theatre

#1 English (Goodman)

Pej Vahdat (Omid), Sahar Bibiyan (Roya), Roxanna Hope Radja (Marjan), Nikki Massound (Elham) & Shadee Vossoughi (Goli)

Four students and their teacher grapple with the complexities of learning English in this 2023 Pulitzer-winning play set inside an adult classroom in Teraj, Iran. Playwright Sanaz Toossi weaves together a thought-provoking exploration of how language defines us and what is lost when one is forced to change how he/she communicates. Among many fascinating interactions, the tension between the highly competitive Elham (Nikki Massoud) and her teacher Marjan (Roxanna Hope Radja) particularly stands out. English, which was a success off-Broadway in 2022, has its Broadway premiere this week. Video Clip (YouTube)

#2 Richard III (Chicago Shakespeare)

I was not familiar with Katy Sullivan when Chicago Shakespeare announced their production of Richard III, which would be the first staging from a major theater starring a disabled woman as the unscrupulous king. Sullivan is pure strength and ambition as she manipulates one death after another in the quest for absolute power. The political jostling at the heart of Richard III could be daunting for audiences, but under Edward Hall’s direction, each backstab builds upon the next leading to Richard’s inevitable fall from on high. Video Teaser (YouTube)

#3 Pro-Am (First Floor Theater) (at the Den Theater)

Jenni Hadley (Gabby), Amanda Fink (Jenni), Kaylah Crosby (Mackie) & Brenna DiStasio (Hayley/Livi)

The best play I saw this year from a storefront theater, Pro-Am, which is short for “professional amateur”, follows several models as they try to establish themselves in Miami’s pornography circuit. The script by Chicago-based Brynne Frauenhoffer is filled with well-developed characters including Jenni (Amanda Fink), the experienced model whose advice leads to some great comedic lines, and Chloe (Jalbelly Guzmán), the newcomer with ambitions to make serious money on the business side. Fraunenhoffer demonstrates exceptional skill in exploring the risks (physical and emotional) of working in pornography while never minimizing her characters or their motivations. Video Teaser (Vimeo)

#4 The Coast Starlight (Milwaukee Rep)

Jack Ball (T.J.), Emily S. Chang (Jane) & Kelley Faulkner (Liz)

The Coast Starlight, a play about missed connections, is a theater experience that kept me thinking for days following the performance. T.J. (Jack Ball) is traveling on the Coast Starlight from San Diego to Seattle as he deserts from the military. As the train moves north, he interacts with five other passengers who enter and exit his car, but most of the conversations are in his imagination. Keith Bunin’s script combined with Mark Clements’ imaginative direction tell a story about how often we might be just a few feet away from the person who could completely change the course of our lives. Video Teaser (YouTube)

#5 The Penelopiad (Goodman)

Jennifer Morrison (Penelope, front). Tyler Meredith, Helen Joo Lee, Amira Danan, Aja Alcazar, Elizabeth Laidlaw & Allison Sill (maids, back)

Margaret Atwood adapted her own novel – which I also strongly recommend – about Penelope and the unjust murder of her 12 loyal maids when Odysseus returned to Ithaca. Jennifer Morrison (a graduate from Mount Prospect High School) led a talented ensemble cast with 12 actresses playing multiple roles in relating Penelope’s stories, which span from her birth to her presence in the underworld. Director Susan V. Booth led a team of designers in creating the most visually exciting show of the year. Video Teaser (YouTube)

#6 Primary Trust (Goodman)

Namir Smallwood (Kenneth) & Charles Andrew Gardner (Bert)

It is rare for me to feature more than one show per theater company on my top 10 lists, but the Goodman offered such an extraordinary variety of moving experiences in 2024 that is deserving of three spots (plus one more to come in my musicals list). Primary Trust, which won playwright Eboni Booth the 2024 Pulitzer for drama, centers on Kenneth, a 38-year-old who desires nothing beyond complete consistency – working every day at a bookstore and then spending every night drinking mai tais at a theme restaurant called Wally’s. When the bookstore closes, Kenneth is forced to consider the implications of his sole friendship in the wake of other transitions. Namir Smallwood as Kenneth expertly mixed comedy and trauma in creating a wonderful, empathetic character. Video Teaser (YouTube)

#7 Little Bear Ridge Road (Steppenwolf)

Laurie Metcalf (Sarah) & Micah Stock (Ethan)

Since seeing The Whale at Victory Gardens (now sadly defunct) in 2013, I have made a point of seeing any show written by Samuel D. Hunter, a playwright with an astonishing ability to create uniquely wounded characters searching for something out of their reach. In the opening scene of Little Bear Ridge Road, Ethan (Micah Stock) returns to his childhood town to stay with his fiercely independent Aunt Sarah (the always stellar Laurie Metcalf) following his father’s death. One of my favorite aspects of this Hunter play is how he jumps forward in time from scene to scene, allowing his audience to fill in the gaps of Ethan’s emotional journey. Video Teaser (YouTube)

#8 East Texas Hot Links (Court)

Geno Walker & Juwan Lockett (front). David Dowd, Kelvin Roston Jr., Alfred H. Wilson, A.C. Smith & AnJi White (back)

I almost did not make it to Hyde Park to see this production, but a random theatergoer at a different show raved so emphatically about it, that I changed my mind – and I am very glad I did. (This is why theaters remind audiences that word of mouth is their best form of advertising.) For much of this excellent script by Eugene Lee, the audience does not fully grasp the tension created by young Delmus Green’s (David Dowd) attraction to a girl, nor do we expect the depths to which the traitorous XL Dancer (Juwan Lockett) will sink to get ahead. During the climactic final scene, which took me by complete surprise, director Ron OJ Parson and this amazing ensemble cast had me physically shaking in my seat. Video Clip (YouTube)

#9 Every Brilliant Thing (Writers Theater)

Jessie Fisher & the interactive audience

My enjoyment of Every Brilliant Thing was enhanced when I was chosen to be a featured player. Jessie Fisher, who delivered ceaseless energy while performing this one-actor show, fed me lines while I acted the part of her boyfriend turned husband turned ex-husband. But even without participating, I would have marveled at how a play rooted in a depressing subject (suicide) could inspire optimism through the narrator’s massive list, started when she was seven years old, chronologically all the great things in the world. (spoiler: #1 is ice cream)

#10 Selling Kabul (Northlight)

Owais Ahmed (Taroon) & Aila Ayilam Peck (Afiya)

The first drama I saw this year has stayed with me 11 months later due to tragic realities faced by the characters. Set in Afghanistan in 2013, Taroon (Owais Ahmed) has grown restless from hiding in his sister’s apartment for four months, hoping he’ll receive the visa that former American colleagues promised him. His sister Afiya (Aila Ayilam Peck), his brother-in-law Jawid (Ahmad Kamal), and his wife’s cousin Leyla (Shadee Vossoughi) all become entwined in Taroon’s attempt to leave the apartment to see his newborn son. While the play was first produced in 2019, the content was particularly timely following the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Video Clip (YouTube)

Other notable productions from 2024

The Audience – Drury Lane Oakbrook
The Enigmatist – Chicago Shakespeare
Gods and Monsters – Frame of Reference (at Theater Wit)
How I Learned What I Learned – Congo Square (at Broadway Playhouse)
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol – Lifeline
Purpose – Steppenwolf
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead – Court
Seven Guitars – City Lit
This is Our Youth – Gwydion (at Greenhouse)

And two more productions I would have liked to have seen

By the time I tried to buy tickets to see The Normal Heart at Redtwist Theater (which has renovated its storefront theater) and A Case for the Existence of God at Steep Theater, both shows were sold out. I am sorry to have missed two plays that I have greatly enjoyed in the past, but I am happy that both small theaters thrived with their productions.

On Saturday, April 6, I drove 3 hours to Indianapolis to see Hadestown. This marked my 10^th viewing in five different cities (New York, Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and Indy) in a little less than two-and-a-half years. On my return drive, I considered what makes Hadestown my “favorite musical.” I love the story, all of the songs, and the joy of watching different actors put their unique stamp on the leading roles, but that can be said about a number of musicals. The simplest explanation is that I connect with Hadestown in an way that is greater from the any other musical that I have seen.

In honor of my Hadestown anniversary (and another anniversary since this is my 100th blog post), I have decided to start a series about the musicals that have had the greatest impact on me. I will begin by writing about my five favorite musicals emphasizing memories of my first viewing, the deep connections I make with the characters, and the moments that I eagerly anticipate whenever I am fortune enough to catch a production.

#1 – Hadestown

Eva Noblezada, André De Shields, and Reeve Carney from the original Broadway cast

Hadestown was one of the first musicals to reopen on Broadway after more than a year of darkness due to the COVID pandemic, and I hopped on a plane to see it knowing only a few facts: (1) it had won the Tony award for Best Musical, (2) it’s plot is rooted in Greek mythology, (3) and André De Shields was earning rave reviews as Hermes. Hadestown hooks the audience right at the start. Hermes walks across the stage in a sparkling suit, quietly connecting with each of his fellow actors, and then he asks the audience to acknowledge that we are “all right!” From there, the overture begins with a rousing trombone solo.

I often paraphrase an insightful line from Urinetown: “Nothing kills a musical like too much exposition.” Hadestown accomplishes the unique feat of presenting all of its exposition in the opening song “Road to Hell” and then quickly jumps into the blossoming love of Orpheus and Eurydice, which is soon contrasted by the faded love felt by Hades and Persephone. Both relationships elicit a complete spectrum of emotions before culminating in their inevitable conclusions. I’ve dismissed many musicals over the years because the writers fail to convincingly convey love, but with Hadestown I continue to hope that maybe the story will turn out differently on a new viewing, a theme that composer Anaïs Mitchell explores in the “Road to Hell” reprise when Hermes declares that the outcome is a “sad song, but we’re going to sing it again.”

My favorite moment in Hadestown (maybe my favorite moment in all musical theater) is the start of “Wait for Me.” The song is a true masterpiece, combining intense spoken word poetry from Hermes with two anthems from Orpheus – the impassioned “Wait for Me” chorus and the melody beautiful enough to open the walls of Hell. Two additional highlights are “Way Down Hadestown” for its joyous choreography and “Why We Build the Wall” with Hades’ deep-barratone message being echoed by the chorus.

#2 – Pippin

Patina Miller, Terrence Mann, and Matthew James Thomas from the 2013 Broadway revival cast

Unlike Hadestown, I was familiar with some of the songs from Pippin before I first saw the musical – they were often performed during my two-year show choir stint in the mid-90’s. Yet, Pippin (which debuted under Bob Fosse’s direction in 1972) was no longer on the regular performance circuit when I started seeing musicals in the mid-80’s possibly due to very racy lyrics and choreography. My first viewing was the acclaimed 2013 Broadway revival, which enhanced the storyline with an ensemble of acrobats. By the end of this version (which I managed to see three times between New York and Chicago), I could not imagine Pippin without the circus feats, but I have since learned that Pippin is just as enjoyable when done minimally, like the 2018 production in the Mercury Theater’s cabaret space.

While “Magic to Do” is an exciting opening that establishes a direction for the next two hours, Pippin really gets started with the first notes of “Corner of the Sky,” and I remember the beginning of Mathew James Thomas’s Broadway performance in 2013 – his voice expanding like crystal through the theater when he hits the chorus: “Rivers belong where they can ramble. Eagles belong where they can fly.” Pippin is a highly relatable character as he searches for a purpose in life – a path to finding inner contentment with no idea where to start. His father Charlemagne expects Pippin to use tyranny to establish power. His grandmother Berthe encourages Pippin to enjoy life in the always fun sing-along “No Time at All.” In one of the great Act I finales – “Morning Glow” – Pippin tries to find meaning by establishing peace. When the lead player and his troop expect Pippin to sacrifice his life in a climactic spectacle, Pippin refuses.

Hadestown and Pippin share two notable qualities. They both present characters from long ago (mythical and historical) in modern settings, emphasizing the timelessness of their struggles. Also, both involve characters who embark on a physical quest (Pippin throughout Europe / Orpheus down to the underworld), but the challenges they must overcome are more internal than external.

#3 and #4 – Preview

I originally planned to write about all five of my favorite musicals in one post before realizing that post would be far too long. Therefore, in a homage to the method that Aurora’s Paramount Theater presents its upcoming seasons, I am going to release a preview. See if you can guess the next two musicals based on the following sets of emojis. I hope to publish my 101st post soon.

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