Author: Colin Douglas
Sex, Drugs and Rocking Chairs
A Jukebox For the Algonquin
Many individuals have wisely commented upon aging. Mark Twain quipped, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind it doesn’t matter.” George Bernard Shaw stated that “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Satchel Paige asked, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?” But author C.S. Lewis reminded us that “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” All of these quotations, particularly the last one, could be the theme of Paul Stroili’s delightful comic drama, A JUKEBOX FOR THE ALGONQUIN, now playing at Citadel Theatre.
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History Repeats Itself
A Tale of Two Cities
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” Those opening lines of Charles Dickens’ epic novel are perhaps the most recognizable from all his books—probably from any work of fiction. The author’s 1859 serialized novel was very popular with Victorian readers, not just because it was filled with dozens of fascinating characters and thrilling, entangled plot lines. The story, which was set almost 100 years earlier, both in London and Paris, takes place before, during and after the French Revolution. However, 19th century readers could clearly see parallels with the era in which they were living. They were discovering a truism that we’ve all heard many times: History often repeats itself.
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Robert Langdon and the Holy Grail
The Da Vinci Code
Just in time for Easter, Drury Lane Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of Dan Brown’s popular 2003 mystery thriller, of the same name. The novel, which became a very popular film three years later, has been adapted for the stage by playwrights Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel. This tense, two-act drama follows American Symbolist, Robert Langdon, and French police Cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, after Langdon is accused of murdering Jacques Saunière, Sophie’s beloved grandfather and the curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris. As a raft of mysterious clues pile up and an array of pulse-pounding events continue to unfold, what begins as a murder mystery turns into an exciting race against time between the good guys and the bad guys. Before we know it, the audience is cheering this anxious adventure story that could be subtitled, Robert Langdon and his Search for the Holy Grail.
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The Night Was Alive
Titanic, the Musical
Some musicals are pure escape stories; some shed light on the life of a famous or popular individual or musical group; a great many shows these days are simply jukebox musicals, helping us to relive the sounds of a era. And then there are musical dramas, like LES MISERABLES, that are so beautiful and breathtaking that they stimulate an emotional experience that both breaks our heart and stirs our soul. TITANIC, THE MUSICAL is such a show, especially in Marriott’s unbelievably moving, majestic and yet intensely intimate production. It draws the audience onto “The Largest Moving Object” and takes the passengers, crew and theatergoers on a memorable journey during which “The Night Was Alive.”
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A Comic Catharsis
Scary Town
Richard Scarry is known the world over as one of the best-beloved author/illustrators ever! The late creator of kiddy lit is recognized for his legacy of more than 300 large, colorful and minutely detailed picture books about daily life, expressly written for young children. Most of his books are set in a fictional place called Busytown, a sweet little metropolis populated by an assortment of anthropomorphic animals, all living together in harmony. He filled his stories with humanity, a strong sense of community, kindness and cooperation.
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The Go-Between
Translations
The year is 1833, and Owen has returned to Baile Beag, a fictional Irish-speaking village in County Donegal, Ireland. This tiny rural town was once his home. But the youngest son of Hugh, the master of the village’s secret hedge-school, Owen left home six years ago to make his fortune in the big city of Dublin. Because he can speak both Irish (Gaelic) and the King’s English, Owen’s been employed by the British as a translator. He’s working with them to Anglicize the village names and help map out Ireland for the Ordnance Survey. Owen serves as a go-between for the hard-boiled English cartographer, Captain Lancey, and his idealistic, younger orthographer, Lieutenant George Yolland, and all the Irish-speaking people of this rural community.
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Evidence of Good
The Book of Grace
After a ten year estrangement, Buddy has been invited by Grace, his loving and optimistic stepmother, to come back home to South Texas. She’s hoping that a long-awaited reunion with his violent and bullying father, Vet, will patch up their mysterious longtime hostile relationship. The specific occasion for this homecoming is that Vet, a sadistic border patrol officer, is about to receive a medal for his work. And Vet’s proud of his apprehension and arrest of Mexican aliens, either trying to cross the border illegally or smuggling drugs into the country.
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Set Sail on This Campy Ship of Dreams
Titanique
Imagine you’re enjoying a guided tour of a museum—say, the Titanic Museum—which is devoted to the history of the White Star Line’s Queen of the Ocean and the artifacts recovered from the underwater wreckage of this famous Ship of Dreams. Suddenly, in the middle of this tour, a famous pop music star makes an unexpected appearance. It’s none other than Canadian singing superstar Celine Dion, whose signature ballad, “My Heart Will Go On,” became the motif and theme song of the James Cameron 1997 blockbuster film. And even more surprising is that the delightful diva claims that she didn’t just sing during the final credits of the film, but that she was actually aboard the ship during that ill-fated voyage…and survived!
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Sex and Storytelling
No Such Thing
Meet Ren, an attractive, late middle-aged screenwriter, who’s superpower is her talent for powerful storytelling. At the top of Lisa Dillman’s drama, the audience finds themselves becoming voyeurs, watching and listening to a episode of intense intimacy occurring between a man and woman. The sensual encounter takes place in a dimly lit bedroom behind a translucent screen, but it’s very clear what is going on. Ms. Dillman has certainly aroused the adult theatergoer’s attention from the get-go, and her story is off and running.
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A Rock ’N’ Roll Fantasy
Sunny Afternoon
During the 1960’s, the United Kingdom became the breeding ground for an international music industry. Except for some specific details, the story of how The Kinks became one of the defining sounds of the 1960’s, sounds vaguely familiar. Almost every musical group from that time period, especially those who were labeled as part of the “British Invasion,” had similar background stories. Musical collectives, like The Kinks, The Beatles, The Animals and The Rolling Stones, primarily hailed from everyday, working class backgrounds. And more often than not, the young musicians began as members of one or more smaller groups. However, as these bands became more and more popular, a professional producer would soon join their ranks, helping promote the group and making the band more refined, rebranded and ultimately renamed.
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