Category: Theater

City Lit has you seeing red

 

Skyler Tipton and Orion Lay-Sleeper. Photos by Steven Townshend (Distant Era)

Highly Recommended

In “Changing Channels” at City Lit Theater, Maggie Carlin and boss Eddie Gilroy abruptly learn that creating what will become an iconic TV comedy show is not all fun and games.

The storyline is a fictional account of actual events and the characters are thinly veiled portrayals of real people.

The character of Eddie Gilroy is Jackie Gleason, a representation of one of the early giants of television.  The creator of the popular syndicated situation comedy “The Honeymooners,” Gleason is played by Orion Lay-Sleeper with a perfect balance of requisite broad humor, bombastic personality and all-important charm.

The massive popularity of Gleason, and by extension Gilroy, is the ability to play a loud and at times obnoxious character, and still keep him likeable.

Underneath his rough exterior, Gleason was a sensitive and wounded person, giving him the ability to play wonderfully dramatic roles and portray characters like his alter ego “The Lost Soul” a perpetual outsider only able to observe life but never joining in.

Gleason was a softie and Lay-Sleeper did his homework, allowing him to tap into that dichotomy necessary to deliver to us a full three-dimensional interpretation of Gilroy.

The first appearance of “The Honeymooners” was as a series of short, ten-to-twenty-minute, comedy sketches on Gleason’s variety show.

Gleason’s on camera wife, Alice Cramden, was played by Audrey Meadows. However, what many people do not know or have forgotten is that Alice was originally played on the DuMont Network by Pert Kelton who is the basis for this version’s Maggie Carlin played by Kat Evans.

Feeling the need for an actress who could stand up to him, Gleason liked to spar with Kelton who played a more aggressive and caustic Alice that was different from the later, more well known, stern but warm, preson portrayal by Meadows. Consequently, Evans gives us a more outspoken Carlin with a bit more Brooklyn attitude and fiery independence.

It is perhaps this attitude that sets in motion the central event of this play clearly and convincingly crafted by John Reeger.

The premise is simple. Currently appearing on the fledgling DuMont TV network, Gilroy has an offer to move his wildly popular show to CBS. However, his manager, “Bullets” played by Johnny Moran, informs him that CBS is requiring all of its employees to sign a loyalty oath.

Due in large part to the “Cold War” the nation is in the midst of a “Red Scare.” Certain politicians and right wing organizations are terrified that the movie industry and now television are being infiltrated by communists bent on utilizing this new media to promote their propaganda to the American public.

Kenny (Andrew Pappas) in Citi Lit’s “Changing Channels.”

A list of actors, directors, and writers suspected to be commie sympathizers has been distributed to broadcasters and sponsors with the threat to boycott their companies if any of the listed people are hired.

In order to move the show to CBS everyone must sign the loyalty oath whether they are listed or not. As it turns out, Carlin and husband Peter (Skyler Tipton), are on the list because they attended a rally in support of labor unions. As a matter of principle Carlin refuses to sign, setting up the conflict in the storyline.

As it turns out, in reality, we know Kelton did not go on to make the more popular version of the “Honeymooners.” In fact, she basically did not get any really good acting opportunities for about 15 years until she created the role of the widow Peroo, Marian’s mother, in the Broadway version of “The Music Man” which she went on to play in the movie.

The character of Kenny (Andrew Pappas) is a stagehand who overhears much of what is happening. As part of the staff he will have to make some choices of his own. He is us.

Reeger gives the character of Kenny a chance to express his own dreams of success to Peter. It’s a juicy short monologue which Pappas literally “knocks out of the park.”

“Changing Channels” is not so much about what happened or even how it happened but rather, that it happened at all. That is the cautionary tale.

In our current political climate playwright Reeger is asking us to learn from the past, to see the danger in political paranoia, ideology run amok and social divisiveness–to witness how this plays out on the micro level–how, political mass hysteria effects actual people living their own day-to-day lives and to see how those who simply standby and observe are complicit in the conspiracy.

City Lit does a nice job of offering thought provoking entertainment with a good balance of humor and drama, and this particular ensemble headed by director Kevin Theis was terrific.

“Changing Channels” is presented by City Lit Theater Company at 1020 W Bryn Mawr, Chicago, IL 60660 (on the second floor of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church). Runtime is about 2 hours with one intermission. Visit citylit.org for tickets and information.

Reviewer: Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

 

Feline Fun

 

Highly Recommended

Music Theater Works’ production of CATS at Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is a nonstop “catcaphony” of frenzied feline fun.

With elements of musical theater, dance, opera and acrobatics there is definitely something for everyone.

Featuring oversized set pieces, designer Milo Bue gives us a cat’s eye view of their world. Presented in the smaller North Theatre of the Skokie venue it is the perfectly intimate size for this cabaret style production.

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber conceived of this production based on his love for the work of T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats that celebrates the personalities and behaviors of cats.

Using much of Eliot’s poems nearly verbatim, Webber employs a variety of musical styles and movement disciplines to project the playful, often quirky and always entertaining nature of each of the cats.

From Puccini to Elvis – – with tap dancing cats, cats on pointe, chandelier swinging acrobatics and floor level tumbling, cats are in constant motion. They’re under the TV, on top of the table, climbing the lamp and popping up in the audience. With a cast of thirty performers, cats appear everywhere.

It is no accident that head cat wrangler Mandy Modic is both director and choreographer as this is a huge feat of synchronized movement.

The action is nonstop and requires a person with the ability to essentially stage an elegant circus performance while making it look like a cohesive theatrical presentation which Modic seems to do effortlessly.

Like a good ringmaster she has you looking everywhere and delighting you with every glance. In the massive chorus numbers, each performer is totally engaged in their own unique stage-business, ready to entertain whoever happens to be focusing on them.

The entire cast is remarkably talented in both voice and movement. I’m sure assistant choreographer Jordan Beyeler and dance captain Emily Ann Brooks (Carbuckety) contributed massively as there are a lot of steps to learn and a lot of dancers who need to learn them.

The challenge for some is the lack of a plot. When pressed for an explanation of its meaning Webber famously quipped, “It’s about cats.”

There is no actual storyline but rather a series of individual short vignettes showcasing the discernible personalities of each cat which further projects the well-known notion of these oddly independent creatures.

The musical highlight of the show is of course Webber’s magnum opus “Memory” sung tremendously by Ava Lane Stovall as Grizabella the aged former glamour cat, then later revisited in a poignant sweet reprise with the compassionate kitten Sillabub (Irene Lo). The other vocal standout is Old Deuteronomy played with soulful basso perfection by Sam Nachison.

Additional favorite musical numbers include the playful Mungogerri (Alex Villasenor) and Rumpleteazer (Madison Jaffe-Richter) notably responsible for several missing objects; Magical Mister Mistoffelees (Nick Johnson) the consummate showman – – part magician and part whirling dervish always available to entertain; and, hanging out at the stage door, Gus, the theater cat (John Cardone) who was once quite famous in his day.

Musical director Linda Madonia and her eight-piece orchestra aided by assistant Alina Lowenstein does a spectacular job with the Webber score and vocals.

The well-executed diverse wardrobe, hair, and makeup are a standout and no small task. The addition of the “cat cam” and on-stage TV (engineered by media designer Anthony Churchill) are a fairly recent addition offering an updated multimedia component with a vintage vibe.

This is a must-see for theater kids and dance students as well as anyone looking for an enjoyable, highly entertaining evening.

DETAILS: CATS presented by Music Theatre Works is at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL through March 29, 2026. Runtime is about 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. For tickets and information visit musictheaterworks.com or call the box office at (847)673-6300.

Reviewer: Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

 

Somewhat Recommend

Comical exploration of reality.

There are two good reasons to see Harvey, by St. Sebastian Players. One is the humorous quirky Pulitzer Prize winning script by Mary Chase and the other is the exceptional performance of Jeff Broitman as Elwood Dowd, the pleasant oddball fellow whose companion and best friend is a six-foot rabbit.

Elwood lives with his sister Veta (Julie Utrup-O’Nan) and niece Myrtle Mae (Claire Rutkowski) who have come to live with him after the passing of the family matriarch.

The problem is Elwood owns the house and the two women are mortified and generally disturbed by Elwood’s behavior especially as it relates to his peculiar friend. Consequently, they conspire to have him committed to the care of Dr. Chumley (Robert Dean) aided by Dr. Sanderson (Eric Prahl).

This story has a mid-century vibe that projects sensibilities which have evolved since that period when experimental medical concoctions and institutional confinement were the accepted treatment for those considered to be out-of-step with societal norms.

There is also a noticeable overtone of misogyny particularly between Dr. Sanderson and his nurse Ms. Kelly (Erin Gordon) which is offered tongue-in-cheek for comic effect but might be a bit cringey for some.

It’s clear that Elwood is not a threat to himself or others and in the end this story has us consider how real or unreal are other people’s reality, and whether every peculiarity requires intervention.

With a number of laugh-out-loud moments, it’s just good fun. Director Lisa Ramos has good control over the action and the hinged set design of Emil Zbella was commendable, while Broitman brings an engaging natural whimsical charm to the role of Elwood worthy of any stage.

Established in 1981, the Saint Sebastian Players, according to their website, is a membership-based theatre company that brings together actors, directors, writers and technical crews in a supportive environment that fosters learning and growth.

The venue is comfortable with tiered seating that accommodates about 75 in the basement of St. Bonaventure Church. There is no elevator so be prepared to navigate some stairs. Limited free parking is available in the back with plenty of additional street parking.

Details: “Harvey” by St. Sebastian Players is at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey Parkway through March 8, 2026. Runtime is about 2 hours with one intermission. For ticket information and schedule visit saintsebastianplayers.org

Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

The Irish Through Song

Recommend

The Irish and How They Got That Way by Porchlight Theatre Company at Ruth Page Center is an entertaining but arguably superficial look at Irish History particularly as it pertains to Irish American Heritage.

The production is essentially a review or series of Irish songs strung together with a narrative by Frank McCourt author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book Angela’s Ashes.

It features about 35 songs or song segments very well performed by Emily Goldberg, Michael Mahler, Leah Morrow and Luke Nowakowski. Music Direction and Additional Musical Arrangements are by David Fiorello and Original Musical Arrangements are by Rusty Magee with Elleon Dobias (Musician).

Director David Giorlmo keeps the story moving and the overall theme upbeat and fast paced. A simple set design features a backdrop of three cloth sails with projected historical and evocative images assembled by digital designer G. Max Maxin.

McCourt’s style is to take a somewhat comical view of tragedy which he does here in his history of the Irish people. It includes their mistreatment by the British, the infamous potato famine and their less than welcoming arrival in America including job notices stating Irish Need Not Apply. It also does not shy away from the stereotypic love for drink that incidentally had a devastating effect on his own family.

The production takes time to celebrate the contribution of The Irish to the building of America, specifically as it pertained to mining and railroad work. The narrator suggests that, “You need only trace your finger across a map of the railroads in America to find the graves of thousands of Irishmen.” These contributions led to the Irish participation in trade unions and politics.

The production also pays tribute to those of Irish decent who served in the military beginning with their participation in the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War on both sides as well as WWI and WWII not only as soldiers but in spirit such as George M. Cohan who gave us songs like You’re a Grand Old Flag, Yankee Doodle Dandy and Over There.

In light of current immigration issues, it is easy for descendants of such earlier immigrants as the Irish, Italians, and Poles to forget or be ignorant that their forebearers not that long ago, were subject to the same racial slurs and vitriol that newer immigrant groups now face.

Publications like Harper’s Weekly and Punch portrayed Irish immigrants with exaggerated, animalistic features equating them to various apes including gorillas implying that Irish people were biologically inferior and prone to violence.

Signs and editorials described Irish workers as “invaders” who would “steal jobs.” Newspapers and labor groups sometimes framed Irish immigration as a threat to American labor “flooding the market” and “undercutting wages.” This rhetoric helped fuel riots and mob violence in cities like Philadelphia and New York.

Some newspapers suggested that The Irish were, “pouring into our cities to steal elections” warning that Irish voters would “corrupt the ballot box.”

Holding up a mirror to reflect on our history, our accomplishments and our humanity, sometimes ugly but always real, is partly the job of theater.

On one level, the production is a joyous expression of the Irish people through song but it is also a reminder of pain and struggle with a wink and a nod because Frank McCourt wants us to see the absurdity of life and the humor in being human.

You’ll probably love this if you’re of Irish heritage because of the familiarity of the songs and background message. If you’re a few generations removed or have no Irish heritage you will likely find some insight into this segment of America that makes up about 10% of the overall population.

The Irish and How They Got That Way by Porchlight Theatre Company is at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Runtime about 110 minutes with one intermission. Tickets are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight box office at 773.777.9884.

Reviewer Reno Lovison

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

Confederates at Redtwist

 

Madelyn Loehr (Candice), Monique Marshaun (Sandra) and Makari Tobinson-McNeese (Malik) Photo by A.R. Boseman

Highly Recommend

Be prepared – – I am getting ready to gush because this production of Confederates by playwright Dominique Morrisseau and directed by Aaron Reese-Boseman at Redtwist Theater is the level of writing and performance I hope to see when attending a play.

This intimate drama delivers a message of unconscious bias and institutional slavery put into motion generations ago but still very much alive and grappled with today on both sides of the racial divide.

Sandra (Monique Marshaun) a female African American social science professor at a predominantly white university has been racially targeted through the appearence of an image of her face “photoshopped” on to the body of an enslaved wet nurse with a white baby at her breast.

The message seems to suggest that Sandra shows favoritism toward white students over her black students and is doing so perhaps as a way to maintain her own status as the most senior woman of color in her department.

The image has caused great distress to Sandra resulting in frank and sometimes too honest discussions between her, her students and her colleagues as she endeavors to discover the person or persons behind the perceived slander.

Alternately, the action shifts to the life of enslaved woman Sara (Shenise Danyel) whose brother Abner (Makari Robinson-McNeese) has escaped the plantation toward the end of the American Civil War, and taken up arms with the Union Army.

Sara also wants her freedom but is hesitant to take action. In the meantime, her master’s daughter, Missy Sue, claims to have been enlightened through visits to the North where she has come in contact with abolitionists.

Madelyn Loehr (Candice), Monique Marshaun (Sandra) and Makari Tobinson-McNeese (Malik)

She claims to have always loved Sara who was her companion and confident as a child and wants her to join in a scheme to transfer information about Confederate troop movements through Abner to the Union Army. Sara doesn’t know who to trust and what to do.

Time shifting within a story can be quite challenging but this Redtwist company under the direction of Aaron Reese manages it seamlessly. It includes some necessary adjustments to the clever set design of Kevin M. Rolfs.

The costumes by Marquecia Jordan are well considered but Missy Sue’s late 18th Century traveling dress is a standout.

Sandra and Sara stay within their own time periods while McNeese as Abner also plays university student Malik. Likewise, Loehr has the roles of Missy Sue and student Candice while Tocarra Castleman plays the enslaved LuAnne and University Instructor Jade.

Each of these actors morph effortlessly between their roles including a number of quick costume changes and substantial linguistic shifts in dialect that appears almost like a magic act.

Sandra and Sara face their own existential dangers as they confront the challenges of their white male dominated societies while simply trying to improve their lives and advance their positions.

The expert handling of this somewhat complex storyline along with the requisite dialog in both academic and historic vernacular is superb. Each of these actors have literally consumed their roles performing the material with total believability, naturalness and nuance. This is the style of acting that I yearn for and unfortunately find missing in many productions today.

I am reluctant to speak about any individual actor as they each without equivocation equally contribute to the success of the whole. This is a masterclass in acting. Any young performer looking for inspiration should rush to see this.

How is it that this superb production is hiding away in a thirty-seat storefront theater in Edgewater? Someone needs to gather up this show with this company and put them in a bigger venue with a larger audience. Both the performers and the story deserve to be seen and heard.

This goes to demonstrate that you do not need massive budgets or star power to create great theater. There is simply no substitute for good writing and insightful performance.

Redtwist is a not-for-profit enterprise that deserves your support as an audience member and/or as a philanthropic contributor.

Confederates is at Redtwist Theater, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago through March 8, 2026. Runtime is 90 minutes with no intermission. Visit redtwisttheatre.org for tickets and information.

Reviewer Reno Lovison

For more shows and reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

—

Admissions

Highly recommended

“Admissions,” a play by Joshua Harmon now at Citadel Theatre, should have its audiences talking about who, how and why a graduating high schooler is readily admitted to the college of choice.

Bright high school student Charlie Luther Mason, superbly interpreted by Justin Jarzomek, is applying to college. He has the grades and activities needed to supposedly get into many prestigious Eastern universities. That is not the problem.

We learn that his friend who wrote “black” on his application because his dad is black, gets into Yale but Charlie is on the school’s deferred list.

Ginnie Peters (Tina Shelley) his friend’s mom, is white and a good friend of  Charlie’s mom, Sheri Rosen-Mason (Susie Steinmeyer), at least when the play begins.

Spoiler alert: Charlie is admitted to a prestigious university by the play’s end but but thinks he shouldn’t go because he is supposedly taking up a spot for a less advantaged student.

How he arrives at that kind of thinking is really what this this play is all about. That, and the attitude of Charlie’s mom Sheri, a college admissions  administrator (not clear if she works for the high school) and his dad, Bill Mason (Tim Walsh) offer the play’s philosophical bent.

Directed by Beth Wolf, the play should spark some interesting conversations.

Admissions is at Citadel Theatre, 825 Waukegan Rd. Lake Forest, Il now through March 15, 2026.

Jodie Jacobs

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

 

 

 

 

For Love and Money

(L-R) Molly Griggs, Wesley Taylor, Bryce Gangel, Luigi Sottile, Jordan Lage.(Photo by Todd Rosenberg)

Highly Recommended

For Love and Money

“Holiday” at The Goodman is a fresh world-premiere adaptation of the classic boy meets girl – – boy meets girl’s sister. A romcom by Richard Greenberg, it is based on the original 1928 version by playwright Philip Barry and features an outstanding cast.

A drawing room drama in two acts, it takes place in the opulent uptown home of Edward Seton III (Jordan Lange) an extremely wealthy New York banker. His wife has died and he is the patriarch of an old money family with three adult children.

This is a story about familial love, romantic love and sexual attraction as well as the influence of money, and in both cases  those who have too much, those who do not have enough, and those who want more.

Idealistic up-and-coming young attorney Johnny Case (Luigi Sottile) recently met Julia Seton (Molly Griggs) at a New-Age retreat where they spent some extended time together, fell in love and impulsively became engaged.

Julia is a driven entrepreneur owner of a boutique fashion line who neglected to tell Johnny about the fact that she is associated with this extremely wealthy family. This is a fact Johnny has to come-to-terms with just as father Edward has to consider whether this new fiancé is actually a gold-digger.

Julia’s siblings include her substance abusing brother Ned a/k/a Edward Seton IV (Wesley Taylor) who is the primary reason alcohol is not allowed in the house except during holidays. This is apparently from where the play’s name is derived. Their sister Linda Seton (Bryce Gangel) is an artist who lives in Brooklyn where she also works with children.

Linda is torn between two worlds which keeps her at odds with her father who feels rejected by her lifestyle choices. She loves Julia, though she feels the aging debutante is shallow and too dependent on her wealth.

Both sisters are protective of brother Ned though Julia wants to fix him while Linda wants to nurture him back to health. Of course, Edward feels Ned simply needs to stop his nonsense and apply himself to his work.

Drunk roles can be difficult and cringy but Taylor performs Ned with sympathetic perfection achieving a delicate balance of a person teetering on the edge of destruction with just enough control to keep him from being obnoxious or comical.

Disconnected from reality and inhibition Ned is the one most able to see and speak the truth around them. This makes him something of a fool or a shaman. In a desperate need for insight and understanding of her own feelings, Linda asks him to describe in detail what he experiences in his drunken stupor as she considers whether she wants to go there – – either to escape or find answers.

Ultimately this is a love triangle that forces each member of the triumvirate to consider what kind of life they really want.  It’s like a road trip where you know the destination but how you get there is the fun part. At one point the sexual tension was so great that when it was released the audience audibly responded.

The dialogue is real and the adaptation by Greenberg deftly introduces modern elements such as cellphones, the Internet, Uber versus Lyft, Instagram, and Door Dash as well as other linguistic transformations and social evolutions that did not exist in 1928. On the contrary what is amazing is how little has actually changed in the way of social interaction and societal relationship to love and money.

Directed by Robert Falls, the pacing was impeccable. The first act seemed to fly by. I was so engaged in the action that I was actually astounded when it had concluded, after a very typical one hour.

The set design of Walt Spangler was spectacular. As the curtain opened revealing the understated grandiose interior of the Seton Family residence with the particularly well rendered portrait of founding progenitor Edward Seton the first, it was obvious we were in for an interesting story.

Costumes by Kaye Voyce included an ensemble of boho chic for Linda and more sophisticated dresses for Julia while Ned lounged around in essentially the same mismatched jog pants and rumpled shirt, indicating he probably never changed his clothes.

Voyce probably had the most fun with the nearly outlandish attire of Laura and Seton Cram (Alejandra Escalante, Erik Hellman) two over-the-top cousins who arrive for lunch from Palm Beach and later help to fill out the all-important Holiday party.

Walter (Rammel Chan) is the long suffering household cook responsible for catering the luncheon and Holiday dinner.

Other guests include the caftan clad Nikka Washburn (Christiana Clark) and Susan Feld (Jesse Fisher) presented in this adaptation as an interracial lesbian couple where Feld incidentally is Jewish as well, so Greenberg covers a lot of territory with these two.

It turns out that both Johnny and Linda are acquainted with Washburn and Feld which becomes a literal point of connection between them. The couple represent everything that the Setons are not.

Before attending I asked myself why is Goodman reviving this 100-year-old play and why now? Well, it is the 100th Anniversary of The Goodman and in short except for the wrapper it seems interpersonal relationships have not changed much.

I may be a bit old fashioned but this production is the gold standard of everything I feel traditional theater should be. In this era of obligatory standing ovations this very appreciative audience leapt to their feet in unison at the conclusion of the performance.

Details: Holiday is at The Goodman – Albert Theatre 170 N Dearborn, Chicago through March 1, 2026. For tickets and information call (312)443-3800 or visit goodmantheatre.org.

Reviewer: Reno Lovison

Annie a hopeful message

 

Annie

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

“Annie” by Music Theater Works at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie offers a message of hope during desperate times that has an eerie relationship to the present.

The popular musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan, is based on an equally popular 1885 poem “Little Orphan Annie” by James Witcomb Riley and a  subsequent comic strip of the same name. The comic strip debuted in 1924 in the New York Daily News (owned by the Chicago Tribune), then ran in various newspapers for the next 86 years.

The uplifting story of a distinctively red haired, hopelessly optimistic, depression era orphan named Annie keeps the story firmly rooted in the early 1930s where the stark contrast between the haves and have-nots was plainly evident everywhere. This was especially true in urban centers like New York City where fortunes large and small were lost in the 1929 stock market crash.

Masses of people were reduced to selling apples or pencils on the street and living in improvised shanties nicknamed Hoovervilles, a portmanteau designed as a dig against outgoing President Herbert Hoover whom many considered responsible for the current conditions.

In the meantime, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt struggled to cobble together a number of relief initiatives that would become “The New Deal” including the Works Projects Administration (WPA) and Social Security for the elderly.

This version of the stage play begins with projected depression era images during the overture played by the MTW 16 piece pit orchestra led by Linda Madonia to set the mood and feeling of the time.

The opening lament, “Maybe” sets up the problem and introduces us to the eponymous orphan, Annie (Elin Joy Seiler) who dreams of reuniting with her parents and muses about what they might be like. Reality soon emerges with the orphan girls explaining their dismal lot singing, “Hard Knock Life.”

This is a showstopper as an assortment of exceptionally talented girls sing and dancd with expert precision led by choreographer Maryanne Nunn and music director Michael McBride.

Each of the girls show their individuality with none of them mugging for attention. However, the diminutive Molly (Audrey Bucholtz) is a scene stealer throughout the production, through no fault of her own.

Annie manages to briefly escape the orphanage rescuing stray dog “Sandy” along the way and singing, perhaps the best-known song from this play, “Tomorrow.”

Film actor W.C. Fields is often credited with saying, “Never work with dogs or children.” In this case, Seiler demonstrates her ultimate professionalism and comfort on stage as she manages to contain the loosely leashed and somewhat distracted Sandy (Nosi) while delivering her big number.

Back at the orphanage, boozy proprietress Miss Hannigan (Sarah Smith) opines her total contempt of the children in the comically mean spirited, “Little Girls.”

Smith finds a perfect balance of comic evil that is distinctively her own and not overly derivative of other well-known performers of this role.

Annie is returned to the orphanage about the same time Grace Farrell (Desiree Gonzalez) appears, looking to invite an orphan to spend the Christmas holiday with her employer Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks (Michael Metcalf). Annie is of course chosen.

This begins the relationship between the poor parentless child and the billionaire financier, setting up an opportunity to appreciate the stark contrast between those who are suffering and those with excessive wealth and privilege.

Metcalf is perfect in this iconic role. His well-modulated speaking and singing voice as well as his physical stature is commanding and authoritative shifting to a more sensitive demeanor when necessary and his suit fits impeccably.

I am a fan of Chicago area costume designer Rachel Sypniewski. She did a stellar job paying attention to each performer from the orphan girls and Warbucks’ household staff through to Annie’s make over and iconic final dress reminiscent of her comic-strip persona. Sypniewski understands that Warbucks and Annie as well as PA Farrell can’t look like they shop off-the rack so the tailoring is superb.

When Annie arrives at the Warbucks estate she asks if this is where he lives or is it a train station. The scenic design team of Jacqueline and Richard Penrod achieve an over-the-top impression with cartoon inspired scenic projections that decorate the background and flood the proscenium arch, creating an illusion of immersive opulence in which Annie sings, “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here.”

Another big number in Act I, “Easy Street,” introduces us to Miss Hannigan’s equally despicable brother Rooster (David Geinosky) and his female accomplice Lily St. Regis (Emily Holland). Geinosky employs a particularly gracefully exaggerated comic-like physicality.

In Act II Annie’s hope of finding her parents aided by Warbucks with the help of President Roosevelt (Bob Sanders) is nearly dashed by the “Easy Street” trio but ultimately comes to a satisfactory conclusion.

This is a comic come-to-life, and though there are some serious aspects to the message it is easily consumable by all ages. I was surrounded by a number of children between 5 and 10 years old who seemed absolutely captivated and not the least bit bored throughout the entire production.

Director Kyle Dougan-Leblanc kept the pacing quick with captivating projections accompanied by Madonia’s orchestral incidental music during scene changes, keeping the audience involved and focused.

This company always does a great job but this production is perfection.

“Annie” by Music Theater Works at The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL through January 4, 2026. Running time about 2 hours and a half with one 15-minute intermission. For tickets and information visit musictheaterworks.com or call (847) 673-6300.

Reviewer: Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

A Christmas Carol is a joyful tradition

An older man in Victorian clothing and top hat stands in front of a holiday wreath with the text "Holiday Joy Past, Present, Future" on a snowy background.

Highly Recommended

Coca-Cola may have codified our image of Santa but Victorian author, Charles Dickens taught the world about the spirit of Christmas. The Goodman Theatre has continued that lesson in Chicago for 48 years.

Part of the success and charm of this tale is its simple elegance. The story is easy to understand even by the youngest theater goers yet it does not talk down the audience. It’s a kind of secular parable with a strong moral lesson to change your ways before it’s too late.

Originally published as a novella in 1843, it was first adapted for the stage just one year later by Edward Stirling. Subsequent adaptations, including this one by Tom Creamer, do not stray far from the source including much of Dickens’ own original dialogue.

The unique contribution of The Goodman tradition has been to broaden the universality of the message through colorblind, gender neutral and mixed ethnic casting as well as incorporating the use of American sign language. It provides a chance for virtually everyone to see themselves in the characters on stage while reminding us that we are all a part of a larger world.

The central character is Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Donahue), a wealthy businessman of advanced years whose name through his actions and discourse has become synonymous with self-centered miserliness.

When asked to donate to the less fortunate Scrooge asks, “Are there no prisons? … And the Union workhouses, are they still in operation?” When told many would rather die than have to go to the various institutions, Scrooge replies, “If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

Dickens teaches us, through Scrooge, about the spirit of Christmas quite literally using spectral visitations. The first is the deceased former business partner of Scrooge, Jacob Marley (Daniel Jose Molina). He reveals that Scrooge is to be visited by three additional ghosts representing present (Bethany Thomas), past (Lucky Stiff) and future (Molina).

In each subsequent period we experience the life and fate of Scrooge’s long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit (Jon Hudson Odom) who has been sorely used by his employer yet somehow manages to retain an optimistic view and joyful demeanor.

We also get a glimpse into Scrooge’s own personal life including his relationship with his own family and past acquaintances.

In the end, Scrooge is confronted with his own fate and the potential fate of those whose lives he affects, most notably the Cratchit family including the ailing youngster, Tiny Tim (Ella Boparai).

I am a Dickens fan and have read most if not all of his popular works and seen many film and stage adaptations.  What I love about him is his attention to detail. He was a keen observer of people and the world around him.

He was a quintessential chronicler of the Victorian period and a champion of human rights that made a significant impact by drawing attention to the needs of the lower classes in England and particularly the needs of poor and neglected children.

As a reviewer I find it difficult to comment on the interpretation of the individual players in this production because Dickens does such a fine job of defining his characters that a capable actor need only crawl into the suit and perform what he is given.

That said, it certainly can be done badly but when done well, as is the case with this cast, what we see is the actor’s own humanity bleed through.

Donahue’s Scrooge is not like every other Scrooge I’ve seen nor is Odom’s Cratchit. Rather what I see are the aspects of Donahue’s own personality that is most like Scrooge and likewise Odom’s personal relationship with Cratchit.

I suppose this is what every modern actor is hoping to achieve. Whether Hamlet, Willie Loman or Scrooge these characters are so well crafted that they meld together with the actor and in turn with the audience because we see ourselves in each of these archetypes.

It’s easy to say that in today’s political and social climate this year’s version has particular significance but the genius of this story is that the social ills that confront us have been here for time immemorial.

However, Dickens reminds us that we do not have to change the world we only need to reach out to the persons closest to us to affect a modicum of change for them.

Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel helped to popularize the Talmudic phrase, “Whoever saves one life, it is as if he has saved an entire world.” Matthew 25:40 quotes Jesus as saying, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

A Christmas Carol is a familiar story to many who may have seen other stage versions or any of the popular movie versions including a number of modern adaptations and even animations.

For this reason, I consciously avoided The Goodman tradition for far too long, feeling I would rather not revisit this chestnut again. Well, I was wrong! The Goodman staging of A Christmas Carol is an exciting and satisfying visual extravaganza that incorporates all manner of stagecraft with technologies old and new, while retaining the essential aspects of the original.

In this way a modern audience will find what they desire while the purists (like me) will find their familiar favorite elements still intact. I guess I have discovered and transformed the Scrooge in me.

Marketing materials for various products often promise, “It will bring out the child in you.” This production absolutely does it. Likewise, it is indeed “fun for the whole family.”

Details: “A Christmas Carol” directed by Malkia Stampley is at The Goodman, 170 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL through December 30, 2025. Runtime is about 2 ½ hours with one intermission. Visit goodmantheatre.org for tickets and information

Reviewer Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

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Much Ado at Chicago Shakes is worth the fuss.

Highly Recommended

Performed in modern dress using original Elizabethan vernacular, Much Ado About Nothing is a quintessential Shakespeare comedy that has a little something for everyone.  It’s a perfect show for groundlings who might appreciate that it is not too complex and at times borders on slapstick. It’s a humorous love story with a touch of drama that pokes fun at everyone no matter their rank.

The setting is the courtyard of the estate of the Governor of Messina, Leonato (Kevin Gudahl) where Prince Don Pedro (Debo Balogun) arrives with his crew, including his right-hand man Benedick (Mark Bedard) and fellow soldier Claudio (Samuel B. Jackson) who are greeted enthusiastically by Leonato’s daughter Hero (Mi Kang) and niece Beatrice (Deborah Hay).

Claudio is immediately smitten with the beautiful Hero and soon expresses, to his comrades, his desire to “take her to wife.” He is encouraged by the worldly-wise Don Pedro but utterly derided by Benedick who declares, “That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks…all women shall pardon me… [but]I will live a bachelor.”

Hero is likewise enamored of Claudio but like Benedic, Beatrice declares her desire to remain single saying, “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.”

This sets up the dual love story whereby Hero and Claudio plan to wed while he, Don Pedro and Leonato conspire together with Hero’s maid Margaret (Tiffany Scott) and lady-in-waiting Ursula (Felicia Oduh) to set a trap that will unite the resistant Beatrice and Bendick. Hero says, “Some, Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.”

In the meantime, Don Pedro’s bastard brother, the joyless Don John (Erik Hellman) plots with his accomplice Borachio (Yona Moises Olivares) aided by Conrade (Colin Huerta) to confound the marriage of Hero and Claudio – – primarily because in his own misery he can’t stand to see anyone happy.

Two men of the watch (Suzanne Hannau and Joey Chelius) charged with keeping the peace through the night inadvertently uncover Don John’s plot.

The hilariously bumbling constable Dogberry, (Sean Fortunato) laboriously explains the plot to Leonato through a series of malapropisms and confusions, ultimately driving the resolution of the tale with the aid of Leonato’s brother Antonio (Jeff Parker) and the friar (Jaylon Muchison) who manage a scheme to make all things right.

The simple elegant two-story courtyard set design by Tom Piper was very effective in providing a range of entry and exit points that kept the action interesting and surprising.

Directed by Selina Cadell, this was a very enjoyable performance where the players and the audience all seemed to be having a great time. The inclusion of a small ensemble of musicians added to the lightness of the production by interjecting some musical merriment between scenes.

Details: Much Ado About Nothing is presented by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater Company in their Courtyard Theater on Navy Pier, Chicago through December 21, 2025. Run time is about 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. For ticket and information visit ChicagoShakes.com

Reviewer: Reno Lovison

For more shows visit Theatre In Chicago