Sequel Worthy! How to Catch Creation at the Goodman Theatre (Through February 24, 2019)

This is an authentic ensemble piece about creators. A young painter becomes a writer. A middle age man seeks to create a child. A computer repair clerk pursues her love of  music and an art school administrator begins to paint again. This is the story of how these creative artists find inspiration and how their lives intertwine with one another.

The show has a great soundtrack that is underused. The songs are played during the transitions between scenes and then quickly fade out. Playing the songs a bit longer as in Linda Vista, would allow the music to create a stronger atmosphere. Like Linda Vista (playing at the Mark Taper Forum in LA through February 17^th), spinning stages are expertly used. The stage rotates and the characters are already in the scene, as if the audience is catching them in the middle of whatever they are doing. Set pieces also slide in and off the front of the stage in a very visually appealing manner.

The cast does an excellent job creating characters that you’ll really care about. In fact, the performances are so engaging, it deserves a sequel. Karen Aldridge is great as the administrator who finds new inspiration. Ayanna Bria Bakari and Jasmine Bracey are solid as the lesbian couple in the flashback scene to the 1960s. Bernard Gilbert is joyful as the young painter discovering a new passion. Maya Vinice Prentiss is exceptional as the muse. Lastly, Keith Randolph Smith has a very strong performance as a middle age man seeking to create life.

Get tickets now for How to Catch Creation through February 24^th!

Cost of a ticket: $60

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

A British Farce! Noises Off at Windy City Playhouse (Through March 31, 2019)

It’s the night before opening day and the cast is not ready. They’re forgetting their lines, which objects they are supposed to be carrying, and their cues. The director is getting very upset as he watches his cast fumble around. Then, the set starts malfunctioning with doors being unable to be opened and other others not staying closed. In addition, the secrets of who is sleeping with whom start to be revealed and everything truly goes nuts.

This is a very British style play in the same slapstick style as Faulty Towers and The Doppelganger. The Benny Hill song playing during the mayhem would fit right in. It’s a roller coast ride of comedy!

The cast is hilarious. Erica Bittner is so funny as the assistant stage manager trying to hold everything together. Amy J Carle is great as the bumbling maid. Will Casey is a strong presence as the drunken veteran of the stage. Scott Duff with his pants around his ankles just may be the funniest sight of the night. Ryan McBride as Garry always wanting to just say one more thing during the rehearsal always draws laughter from the crowd. Alexander Quinones is fantastic as the stage manager trying to fill in for actors last minute. Just like in Becky Shaw, Amy Rubenstein’s character is trying to making everyone happy, which is a very difficult task. Rochelle Therrien is solid as the actress clearly hired for reasons having nothing to do with her acting ability. Lastly, Mike Tepeli (Shameless) is outstanding as the director absolutely going bananas the entire time.

Get tickets now for Noises Off at Windy City Playhouse through March 31st!

Cost of a ticket: $70
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Also check out Southern Gothic, now playing in the South Loop!

South African Arena Rock! Kongos at Lincoln Hall (January 23, 2019)

The Kongos brothers are originally from South Africa. Thus, it makes sense that they play a version of arena rock blended with African rhythms. The song “I Don’t Mind” features guitar work very common in African Rock. Also, the accordion player plays a major role, especially on “Come with Me Now”, which has over 123 million streams on Spotify. He has the picture of the gorilla from the cover of their album, Egomaniac, printed on his instrument which expands and shrinks as he plays.

They play a bunch of songs from their brand new album, 1929, Pt.1, which was just released this month. There will be parts 2 and 3 later on. These songs are so new that the crowd doesn’t yet know any of them except for the single, “Pay for the Weekend”.

For the encore, Kongos play Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles. It’s an interesting choice that sounds very good played by them. Lastly, they play “I’m Only Joking”, a great rocker to close out the night and send everyone home smiling. “We’ll be back! I’m sure of it!” says the bass player.

During the show they mention their documentary series, Bus Call. It gives a great behind the scenes look at their life on the road. It’s available on YouTube for free! In the series, you’ll learn that their father was a musician who taught them music when they were very young. In 1996, they moved to Arizona. However, they got their first big break in South Africa. They were playing stadiums there at the same time they were playing in bars back in the states for audiences of less than 10 people.

Cost of a ticket: $25
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

See the latest posted setlist here.

Hilarious! Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit Present The Realistic Joneses at Theater Wit (Through March 9, 2019)

Bob and Jennifer Jones are sitting on their back porch chatting about life. They hear the clanging of their garbage cans and suspect it is a skunk or a raccoon. As it turns out, it’s their new neighbors, John and Pony Jones. They say they weren’t eavesdropping, but then later on they admit they were listening while standing silently in the dark. “Wow, it sounds weird when you say it out loud.” The new neighbors continue to act strangely as they sit down and talk. The audience is cracking up constantly in response to their very bizarre behavior.

This play is absolutely hilarious. John and Pony say the strangest things that you just can’t help to laugh at. You’ll start to wonder what the title is referring to? Are they realistic robots? Aliens pretending to be humans? Or, are they just really awkward? This added mystery adds to the excitement of the production.

At one point, Jennifer is listening to music featuring a didjeridu, an Australian instrument. This odd music perfectly matches the tone of this play. In addition, the set is very impressive. The entire back porch slides back, a fence slides over, and then the kitchen from the other house smoothly slides forward. It’s a great feat to fit all of this on the medium sized stage.

The cast is excellent. Joseph Wiens is hilarious as John saying the most ridiculous things. He barely cracks a smile a few times, but it’s amazing he doesn’t constantly break playing this character. Courtney McKenna is equally funny as Pony showing great comedic chops in many different situations. Linda Reiter is fantastic as Jennifer, the wife who is concerned about her husband and curious about the new neighbors. HB Ward is great as Bob, the husband who is very amused by the whole situation.

Get tickets now for The Realistic Jones at Theatre Wit through March 9^th!

 

Cost of a ticket: $34

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

 

Quinn Delaney

Good: Algorithm Nation or The Status Quo at Second City (Open Run)

“We will now do a dramatic scene for you. We need the name of a dramatic movie never seen before.” “The Killer Grapes!” “I’m afraid of the grapes.” “Why?” “They have seeds!” “What? I thought all grapes at Whole Food were seedless!” “We need a scientist!” “How about a mathematician?” “Let’s get some graph paper!” “Have you ever had sex on graph paper?” Blackout. “Sorry, our algorithm failed to create a dramatic scene. Enjoy this intermission while we fix this issue!” This was one of the wild completely improvised scenes that shows the talent of the ensemble.

This truly is a great cast. Kimberly Michelle Vaughn has a great energy on stage, especially during the dancing scene where she plays a wife just left at the altar. Nate Varrone is absolutely hilarious as a guy wearing Bluetooth, while having sex. He says himself that he looks like the child of Billy Mays and Borat!  Emma Pope is a solid actor always willing to be the straight man in a scene. Ryan Asher is consistently funny especially while improvising scenes about puppies. Tyler Davis is a solid guitar player with good comic chops. Lastly, Jeffrey Murdoch is hilarious as the man tied up and held hostage stripped down to his underwear.

All in all, it was a good show, but not one of Second City’s best. Dream Freaks Fall From Space was definitely better. However, the cast is still strong, especially in the improvised scenes. They have started performing two shows on some Sunday nights, so unfortunately there wasn’t an improv set at the end of this performance.

Get tickets now for Algorithm Nation or The Status Quo!

Cost of a ticket: $36
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It-
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Dramatic and Exciting! Cardboard Piano at Timeline Theatre (Through March 17, 2019)

In a war zone in Northern Uganda, the daughter of the American pastor and a local girl fall in love. They have an intimate wedding ceremony with just the two of them that includes a great use of “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers. They secretly plan to run away together to Tunisia. While they are planning their getaway, a teenage soldier comes into the church bleeding from where his ear used to be. He starts off by threatening them but then he agrees to let them help him. Later on, another soldier arrives looking for the first one leading to the dramatic finish of the first act.

This is a very dramatic and exciting play. The audience is on the edge of their seats each time a soldier enters with an unknown agenda. The sound of rain and actual water falling from above combined with the lightning flashes and thunder greatly build the atmosphere. The story truly sheds a light on this violent history of Uganda.

The cast is superb. Adia Alli is fantastic as the local girl who is madly in love. Her chemistry is strong with Kearstyn Keller as the pastor’s daughter, who plays the role with fierce strength. Freedom Martin plays Pika as a teenager scared out of his mind in a frighteningly, realistic fashion. Lastly, Kai A. Ealy puts on one hell of a performance as Paul.

Get tickets now for Cardboard Piano through March 17^th!

 

Cost of a ticket: $40

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Exceptional Value

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

 

Quinn Delaney

A Solo Show: St. Nicholas at the Goodman Theatre starring Brendan Coyle (Through January 27, 2019)

Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) plays a theatre critic with a big ego. He develops a crush on a young actress which leads him to tell everyone at the cast party that he gave them a great review. However, he actually just submitted a mixed review to his newspaper. But the party doesn’t know this and it leads to a enthusiastic party. Later on, he meets a vampire in a park who invites him to his house. Things get interesting from there.

The Goodman has had a bunch of one person shows recently. The Santaland Diaries just wrapped up. Lady in Denmark ran into November. We’re Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time ran earlier in the fall, but this one is really more than a one man show with a full band on stage. The stage is very interactive in “We’re Only Alive…” with objects coming in and off the stage and often changing lighting. In contrast, it’s only Coyle on stage for the entire show. The stage isn’t very interactive with a bucket of water being the only object he interacts with. Also, the lighting stays the same for the first half, and then again no changes during the second half.

Brendan Coyle has a strong stage presence. But it’s even a challenge for him to keep the audience fully enthralled for the full two hours. This performance is probably best suited for fans of Downton Abbey or vampires.  “The idea of doing a solo piece never, ever appealed to me,” said Coyle (in the program). “For me, it was all about the power of ensemble.”

Get tickets now for St Nicholas through January 27^th.

 

Cost of a ticket: $80 (Main Floor)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

 

Quinn Delaney

Three Plays for the Price of One! Pegasus Theatre Chicago Presents The 32nd Young Playwrights Festival at Chicago Dramatists (Through January 27, 2019)

A Green Light by Alexis Gaw

A teenager comes out to his friend, but she is slow to accept it. It makes her uncomfortable and she doesn’t want to talk about it. She says she doesn’t like to talk politics. He responds that this isn’t the gay agenda, this is his life. Now that he has come out, he decides to approach his crush and ask him to the prom. This leads to the funniest scene of the night as they awkwardly talk through this encounter. The playwright truly captured the dialog of teenagers today and some of the issues they are dealing with. The cast does a great job inhabiting these characters and giving the audience a glimpse into their lives.

Fragile Limbs by Anonda Tyler

A teenage boy is struggling with the violent deaths all around him in Chicago. A teenage girl is dealing with an emotionally abusive mother. On a chance encounter, they meet in a park. It’s a very cute display of flirting. “I’m not trying to kiss your kneecaps,” he says. They go on to help each other with their troubles. Once again, the playwright has captured the voices of the high schoolers and their issues. Also, the cast embodies the characters fantastically.

Good Strong Coffee by Luna MacWilliams

In a gentrifying neighborhood, a brother and sister struggle to run a coffee shop left to them after their parents passed away. The brother has a wife and a child who just took his first steps. The sister has artistic ambitions and is focused on performing at open mics. This play differs from the other ones in that the characters are a bit older dealing with issues most teenagers don’t face. Thus, the cast seemed a bit out of their element playing adults.

Get tickets now for The 32nd Young Playwrights Festival through January 27^th!

Cost of a ticket: $30
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney

Wide Variety! Repertory Dance Theatre presents Emerge at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (January 5th, 2019)

As with most dance performances containing a wide variety of dances, some will resonate more with me than others. Here are my personal highlights.

V0 – V26

Choreographed and Performed by Elle Johansen, Lauren Curley, and Hannah Marks

Music by A Cloud for Climbing

The piece begins with three climbing mats upright on the stage. Suddenly, they begin to move and it’s revealed that the dancers have them strapped to their backs. Later on they remove the mats and fall on them repeatedly as if falling while climbing. This is a truly unique idea for a dance that is easy to follow and a great starting piece.

 

Trifle

Choreographed and Performed by Terry & Jaclyn Brown (Spouses)

Music by Martin Gauffin and Elvis Presley

The dance begins with the couple toying with each other. They get in each other’s way in a comical fashion. Then, in the second half, their arms interlock and they can’t get loose as “Stuck on You” by Elvis Presley plays. They spin and twist around connected to each other. It’s a very cute piece that shows how this couple plays together through their challenges.

 

Navigation

Performed by Efren Corado Garcia

Music by J.S. Bach

Rows of takeout boxes cover the middle of the stage. The dancer navigates his way through them without touching them. In the end, he opens one and finds a rose. It feels like this was his search for love. However, how can he know the value of what he has found if he didn’t open any of the other boxes?

 

MASC (part 2)

Choreography: Dan Higgins

Performers: Dan Higgins, Kaya Wolsey, Micah Burkhardt

Music by Perera Elsewhere, Entropy Worship, Luke Howard

This is the most artistic piece of the evening. The dancers appear in gold corsets covered in gold body paint from head to toe. It’s two men and one woman in an otherworldly place that feels like Atlantis. Towards the end, one man pulls the woman away and dances just with her, as the other longingly looks on while somber music plays. It’s a very modern piece that is very well executed and stands out as a great work of art.

To learn more about the Repertory Dance Theatre, visit their website here.

Quinn Delaney

The Unique Voice of Macy Gray at City Winery Chicago (December 29, 2018)

Forty minutes after her scheduled start time, Macy Gray takes the stage. She is wearing quite a loud dress with circles of different colors that matches her style. Upon hitting the first note, her unique voice is instantly recognizable. After the first song, she introduces all the members in the band. It’s a bit unusual to do this so early and it results in a very slow start to the show. Nonetheless, Macy quickly recovers and brings the show back to life as she covers, “Creep”. Since Radiohead rarely plays this song, it’s a good choice and it sounds great with Macy’s voice.

 

 

 

Soon afterwards, Macy begins pleading with the audience to get up and dance. At the City Winery, the crowd is tightly packed in at tables without much room for dancing. Thus, nobody dances except those without seats. Still, she continues to ask everyone to party with her. She indicates it would be a great post-Christmas gift to her. And sure enough, slowly but surely, everyone rises to dance to “Beauty in the World”. She is clearly delighted to have everyone up and quickly leads into “I Try”. Even though it was released back in 1999, this song still sounds fresh and is by far her most popular song with 110 million streams on Spotify.

 

 

Most people probably expected the show to end there, but she goes on to play a few more songs including “Brass In Pocket” by The Pretenders. There’s a reason bands end with their most popular song. It leaves the audience with the climactic moment most fresh in their minds as they head out. Having other songs afterwards has a bit of a cool down effect and isn’t ideal.

 

 

Cost of a ticket: $65

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

 

Quinn Delaney