Chicago Theatre Review
Dive into Chaos with Curious Theatre Branch’s Premiere, THE INFINITY PLAY
Paul William Brennan’s The Infinity play opens innocently: two characters in black, on a black stage, argue over who gets to speak first. It reads as a take on the random symbols we use to order our lives: A or B, 0 or 1 – or is it O or I? It’s a silly set up that devolves into a sillier, circular argument.
What follows is nine more scenes, each with two players, and each devolving further into chaos, betrayal, dissent and madness. None of the scenes are interconnecting, and none of the players seem to have a relationship with any other, but there is a common theme of circular, hopeless argument while characters try desperately to beat each other in games that have no winner. Each scene grows wilder and more destructive, until the stage resembles a junk heap, with props from each scene strewn about and occasionally recycled. By the end, the actors are literally digging through the piles to find what they need. The cast seems larger than necessary for a collection of two-person scenes, it could have been done with a cast of only four, but all ten of them perform admirably. There is so much passion, so much yelling-in-faces, so much confusion and disagreement, and so many barely sensical conversations, that their commitment is the only thing the audience can really hold on to. The overall sense of bewilderment only grows as the play progresses. It begins with something to say about the hopeless, desperate scrambling in circles we humans do with each successive generation but then falls prey to its own complaint: the chaos heightens till there is nowhere for it to go and ultimately ends in one character’s attempts to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Actress Maya Odim has a particularly soft and soothing voice that helped bring the room down collectively from the chaos that had been whipped up over the course of the evening.
The highlight of the night was the mostly seamless jumping from pre-recorded content played on a screen hanging from the middle of the stage, to live video on the same screen from a camera moved about the stage by the actors, and the actual, live-action play going on in real time. In some scenes, the actors even interact with the pre-recorded content, eliciting several laughs and a nod to the careful choreography that goes into that kind of move. The videos were often artfully edited and added considerably to the events going on onstage, sometimes as commentary, and sometimes as a continuation of a particular story line.
Ultimately, if you’ve ever wondered what that old stoner adage “time is a flat circle” would look like as a play, this is as close as I think you could get. Absurdist, experimental, and surreal, the Infinity Play reminds us that no matter how much we might try to correct the mistakes of the past, all we are really doing is making more of a mess.
Somewhat Recommended
Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia
Presented at the Jarvis Square Theater, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave. in Chicago.
Tickets for The Infinity Play tickets are on the “pay what you can” model, suggested rate is $20.00 and can be purchased at CuriousTheatreBranch.com
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 5pm. Run time is 110 minutes with no intermission.
Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.
The Spellbinder
Diary of a Black Illusionist
There are two kinds of people at a magic show. The first always tries to figure out the trick. The second never does. I definitely fall into the latter category. I don’t actually want to know how it was done. The mechanics of the illusion aren’t the fun part. The fun part is the story and how the magician delivers it. It’s the ambience and the music and the sequined assistant. Simply put, it’s the style that really makes the illusion work. And new illusionist-in-residence at the Chicago Magic Lounge, Walter King Jr., better known as The Spellbinder, has style to spare.
The show is framed as a look at back at his decades-long career as illusionist, starting with his childhood on the south side of Chicago. I won’t divulge any of the tricks because getting to see them fresh is part of the fun. I will say, aside from some truly astonishing illusions, my favorite part was videos of The Spellbinder’s early career, touring dance clubs in the south side of Chicago and then around the country. As someone born and raised on Chicago’s south side myself, the fastest way to my heart is footage of the history of my beautiful city. And the 80s and 90s fashions on display were truly a sight to behold. I would watch a whole documentary of that footage.
If you’ve never been to Chicago Magic Lounge, the entire experience is a treat. Prior to the show, you can see close up magic while sitting at the bar and a team of magicians travel the theater to perform tricks for you at your table once you’re seated. I’ve been to a few shows at the Chicago Magic Lounge now and it’s definitely become a favorite of mine. The theater itself is a beautiful cabaret space, decorated with period posters and other artifacts from a century of magicians. Anchored by a performer of incredible skill and a considerable amount of charm, I strongly recommend adding this performance to your list.
Highly Recommended
Reviewed by Kevin Curran
Presented Wednesdays through June 25, 2025 at Chicago Magic Lounge, 5050 N. Clark, Chicago.
Tickets are available are available at the box office, by calling (312) 366-4500 or through chicagomagiclounge.com.
Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.
Rages Through the Ages
Bust
Theatrical works tend to be put into convenient categories so they can be labeled and discussed. When talking about plays, there are dramas, melodramas, comedies, farces, adaptations of classics, mysteries, horror stories, psychological thrillers, fantasies and science fiction. But last night at the Goodman Theatre a new, World Premiere opened on the Albert stage. Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Zora Howard, this extraordinary play is unique in so many ways. But, most of all, BUST defies being pigeonholed with any kind of label.
Read MoreA City in Transition
Berlin
Following the end of World War I, Berlin, Germany had become the world’s center of intellectualism, creativity and sensual liberalism. With a large upper class population and a growing middle class, the city’s poorer citizens continually struggled with poverty and unemployment. Playwright Mickle Maher’s ambitious play is an adaptation of Berlin, a three-volume set of graphic novels by Jason Lutes. Both the books and the play span the years between 1928 and 1933. As we bear witness to all the upheavals and changes, a theatergoer will find himself hoping for the best While watching the fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Fascism and the Nazi Party. But there’s no doubt that the main character of this sprawling drama remains the actual city of Berlin, as seen throughout this two-and-a-half hour production. Its scope and spectacle astounds the audience depicting a city in constant transition.
Read MoreSex, 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.
Read MoreHistory 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.
Read MoreRobert 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.
Read MoreThe 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.”
Read MoreThe Ensemble has a night to shine at Chicago Lyric Opera’s A Wondrous Sound
The Chicago Lyric Opera consistently delivers productions that are excellent from bottom to top: luscious sets, incredible musicians and performers and thoughtfully directed shows. As anyone who has worked in the theater can tell you, for that many levels of excellence to exist, there is an enormous, hardworking, and often unseen team of people making the lead performers shine. A Wondrous Sound – a concert at the Chicago Lyric Opera this coming Saturday, April 19, brings some of the lesser-celebrated members of the Opera front and center.
This special concert features the Chorus and the Orchestra to showcase some of opera’s most famous and beloved overtures and choral works, as well as a few classic selections from American Musical Theater. It is conducted by Lyric’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola and hosted by Lyric’s General Director, John Mangum.
The audience is treated to brief explanations and histories of the pieces performed, and the music does the rest, filling the opera house with passion, beauty and melody. The program included well known favorites, such as the Carmen overture, and William Tell. The ensemble also stretched outside their more usual fare with selections from Westside Story, Carousel and The Sound of Music. One unique aspect of the show, pointed out by Chorus Director Michael Black, was that unlike most evenings at the Opera, there was little need for the audience to look up at the translation, you could sit back and let the music wash over you.
All the pieces were relatively brief. General Director and President John Magnum came out after every three or four pieces to introduce them, giving context and a few light jokes, and let the ensemble do what they do best. It was a real-time, real-life, curated, greatest hits playlist, played and sung by word class musicians in what felt like an act of love. Highlights included Verdi’s Nabucco, which was introduced both by John Magnum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola. Mazzola spoke of the power of “Va Pensiero,” the selection from Nabucco. It was written in 1841, when Italy was still a collection of independent kingdoms, troubled by foreign influences, tyrannical rulers and instability. He described it as a song about the longing for freedom and loved ones that are out of reach when one’s land is ruled by tyrants, which struck a chord with the audience.
While every piece was excellent, there were a few standouts:
The selections from William Tell were the “Gloria al poter supremo!” March and Chorus from the Act 3 overture. The piece is instantly recognizable if you’ve ever seen Looney Toons or the Lone Ranger, and garnered laughter and applause.
“Freudig begrüssen wir edle Halle” from Wagner’s Tannhäuser, was the only German piece of the night. The chorus sang it with obvious relish, and the power to back up their enthusiasm.
We were also treated to Puccini’s “Humming Chorus” from Madame Butterfly, an achingly beautiful and difficult piece of music, as it is entirely hummed, but still has the vocal range one would expect from an Opera. The unique chorus of hums creates an ethereal, heartbreaking sound, that leaves a special sort of silence in its wake. It’s no wonder Madame Butterfly remains one of the most popular operas since its debut in 1904.
I’m a Musical Theater kid at heart, so the world-class treatment of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Rogers and Hammerstein was especially delightful to hear. Mazzola invited the audience to participate in the West Side Story Overture section of “Mambo” which left me feeling like a kid mischievously singing along when my parent had shushed me. The women of the Chorus also provided a playful rendition of “America” that was captivating.
The night ended with arguably two of the more stirring songs from all of American Musical Theater: “Climb Every Mountain” from The Sound of Music, and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel. Given that the sound of excellent singers raising their voices in harmony is already enough to move one’s soul, these two pieces surrounded the audience with what I can only describe as hope, if it had a sound.
There was a special encore at the end, but I don’t want to give it all away. This show is the perfect way to introduce kids, or really anyone, to the power and beauty in Opera and Classic American Theater. Do your family a favor and bring them out for some wondrous sound.
Highly Recommended
Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia
Presented at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. A final performance is on April 19, at 2:00pm. Tickets range from $65-$345. For more information and tickets, call 312.827.5600 or visit
www.lyricopera.org/shows/upcoming/2024-25/a-wondrous-sound-concert/
Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.
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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