. Both give strong hard-hitting performances.
The show is performed in three acts and five scenes. Katurian
and Michal are brothers and their roles played by Jessop and Oyloe
are done to perfection as both show it isn't always necessary to be
equity actors to give audiences something to impress them.
Oyloe won a
Jeff citation a few years ago for the Redtwist production of Peter
Shaffer's "Equus," which he will reprise for Redtwist in
the Spring of 2010. The only other time I saw this show was at
Steppenwolf Theatre and Michael Shannon had the role Oyloe has and
Tracey Letts played Topolski. If you love serious drama I urge
you to not only see this show but also support Redtwist Theatre with
their other productions. The space is perfect for non-equity
professional theatre. Others in the cast are Casey Cunningham,
Joey Lesiak, Jimmy Wilson-Schutter and Marissa Meo.
"Pillowman" runs through April 18, 2010. For
performance days, show times and reservations, call
773-728-7529. Tickets are priced at $22-$27 & $30.
Seniors and students get a $5 discount.
Million
Dollar Quartet
Critical Evaluation: **** out of ****
As
Jerry Lee Lewis would say "Great Balls of Fire" we have a
major hit on our hands and not only with that hit song of his but
with "Million Dollar Quartet" which celebrated its first
anniversary November 5 at the Apollo Theatre. I've seen the
show three times. It opened first at the Goodman Theatre in the
Owen Theatre and then after its run there it opened at the
Apollo. The show will open off-Broadway in the spring of 2010
but will become an international hit in the future.
The show has a
cast of eight who are talented singers as well as musicians.
From first viewing there has been a couple of cast changes but each
time I've seen it the show's cast has gotten stronger. Rob
Lyons plays Carl Perkins, Lance Guest is Johnny Cash, Eddie
Clandening plays Elvis Presley, the incredible Levi Kreis is Jerry
Lee Lewis, Tim Decker is Sam Philips who runs Sun Records, Billy
Shaffer and Chuck Zayas as Fluke and Jay Perkins accompany the cast
as drummer and bass player in the band. The only female in the
cast is the beautiful Kelly Lamont as Dyanne, who for the story is
Elvis' girlfriend. Her rendition of "Fever" a song
made famous by Peggy Lee is done in a sexy, sultry style and you
don't want her to stop. She also has one other solo "I
Hear You Knocking" and does one with the group.
Most of the
songs you'll be familiar with and many you can come out singing.
Songs from the show are "Riders in the Sky" that also was
a major hit for Vaughn Monroe, "See You Later Alligator",
"Peace in the Valley," "I Walk the Line' and
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." The show runs 100
minutes and features 21 songs. The show has a book by Colin
Escott and Floyd Mutrux and is under the direction of Floyd Mutrux
and Eric Schaeffer. Produced by Relevant Theatricals, John
Cossette Productions and Northern Light Inc. Gigi Pritzker is one of
the co-producers. The show premiered in Florida and Washington
before coming to Chicago.
The story
deals with how on December 4, 1956, an auspicious twist of fate
brought Cash, Lewis, Perkins and Presley together. The setting
is in Sun Records, a storefront studio in Memphis where their careers
began. The man that made it all happen was Sam (the father of
rock n' roll) Phillips who discovered them all. These four
legends-to-be are reunited for an impromptu recording and audiences
get the jam session all the time. Governor Quinn of Illinois
proclaimed November 6 "Million Dollar Quartet Day", for a
free lunchtime concert in the Thompson Center. "Million
Dollar Quartet" is here for an open run however tickets are
currently now on sale through May 30, 2010. For performance
schedule and reservations call 773-935-6100. Ticket prices are
$25-$70. It's worth it.
Richard
& Friends

Richard
Eisenhardt pictured with several of his celebrity friends: (above
Left) Dennis Hull of The Chicago Blackhawks Hockey Team; (Center)
Movie Superstar Jane Russell; (Right) John Marks of the Chicago
Blackhawks. (below Left) Broadway and Cabaret singer Julie
Wilson; (Center) Zsa Zsa Gabor; (Right) World Champion figure skater
Terry Kubicka.

About
Richard Eisenhardt
(Right)
Richard Eisenhardt visits with Chicago theatre legends John Reeger
and Paula Scrofano.
Richard
Eisenhardt is a lifelong Chicago theatre fan whose theatregoing
experience traces over half a century. Richard fell in love
with live performances at the age of five when his parents took him
to the Ice Follies, Ringing Brothers Circus and a revue featuring
Olsen and Johnson. His first major Broadway musical was at the
age of fifteen when his parents took him to see "South
Pacific" with Janet Blair and Richard Eastham at the old Shubert
(now Bank of America) Theatre. When the Chicago Theatre, State
Lake Theatre, United Artist and Oriental Theatre ran movies and stage
shows, he went on a regular basis. He also purchased season
tickets for shows at the Blackstone, Shubert, Harris, Selwyn, Great
Northern and Erlanger, where the Theatre Guild and later Nederlander
organization booked major Broadway tours prior to Broadway in Chicago
taking over the market.
Before
regional theatre, Chicago had its share of summer stock and dinner
theatres and Richard had season tickets for all of them, including
Drury Lane South at 95th and Western. In 1976 he attended a
production of "Dillinger" at Victory Gardens Theatre when
they staged shows at Club Metro. The play was written by
William J. Norris and starred William Petersen. The show got
decent reviews, but on a Friday night that Richard purchased a
ticket, there were no more than 20 people in the audience.
Richard felt it was necessary to make people aware of regional
theatre in Chicago and decided to put together a homemade publication
called "Theatre 76." Every year the date changed and
it gave free publicity to theatres throughout Chicago and the suburbs
from 1976 through 1995. Richard's reviews have appeared in
Streetwise for fourteen years and also Our Village Publications.
Richard says "There is nothing like live theatre - long may it live." |