Evan Tyrone Martin (Pierre, standing on the table) and the cast
I enjoyed this musical when I saw it on Broadway in 2017, but this production from Writers Theater launched Natasha, Pierre… into my list of all-time favorite musicals. Set within the world of aristocratic Russian society in 1812, every song overflows with the passions of characters who are fully committed to their causes, whether they strive to marry well, fabricate a scandal, seduce a young woman, or find meaning in the universe. Director and choreographer Katie Spelman led a cast with too many stars to name here – I’ll limit myself to praising Evan Tyrone Martin, who, as Pierre, accentuated the nuances of a character who shifted from hopelessness to action in Natasha’s (Aurora Penepacker) time of need. Year after year, Writers Theater rises to the top with their intimate stagings of large-scale musicals. Video montage
J. Harrison Ghee (Lady Chablis, standing tallest in the middle) and the cast
When the Goodman announced that J. Harrison Ghee (Tony winner from Some Like it Hot) would play Lady Chablis, I knew they were on the right track. Ghee’s entrance did not disappoint as she waved away the applause and insisted to the audience, “Make me earn it.” Adapting this 1994 bestseller into a musical is no easy task, but the script by Taylor Mac and the music by Jason Robert Brown embodied the mysteries, contradictions, and joys of Savannah. Brown’s use of different musical styles for each main characters’ songs added depth to their characterizations, and the choreography by Tanya Birl-Torres was another bonus. Producers have announced that Midnight… will open on Broadway in 2025, but as of yet no theater or opening date is set. Video scene
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
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