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Showing posts with label highly recommended. Show all posts
Showing posts with label highly recommended. Show all posts

Friday, January 24, 2025

REVIEW: Yael Rasooly's Edith and Me at 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Edith and Me

Yael Rasooly

Israel



Highly recommended. 
★★★★ Four out of four stars. Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, ChiIL Live Shows


We were blown away by Edith and Me. Yael Rasooly is an incredibly talented singer and puppeteer who mixes her own heart wrenching narrative with the songs and darkest moments of Edith Piaf's life. This account of assault and healing is such a powerful, personal, and entirely relatable journey. 


Even in our current "Me Too" era, victim blaming is still rampant. Instead of holding perpetrators (mostly men) accountable for sexual assault, non-consensual acts, and rape, woman (and some men, too) are stigmatized, traumatized, and silenced in life and then again by police and the court system, if they dare to speak out. This is particularly true if the perp is rich, powerful, and/or famous. This show is sadly all too topical, as we have seen this dynamic playing out with our felon-in-chief and his cadre of rapist apointees. 


The vast majority of women I know have been assaulted, most of them multiple times in ways small and large over the years. And the few who dared to press charges were mostly revictimized by the courts and recieved little to no justice or vindication. We deserve better for our daughters, sisters, friends, and selves! This behavior is a worldwide epidemic that thrives on silence and grows bold in the dark corners of our shame.
 
Edith and Me is an empowering tool for connection and commiseration. Isolation and blame are patriarchy's tools. But we are stronger together. Through art we can heal and reclaim our voices and power after a traumatic experience. This production is a vitally important, archtypal story, and a creative blueprint for healing. Yael Rasooly is a world class talent with the bravery and strength to speak truth to power. This show is one of the most inspiring productions I've ever seen. Stay for the talk-back at the end. It was nothing short of cathartic. 

Don't miss this. Edith and Me is truly phenomenal and an absolute must see!

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

The Biograph's Začek-McVay Mainstage, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park

Thursday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 25 at 8 p.m.

60 minutes

15 and up

Tickets: $35-$43

yael-rasooly.com

Based on a true story, Israeli vocalist, actress, puppeteer and director Yael Rasooly brings her virtuosic vocals and puppetry to share the struggle of a singer nearly silenced at the hands of political leaders, immobilized, and perhaps never to perform again. Yet she is not alone – the famous singer icon Edith Piaf is there to drag her out of bed and pull her back into life. 

Edith and Me is a one woman show doubling the power of French cabaret. Revel in the virtuosic talents of two exceptional, classically-trained, wildly entertaining artists: the world-celebrated Rasooly, with the incomparable accordionist, Iliya Magalnyk, originally from Moldova.

Edith and Me is one of more than 120 shows and special events that are part of the 7th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, January 15-26, 2025. The 2025 Chicago Puppet Fest is the largest event of its kind in North America, spanning 12 days and dozens of Chicago venues, presenting  an international pageant of puppet artists in all-ages spectacle shows in landmark theaters, intimate works on smaller stages, and late night puppet cabarets. Last year’s festival attracted nearly 20,000 fans of puppetry, a record, from Chicago and around the world. This year, see puppet artists from Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Norway, Puerto Rico, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, the U.S. and Chicago performing the full range of contemporary and traditional puppetry styles. 

For tickets and information, visit chicagopuppetfest.org, sign up for the festival’s e-news, and follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram or Vimeo, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest. 



Thursday, January 23, 2025

REVIEW: Porchlight Theatre's Tony-award winning Fun Home Now Playing Through March 2, 20252025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Tony-Award Winning Pulitzer Prize-Nominated Musical

FUN HOME

NOW PLAYING THROUGH MARCH 2, 2025

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

This Moving Story of Seeing One’s Parents Through Adult Eyes is Directed by Stephen Schellhardt and Music Directed by Heidi Joosten.

Members of the cast of FUN HOME from Porchlight Music Theatre, now playing through March 2 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Credit for all Photos: Liz Lauren 

CONTENT ADVISORY: verbal abuse, depictions of homophobia and a death by suicide as well as allusions to sexual contact between an adult and teenagers.

The running time is 100 minutes with no intermission. 


REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Family dynamics are complicated, especially when one or both parents are living a lie. Porchlight's Fun Home is 100 unforgettable minutes of love and loss, with a fabulously flawed family. 

Patrick Byrnes 

This production brings world class talent, a gorgeous set design, and a score that will send shivers up your spine. We adored the way the overarching home is constructed and compartmentalized into individual frames that light up and change by location. Brilliant design work. 

The children bring life and levity to the overarching serious themes of Fun Home, and it's a joy to experience their early years growing up in a family run funeral home. Small Alison and her brothers are all well cast.

(L to R) Tessa Mae Pundsack (SMALL ALISON), Eli Vander Griend and Austin Hartung

(L to R) Lincoln J. Skoien, Hayes McCracken, Meena Sood and Charlie Long 

*NOTE: Because there are two casts of the young actors. We have included both of the casts in the photos 

We love the construct of having three ages of Alisons as queer, female narrators. For opening night we saw Meena Sood in the role of small Alison and she was fantastic, as were Alanna Chavez (ALISON) and Z Mowry (MIDDLE ALISON).

(L to R) Meena Sood (SMALL ALISON), Alanna Chavez (ALISON) 

and Z Mowry (MIDDLE ALISON) 

We adore Porchlight Music Theatre's take on this Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated musical. Fun Home has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows, and I can attest, this dark yet tender, queer coming of age story is in capable hands with Porchlight. I've had the pleasure of reviewing the Broadway national tour in 2016, Victory Gardens' show in 2017, and Paramount's production in 2022. Porchlight Music Theatre left us impressed, with world class talent across the board.

There's plenty of humor and laughter in this family drama, and the serious, heartbreaking elements are handled with care. The entire cast is stellar, with particular kudos to Neala Barron (Helen Bechdel) whose "Days and Days" brought down the house. The rousing standing ovation at curtain call was well deserved by all. 


(L to R) Neala Barron and Z Mowry

Don't miss this! Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars.

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present the Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated musical Fun Home, now playing through March 2, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Fun Home, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, is based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel and is directed for Porchlight Music Theatre by Stephen Schellhardt with music direction by Heidi Joosten. 

(L to R) Lincoln J. Skoien, Patrick Byrnes and Alanna Chavez 

The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with additional performances Thursday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Post-show discussions are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 31, Thursday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 23 with Open Caption performances Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. The running time is 100 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $20 - $85 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact Audience Services Director August Compton at August@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org for more information on group sales.


Alanna Chavez (ALISON) 

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Pulitzer finalist, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, emotional and revolutionary musical. Based on Alison Bechdel’s critically acclaimed graphic novel, Fun Home shares how Bechdel unlocks memories, milestones and mysteries of her youth as she begins to write her first graphic novel. With a compassionate score and a brilliant script, Fun Home tells the story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.

Tickets are $20 - $85 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact Audience Services Director August Compton at August@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org for more information on group sales.

 

(L to R) Patrick Byrnes and Meena Sood 


Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.

Tickets: $20 - $85

Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/fun-home/

Thursday, Jan. 23 at 2p.m. 

Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. - Porchlight Young Professionals Night 

Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. 

Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. 

 (L to R) Dakota Hughes and Z Mowry

Thursday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:30p.m. 

Friday, Jan 31 at 7:30 p.m. - Post-Show Discussion 

Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. 


Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. 

Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.  

Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. - Open Caption Performance

Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. 

(L to R) Meena Sood (SMALL ALISON) and Alanna Chavez (ALISON) 


Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. 

Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.  - Post-Show Discussion 

Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. 


Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.  - Open Caption Performance

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. - Post-Show Discussion 

Meena Sood in FUN HOME

Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 1 at 3 p.m. 

Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. 

Show dates,  post-show discussions, etc. subject to change. 



Meena Sood and Patrick Byrnes

Tessa Mae Pundsack and Patrick Byrnes

The cast of Fun Home including two children’s casts, in alphabetical order, is Neala Barron (she/her, Helen); Liz Bollar (she/they, Helen U/S, Alison U/S); Patrick Byrnes (he/him, Bruce); Alanna Chavez (she/her, Alison); Eli Vander Griend (he/him, Christian); King Hang (he/him, Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy U/S); Austin Hartung (he/him, John); Josiah Haugen (he/him, Bruce U/S); Dakota Hughes (they/them, Joan, dance/intimacy captain); Charlie Long (he/him, Christian); Adelina Marinello (she/her, middle Alison U/S, Joan U/S); Hayes McCracken (he/him, John); Z Mowry (they/them, middle Alison); Tessa Pundsack (she/her, small Alison); Elin Joy Seiler (she/her, small Alison) and Lincoln J. Skoien (any with respect, Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy).

The Fun Home production team includes Stephen Schellhardt (he/him, director); Heidi Joosten (she/her, music director/conductor); Sheryl Williams (she/they, intimacy coordinator); Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (he/him, scenic designer); Marquecia Jordan (she/her, costume designer); Denise Karczewski (she/her, lighting designer); Matthew R. Chase (he/him, lighting designer); Drew Donnelly (he/him, production stage manager, AEA); Carli Shapiro (they/them, assistant stage manager); Olivia Leslie (she/her, assistant stage manager); John McTaggart (he/him, technical director); Danny Carraher (he/him, assistant technical director); Lydia Moss (she/her, scenic charge); Kayne Bowling (he/they, lead carpenter/spot 2); Mark Brown (he/him, deck chief); Bette Schneider (she/her, costume director); Rachel West (she/her, lighting designer); Riley Woods (they/them, assistant lighting supervisor/spot 1 ); Sam Anderson (they/she, lead electrician); Morgan Dudaryk (she/they, audio and video director); Joe Court (he/him, A1); Ali Westendorf (she/they, asst. costume director/wardrobe supervisor ); Amanda May (she/her, hair & makeup director/wardrobe swing); Clare McCullough (she/her, wardrobe assistant); Patrick McGuire (any with respect, properties director); Heather Gervasi (she/her, production manager); Michael Weber (he/him, artistic director); Majel Cuza (she/her, director of production) and Frankie Leo Bennett (he/him, producing artistic associate).


ABOUT JEANINE TESORI, MUSIC

Jeanine Tesori (she/her) has written a diverse catalog for Broadway, opera, film and television. Her Broadway musicals include: Fun Home (2015 Tony Award Winner, Pulitzer finalist); Violet; Caroline, or Change; Shrek the Musical; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Twelfth Night (LCT); John Guare’s A Free Man of Color. Delacorte: Mother Courage (starring Meryl Streep). She has received five Tony nominations, three Obie Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. The hallmarks of her work have been described as "close-to-the-surface emotion, structural rigor and rhythmic drive."

Her operas include: The Lion, the Unicorn and Me and Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (MET/LCT Opera/Theater and Glimmerglass Opera commission); her upcoming collaboration with Tazewell Thompson, Blue, was commissioned for Glimmerglass Opera company and will premiere there next season. She wrote the musical featured in the 2016 revival of “Gilmore Girls” and has also written special material for artists such as The Girl in 14G for Kristin Chenoweth and has been featured in the documentaries “Show Business” and “Theater of War.”

Jeanine Tesori became the founding artistic director of a new concert series at New York City Center called Encores! Off-Center, for which she has helmed seasons joined by artists such as Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Randy Newman, William Finn, Alan Menken, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sutton Foster and Jonathan Groff. After producing four seasons of Off-Center concerts, she took one of those concerts, Sunday in the Park with George (starring Jake Gyllenhaal) to Broadway where she produced the 2017 revival, with ATG and Riva Marker. She was the recording producer for Sunday as well as the Original Cast Recordings of Violet; Caroline, or Change; Shrek; Twelfth Night; etc.

A lecturer in music at Yale and on faculty at Columbia University, Tesori has spoken and taught at universities and programs all over the country. She is the founding creative director of the non-profit A BroaderWay, an arts empowerment program for young women. She was given the Einhorn Mentorship Award by Primary Stages for her exceptional work with young artists. Her daughter, Siena Rafter, is a sophomore at Brown University.

ABOUT LISA KRON, BOOK AND LYRICS

Lisa Kron (she/her) is a writer and performer whose work has been widely produced in New York, regionally and internationally. Her plays include Well, 2.5 Minute Ride and The Ver**zon Play. She wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Fun Home (with music by composer Jeanine Tesori), winner of five 2015 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Kron and Tesori were the first all-woman team to ever receive a Tony for best score.

As an actor, Kron was most recently seen as “Mrs. Mi-Tzu” and “Mrs. Yang” in the Foundry Theater’s acclaimed production of Good Person of Szechuan (Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actress). Honors include a Guggenheim fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artists Award and the Cal Arts/Alpert Award. She is a proud founding member of the OBIE- and Bessie-Award-winning collaborative theater company The Five Lesbian Brothers.

Kron currently serves as secretary of the Dramatists Guild Council and on the boards of the McDowell Colony and the Lilly Awards.

ABOUT STEPHEN SCHELLHARDT, DIRECTOR

Stephen Schellhardt is thrilled to be back at Porchlight and working with this beautiful company of artists. Stephen is a Jeff Award-winning director whose credits include The Play That Goes Wrong, The Wizard of Oz and Footloose (Barter Theatre), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Porchlight - Jeff Nomination), Queer Eye: The Musical Parody (Second City), Big Fish (Jeff Award), Urinetown (Jeff Nomination), Dogfight (Jeff Nomination) at BoHo Theatre, Greater Tuna (Timberlake Playhouse), Songs for a New World (Rockford University) and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Northwestern University) Stephen is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.

ABOUT HEIDI JOOSTEN, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Heidi Joosten is a Jeff-Award winning music director (Assassins, Theo, 2024), composer and performer who has music directed and conducted more than 150 productions across the country. National conducting/adaptation credits include Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barbie: Live in Concert at The Hollywood Bowl, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse and Labyrinth in Concert. Other recent Chicago credits include Kokandy Productions (Alice by Heart, American Psycho), Drury Lane Theater (Grease), Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Beauty and the Beast) and The Second City (Don’t Quit Your Daydream). An avid performer, she has released two solo piano albums and continues to innovate in theatre and concert music internationally.


 Z Mowry


ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, entering its 30th season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.”

Porchlight's history over nearly three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres.

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form.

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 50 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022).

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city.

The 30th Anniversary Season is Sponsored By Elaine Cohen & Arlen Rubin and Brenda & Jim Grusecki.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Comcast/Xfinity; Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation; Free for All; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Service Club of Chicago and The Shubert Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Allstate; BDO; Google; Jackson National Life Insurance; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and The Saints. 

PORCHLIGHT UPCOMING EVENTS ...

NEW FACES SING BROADWAY NOW

Monday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave.

Tickets: $45

Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St.

Tickets: $75 (includes a pre-show wine and cheese reception at 6:30PM)

Directed by Producing Artistic Associate Frankie Leo Bennett

Music Directed by Carolyn Jean Brady

Hosted by Adrian Aguilar

The popular New Faces Sing Broadway series returns in Porchlight’s 30th Anniversary Season. Chicago’s up-and-coming talent join Broadway’s Adrian Aguilar for a 90-minute revue of the hottest shows on Broadway today including Hell’s Kitchen, The Notebook, Death Becomes Her, The Outsiders and others as well as trivia contests with prizes.

FUN HOME

January 16 – March 2, 2025

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.

Music by Jeanine Tesori

Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron

Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel

Directed by Stephen Schellhardt

Music Directed by Heidi Joosten

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Pulitzer finalist, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, emotional and revolutionary musical. Based on Alison Bechdel’s critically acclaimed graphic novel, Fun Home shares how Bechdel unlocks memories, milestones and mysteries of her youth as she begins to write her first graphic novel. With a compassionate score and a brilliant script, Fun Home tells the story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.


TITANIQUE

Chicago Premiere

Presented in association with Broadway In Chicago

March 25 – May 18, 2025

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.

Co-Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue.

All aboard NYC’s must-sea musical comedy! When the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the eleven-time Oscar®-winning blockbuster film “Titanic,” you get Titanique, off-Broadway’s most award-winning splash hit, which turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia. Want to find out what really happened to Jack and Rose on that fateful night? Just leave it to Céline Dion to enchant the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog. Sailing on fierce powerhouse voices in show-stopping performances of such hits as “My Heart Will Go On,” “All By Myself” and “To Love You More” – backed by the unparalleled energy of a full live band – Titanique is a one-of-a-kind theatrical voyage bursting with nostalgia, heart and campy chaos.


CHICAGO SINGS 30 YEARS OF PORCHLIGHT

Monday, May 12, 2025

House of Blues Chicago, 329 N. Dearborn St.

Tickets: $75 – $175 

The spring fundraising concert fittingly concludes the season with an unforgettable night of live performances commemorating 30 years of Porchlight with performances by Chicago theatre luminaries, the presentation of the 2025 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago and more.

Please note: Performances, actors and dates are subject to change.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

REVIEW: Juicy Chicago Premiere of Fat Ham Now Extended Twice Through March 9, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Chicago Premiere of 

Fat Ham

HIGH DEMAND FOR TICKETS NOW EXTENDING THE CHICAGO PREMIERE THROUGH MARCH 9th


**UPDATE: This "Juicy" collab's so nice they extended it twice! FAT HAM is Goodman Theatre's co-production with Definition Theatre and an absolute must see. Now playing through March 9, 2025. 
Don't miss this! 


REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

So you think you know Hamlet... but until you've seen a ghost emerge from a smoker, and young adults transform into their true selves, you ain't seen nothin' yet. It was my great pleasure to catch opening night of Fat Ham, reviewing for ChiIL Live Shows. 

Photo Credit: B. Kenaz-Mara

We've long been fans of Definition Theatre's excellent work and love this creative, high energy riff on Hamlet, set at a modern, black, backyard barbecue. We've long adored director Tyrone Phillips, playwright James Ijames, E. Faye Butler, and Sheldon D. Brown. Fat Ham has a strong cast all around. 


(L-R) Sheldon D. Brown, Ronald L. Conner, Trumane Alston, E. Faye Butler, Ireon Roach 
and Anji White. All Production Photos by Liz Lauren.

Tyrone Phillips’ Chicago premiere-production of James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play Fat Ham is an absolute must see! We've known Tyrone Phillips for years and long admired his talent. I believe we first met when he worked on a show at A Red Orchid, back in the day. It's been a joy watching him move from scrappy storefronts to directing at Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and now Goodman, without sacrificing his creative vision. Tyrone is an excellent director, and under his guidance, this award winning script and crazy talented all-Chicago cast shine! 

This Goodman production is co-produced with Chicago’s famed Definition Theatre—of which Phillips is Founding Artistic Director and Ijames is a company member. I got to know Definition Theatre well, back in 2018, when I was chosen to join them for a multiweek DCASE Playwriting workshop. They're a wonderfully welcoming company and the talent pool runs deep!

If you're well versed in The Bard's work, you'll notice many parallel plot points, and character details, like friends Tio, Larry, and Opal instead of Horatio, Laertes, and Ophelia. If you're not a Shakespeare scholar, never fear. Fat Ham is a solid, stick-to-your-ribs production that works as a hilarious stand alone piece as well. In this version, Hamlet is Juicy, a young man who is both black and gay. Like the original, his father's been murdered by his uncle who then marries his mother, inappropriately soon after. His father, like Hamlet's, makes repeat appearances from the afterlife. His lecherous uncle's devious designs are revealed in a game of charades instead of Hamlet's play within a play. Thankfully, in Fat Ham everyone does not die in the end. 

(L-R) Anji White and Ronald L. Conner.

In our current political and social morass, I'm still firmly committed to amplifying DEI voices and works. Fat Ham is a universal exploration of family dynamics and drama, as well as a celebration of black culture and style in the form of a backyard barbecue. What face do we show our parents and long time family friends? What secrets do we hide and what do we share? Fat Ham is at once classic and modern, fierce and funny, and unapologetically black. 

Fat Ham is decidedly more comedy than tragedy, and it was fun seeing Shakespeare's text catapulted into the 21st century in James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play. 


(L-R) Trumane Alston and Sheldon D. Brown.

Finally, I don't want to give too many spoilers, but it was great to see Sheldon Brown back in town from LA, and in such a fabulously fun, transformative role as Larry. I've always admired his skills as an actor and his outlook on life and healing after trauma. I was blown away by his performance in Fat Ham and even more impressed knowing his backstory. He played a shirtless lead in About Face Theater's "This Bitter Earth." back in May 2019 and I remember how much depth and bravery he brought to the role. He was still healing from multiple surgeries following a violent attack in Uptown in April of 2018, and unflinchingly bared his physical and emotional wounds in a powerful way that left a lasting impression on me

Though we differ in obvious ways, I've always felt a particular affinity and common ground with Sheldon. He hails from Dayton Ohio originally, while I grew up in nearby Cincinnati. We both came to Chicago after college and moved first to Uptown, sketchy but affordable on struggling actor wages. I was also attacked in nearly the same block he was, in a random act of street violence, where the perpetrators were never caught. In my case it was May of 1994, when 3 men with a large, curved, serrated hunting knife, attacked me in a robbery attempt outside of my apartment near Kenmore and Wilson. Both my arms and hands were cut multiple times with defensive wounds as I tried to mace them and shielded my face. My watch was hit so hard the watch face smashed and the time stopped. I'm pretty sure my left hand would have been severed completely if I hadn't been wearing that watch. Healing emotionally, PTSD, nightmares, and getting back to feeling reasonably safe again took much longer than healing from the physical injuries. His even more horrific and traumatic attack resonated with me on a personal level. I have nothing but admiration for his strength and resilience, and it brings such joy to see him succeeding. Read more about Sheldon's attack and recovery journey at these 2 links:



(L-R) Victor Musoni, Trumane Alston, Sheldon D. Brown, E. Faye Butler and Ireon Roach.

Back to the show at hand, Fat Ham is stellar storytelling and we were wowed all around by the acting, directing, creatives, and cast. It's always a joy to see E. Faye Butler, and though she's best known for musical theatre, her comedic timing is impeccable and we adored her over the top role as Rabby. I was not familiar with Trumane Alston's work before Fat Ham, but he's caught my attention now. Don't miss this! Highly recommended. 

★★★★ Four out of four stars. B Kenaz-Mara, ChiIL Live Shows

“Fat Ham”: James Ijames’s riff on Hamlet centers on Juicy (Trumane Alston), “a Black, gay, self-aware young man struggling with body image, personal confidence and the oppressive expectations of others, especially his father, as much as any broader existential angst.

Check out the fun show tie in drinks at Goodman's bar. 

Photo Credit: B. Kenaz-Mara

ChiILin’ at opening night of Goodman Theatre’s Fat Ham! Such joy and support among all the cast/creatives/crew and audience. Love drink tie-ins with show themes, but I think this is the first one in 16 years of reviewing that’s a tie-in with my +1, Barbara B! “Hard to be the Barb” indeed. 

Photo Credit: B. Kenaz-Mara

By the way, I've been part of Goodman's GeNarrations Storytelling workshops for 4 sessions now and I was chosen twice to perform at Lobby Stories. Here's the storyteller lineup for the Goodman's production of Fat Ham, on the theme of "Family"--biological and/or chosen. I'll be performing before the Fat Ham matinee on Thursday, February 20th at 1pm in the second-floor mezzanine lobby. Drop in if you can. FREE. 

LINEUP:

Thursday, February 6th

Carrie Waller; "A mother's power of persuasion." 

Cora Rambert; "Did The System Fail me or did I Fail the System?"

Thursday, February 13th

Regan Burke, "Holidays Interrupted."

Margot McMahon, "Painting Polyp Portraits."

Thursday, February 20th

Pamela Schumacher, "Tea and Crumpets."

Nancy Solomon, "Mama Golda and Her Famous Blintzes."

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, "Once Bitten." (My real life Voodoo engagement story, set in New Orleans) ❤


Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

 
Fat Ham
By James Ijames
Directed by Tyrone Phillips

January 11 - March 9, 2025 in the Owen Theatre



(L-R) Trumane Alston and Anji White.

Fat Ham tells the story of Juicy, a Black, queer young man who is confronted by the ghost of his father during a family barbeque. Seeking revenge for his murder, his father puts a screeching halt to Juicy’s quest for joy and liberation. Ijames’s reinvention of Shakespeare’s masterpiece features an all-Chicago cast: Trumane Alston (Juicy), Sheldon Brown, E. Faye Butler, Ronald L. Conner, Victor Musoni, Ireon Roach and Anji White. Fat Ham opens tonight and runs through March 2. Tickets ($25 - $85; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Ham or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of ITW (Corporate Sponsor Partner) and the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

EXTENSION WEEK SCHEDULE

-Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30pm

-Wednesday, February 26 at 7:30pm

-Thursday, February 27 at 2pm and 7:30pm

-Friday, February 28 at 7:30pm

-Saturday, March 1 at 2pm and 7:30pm

-Sunday, March 2 at 2pm

Special events for the production include: Drinks and Discussion: Conversation with Definition Theatre (January 24) featuring a panel of the talented Black creatives behind the Chicago-premiere production exploring the unique experiences and perspectives of Black queer artists; Black Affinity Night (February 7) celebrates the richness of Black culture and community at a special pre-show reception and conversation, followed by the evening performance.

(L-R) Trumane Alston and Ireon Roach.

Full Company of Fat Ham (in alphabetical order)

By James Ijames

Directed by Tyrone Phillips


Trumane Alston…Juicy

Sheldon Brown…Larry

E. Faye Butler…Rabby

Ronald L. Conner…Rev/Pap

Victor Musoni…Tio

Ireon Roach…Opal

Anji White…Tedra


Understudies for this production include Blake Hamilton Currie, Marquise De’Jahn, TayLar, Joseph Primes and Jazzy Rush.


Creative Team


Set Designer…..Arnel Sancianco

Costume Designer ……Jos N. Banks

Lighting Designer…..Jason Lynch

Sound Designer….. Willow James

Illusion Consultant…Benjamin Barnes

Fight and Intimacy…Gaby Labotka 

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Jared Bellot is the Dramaturg. Patrick Fries is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AT GOODMAN THEATRE

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Friday, January 31 at 7:30pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Touch Tour* and Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, February 1, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Saturday, February 1 at 7:30pm – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, February 2 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

Visit Goodman theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts. 

(L-R) Victor Musoni and Trumane Alston.
Fat Ham
By James Ijames
Directed by Tyrone Phillips
January 11 - February 23, 2025 in the Owen Theatre
Photos by Liz Lauren

ABOUT DEFINITION THEATRE

Definition Theatre has been a vibrant force for over a decade, celebrating stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibilities found at the intersection of art, innovation, and education. Known for bold and impactful productions, we’ve brought to life plays by Oscar-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, Pulitzer Prize-winners James Ijames and Jackie Sibblies Drury, and Tony Award-winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. We strive to promote equity, foster empathy, and enhance the quality of life for our community members by offering opportunities for creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural expression. Our work emphasizes collaboration in theater-making and raises awareness of career paths in the arts. In 2024, Definition leased and equipped a storefront space in Hyde Park, enabling us to engage artists and expand programs as we prepare for our permanent home in Woodlawn on the southside of Chicago. This new theater, community center, and business incubator will amplify and preserve BIPOC voices, promote social justice, and empower the next generation of artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to drive positive progress through the transformative power of the arts. Tyrone Phillips is the Artistic Director, Neel McNeill is the Executive Director, Willow James is the Civic Engagement Director.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city’s vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.\

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.


Thursday, January 9, 2025

REVIEW: Hilarious Hit Shucked at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre Through January 19th Only

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

SHUCKED

NOW PLAYING AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S CIBC THEATRE

THROUGH JANUARY 19 ONLY

Ah-maize-ing! 

Humor, grit, and kernels of wisdom. 

Hilarious hit, Shucked is a great respite from reality for a couple hours. 

Felt a-maize-ing to laugh so hard! Corny puns were poppin’ and there were quite a few clever lines that just might sneak into my real world vernacular. 

Highly Recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, ChiIL Live Shows


SHUCKED is recommended for ages 10+ due to adult themes, moments of adult language and a harvest of corny innuendo. 

All persons entering the theater, regardless of age, must have a ticket.

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

It was pure joy to catch opening night of Shucked last night at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre. This Ah-maize-ing Tony Award winning hit is hands down hilarious. I laughed so hard my ribs hurt today. Shucked is filled with humor, grit, and kernels of wisdom, not to mention catchy tunes, bad puns, and excellent talent across the board. This production is a great reminder that simple is different than stupid, there are many types of wisdom, and never underestimate determined women.

Quinn VanAntwerp as Gordy and Miki Abraham as Lulu 

All Production Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Jake Odmark as Beau and Danielle Wade as Maizy with Cast Members

In our current political climate, while global warming related environmental disasters rage, Shucked is a great respite from reality for a couple hours. It's well worth the ticket price to escape into simpler times, and hide out in a corn maze of cons, relationship woes, and good old fashioned community for a spell. Corny puns were poppin’ and there were quite a few clever lines that just might sneak into my real world vernacular. The writing and score are witty, wonderful, and too much fun. 

Danielle Wade as Maizy

I especially loved Maizy (Danielle Wade) known for playing “Cady” in the Mean Girls National Tour. We need more of her adventurous spirit and gems like "This isn't an argument. I'm right and you're just saying things." She's the corn fed, small town, girl next door type, who's been underestimated all her life. She's also equal parts smart and smart-ass and we're here for it. We also adored Miki Abraham as LuLu, continuing in the role from Shucked on Broadway.  She's fierce and fabulous.

Miki Abraham as Lulu and Ryan Fitzgerald

Danielle Wade as Maizy and Miki Abraham as Lulu 

This modern day Music Man brings a fake physician "corn specialist" to an isolated rural town, to fix their agricultural woes. Instead, the town ends up fixing him. 

Quinn VanAntwerp as Gordy


The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED 

Much like The Music Man's iconic, traveling con artist Harold Hill, Gordy in foiled in his con by smart women, but succeeds in finding love and community, despite his questionable past. Quinn VanAntwerp (Shucked on Broadway) is a treat to see as Gordy. 

The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED 

The creatives and the entire cast are talent filled and top notch. We particularly adored the fabulous lighting, sound, and set design. Don't miss this! Highly Recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars. ChiIL Live Shows.

I was unfamiliar with the storyline and score going in, but they won me over by the opening number. I'll certainly be playing this one at home. Want to hear more?

Get an ear full of clever lyrics with this playfully incredible score: 

**The Grammy Award nominated SHUCKED – Original Broadway Cast Recording is available on all streaming platforms and on CD.  The album is produced by Jason Howland, Billy Jay Stein, and the show’s composers Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark.**

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).



The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED 

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce the Tony Award® winning musical comedy, SHUCKED is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited engagement through January 19 only.

“More hilarious than any show since The Book of Mormon” – New York Stage Review

SHUCKED features a “superb book” (New York Post) by Tony Award winner Robert Horn, a score filled with “earworm songs” (The Daily Beast) by Grammy Award winners, Tony Award nominees and Nashville music superstars Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and direction with “an infectious spirit of glee and warmth” (Variety) by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien.

Maya Lagerstam as Storyteller 1 and Tyler Joseph Ellis as Storyteller 2

The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED 

What do you get when you pair a semi-neurotic, New York comedy writer with two music superstars from Nashville? A hilarious and audacious farm-to-fable musical about the one thing Americans everywhere can’t get enough of: corn. SHUCKED is the new musical comedy that proves sometimes tearing down a few walls, rather than growing them, is the only way to preserve our way of life. SHUCKED is turning musical theater on its ear and is offering a kernel of hope for our divided nation.

“More laughs than every other Broadway show put together” – Chicago Tribune

The cast includes Miki Abraham (Shucked on Broadway) as Lulu, Tyler Joseph Ellis (“The Sex Lives of College Girls”) as Storyteller 2, Maya Lagerstam (The Gospel According to Heather) as Storyteller 1, Mike Nappi (Darling Grenadine) as Peanut, Jake Odmark (Kinky Boots) as Beau, Quinn VanAntwerp (Shucked on Broadway) as Gordy and Danielle Wade (“Cady” in the Mean Girls National Tour) as Maizy.

Jake Odmark as Beau and Danielle Wade as Maizy

Jake Odmark as Beau and Mike Nappi as Peanut

The cast also includes Zakiya Baptiste, Mackenzie Bell, Carly Caviglia, Cecily Dionne Davis, Ryan Fitzgerald, Sean Casey Flanagan, Jackson Goad, Erick Pinnick, Nick Raynor, Celeste Rose, Kyle Sherman and Chani Wereley.

Danielle Wade as Maizy and Erick Pinnick as Grandpa  

With choreography by Sarah O’Gleby, and music supervision, music direction, orchestrations, and arrangements by 2023 Tony Award, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Jason Howland, the design team for SHUCKED includes 2023 Tony Award nominee and Tony Award winner Scott Pask (scenic design), 2023 Drama Desk Award nominee Tilly Grimes (costume design), Tony Award nominee Japhy Weideman (lighting design), Tony Award winner and 2023 Drama Desk Award nominee John Shivers (sound design), Academy Award® winner and Emmy Award® winner Mia Neal (wig design), and Stephen Kopel, C12 Casting (casting director). SHUCKED is produced by Mike Bosner and Jason Owen.

“Shucked is totally original, unexpected, and brilliant!”  – Forbes

www.shuckedmusical.com

www.facebook.com/shuckedmusical

www.instagram.com/shuckedmusical

www.tiktok.com/@shuckedmusical

Mike Nappi as Peanut


PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 12 at 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.


Tuesday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, January 15 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 19 at 1:00 p.m.

Jake Odmark as Beau 

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for SHUCKED are on sale now and range from $35.00 - $130.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Patrons can also participate in a digital lottery for a chance to purchase $25.00 tickets for each performance. In addition to the lottery, a limited number of day-of-show, in person Rush tickets will be available for all performances. Click here for more info on Digital Lottery and In Person Rush. Tickets are available for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.


ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 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 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, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway  Playhouse at Water Tower Place.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● TikTok @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED 

All Production Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

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