An American Comic Classic

The Front Page

Take a deep breath and hang onto your seat because once the lights come up and the cast bursts onto the stage, theatergoers  will find themselves on a runaway train racing toward intermission. But then after a drink and a bathroom break, the high speed pacing resumes, coming even faster and more furious, never letting up until the final curtain. The overall effect is an explosive, hilarious look at old school Chicago journalism, politics and scandal during the 1920’s. Surprisingly, almost nothing has changed in the 21st century! 

Northlight Theatre’s first production, in their stylish new digs in downtown Evanston, is the perfect presentation to kick off a new era of extraordinary, professionally produced plays and musicals. This exhilarating production sizzles in part because of Jeffrey Hatcher’s brilliant new adaption of Ben Hecht’s and Charles MacArthur’s autobiographical script, and largely because of  the dynamic direction of a gifted cast. The comedy is filled with period slang and detail, along with sassy characters delivering mouthfuls of rapid-fire dialogue. Artistic Director BJ Jones’s wise direction and proscenium staging keeps the audience hooked on the goings-on inside the dingy Criminal Courts press room. The large cast of characters drive the action and humor to the max. Through a dedicated team of talented artists, all working together, the audience becomes immediately drawn into a story that captures the guts and grittiness of a bygone world of cutthroat journalism. 

Back in 1928, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur wrote a hilarious comedy about a group of cynical Chicago journalists on the police beat. The play portrayed a comically corrupt Windy City government in city hall and an unusual, very likable escaped convict. The play had a respectable Broadway run, but I bet the two playwrights never imagined that their play would go on to become an American comic classic. 

THE FRONT PAGE, which is a terrific title for this comedy since it focuses on the newspaper business, has had a myriad of incarnations. In addition to the original production, there have been four Broadway revivals of the play. The latest starred Nathan Lane, for which he earned a Tony Award nomination in 2017. 

Then THE FRONT PAGE was adapted for a 1931 film. In 1940, Hildy Johnson, the main character in this screwball comedy, was gender-swapped and become an ace female news columnist. She was played by Rosalind Russell, with Cary Grant as her editor, Walter Burns. The movie was retitled “His Girl Friday.” In 1974 there was yet another film version, this time starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, the acting team who made Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple” such a big hit.

The play was abridged and turned into a radio broadcast in 1937 and again in 1946 and 1948. There were even a couple American and British television adaptations, and in one of them the world of the newsroom became a TV studio. Inevitably, THE FRONT PAGE was turned into a musical, called WINDY CITY. The show became a big hit in London. And there have been many other plays and films that have taken the basic plot line from the original Hecht and MacArthur script and adapted it to other settings, storylines and genres. The play popularized the image of American journalists as fast-talking, wisecracking, hard-boiled types, excessively fond of booze and hard living, and who would go to any lengths to get a story on the front page of their newspapers.

Without giving away too much of the plot, reporters are burning the midnight oil playing poker and waiting to cover the early morning execution of Earl Williams, a revolutionary guilty of killing a policeman. Cocksure ace reporter Hildy Johnson, played with brilliance and panache by Chicago favorite, Kate Fry (BIRTHDAY CANDLES; MOTHER OF THE MAID, Northlight) drops by the newsroom to bid farewell to her fellow news columnists. She’s planning to get married to Brad Hefflefinger (nicely played by Peter Moore, the Artistic Director of Steep Theatre), leave journalism and settle down to a respectable life in New York City. Suddenly comes word that, just before he’s set to hang, Williams has escaped. At this point, everyone’s world turns topsy-turvy.

In addition to the divine Ms. Fry, Timothy Edward Kane (GASLIGHT; BIRTHDAY CANDLES, Northlight) leads the strong cast as tyrannical Walter Burns, the manipulating managing editor who will stop at nothing to both get the exclusive and keep his crack reporter, Hildy Johnson, at his newspaper. William Dick (THE FIRST LADY OF TELEVISION; THE BOOK OF WILL, Northlight) brings the laughs as the whiney, brown-nosing Sheriff Hartman. John Lister (TOM JONES; INHERIT THE WIND, Northlight) portrays the corrupt Chicago Mayor. Together they make a smarmy duo. And Chicago actor, screenplay writer, Second City comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum, Tim Kazurinsky, brings a level of understated hilarity to the proceedings in the cameo role of Mr. Pincus, a conservative and befuddled aide to the Governor.

This cast is overflowing with top notch comedic talent. Mark David Kaplan (multiple Jeff Award-winning actor for LES MISERABLES, RAGTIME and FORBIDDEN BROADWAY) is drop-dead droll and delightful as Mr. Bensinger, the poetry-writing journalist from the Chicago Tribune. He’s joined by three other manic and fast-talking news writers. Guy Van Swearingen (BERLIN, Court; founder of A Red Orchid Theatre), plays Endicott; Joe Dempsey (THE FIRST LADY OF TELEVISION; THE MOUSETRAP, Northlight), appears as McCue; and Kelan M. Smith (THE PORCH ON WINDY HILL, Northlight; SPRING AWAKENING, Porchlight), portrays banjo-strumming Kruger.

Fresh off his Broadway appearances in the highly lauded DEATH OF A SALESMAN and LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD, both with Steppenwolf’s Laurie Metcalf, talented John Drea returns to Northlight as doomed murderer, Earl Williams. That Mr. Drea can make this nebbish character so funny is a tribute to his gift for comedy. He’s joined by lovely Rae Gray (PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC; INHERIT THE WIND, Northlight) as floozy flapper, Mollie Malloy. She brings heart to the role of a young woman who has fallen for Williams. And, last but definitely not least, one of my favorite Chicago comic actors, Cindy Gold (THE FIRST LADY OF TELEVISION; MOTHERS AND SONS, Northlight) is fantastic as Hildy’s future mother-in-law, the dowager, Mrs. Hefflefinger. With every entrance, Ms. Gold brings side-splitting hilarity to this wonderful production.    

Northlight Theatre triumphs once again, this time in their gorgeous, brand new home. Featuring a terrific cast of comic actors, staged and guided by the brilliant BJ Jones, this new production in their new theatre, plays out on Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s gorgeously detailed scenic design, lighted by JR Lederle, with a  lifelike sound design, courtesy of Andre Pluess. And each and every actor fits nicely into their character, because of Izumi Inaba’s perfect period costumes. THE FRONT PAGE is both enjoyable and exciting, in Northlight’s maiden voyage at their stylish new theatre. Do not miss the chance to enjoy this beautifully produced, effervescent and entertaining American comic classic.

  Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented September 9-October 25 by Northlight Theatre in their brand-new downtown Evanston home, at 1012 Church Street.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 847-673-6300 or 847-563-8400, or by going to www.northlight.org.

Additional information about this and other theatrical productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Photos are by Michael Brosilow