The Actor’s Gymnasium Winter Circus is Aquí o Allá – A Circus Story, in association with La Vuelta Theater Lab

“Here, or there?” It’s a question most of us ask at least once a day. Aquí o Allá – A Circus Story, created and directed by Raquel Torre – asks this question for 75 minutes straight with dance, circus arts and sound. The association of La Vuelta Theater Lab with The Actors Gymnasium at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston has produced a visual playground for a little family of misfit clowns to find a home.

The stage is a vaguely dystopian, forgotten alley in a large city. There are signs that warn not to feed the rats, and reminders for silence and rule following. In one corner, is a workstation for City Metronome 65 – run by a nameless city worker (Satya Chavez) with musical tendencies who appears to never leave, perhaps trapped by the monotony of life in the urban underbelly.

The Teen Ensemble of the Actors Gymnasium fills out the stage with worker drones who move strictly to a schedule. One of the best aspects of the Actors Gym is seeing these young artists work, learn and grow onstage, with near perfect timing and an underlying sense of excitement.

One day, our heroes, Jean Carlos Claudio, Kat Hoil, Kaitlyn Andrews, and Glenna Broderick stumble onto the stage, their worldly possessions in their hands and on their backs. In a land of immigrants, they don’t need lines to tell us what they are searching for, or even where they have come from. All we need to know is that they are together, and they are determined.

What follows is a playful interlude with exceptionally talented clowns. I had the pleasure of seeing Kaitlyn Andrews in last year’s Little Red, it was wonderful to see her growth as a performer. Her aerial dance on silks, a celebration of finally being able to call a new place home, is smoothly captivating. Kat Hoil plays a flamboyant, dramatic troublemaker and has quite an adventure trying to acquire a new pair of shoes. Glenna Broderick garnered the biggest gasps of the night with a breakneck run down a pole, winning the hearts of the audience but making no headway with the faceless, nameless denizens of the city they were hoping to call home. Jean Carlos Claudio, who I was lucky to see star in last year’s Memorabilia, plays a rather paternal, take charge character who ultimately has to fall back into the arms of his family to remember his own strength. Despite their charm, resourcefulness and warmth, the clowns lose nearly everything they have – until welcome comes from an unexpected place.

The music is all composed and performed live by Satya Chavez, who has a rich and powerful singing voice and an ability to make chaos sound orderly. In this tale, we are reminded that it is personal connection: the continued, ever hopeful reaching out across the barriers of language and difference, that carry us up and over the inevitable loss that haunts every life.  Watching circus artists use their bodies for storytelling and art is always an experience that inspires awe – with this crew, there is also pathos and ultimately, belonging.

Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

Not recommended for children under 5.

All performances are at Noyes Cultural Arts Center at 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL.

Show dates are February 21 – March 22. Performances are Saturdays at 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM. Tickets start at $25 for adults and can be purchased online at www.actorsgymnasium.org/shows

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

Bramble Theater Company gets wild with THE PETS

On October 18, 2011, the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm, 62-year-old Terry Thompson, released 50 exotic animals into the Ohio countryside before taking his own life. To add to the tragedy, most of the animals were subsequently killed by local officials, as they were large predators. The public outcry led to new regulations around owning and housing exotic animals.

Playwright Dizzy Turek uses this tragedy as the often surreal, occasionally poignant and very funny backdrop for a story focused on each person’s desire to choose their own prison, and what the cost can be.

When the story begins, a handful of zoo animals find themselves unexpectedly free for the first time in their lives, surrounded by corn, highways and powerlines. The intimate Nest Theater at the Bramble is strung in little stuffies and the actors all wear a tail; a few have clothes in the palette of their animal self – but otherwise the stage is spare, with chairs and a few extra stuffies the only real props. While it might have been helpful to lean in a little more to their animal appearance, the actors do also make varying choices in terms of physicality and vocalizations to let the audience know what sort of animal they are, some more obvious than others.

The play focuses on three short story lines as they weave in and out of each other; first, the wild cats (a commanding Francis Miller, a lithe and sparkling Kylie Anderson and an expressive Capri Gehred-O’Connell) have an ongoing argument on what to do with their freedom, and whether, after years in front of a TV, they are more than their wild selves, second, a small, very religious monkey (an unhinged Suzy Krueckeberg) is desperately grateful to her wild monkey god to beablet to settle into an oak tree, and third, a young Jehova’s Witness (played charmingly by Alice Wu), wanders the road near the zoo, trying to fulfill her mission and being nudged lovingly and gently by a vision of St. Francis of Assisi to another mission entirely.

If it all sounds a bit wacky, it is. But much like Animal Farm, Zootopia, Charlotte’s Web, or any cartoon where an animal wears a top without pants, THE PETS uses the goofy, surreal personification of animals to explore issues that are at the heart of being human, or perhaps simply, being a person. Each of the characters is seeking connection, community and freedom – but, rather bleakly, it becomes clear that “freedom” never comes without a cost, and the best most of us can do is either take part in choosing our cage, or rage against the dying of the light – however briefly. As the animals careen through the new, big world they’ve found, or in the case of the young Jehovah’s Witness stumble awkwardly, new relationships are formed. For example, Alexander Attea, as what can only be described as a wolf-bro, is a musician and poet who finally finds a muse. Happily for everyone in the audience, the music that comes out of him is late 90’s alternative rock. Like the tiny, puppet birds on the edges of the room, I could not resist singing along to Third Eye Blind and Oasis, among others. Johnard Washington is a thoughtful and gentle bear who forges new and lasting friendships with several of the big cats he comes across. Haley Bolithon is the shy, sweet and angelic Baboon, who makes a new best friend and falls in love all in one day. Bolithon’s character has the least obvious animal characteristics and some of the most pop culture references, since she was allowed in her owner’s house and therefore had lots of tv access. The real philosopher of the group though is Kylie Anderson’s Lion, who struggles with how to marry her new-found freedom to her ideals as a well-informed PBS viewer. All the characters are loved and fretted over by St. Francis of Assisi (a warm Rasheeda Denise), who jumps from story line to story line to provide emotional support.

Another major theme is that of faith. St. Francis isn’t the only holy character to be invoked, as the monkey and the wild cats each have a god of their own, and the Jehovah’s Witness gets an A for effort when it comes to sharing the word of Jehovah. Initially, it was a little difficult to see what all the varying holy figures and faiths had to do with a story of freedom and found family – no character is particularly protected, whether they have a god or not, and the presence of faith does not lend anyone more confidence or certainty than anyone else. As the story comes to its conclusion, each character experiences the consequences of their own personal choices, some of which were guided by their faith in a higher power, and some by their own conscience.

While the deeper themes may make it seem difficult to describe this play as “wacky” it does manage to keep things ridiculous enough to not be weighed down by them. The many pop-culture references, 90’s song sing-alongs and visual gags are a lot of fun to be a part of, and despite the fact that the production I saw was still workshopping, the actors moved around the stage and delivered their lines with a casual grace and confidence that made it feel like they were much further into the production. There are several fight scenes that Anderson shines in with appropriately feline grace and Attea’s full throated versions of 90’s classics is a lot of fun. There are a few hiccups, for example, though each character has a name, the program only lists the animals by type, which led to some confusion, as I spent quite a lot of time trying to figure out which actor was playing the mountain lion and which the “regular” lion, etc., since they referred to each other by name almost exclusively. That said, the cast bursts with energy and life, the cat-acting may be some of the best I’ve seen – shout out to Gehred-O’Connell for randomly kneading a wall at one point, and the play weaves in enough pop culture, little asides to the audience, and bizarre religious ceremonies to keep everyone entertained for the duration. Independent theater is often strange and entertaining, but it is rarely this smart and funny as well.  THE PETS is worth making time for, and the conversation to be had afterwards will be a good one.

Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

The Pets will be performed at the Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark St., from February 11 to March 1. Weekday and Saturday performances will take place at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $5 to $35 and can be purchased online at brambletheatre.org.

Second City is “Black and Highly Flavored” this February and March

The annual Black Excellence Review at the Second City is four years in and has become a great way to spend an evening in the dead of Chicago winter. In a time when light-heartedness has become a radical act, this year’s theme is JOY – while honoring Black artistry, humor, resilience, and community.

Mainstage alumni Julia Morales is the first woman of color to direct a Second City Black Excellence Revue, and she takes Second City’s tried and true formula of long and short-form sketches, musical numbers and improv games to a place with a vibrant, celebratory feel. One of the best aspects of Second City is that the performers always seem to be having a good time, and this show was no exception. Music Director Cesar Romero was particularly involved in this show, and the same could be said for him! He provided emotional tone and even punchlines with sound that felt organic and impromptu – hard to do with music. In one sketch, he was key for the Dance fight through decades of music that was impossible not to dance and sing to, right along with the cast.

As ever with comedy shows, one doesn’t want to give too much away, but my personal favorite sketches were often the ones that dealt with identity, or nostalgia. A repeated sketch was The Crits Family Show, a play on 80s and 90’s era sitcoms, that managed to stay sharp, funny and current while still giving memories of classics like Living Single, Family Matters, and even older shows like Good Times. Another fun one was Two Girls in a Taco Truck, which had a wild time with all of the many ways people can choose to identify – while staying appropriately raunchy.  

Another sketch played with the experience of social awkwardness, and yet another with middle school girls celebrating Black History, but you know, Sexxxxay. Happily, outright silliness was a feature as well, like a sketch about a cat roommate and another involving missing pants that had the audience roaring.

The cast deftly jumped from role to role, keeping the momentum going and using their own, specific talents to great effect. E.J. Cameron channels a spot on professor of history, a crazy old man and a silly, forgetful waiter with such believability, I found myself looking for him in every scene. Jillian Ebanks’ warm smile and welcoming air lent a wholesomeness that wouldn’t seem likely, given the subject of some of the skits. Jason Tolliver has the air of a buttoned up businessman but then busts a dance move with such commitment and enthusiasm that all assumptions fly out the window. Tyler VanDuvall enters every role with a confidence and old-school charm that makes his forays into outright silliness even more entertaining than they would otherwise be. Lauren Walker has total command over her body, disappearing completely into her roles, but also, in a few scenes, using it like a musician would an instrument, or a clown, props. Finally, Kimberly Michelle Vaughn’s obvious formal dance training and total commitment to insanity is used to perfection in a scene about a dance audition.

In case there was any doubt that the cast was having at least as much fun as the audience, they played two more improv games at the end of the show. Their quick wit and good nature made for an interactive night. The audience, it seemed, was yet another cast member. If a night of culture, comedy and camaraderie sounds like a good time, Black and Highly Flavored is where to be.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

Black and Highly Flavored runs February 5 – March 20, with performances on Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm in UP Comedy Club, located at 230 W North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper’s Alley, Chicago. Tickets start at $39 and are available at The Second City Box Office, by phone at 312-337-3992, or online atwww.secondcity.com

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

Every creature is dancing in Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…

If there was ever a perfect, baked in opening line for a Cirque du Soleil show, it is Clement Clarke Moore’s “Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” It begs for a mischievous night in motion – and that’s what it gets.

Cirque du Soleil has been making human-powered magic for audiences since 1984, performing on 6 continents and in 86 countries in the past 40 years. ‘Twas the Night Before… is the company’s first and only holiday show.

The classic poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, sparks Cirque’s story about a young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays and reconnects with her dad thanks to a fall into a magical, winter realm. But of course, the plot is incidental here. Really, it’s just a framework for an evening of the incredible acrobatics and larger-than-life staging that Cirque du Soleil is known for. Director James Hadley seamlessly brings together 26 artists from all over the world who dance, amaze and entertain to a soundtrack of many Christmas favorites re-invented with a Euro-pop beat by Cirque du Soleil.

The show has all of the classic acts you’d expect, clown, acrobats, dancers, etc. and, as you’d also expect, they are all excellent at what they do. This show in particular has a “Corps de Kpop” dance troupe that was as fun as it was of-the-moment. Another running theme of the night was the passage of small, bright lights – they were thrown, shared, and spread across the stage in several set pieces, creating a holiday appropriate festival of lights without taking away from the performances.

The audience is first ushered into the wintery realm by acrobats and dancers Arthur Morel Van Hyfte and Guillaume Paquin, as Snowflakes whirling and flying about the stage using straps. Their physical strength and grace were enough to make it feel as though we had left the real world.

Anastasiia Shlokhova took us completely out of the real world with her number, a “Hair Suspension” act, which was difficult to believe even as I watched it, and I was surprised to discover it is common enough to have a name. Shlokhova does as the name suggests – she dances, flying up and down and through the air, suspended by a strap connected only to her bun. You have to see it to believe it.

Another logic-defying act was a roller skate dance performed by Alina Suvorina and Jordan Smith, dressed like 1980s Barbie Dolls escaped from a box and living it up till caught. Suvorina came so close to the ground in several of the twists and spins she performed with Smith that the gasps from the audience became part of the soundtrack.

The Hoop Diving and Acro Table act was also wildly popular with the crowd, leaping and bounding across the stage as if gravity did not pertain to them.

What all these acts had in common, is that everyone on stage was not only at the pinnacle of their personal best physically and theatrically, they all worked together seamlessly and appeared to be having the absolute time of their lives – that is a heady mix of energy I would defy anyone to resist.

What is most fascinating, and most wonderful about Cirque du Soleil, is that the artists and production team are creating shows built on, and inspired by the work of circus arts that have been honed across many cultures for centuries, and yet, every performance feels new and exciting. This is in part because of the updated music or color, the youth of the performers or the theme, but because it is also based on the one thing that is most powerful through the ages – the miracle of what a human being, and human body can do. It simply never gets old.

This night is perfect for family and friends coming in from out of town, for a special family night out, or if you simply need to be reminded that there is magic in the world.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

The Chicago Theatre is at 175 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601.

Tickets start at $39 in person at the Ticketmaster Box Office at The Chicago Theatre and at $51 when purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For groups of nine or more, please contact the Group Sales Department at 212-465-6080 or Group.Sales@msg.com. Accessible and companion seats are available for these shows via the Accessibility Services Department.

For more information please visit www.msg.com/the-chicago-theatre/accessibility-services.

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

Holidazed and Amused is Nice and Naughty at the Second City

The annual Holiday comedy show at the iconic Second City is a light-hearted, musical mash up of all that Second City is known for: sketch and improv, with an emphasis on parody songs.

The cast this year is particularly musical, the opening number was sung in at least a five-part harmony and an improved musical version of a typical Hallmark Christmas movie was also catchier than it had any right to be. My personal favorite musical number had to be the story of a girl who comes from a “Musical Theater” family, which led to a mash up of several Broadway Classics – turning On My Own from Les Miserable into a parent’s joy at a moment of peace, and Chicago’s Cell Block Tango a celebration of Christmas Dinner.

Some of the shorter bits were also dance numbers, and given the season, very cathartic. Like they say, when you have feelings too big to talk about, you sing, and when they are too big for singing you DANCE.

This year’s cast is particularly physically talented, and what’s more, committed to the bit. Riley Woollen carried a Sasquatch role to the bitter end, but with such boyish good humor it was more sweet than bitter. Anna Bortnick plunges into myriad dance numbers with an irresistible ferociousness. Ross Taylor’s Android is at once robotic and so creepy I couldn’t help but wonder if he was, in fact, part machine, and his version of the “Irish Goodbye” may be one I have to adopt myself. Kennedy Baldwin moves with a confidence that carries her easily from creepy Christmas Tree agent to recalcitrant child, to man-eating “Vixen.” Deb Duncan takes a turn as a “pervert ghost” that is both unfortunately and hilariously rhythmic. Rich Alfonso has a collection of expressions, from incredulous, to grumpy to suspicious, that prove the necessity of a straight-man for the really big laughs. The whole cast works together like old friends, and dances together like the understudies for a boy band you never knew you wanted.

The show stays safe, topically speaking, as is appropriate for a holiday table – it’ll only annoy that one uncle a couple of times – and those times will be worth it. The modern holiday season is often a source of stress, this show’s irreverent sendups will provide a great release valve, while keeping things light enough to laugh it all off. The whole cast is having a blast, and they bring the audience along for the ride. It’s great for visiting family and friends, and at 90 minutes, doesn’t have to take over the night. If you’re looking for a few laughs and a break from talking to your family, bring them along, especially that one uncle.

Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

Holidazed and Confused runs November 26 – December 31 at 1616 N. Wells St. Chicago. Tickets start at $35 and show times are available at The Second City Box Office, by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com.

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

Theater Wit’s Who’s Holiday! takes nostalgia out for some raunchy play.

“Remember little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two?  What became of that tot, after that Grinch and what-not?” The answer, in some rhyme, some song, and all rated R fun is… a lot.

Cindy-Lou Who, the adorable tot who helped save Christmas from the Grinch, is all grown up and living in a mobile home at the base of Mount Crumpit. Actress, singer and comedian Veronica Garza returns to reprise her title role for the fifth year in a row, and she brings a party:

Christmas Day is in our grasp.

Why the vodka? Glad you asked!

The tot from The Grinch has grown, you see.

She’s cursing and drinking. She’s super messy.

Her FIVE YEARS at Theater Wit have been nothing but trouble!

And this year, we fear

She’s gonna make it a DOUBLE!

Directed by Christopher Pazdernik and written by Matthew Lombardo, Who’s Holiday! is a smart, sassy and irreverent take on nostalgia in general. After all, in real life, there is never a hazy, joy filled “ever-after” there is just life, with all its inconveniences, hard knocks and unexpected blessings.

Cindy-Lou’s mobile home looks like the 70’s threw up Christmas, thanks to Jeff-Award Winning Angela Weber’s work, and Uriel Gomez’s hilarious, whimsical and delightfully tacky costumes bring it all home. Matthew R. Chase, sound and production manager, makes the sound feel natural and immersive in a small space. The life story of little Cindy-Lou Who is told with a sweet, playful and hilariously raunchy performance by Veronica Garza, who holds court like the queen she is. She speaks in a broad, midwestern accent, adding to the kitsch, because of course they speak in rhyming Midwestern English in Whoville.

First, she tells the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas from Cindy-Lou’s perspective, which grounds the show in a history that we are all familiar with, and adds a more lived-in feel to the events. Then, she continues with the story after the picture book ends, a journey that takes increasingly darker turns. She never goes long without a smile and joke, however, flirting with the audience and even bursting out into several musical numbers, including one rap. Garza’s voice is Broadway quality, and she embraces the music with irresistible enthusiasm.

Despite the silliness, the raunch, and the gloriously tacky décor, Garza still brings the evening home with a reminder of what really matters in life, emphasized with a sing along.

The Wit Theater concessions offers a full bar, several themed drinks and even a boozy hot chocolate. The show runs a breezy 65 minutes too, which leaves plenty of time for dinner and an early bedtime – perfect for all the adults who were once hopefully little tots themselves.

Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

Theater Wit is located at 1229 W. Belmont Ave., in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.  

Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.; additional, 9:00pm shows on Fridays and Saturdays Dec. 6,13,19, 20, 26 & 27. Industry Night is Monday, December 1 at 7 p.m. Understudy performance featuring Jenna Schoppe is Saturday, December 6 at 9 p.m. Run time is 65 minutes, no intermission. For mature audiences only.

Tickets: General Admission $39-$65. Tickets for children 12 and under are $500. Purchase tickets at theaterwit.org or call the Theater Wit box office (773) 975-8150. 

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

Superior Donuts

by Colin Douglas

Possibilities, People and Pleasing Pastries

When life is as bitterly cold and gridlocked as a Chicago winter in Uptown, sometimes the only thing that keeps a body going is possibilities…and people…and maybe some pleasing deep-fried pastries. At least that’s the philosophy that one optimistic young man lives by in SUPERIOR DONUTS. Written by Tony and Pulitzer Prize Award-winning playwright Tracy Letts (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY,  BUG, KILLER JOE), this is probably his most mainstream play. His slice-of-Chicago-life comedy-drama had it’s highly-acclaimed world premiere at the Steppenwolf Theatre in 2008, where Letts is also a company member. That production went on to Broadway a year later; and in 2017 CBS aired a situation comedy, based upon the popular play. 

Typical Tracy Letts, this play is liberally peppered with profanity and violence. The story primarily centers around character relationships, rather than plot. The playwright’s genius, however, is his compelling creation of a tightly knit community of realistic, flesh-and-blood people who we can all recognize. Under Director John Mossman’s determined and dauntless guidance and staging, Artistic Home’s production boasts a truly magnificent cast.

The company is led by talented Ensemble Member, Scott Westerman (TIME OF YOUR LIFE, WEDDING BOND), who portrays a resourceful but reticent Arthur Pryszbyszewski. Mr. Westerman has created his character with intelligence, nuance and a quiet sensitivity that’s sublime. Arthur’s merely a middle-aged hippie who likes to keep to himself, a second generation Polish immigrant who’s proud of his skill at making old-fashioned donuts from scratch. Although the Uptown Chicago neighborhood has changed considerably (Starbucks has taken most of his business), both Arthur and his unpretentious coffee shop have remained the same. But Arthur’s past has left him a cautious character, isolated and resistant to the influence of family and friends. 

Suddenly, into his quiet world bursts a loud, fast-talking and optimistic young African-American kid named Franco Wicks. He’s played by the engaging and gifted John N. Williams (HAIRSPRAY at the Beverly Arts Center), making his auspicious Artistic Home debut. Energetic and filled with dreams, Franco is looking for a job to make ends meet. He’s also determined, once hired, to bring some vitality and innovative ideas to both Superior Donuts and Arthur’s personal life. All of this, despite the older man’s reluctance. But Franco also has a secret past that interferes with his personal aspirations.  

A community of charismatic characters wander in and out of Arthur’s tiny cafe. They include two members of the Chicago Police Department, Officer James Bailey (a good-natured and amiable Kevin Aoussou) and Officer Randy Osteen (peerlessly played by lovely Kristin Collins, with a perfect blend of detached distance and concealed caring). We also run into Russian immigrant and wheeler-dealer, Max Tarasov (played with hysterical histrionics by Reid Coker, showcasing his impressive dialect skills) and Lady, a sweet homeless woman and mother, portrayed with heaps of heart and humanity by Barbara Roeder Harris. Adam Schulmerich and Michael Bayler provide a mess of menace and antagonism as loan shark thugs Luther and Kevin; and as Kiril, Max’s robust, young nephew, John Wehrman creates a hard-to-miss hero.

In today’s world, continually riddled with insufferable strife and chronic conflict, it’s comforting and recommended that we spend a couple hours in a warm, intimate theatre with these memorable characters. Like many of us, the Chicagoans in this play are all learning to face their problems with courage and confidence. Armed with a shared strength and profound empathy for each other, Arthur, Franco and their friends can see a bright future ahead. And the reason they’re able to find a modicum of comfort is because of the possibilities, the people and the pleasing pastries sold at SUPERIOR DONUTS. 

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented November 2-December 6 by Artistic Home at the Den Theatre, in their Bookspan Venue, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the Den Theatre box office, by calling 773-697-3830 or by going to www.theartistichome.org.

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

Broken Promises, Toxic Masculinity and Betrayal at Chicago Lyric Opera

Cav/Pag strikes again.

Cav/Pag is the irreverent nickname for a classic double bill of two one-act operas, Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo. First presented together by the Metropolitan Opera in 1893, these operas are often paired together, having been born of the late 19th-century Italian operatic style known as verismo. At the time, composers and lyricists were moving away from grand historical or mythological themes to depict the lives of ordinary, often lower-class, people. These new, more modern stories were emotional, passionate and dramatic, or as we say it now: messy.

The night opens with Cavalleria Rusticana by composer Pietro Mascagni. Written in 1889, the curtain rises on a beautifully rendered Sicilian village by set and costume designer Michael Yeargan on Easter morning.  Santuzza, sung with a pure soprano by Yulia Matochkina, is a young woman searching for the lover, Turiddu, who has spurned her.  He’s left her with a grim future, and she begs his mother, Mama Lucia (a warm Lauren Decker) for help finding him. Santuzza’s pathetic tale unfolds as the village around them celebrates Easter: Turiddu, whose selfishness is played beautifully by SeokJong Baek, has left her for his old girlfriend, Lola (a charming Camille Robles) who happens to be married to Alfio (Quinn Kelsey) the local mafioso. Turiddu and Lola are unmoved by Santuzza’s predicament, so she tells Alfio what is going on under his very nose. The results are what you’d expect – though the climax occurs offstage.

Mascagni’s score is a sweeping, emotional ride all its own, and beautifully sung. That said, the immediately dramatic plot felt like a remnant of an earlier time. It was easy to see how the kind of heightened emotions led to Italian stereotypes – I found myself wondering how long poor Santuzza was going to have to stagger despondently about the stage, however richly it was appointed. The Easter celebrations that go on in the background are beautiful and the whole air of the show was vibrant and joyful, creating a beautiful juxtaposition with Santuzza’s despair.

Pagliacci has a decidedly different air. The staging is a vaguely WW2 era Sicily – destitute, hot, desperate. It opens with a wonderful solo by returning singer Quinn Kelsey as Tonio – who trades in his mafioso swagger for a malevolent clown and tells the audience what we can expect. Then the action begins when a traveling circus troupe arrives in a Sicilian village. The leader is Canio (a powerful Russell Thomas) who quickly launches into a song about his obsessive, oppressive love for his leading lady, Nedda (a lush Gabriella Reyes). Unbeknownst to them both, Tonio is also in love with Nedda, and soon aggressively shares his love with her, only to be decidedly rejected. The creeping, jealous Tonio spies on Nedda, and learns she is in fact having an affair with a local named Silvio (Luke Sutliff in his Lyric debut).  Tonio arranges for Canio to catch the lovers in the affair, and then, in true Iago style, manipulates Canio into carrying on with the show planned for that night for the villagers. In a dark twist of fate, the show is the story of a clown whose wife betrays him. It’s too much for Canio, and the show ends in violence.

It is a testament to the intensity and power of Thomas and Kelsey, that despite the fact that they spend most of the play dressed like clowns, they both have a physical presence that is utterly terrifying, and voices that burn with rage and pain. Reyes is a match for them, her rich voice and physicality display a fierce desire to make her own choices, despite the danger she knows she is courting.

The theme that struck me, as a modern viewer more than one hundred years after the debut of both operas, was the utter toxicity of the men. The women are possessions: beautiful, desired, and utterly powerless. Pitiable Santuzza makes one of the only choices available to her and is left just as alone as she was in the beginning. Nedda refuses to be cowed, insists on finding her own little piece of joy, and the men in her life cannot let that stand. They’d rather she die than make her own choice. The grand music, excellent acting and beautiful staging highlight the core of both stories. They are both couched in real, human emotion and choices, just as the verismo style intended. Thomas’s performance of “Vesti la giubba” when he shares his rage and heartbreak upon discovering his wife’s betrayal, is heartbreaking. Matochkina’s voice is raised in utter despair on the holiest of days, and it is a real, timeless despair of so many countless women who have found themselves in her shoes. But, with the vision of more than a century, the chilling truth is that for Canio, the betrayal of his wife is not something he sees as the choice of an equal, but the loss of a possession that should only be his. Only faced with his own mortality, can Turiddu acknowledge that he used Santuzza poorly, and that she will pay for his callousness for the rest of her life.

Leaving the theater, I was struck by the power of both scores and by the way the interpretation of the operas has grown in depth as the years have passed. As old as the stories are, as over the top as the drama was, my heart was in my throat when they came to an end. The beautiful staging, fantastic chorus and emotional performances carry each story easily into another century of song.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

Presented at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The eight performances are November 1, 4, and 7^th at 7:30pm and Matinees on the 9, 12, 15, 20 and 23. To buy tickets, visit https://www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2025-26/cavalleria-rusticana-pagliacci/ Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.

Chicago

The Play That Inspired the Musical

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Back during the era known as The Roaring 20’s, a writer named Maurine Dallas Watkins worked as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Her beat was the courthouse at the Cook County Criminal Building, where she covered murder trials. Two of the most notorious legal proceedings that Maurine reported for the Tribune involved a pair of women who were, in two unrelated court cases, accused of murdering their respective spouses. The actual names of the women were Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner. Both of their trials were sensationalized in the newspapers and on the streets, inspiring Miss Watkins to write a satirical, three-act play titled CHICAGO.  The theme of her cynical comedy focused on how the American justice system had lost its credibility, spotlighting how the murders had turned the two women into famous stars of crime. The salacious trials became nothing more than “Show Business.” And it’s all depicted in this comedy, the play that ultimately inspired the popular musical.

The 1926 play was Maurine Watkins’ greatest literary success. A year later she adapted it into a screenplay for a silent film version of the story. In her script, Miss Watkins changed the names of some of the real-life characters. Beulah Annan was the model for her main character, Roxie Hart, called “the prettiest woman ever charged with murder in Chicago.” Belva Gaertner was renamed Velma Kelly, also nicknamed “the stylish divorcee.” A composite of lawyers William Scott Stewart and W.W. O’Brien became prolific defense attorney, Billy Flynn. Later, in 1942, the comedy was filmed once again, this time with sound, and with the Hollywood star power provided by Ginger Rogers and Adolphe Menjou. The plot was basically the same, but with some changes that focused the story primarily on Roxie and Amos, while giving only a little screen time to Velma.

Maurine Watkins’ play eventually inspired a lively and lavish new musical adaptation of CHICAGO, that opened on Broadway in 1975. It boasted top talent and star power. The musical was written and scored by John Kander and Fred Ebb (CABARET, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN), directed by the magnificent Bob Fosse, and starred Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, Jerry Orbach and Barney Martin. Sadly, it was a musical far ahead of its time and ended up posting an early closing. But a stripped down, mega popular new version of CHICAGO returned to Broadway in 1996. Twenty-one years later the musical spoke to new audiences about the corruption in the administration of justice, and the prominence of the “celebrity criminal” today. The theatrical musical, sparked by the entertaining Oscar-winning film version, is still playing to sellout crowds, and is currently one of the longest-running shows on Broadway.

Talented Redtwist Theatre company members Eileen Dixon and Dusty Brown have adapted Maurine Dallas Watkins 1926 play into what they call “a queer adaptation.” All the characters are played by nine talented actors who, thanks to Ms. Dixon’s sparkling and sassy Direction, really know how to deliver comedy. This sharply perceptive, 90-minute one-act cuts through the detritus and nails the sharp satire about criminals, lawyers and journalists. And it does so by embracing Chicago of the Jazz Age and with a nod to the burlesque and vaudeville traditions of the period. Eileen Dixon paces her brisk production with the kick of a Charleston, the tangled grapevine of a Foxtrot and the passion of a Tango. Guided by Ms. Dixon’s typical wit and wisdom, and economically staged on Brandii Champagne’s adaptable Scenic Design, this production simply sizzles. The satirical comedy is even further enhanced by Madeline Felauer’s inventive, tongue-in-cheek Costumes that color each character with added creativity.

The entire company of comedic actors is as spicy and flavorful as a deep dish pizza. The cast is led by lovely Chelsea Rolfes, as Roxie Hart. A seasoned actress with Redtwist, Babes With Blades, First Folio and many other Windy City companies, Ms. Rolfes is saucy and sexy and isn’t afraid to leave it all on the stage. She beautifully portrays this brassy, bitchy young woman who quickly learns how to work the system and use her new-found notoriety to climb the ladder of success. Roxie sets her sights on Fame and won’t settle for anything less.

Chelsea is matched by the superb performance of Jack Seijo as the solicitor to the stars, Billy Flynn. Ironically, Mr. Seijo also appears half-clothed in the first scene as Fred Casely, Roxie’s secret lover and murder victim. A familiar face at a host of Chicago theaters, Jack earned a Jeff nomination at Redtwist for his excellent performance in ISAAC’S EYE. Mr. Seijo plays Roxie’s illicit lover with smarmy sex appeal; but he really shakes up the stage as Billy Flynn, a charismatic, fast-talking, wheeler-dealer of a lawyer. The way Jack works his clients, as well as the every member of the police force and the press corps, is magical. Jack Seijo’s performance is absolutely stellar.

Laura Sturm returns to Redtwist Theatre, after appearing last season in TITUS ANDRONICUS and BOTTLE FLY. She portrays the funny, fantastic and fawning Velma Kelly, who over time has become a legend in her own mind. Ms. Sturm also has a cameo near the end of the play as Machine Gun Rosie. An amazing series of characters are played by Caroline Kidwell. The multi-gifted actress returns to Redtwist after appearing in so many wonderful productions, such as TITUS ANDRONICUS, MAN CAVE and BOTTLE FLY. Ms. Kidwell was also a delight in Hell in a Handbag’s MURDER REWROTE. Here she plays Roxie’s two very different cellmates, including Go to Hell Kitty, “the Tiger Girl,” and “God’s Messenger,” Liz, a religious, hymn-singing inmate. She also humorously portrays assistant state’s attorney, Martin Harrison. And Macaria Chaparro is simply lovely and stoic as Magdelena, another, “not-guilty” inmate, as well as the hilarious and fast-talking Sgt. Murdock.

JT Nagle returns to Redtwist to portray sad and pitiful Amos Hart, Roxie’s milquetoast, meal ticket husband. Another familiar face from Redtwist’s BOTTLE FLY, as well as appearing in their excellent production of HOW TO TRANSCEND A HAPPY MARRIAGE, Shaina Toledo is wonderful as Moe Watkins. Smart and smug, Mr. Watkins takes control of the Roxie Hart murder case. Jasmine Robertson, seen at Redtwist in their production of REGRESSION, plays Zelda Morton, the motherly matron of the Cook County Jail. She also appears as the Judge. And gorgeous Ashley Anderson makes her Redtwist Theatre debut as a sympathetic and sweet-tempered Mary Sunshine, the “Sob Sister” journalist at The Evening Star.

Redtwist Theatre continues their 21st Season, called “Defiant Femmes,” with the World Premiere of CHICAGO: Queerly Adapted From the Play You’ve Never Heard of That Inspired the Musical You Can’t Get Away From. Adapted with an eye and ear for the true, fast-paced Chicago Style of Comedy, this production is hilarious and exhilarating to boot. Penned by Redtwist’s Producing Artistic Director, Eileen Dixon, and Executive Director, Dusty Brown, all the unnecessary details from Maurine Dallas Watkins’ 1926 script have been trimmed away. The result is a perfect, streamlined show for 21st century audiences. Given the current political climate, everyone’s in need of a good laugh. And this fast-paced confection of comical caricatures is guaranteed to lift every theatergoer’s spirits and fill them with merriment.                   

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented October 16-November 23 by Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago.  

Tickets are available in person at the box office or by going to www.RedtwistTheatre.org.

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