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Showing posts with label A Taste of Things to Come. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Taste of Things to Come. Show all posts

Thursday, March 29, 2018

REVIEW: Sugary Taste of Things To Come Is Sweet But Lacks Substance

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Review of “A Taste of Things to Come” 
By Catherine Hellmann, guest reviewer



                       “Whip cream makes everything better.” 

This philosophy of life guides housewife extraordinaire and mother of six (and counting?) Dottie O’Farrell, the cliche, harried, over-the-top mom in the cast of four female friends in Taste of Things to Come. Maybe the ushers should hand out sundaes at intermission; the show needs something.

Oh, it is an adorable show, don’t get me wrong, and probably a crowd-pleaser for those who want a fun, light, amusing musical about women friendships. But the storyline is as sugary as whip cream and largely predictable, as are the other three characters as well: Joan Smith, the happily married hostess with modest career ambitions of being a writer, Connie, the very pregnant, unhappily married friend, and single Agnes, who dreams of escaping their Illinois suburb for New York, fame, and fortune.


Act One opens in the 1950’s in Winnetka where the ladies are planning to enter, and hopefully win, the Betty Crocker cooking contest. (According to my mom, who actually raised children in the 1950’s, all the women in her neighborhood were way too busy with their families to ever meet other ladies for a cooking/gossip/wine session. Ok, it is theater/fantasy and not necessarily based on fact...)  The musical numbers are delightful and cleverly staged. I especially liked the tribute to “Dear Abby” and the gossippy “Didja Hear?” Agnes dreams and sings “I’m Outta Here,” while the ladies blend some adult beverages into their cooking with “Happy Hour.”


Act Two jumps ahead ten years into the 60’s so Joan can wear her short skirt and white go-go boots, and her friends can enter her pad with the groovy beads in the doorway. (There is a wonderful bit where Dottie falls out of Joan’s giant beanbag chair.) Each of the quartet is a “type” of female fulfillment. Joan is still happily married and writing, Connie, minus the husband,  lives out of the country with her beau and their biracial baby (radical!), and Agnes has followed her heart to NYC where she has succeeded in tv soap operas (and discovered her secret Latina heritage--huh?). Then there is sweet Dottie, the PTA president, feeling marginalized and unimportant with her growing family, next to her accomplished friends.


By the end, this very-disparate group of friends will bond once more, (Who is really still close with their high school friends or has anything in common with them two decades later? Ok, I am being a realist again...) and affirm everyone’s choices, pointedly singling out Dottie that having a family/being a mom is an excellent career in itself. It’s like we are being reminded: The women’s movement was about choices! Joan, you have it all; it’s ok you don’t have children! Agnes, career girl without a man! Connie, you and your multicultural family unit are welcome back to the U.S.! Ugh.


The cast does an exceptional job pulling off a cheesy plot. They are very talented women with impressive bios. Libby Servais, as Connie, just finished a run as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway. Cortney Wolfson has been in Kinky

Boots on Broadway and is wonderful as Joan, our hostess. Linedy Genao, as Agnes, returns to Chicago where she professionally debuted in  On Your Feet! at the Oriental Theater. Marissa Rosen as Dottie is especially adorable; she just did a production of The Marvelous Wonderettes Off-Broadway.

Another stand-out is the band itself, comprised of all women musicians,

which is rare and super-cool for a show about female empowerment. That was one aspect of the show which seemed truly radical and made a serious statement; I just wish the storyline about the strengths of women had more breadth and texture...and less sugar.

CHICAGO PREMIERE!

MARCH 20-APRIL 29, 2018
BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE AT WATER TOWER PLACE

Broadway In Chicago and the producers of A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME are delighted to announce that individual tickets for A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME, a slice-of-life original musical comedy, will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. This delicious musical makes its Chicago debut at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) for a limited six-week engagement March 20 through April 29, 2018.

THE 1950s: It’s the beginning of rock n’ roll, the racial barrier begins to crack, the Korean War is over, and husbands are returning home. Ronald Reagan is a model for Lifebuoy Soap and Rock Hudson is “the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor.”
And women are getting antsy.

Meet Joan, Connie, Dottie, and Agnes. Four best friends living in Winnetka, IL. They meet every Wednesday for a Betty Crocker cooking contest, imagining how the prizes might change their lives. Their weekly gathering isn’t just about cooking, but a time to confide secrets and share frustrations.

Usually, it’s LIFE Magazine that’s read cover to cover in between mixing, sifting, and chopping. However, a different kind of reading material arrives. Shocked but inspired by the Kinsey report, their lives take an interesting turn.

A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME is a fabulously fun romp tracing the changing lives of these four Winnetka women from the 1950s to the sexual revolution of the 1960s. This homage to prior generations of women who blazed new trails features a rollicking original score of ‘50s and ‘60s music with great harmonies, all backed by an all-female rock n’ roll band.

Written by Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin, with direction & choreography by Lorin Latarro, A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME is a slice-of-life original musical comedy following four friends whose Betty Crocker cooking club becomes a turning point in their lives.



TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) are on sale now and range from $30-$75 with a select number of premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Monday, October 2, 2017

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO 2018 Season On Sale to the General Public Wednesday, Oct. 18

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO ANNOUNCES NEXT SEASON
TO FEATURE
TWO NEW PRE-BROADWAY MUSICALS: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
and THE CHER SHOW,
TONY AWARD®-WINNING THE COLOR PURPLE,
WAITRESS, ON YOUR FEET! 
and A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME

OFF-SEASON SPECIALS WILL INCLUDE 
DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE, 
THE SOUND OF MUSIC and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA

On Sale to the General Public Wednesday, Oct. 18






Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce its 2018 season line-up set to feature two new Pre-Broadway musicals: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, based on the beloved Garry Marshall  film, and THE CHER SHOW based on the life of the legendary Cher. The season also includes Tony Award®-winning THE COLOR PURPLE, ON YOUR FEET!, WAITRESS: A NEW MUSICAL and A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME. Off Season specials will include: DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE and two Rodgers & Hammerstein classics, THE SOUND OF MUSIC and CINDERELLA. The upcoming season will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. To renew or purchase a new subscription, please visit BroadwayInChicago.com or call 312-977-1717.  


Subscriber benefits include savings of up to 59% off ticket prices, discounts on parking and suite service, invitations to Broadway In Chicago exclusive events, exchange privileges based on availability and more. The Broadway In Chicago line-up, including performance dates and venues, is as follows:




PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
March 13-April 15, 2018
Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph
Based on one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will have its World Premiere stage production in Chicago in the spring of 2018. With music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Bryan Adams and his longtime songwriting partner Jim Vallance, book by Garry Marshall and the film’s screenwriter J.F. Lawton, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.  “We found two amazing, charismatic actors with incredible chemistry to play ‘Vivian’ and ‘Edward,’” said producer Paula Wagner, “The gorgeous, triple-threat, Samantha Barks, and one of Broadway’s most dashing and talented leading men, Tony and Grammy Award winner Steve Kazee.” 



A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME
March 20 – April 29, 2018
Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut
It’s the 1950’s in Winnetka, IL. Every Wednesday best friends Joan, Connie, Dottie, & Agnes enter a Betty Crocker cooking contest, dreaming how the prizes might change their mundane lives. On this particular Wednesday, Joan replaces the cookbook with the Kinsey Report on female sexuality and life begins to get very interesting! In A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME, a slice-of-life original musical comedy, we watch as this cooking club becomes a turning point in their lives.



ON YOUR FEET! 
March 21 – April 8, 2018
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
This Broadway musical will dance its way back to Chicago where it originated its Pre-Broadway engagement the summer of 2015. It follows the Estefans' journey to superstardom, set to their chart-topping hits, “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Get On Your Feet,” and more. Directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray), choreographed by Tony Award® nominee & Olivier Award® winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis), with book by Academy Award® winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman, The Bodyguard Musical).




THE CHER SHOW
June 12-July 15, 2018
Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph
THE CHER SHOW, the new musical based on the life and six-decade career of the iconic singer and actress, will have its Pre-Broadway world premiere in Chicago before making its Broadway debut at the Neil Simon Theatre in Fall 2018. Recognized for her influential contributions to music, film, television, fashion, and popular culture, the Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy award-winning entertainer’s life story will be brought to stage in this new musical featuring her beloved chart-topping hits. THE CHER SHOW is produced by Flody Suarez (What’s New Pussycat) and four-time Tony Award-winner Jeffrey Seller (Hamilton).




WAITRESS
July 3-22, 2018
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, this irresistible new hit features original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy® nominee Sara Bareilles ("Brave," "Love Song"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Hair, Pippin, Finding Neverland). "It's an empowering musical of the highest order!" raves the Chicago Tribune. Inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, WAITRESS tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, who must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.



THE COLOR PURPLE
July 17-29, 2018
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress
This revival of THE COLOR PURPLE won two Tony Awards® in 2016, including Best Revival of a Musical and two Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical. THE COLOR PURPLE revival also won the 2017 Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album.  Hailed as “a direct hit to the heart” (The Hollywood Reporter), this joyous American classic conquered Broadway in an all-new "ravishingly reconceived production that is a glory to behold” (The New York Times) directed by Tony Award® winner John Doyle. With a soul-raising Grammy®-winning score of jazz, gospel, ragtime and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE gives an exhilarating new spirit to this Pulitzer Prize®-winning story.


OFF SEASON SPECIALS WILL INCLUDE:

 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC 
April 10-15, 2018
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE! A brand new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is coming to Chicago! The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony®, Grammy® and Academy Award® winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and the title song. THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp.



Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA
April 27-May 6, 2018
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA is the Tony Award®- winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.”



DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE
May 29-June 3, 2018
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensational dancing.
Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. Featuring the hit songs, “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and the heart-stopping “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” London’s Sunday Express says, “This crowd-pleasing stage adaptation hits the jackpot!”

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago


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