HAIR Past present or hope for the future?

 

Recommended

HAIR – is it a nostalgic romp or does it have relevance to a contemporary audience?

I’m struggling to look at HAIR with fresh eyes and consider if this theatrical offering can be understood or enjoyed out of context. On the surface it is a collection of musical vignettes performed by a ragtag group of nihilists. But who are they and what are they trying to say?

The original production, with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, opened in 1967 before moving to Broadway in 1968. It was a successful contemporary attempt to celebrate and explain the counterculture to a confused older generation grappling with the poorly understood perceived antics of their progeny.

I think it is interesting to note that Bob Dylan wrote, “The Times They Are a Changin’” in the fall of 1963 including the lines:

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly agin’.

Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand, For the times they are a changin’.

Dylan seemed to have a keen recognition of what was happening and premonition of what was to come.

In 1968, the leading edge of the baby boom reached adulthood, with roughly 12.5 million Americans being between the ages of 18 and 21. This generation had grown up under the shadow of nuclear annihilation and came of age during the height of the Vietnam War, when a mandatory draft policy placed every young man in that cohort at risk of being arbitrarily selected for combat service.

HAIR is a take on postmodern existentialist philosophy toned down a bit for a more mainstream audience.

It is not a story but rather an expression of anxiety, freedom, responsibility, authenticity, absurdity and individual human existence in conflict with collective society. In this sense a modern audience will find some correlation to the current times.

With roots in abstraction and dadaism HAIR is amorphous and messy but that is part of the experience. The best way to enjoy this production is to simply let it wash over you. Do not fight it but rather go-with-the-flow.

The loose backstory is that of Claude (Gavin Rhys), a member of a Hippie tribe who is conflicted over his willingness to completely join the rebellion by burning his draft card and defying the draft.

He and his “tribe” are immersed in the newly emerging trends of sex, drugs and rock & roll which would become one of the slogans of the time. All of this was a clear reaction to the repressive conservative norms of the previous generation. Hence the term counterculture.

Males wearing their hair long was the most iconic physical manifestation of the period becoming the very definition of the movement and the inspiration for this show’s title and song which celebrates the symbolic gesture.

The production opens with “Aquarius” sung by Dionne (Chosen Mitchell) and the Tribe. The lyrics set the tone for the idealistic and hopeful yearnings of a generation looking for meaning in life and a brighter future where “peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.

Looking to Astrology for the answer is a further rejection of traditional religion and the status quo. The song became something of an anthem for the time. Toward the end of Act One, “Be-In” a/k/a “Hare Krishna” is a nod to the influence of South-Asian Indian culture. While “Good Morning Star Shine” is yet another reference to being one with the cosmos.

“Donna” presented as the second song is a throw-back to earlier rock & roll love songs with a bit more edge setting up a contrast of what is to come with much more edgier sex songs like “Sodomy” and “Black Boys/White Boys.” These songs together with “Colored Spade” and “I’m Black” remind us that attempting to improve race relations was very much a part of the counterculture.

A defining feature of the time was the presence of mind-altering substances being embraced by large numbers of young people including marijuana and LSD used both in an attempt to expand consciousness and a way to manage anxiety. “Hashish” “Ain’t Got No Grass” and “Initials” set us up for Claude’s hallucinations in Act Two with “Walking in Space” “Abie Baby” and “The War.”

As for Vietnam which is of course a central theme, the song “Three-Five-Zero-Zero is a reference to U.S. propaganda suggesting that the Vietcong were sustaining 3,500 losses per month hence reducing human life impersonally to mere numbers. This would be difficult to understand without some reference.

Sheila (Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor) is the voice of experience in “Easy to Be Hard” lamenting how some people can be cruel and indifferent to the individuals around them even as they claim to care about the masses. Conversely Crissy (Amy Yesom Kim) sings a sweet song of naive love in “Frank Mills.”

Important and interesting is “Air” sung by Jeannie (Allyriane Huq) with Crissy and Dionne raising awareness of the then relatively new public concern about the impact of pollution.

In the end this is a celebration of youthful idealism confronting the realities of life within a particularly unique historic period.

As humans we are individuals who are also part of a collective, expressed by Claude in “I Got Life” and “Where Do I Go.”

Many of the themes are universal truths related to the human experience while some are very specific to the time. “Let the Sun Shine In” is both tragic and uplifting as life and growth do not occur without pain and loss.

The Kokandy cast, as always, delivers on vocal quality and has put their own spin on this now classic musical. Costumes by Rachel Sypniewski are reminiscent of the period but not derivative opting to embrace the ideas of eclectic individualism over period realism. The same is true of the make-up design by Syd Genco as well as hair and wigs by Keith Ryan.

I loved the concept behind the scenic design of Eleanor Kahn featuring plain light toned wooden risers emblazoned with graffiti which again included both vintage and contemporary slogans. It was fun that the audience was invited to add their own personal touches during the intermission.

I guess I opted in this review for some context by providing a kind of cheat sheet that might make this a bit more enjoyable for audience members who may be a little confused about what is happening, especially if not familiar with the lyrics.

This was written for the audience of the time and many references were just simply understood. At this point there are a few numbers that can be cut in order to bring the overall runtime down maybe 15 minutes or so.

For those looking for a simple nostalgic experience, this is more of an interpretation than a recreation. For younger audience members you’ll enjoy the retro vibe and find relevance in the message.

DETAILS: HAIR by Kokandy Productions is at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL through September 13, 2026. Runtime is 2.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission. For tickets and information visit kokandyproductions.com

Review by Reno Lovison who auditioned for the Chicago cast in 1969 alongside Mandy Patinkin. “Neither of us got hired.”

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

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Off out beaten entertainment path – an impromptu daytrip to Milwaukee

 

Provided by Wikipedia

(Photo compliments of Milwaukee Art Museum)

Many Chicagoans may not even realize there is a sizeable attractive, action-filled metropolis a mere 90 miles north of the loop that makes Milwaukee a perfect destination for a one-night stay or daytrip.

On a whim, after planning and hosting a gathering for over 60 friends and family the previous weekend we decided to escape Chicago on the 4th of July to spend a night in Milwaukee.

Finding where to stay

To begin our brief adventure, I chose to spin the proverbial wheel using “express deals” at Priceline.com to determine where to stay. The site indicated about six 4-star hotels downtown that all sounded fine to me.

We drew the Hilton on Wisconsin Avenue across from the convention center. This was the former Marc Plaza a period hotel built in 1928 that has been very well maintained and reminiscent of the Conrad Hilton, the brand’s flagship Chicago hotel though considerably smaller.

Our room on the 16th floor with one King bed was very clean, large and luxuriously appointed with contemporary furnishings including a recently renovated bath. In spite of the location next to the elevator it was very quiet. There was a minibar and a big screen TV that greeted us with a personalized welcome message.

The ample hotel lobby has a charming early 20th Century vintage vibe with very high ceilings and wood trim with gold accents. Also, there are three restaurants on the property and room service is available.

Our discounted price was just under $150 for the night including taxes and fees, easily 1/3 lower than any of the other posted rates for the same hotel online. I got another $15 rebate using my Capital One card.

Once we arrived, I learned that parking was an additional $40 per night with in-and-out privileges. I decided to check my Spot Hero app and noticed there were several nearby options at half the price. However, since it was Saturday night and metered parking was free all day Sunday I was able to park on the street across from the hotel for free.

We checked in after 4PM then took a ride through downtown and around the east side of the city, which like Chicago is the lakeside. This is really a great get-a-way location and ideal for those looking for a big city experience that is not on the hectic level or scale of Chicago.

Beginning with an architectural adventure

Driving east from the hotel on Wisconsin Avenue I was struck by how much of the 1880’s era architecture this city has retained. Chicago has eradicated most of the enormous terracotta clad brick “skyscrapers” that defined the growing urban centers of the late 19th and early 20th century.

In this case, the Federal Building & Courthouse (1892-99) with its large stone columns; the Iron Block Building (1860) with its cast iron facade; the Pfister Hotel (1893) is the picture of Gilded Age Luxury and the Chamber of Commerce Building (1879-90) on Broadway, features an impressive façade of carved ornamentation.

There are numerous additional architectural gems spanning over 150 years to find and explore from Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes (1967), Frank Lloyd Wright’s Burnham Block (1912-16) to The Calatrava “Wings” (2001) part of the Milwaukee Art Museum — a movable sunscreen that opens and closes like a giant bird and is one of the most recognizable architectural features in the world.

Fireworks on the lakefront

We headed north along Lake Drive in search of some 4th of July fireworks and settled in Atwater Park just past Capitol Drive in the adjacent suburb of Shorewood. It is the equivalent of Evanston in Chicago in terms of proximity to the northern boundary of the city.

The park features a dramatic bluff about 70 feet high overlooking Lake Michigan and has a dramatic switchback path down to the beach that is enjoyable during any visit.

Luckily, I keep a couple of foldable camp chairs in my trunk which we grabbed and walked about two blocks from Edgewood Avenue and Lake Drive.

Edgewood Avenue has a number of impressive mostly single-family homes built between 1915 and 1935 that are a mix of Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, and Mediterranean‑influenced architecture on sizeable lots that range in price between $1 million to over $2 million.

We situated ourselves comfortably near the entrance of the park next to an illuminated public art installation of a seated human figure made of interlocking alphabetic characters forming a hollow, mesh‑like body by Jaume Plensa called Spillover Il.

Since the fireworks were being launched from the beach below, we were easily half way to where they ultimately exploded providing us an intimate immersive experience.

By the way, this is a nice drive and a spectacular view even when there are not fireworks to enjoy.

Afterwards we made our way back to the hotel to enjoy a cocktail and split an order of BBQ pulled pork sliders for a perfect late-night snack at the Miller Time Pub & Grill in the lobby.

Sunday Day Tripping

Now this is where things get a bit more interesting for day-trippers as the rest of this article is about how we spent a random Sunday in Milwaukee without really planning ahead.

We got kind of a late start because we just are not “crack-of-dawn” people  which is one of the reasons we chose to stay the night. So, we were in search of Sunday brunch rather than breakfast.

Day tripping this will show that you can take a couple of hours to get up to Milwaukee on a Sunday and still have a nice full day experience. By the way if you choose not to drive, Amtrak has two Sunday morning trains that get in at 10:00 AM and 12:45 PM near the Hilton (check current schedules of course). Then getting around the city is quite easy by foot and/or via rental bike, scooter, bus and or a free tram.

In search of Sunday brunch

We first looked at the 3rd Street Market Hall on Wisconsin Avenue purported to be the second-best food court in the country according to USA Today. Featuring 20+ food vendors and a unique self-serve beer tap wall, it’s modern and family friendly though a bit more meat and drink forward then we were hoping for.

We also wanted to be outside. With no plan in mind, we headed on foot a few blocks north on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the 3rd Street Historical District.

This is a roughly a one block stretch of quaint old Italianate storefronts with a German vibe leftover from when this was the core of the German-American commercial area of the 1860s and early 1900s.  Anchors on the street are the iconic Mader’s Restaurant and the Usinger Sausage Headquarters with the Pabst Brewery Complex nearby.

The three or four pubs on the street are more geared to beer and sausage than Sunday brunch but we landed outside the “Old German Beer Hall” whose chalkboard outside said “Sunday Brunch” including Chicken Schnitzel & Waffles ($14) and Bavarian Skillet ($14). We got one of each.

Surprisingly, they did not have coffee. So after we ordered I walked back a block to Starbucks in the Hyatt for a couple of Ventes.

The outside is long tables and benches and inside is classic old school German Hofbrau.  This would surely to be a great place to watch a game or hangout with a group of friends. Food here is an afterthought and I give it a solid five out of ten but it was an overall pleasant experience. If you’re looking for sausage and beer you will do well in this area. If you’re looking for a brunch experience do a little more research and plan ahead.

A waterfront boat ride

We thought we would enjoy the Milwaukee Art Museum which alone is well worth the trip. But since it was nice summer weather and we were near the river we decided to do a river excursion which was the highlight of the day. We’ll save the museum for another trip in the fall or winter.

We opted for the mimosa Sunday Funday excursion on the Harbor Lady rather than the narrated historic tour on the Edelweiss. I think either (about $30 for 1.5 hours) would be fine but I was not in the mood for taking in a lot of information and instead just wanted to enjoy the sights. Tickets are available online at edelweissboats.com or at their ticket office on Highland at the river. By the way the riverwalk is a nice place for a stroll either before or afterwards.

The excursion from the landing along the river and out to the harbor was delightful. Great architecture along the way. A view of several bascule and lift bridges as well as an opportunity to view the activity along the shore and in the water including kayaks, sailboats, motor craft and other excursion boats.

Some highlights of the trip included viewing the Daniel Hoan Bridge from the lake with its bright yellow arch design that soars almost 120 feet above the water terminating on the north end near the Summerfest grounds.

We also passed the stunning Milwaukee Art Museum and got a glimpse of the Historic Third Ward which was our next destination.

The Historic Third Ward

By this time, you might gather I enjoy vintage architecture and Milwaukee has it in spades. Many years ago when were first married we lived here for three years and none of this was developed. The 3rd Ward area at that time was just a collection of mostly derelict light industrial and manufacturing buildings.

Now it is a very hip neighborhood of small businesses, trendy condos and a variety of neighborhood bars and restaurants along the river with the focal point being the Milwaukee Public Market reminiscent of Pike Place Market in Seattle with a large contingent of both prepared food and grocery vendors as well as of course plenty of beer options. We were looking for something light and opted for a couple of delicious tacos and lemonade at a bar near the front door. 

A free ride

After exiting the market we spotted the Milwaukee Hop, a modern streetcar that uses both a pantograph (overhead electric lines) and its own battery power for certain segments. What caught my eye was the sign in the window that said, Free Rides. We thought, “what the heck” and got on, not knowing where it went.

As it turned out it was a very pleasurable easy tour of the city that passed by some of the places and buildings we had seen and many we had not. This is another great way to do some significant building and people watching. If you are inclined you can get off and explore then continue on to the end of the line (like we did) or grab another trolly back to where you began.

As it was, we logged about 4 miles of walking by the end of the day, so I did not mind doing a little riding as well by boat and trolly.

Meeting people

I don’t know if Milwaukee is any more friendly than anyplace else but we had a few enjoyable encounters. All of the waitstaff we interacted with were particularly nice and accommodating. At the fireworks we met a retired couple from Michigan now living in Milwaukee who told us about using the ferry from Milwaukee to Michigan to visit her elderly father. Sounds like a possible future trip idea.

On the boat we chatted with a nice fellow visiting from Sheboygan for the day and on the trolly we had a nice conversation with a young couple living in Milwaukee who were on their way to meet friends at the Public Market.

On the way home

No trip to Milwaukee is complete for us without a stop on the way out of town at Leon’s Frozen Custard on Layton on the south side. Established in 1947 this is not retro it is the real deal. A massive neon emblazoned frozen custard stand featuring outstanding frozen custard offered in a spectacular vintage drive-up only edifice.

One last tradition is an obligatory visit to the Mars Cheese Castle outside Racine on I94. If you forgot to pick-up some beer or cheese in Milwaukee this is you last chance to make your purchase with authentic Wisconsin hospitality. I have a friend that insists I bring him two or three loafs of cheese bread from their bakery and I’m fond of the giant elephant ear cookies which seem hard to find in Chicago.

This is hardly everything there is to do in Milwaukee – it’s not even a list of the best things to do, but hopefully it will inspire you to plan a day trip of your own when you just want to go someplace nearby for a short get-a-way.

Reno Lovison

(Reno Lovison is a Chicago video marketing professional and theater reviewer)

 

A Little Light Music

 

Recommended

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, audiences can expect a fine evening out at Marriott Lincolnshire for “A Little Night Music.”

This is a period piece taking place in Sweden sometime around the late 1800s to very early 1900’s.

You’ll meet Madame Leonora Armfeldt (Carmen Roman), an aging former courtesan, and granddaughter Fredrika (Olivia Grace O’Sullivan).

Then, we meet Fredrik Egerman (Andrew Samonsky), a successful lawyer and his new wife, Anne (Addie Morales), a young, naive, inexperienced girl whom we learn near the end of the first act is still a virgin even though they have been married for months.

You’ll also meet Fredrik’s son, Henrik, (Eldon Warner Soriano) a seminary student who is older than his stepmother.

Fredrik surprises Anne with tickets to a show starring Desiree Armfeldt (Alexandra Silber), an actress whom Anne admires and who, unbeknownst to Anne, Fredrik already knows.

At Desiree’s apartment Fredrik encounters another of her lovers, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Alan H. Green).

To make relationships even more complicated Carl-Magnus is married to  Countess Charlotte whose young sister, Marta, is Anne’s friend.

Anne and Marta

The first act ends with the characters taking off for a “Weekend in the Country,” an upbeat tune.

You’ll have to see the show to know what happens then.

Directed by Nick Bowling and choreographed by Katie Johannigman, “A Little Night Music is a fun, little night out.

DETAILS: “A Little Night Music” is at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire, IL. now through Aug. 9, 2026.

Jodie Jacobs

For more show reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

World Premiere of a new musical classic

 

Highly Recommended

Scaramouche is a stock character in Italian commedia dell’arte who is seen as an unscrupulous, boastful, and often cowardly rogue whose swagger collapses the moment real danger appears.

This City Lit world‑premiere musical adaptation of Scaramouche by Kingsley Day and James Glossman based on Rafael Sabatini’s novel is set in 18th‑century France on the eve of the French Revolution.

After the death of his friend Phillipe (Connor Ripperger) at the hand of the Marquis de la Tour (Kent Joseph), Andre‑Louis Moreau (Ethan Smith) boasts of retribution yet fails to follow through.

Convinced by his cousin Aline (Laura Michele Erle) that he is in mortal danger, Moreau flees, joining a troupe of travelling actors where he in fact takes on the role of Scaramouche.

What ensues is a series of political intrigues and personal interactions that depicts Moreau’s life journey ultimately bringing him to understanding his true self.

In addition to his contribution as co-author, Kingsley Day has done a terrific job with the music and lyrics. The overall style harkens back to a more traditional approach. There are no big soaring production numbers prevalent in contemporary musicals but rather a staggering 30 or so creative melodies and recitatives that feature surprising harmonies that seem perfectly at place in the story’s time period. This is most notable in “A Family Reunion” sung as a four-part vocal quartet in counterpoint reminiscent of a Mozart opera. “Entitled to be Happy” sung as a charming duet by Aline and Moreau sets the tone of their relationship.

Demonstrating a prodigious vocabulary, Day shows he has done his research into the subject matter and lexicon of the period, pairing a variety of complex words in unexpected ways with wry wit and delightful comic effect.

A familiar figure in the Chicago theater scene, Day reveals his considerable acquaintance with Gilbert and Sullivan in several of the numbers, while in “A Brand-New Play” he provides an homage to the rapid-fire patter song of Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin made famous by Danny Kaye’s rattling off the names of fifty or more Russian composers. In this case a shorter list of French playwrights. Adding to the humor is Day’s tongue-in-cheek reference to himself with Moreau explaining the secret to writing a good play is to borrow from the best. Which incidentally Day has accomplished brilliantly.

Music Director and accompanist Kevin Zhou with the assistance of Tyeese Braslavsy and musicians Chad Polk, Aaron Kaplan, Matthew Beck, and Adam High introduced this new work admirably including the use of woodwinds and strings to augment the period effect.

The vocal performances of the company were all excellent however about half the cast seemed to lack the vocal power needed to really push their numbers to full effect. This was due in part to the interesting vocal range demanded by Day’s compositions.

The lack of amplification was a factor, which is indeed a feature of modern theater and musical vocal performance generally. I understand that in the small space of the City Lit theater it seems unnecessary but in fact the room does not have ideal acoustics especially when singers are competing against live instrumentalists. Many of the low notes got lost and some of the endings never got the full-bodied top notes they deserved. The performers were hitting the notes but the volume was often quite soft. This is more of an observation than a criticism. It did not detract from our enjoyment of the performance but both my companion and I had the same experience.

Smith as Moreau sets the pace managing the demanding role well, being onstage nearly all the time and participating in ten out of the fourteen musical numbers in the first act.

Each of the supporting actors played multiple roles with perfection beginning with Connor Ripperger (I remember as Pippin at MTW) who has a good strong voice and considerable stage presence. The same is true of Kent Joseph whose stature and voice gave a commanding bearing to The Marquis and a devilish characterization as a member of the theater troupe.

Henry Michael Odum who appears in three roles as uncle; leader of the acting troupe; and fencing master are all skillfully related as they are all mentors to Moreau. Odum gives each a slightly different supportive twist.

Erle as the ingénue Aline and Alicia Berneche as Madame provided full throated performances that helped to bring some appreciated vocal dynamics to the production.

India Huy was perfectly coquettish as love interest Climene while Shea Lee was a scene stealer in her comic portrayal of the elderly maidservant.

The trio of “Royalists” (Kent Joseph, Rushil Byatnal, Ed Rutherford) had their moment in the perfectly evil “Robin Redbreast.”

The set design of Trevor Dotson with raised section and projected background, providing a screen for the onstage musicians, was perfectly suited to the small confines of the City Lit performance area.

The lighting effects of Jackson Mikkelsen was very effective in managing the mood and offering a certain muted vintage quality to the production.

Costumes by Jennifer Mohr were appropriate including the use of scarves and sashes that added dramatic flair to the action.

Physical movement is constrained by the available space but the sword fighting was very well managed and the Ensemble movements of the acting troupe with its homage to Fosse was very funny.

Director Beth Wolf did a tremendous job pulling it all together. The press opening performance was flawless. This cast was well prepared, ready and on-pointe in every way.

This may not have the scale of the modern blockbusters and might seem a bit old-school to some but it is a well-conceived, well written production with a good balance of drama and humor that includes interesting and approachable music and lyrics wrapped in an interesting story. Don’t miss it.

Scaramouche 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 15-minute intermission. Visit citylit.org for tickets and information.

Reviewer: Reno Lovison

Putting a Price on Loss

Windfall

Recommended

When a widowed father is informed that his child has been killed during a protest, he’s forced to consider whether a cash settlement can possibly soothe his grief — causing us to witness how public institutions and

policies, in an attempt to remain impartial, reduce tragedy to a transaction that ignores emotional needs of individuals.

This somewhat mystical world premiere production by Tarell Alvin McCraney has Mr. Mano (Michael Potts) receiving advice from his dead son Marcus (Glenn Davis) who wants him to take the money and run.

In the meantime, Mr. Mano is under intense pressure from three government representatives — each played amusingly with varied personas by Alana Arenas  — to accept their settlement offer.

While processing all of this, the father reviews his relationship with his now lost child who has transitioned from adored daughter Elizabeth to young adult activist Eli (Esco Jouley). It apparently has caused some previous conflict between them which Mano has worked diligently to resolve and now must reconcile.

Directed by Awoye Timpo each member of this talented Steppenwolf ensemble put in strong performances led by Potts who sets the emotional tone and rhythm of the story that revolves around his struggle.

The playful banter of Davis as Marcus, and Arenas as the three bumbling bureaucrats combined with the youthful exuberance of Eli’s companions (John Michael Hill and Namir Smallwood) lighten the mood in what could devolve into a particularly oppressive topic.

Details: “Windfall” is at Steppenwolf, 1646 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, through May 31, 2026. Runtime is about 2 hours with a 10-minute intermission.  Visit Steppenwolf.org for tickets and information.

Review by Reno Lovison

For more shows and reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

How to interpret Ruthless

Ruthless 2.jpg

Catharina Araujo as Tina Denmark

Recommended

What if it’s the young actor and not the stage mother who is “ruthless?”

In Act I of Citadel Theatre’s “Ruthless,” we find a second grader who wants to be the lead in her class play so much she is willing to get rid of the classmate who has that part.

In the show on stage at Sunday’s performance that “ruthless” youngster as the wannabe star Tina Denmark is Catharina Araujo who alternates with Olivia Mulder in the role. Araujo is terrific and believable.

But wait.

We learn at the end of Act I from her grandmother, a theater reviewer, that her mom, Judy Denmark (Annie Beaubien) is the daughter of an acting family.

The show is full of surprises.

As the curtain closes on the first act we see a formerly low-key mom as someone who might have been in “Gypsy.”

Details: “Ruthless! The Musical” is at Citadel Theatre

in Lake Forest, IL. through May 17, 2026.

Jodie Jacobs

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

 

 

That’s All Right

 

Highly Recommended

Heartbreak Hotel

Everything from Tyler Hanes as the adult Elvis and Charles Adler Bischoff as Kid Elvis was very “All Right” opening night of Heartbreak Hotel at Marriott Theatre, Wednesday.

It didn’t matter if you were a longtime, silver-haired subscriber or twenty-something, first-time, theater goer. Age didn’t matter given audience reactions and applause to all the vocals from “Blue Suede Shoes” to “Can’t Help falling in Love.”

Directed and choreographed by Deidre Goodwin with musical arrangements and orchestrations by David Abbinanti, the entire production merited the long, standing ovation for the stars and ensemble.

The show is a reminder of why Elvis still lives in people’s hearts and memories.

BTW, his Graceland estate is worth a visit and it did have an airplane parked there as he mentioned he wanted.

Check out Graceland in Memphis if you have a chance. 

Jodie Jacobs

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith and love in The Sugar Wife

 

Highly Recommended

Repression, Power, and Renewal

A Quaker couple living in Dublin, Ireland circa 1850, invite a former enslaved African-American woman and her companion to spend ten weeks in their home while touring the British Isle promoting the abolitionist movement.  Their visit concludes on the spring equinox bringing a promise of rebirth and new beginnings.

The Sugar Wife is a story of devotion in all of its manifestations including faith, love, and charity — as well as devotion to work and artistic expression. The pivotal titular character is Hannah (Annie Hogan) whose husband Samuel Tewkley (Todd Wojcik) is a sugar and tea merchant.

On the surface the couple are devoted to their religion and to each other living a comparatively comfortable affluent life while maintaining a superficially austere façade consistent with Quaker ideals.

Hannah endeavors to offset their privilege through myriad good deeds and charity work represented here primarily though her visitations to Martha Ryan (Kristin Collins) a syphilitic sex worker who is literally on her deathbed.

Having visitors for nearly three months brings a level of intimacy that causes each person to reveal much of their inner character, exposing painful desires, repressed passions and secret motivations.

Sarah Worth (Ashayla Calvin) the formerly enslaved woman is accompanied by Alfred Darby (John LaFlamboy) a privileged white man who bought her freedom. Darby an amateur photographer, engaged in the nascent art form, acts as her manager, arranging her speaking opportunities, though it is apparent their relationship is more complicated than it appears on the surface.

Integrity is the alignment between what you believe, what you say, and what you do and is a key element with each character. Keeping this balance is a constant human struggle. Many people make bargains with themselves to justify actions that are in conflict with their ideals, some repent and other simply surrender to their baser instincts.

Weaving throughout the story is a theme of sexual power represented by a slave, a prostitute, and a woman in an unhappy marriage. But this theme is not simply one of domination but rather one of symbiosis as the players leverage their power to maintain their own survival and meet their own objectives.

In the end, with the coming of spring, the question becomes whether they can each emerge from their cold dark wintry past and find a new way forward.

The U.S. Premiere of The Sugar Wife written by Elizabeth Kuti and presented by Artistic Home is expertly directed by Kevin Hagan in the round providing a particularly intimate experience.

The exceptional cast is headed tenderly by Annie Hogan. In spite of his character’s personal failings Todd Wojcik portrays Samuel with a sympathetic and oddly endearing quality that adds pathos to his inner conflicts.

I wish Ashayla Calvin as Sarah Worth had been given more to do. Her understandable detachment from the others makes her feel present mainly to motivate them – – though her oratory vignettes were powerfully delivered giving her notable talent a few welcome opportunities to shine.

John LaFlamboy portrayed Sarah’s companion Alfred Darby with an undercurrent of danger that keeps you wondering about him while Kristin Collins as the bedridden Martha injected a bit of dark comic relief delivering a defiant air that suggested she was not giving up the ghost easily.

This is a provocative and intellectually engaging examination of integrity and interpersonal relationships within the context of rigid social constraints and gender expectations of the 19th century.

Details: The Sugar Wife is at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont, Chicago IL through May 3, 2026. Runtime is about 2 ½ hours with one intermission. For information visit theaterwit.org or call 773-975-8150.

Review by Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

 

August Wilson back at Goodman

 

Review: MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM at Goodman Theatre Image

Highly Recommended

Disappointment leads to despair

Picture four blues musicians sitting in a recording studio’s rehearsal hall examining their lives while waiting for the prima donna to perform. But be patient. The show is the very interesting, highly recommended Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson now on stage at The Goodman.

Ma Rainey, perfectly interpreted by E. Faye Butler, is the leading artist of a struggling Chicago based blues label owned by brothers Irvin (Marc Grapey) and Sturdyvent (Matt Decaro). The band consists of pianist, Toledo (Kelvin Roston); bassist, ‘Slow Drag’ (Cedric Young); trombone/guitar player, Cutler (David Alan Anderson); and horn player Levee (Al’ Jaleel McGhee).

Ma’s personal entourage also consists of her nephew,  a stuttering singer named Sylvester (Jabari Kaliq) and her young lover, Dussie Mae (Tiffany Renee Johnson).

Set circa 1927 at the height of the Great Migration, this tragic drama is rooted in personal trauma, systemic racism and economic exploitation. In true blues tradition each man reveals his inner self through storytelling. In the process there is a good amount of convivial, often dark, humor born of a recognition of shared experience with an undercurrent of shared pain.

The ambitious Levee is the pivotal character, representing a youthful progressiveness at odds with Ma’s traditional approach and controlling nature. He is also a subject of amusement for his more seasoned and philosophical bandmates who simply want to get on with their work at this point in their career.

Ultimately, Levee is overcome by personal trauma and disappointment. His recent acquisition of a new pair of stylish shoes becomes a symbolic component in the actions about to take place. They are the physical manifestation of his upward mobility, his hunger for attention and represent the persona of affluence and success he wants to convey to the world around him.

Written in 1984 this is clearly reminiscent of many great literary tragedies. Wilson understood that he was crafting an African American story rooted in Black experience, yet one that would be witnessed by white audiences as well.

His mastery of African American vernacular, speaks directly to Black audiences with familiarity and affirmation, while offering white audiences a window into a cultural world they may not know. In doing so, Black audiences find recognition and validation while white audiences gain insight.

Expertly directed by Chuck Smith with music direction by Harry Lennix, this is apparently a labor of love that manages the production with an honesty and care while paying tribute to the sensitivity of Wilson’s material.

The multi-level set design by Linda Buchanan emphasizes the dominance of Irvin and Sturdyvant as they observe the performers from their elevated vantage point in the control room. From there they bark commands, provide food and dole out the pay.

Faye Butler plays Ma with requisite bombast and over-the-top energy that makes her larger-than-life character unmistakably in command of her domain while belting the blues with an authority that proves she has the chops to back-up her formidable presence.

McGhee as Levee does a great job of methodically peeling away each layer of the onion slowly revealing his inner torment. Fellow musicians Young, Roston and Anderson display a measured maturity in their easy banter that makes me feel like I’m eavesdropping in a neighborhood barber shop with echoes of tales that are reminiscent of ancient fireside rituals.

Details: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson is at The Goodman, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago through May 3, 2026. Runtime about 2 and a half hours with one intermission.  For tickets go to GoodmanTheatre.org/MaRaineys visit the Box Office or call 312.443.3800.

Review by Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago

The Ally looks at what if

 

Recommended

Can you hold two ideas at once?

The Ally at Theater Wit proves “no good deed goes unpunished,” when a sympathetic person decides to support a local cause by simply signing a petition.

Asaf Sternheim (Jordan Lane Shappell) is a writer who recently moved from New York to a small college town where wife Gwen Kim (K Chinthana Sotakoun) recently got a job as a community liaison working on the expansion of the school’s property.

The relationship between the school and the community has been strained because the expansion is creeping into the adjacent low-income community. Tensions are compounded by the fact that a young African-American man has been killed by the police over his alleged participation in a series of car thefts.

Sternheim is an adjunct writing teacher at the college. The victim’s cousin Baron Prince (DeVaughn Asante Loman) is one of his students, who asks him to sign a petition denouncing police brutality.

The petition is attached to a manifesto that was written by activist Nakia Clark (Sharyon Culberson) who is the former girlfriend of Sternheim from his undergraduate years.

The document includes language that denounces the state of Israel, equating the oppression of Blacks in America to the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza, including the words apartheid and genocide which Sternheim who is Jewish, with familial ties to Israel, finds excessive and offensive. As he considers his position he decides to sign anyway setting off a cascade of events that affect him directly.

Immediately Sternheim is approached by two students Rachel Klein (Mira Kessler) and Farid El Masry (Arman Ghaeini). The two ask him to be the faculty sponsor for their new organization aimed at uniting Jewish and Palestinian students. Feeling it is best to encourage dialogue he agrees. Soon after, he is confronted by Reuven Fisher (Evan Ozer) the leader of a Jewish student organization opposed to this alliance urging him to withdraw his support.

Unlike his characters, who are all firmly wed to their positions, playwright Itmar Moses does a truly admirable job presenting each person’s point-of-view giving everyone a voice with clear, salient arguments.

The material risks becoming oppressive, but Moses lightens it from time to time with humor drawn largely from Sternheim’s predicament — a situation with no apparent graceful exit.

It’s human nature to seek resolution to conflict but Moses shows us that this is not always possible. Some situations have no clear beginning and no clear end; they’re simply part of a continuum of life with all of its power struggles. Along the way things get better and things get worse. Many people are hurt. Some believe they have the answers while others simply find themselves in the middle of a confusing morass. This of course does not mean we should give up trying to make improvements. Moses manages to lay out the components in a remarkably well-organized fashion, then leaves it to us to sort it out.

Under the steady directorial hand of Jeremy Wechsler, each individual performance is outstanding, presenting complicated dialogue with passion and conviction.

The production runs a bit long. The final scene does not seem as well-conceived as the rest of the play. Moses gives us an expansive cross-section of opposing forces teacher, student, black, white, Asian, Jewish, Palestinian, liberal, conservative, male, female, wife, husband and Ex. The amount of information can be overwhelming, so finding a way to tighten it up would be an improvement.

The evocative set design of Joe Schermoly represents a library with an impressive array of books serving as an academic background but also mocking us with the idea that we have so much knowledge – – yet what have we learned?

If you’re interested in the events of the day and have the capacity to take in a lot of information while considering opposing ideas you will find this a thought-provoking presentation in an entertaining package.

The Ally is at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont, Chicago IL 60657. Runtime is about 2 ½ hours with one intermission. For information visit theaterwit.org or call 773-975-8150.

Review by Reno Lovison

For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago