Goodman Theatre: “Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike” Keeps The Good Times Coming

Sibling relationships are complicated – particularly when one of the siblings is a self-involved actress who is used to getting her way. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a slice of life story about two aging siblings who get a weekend visit from their movie star sister and her boy toy. Vanya and Sonia, still residing in the home of their childhood, took care of their sick parents until they died and now live their day to day lives drinking coffee, birdwatching and fighting with each other. When their successful sister Masha and her feisty companion Spike arrive, the upset of normal life begins. Add a housekeeper who does voodoo and tells the future as well as a neighbor who dreams of being Masha and craziness ensues.
Goodman Theatre’s production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will have you laughing out loud and recalling moments that relate to your own life. Led by Ross Lehman as Vanya, Janet Ulrich Brooks as Sonia and Mary Beth Fisher as Masha, the cast has a natural give/take that allows for many shining moments for both the characters and the actors. Vanya’s monologue about what is missing from the modern age is a piece of art that you wish would go on and on. Ms. Ulrich Brooks and Ms. Fisher have a cry-fest that you will both relate to, laugh at and wish that you could join in on. Jordan Brown (Spike) has a reverse strip tease (complete with over-the-top facial expressions) that will have you rolling in your seat and E. Faye Butler (Cassandra) performs a voodoo curse that you never see coming. All of these moments (and many more) make this show one that you need to see.

With a set that is built close to the front of the stage, the audience feels as if they are in the sibling’s yard and front room. There is an intimacy built right into the first moments that continues on until the end. The shadows cast by invisible branches and the lighting of both sunrises and sunsets allow you to enter this world in a very real way even when the story in front of you seems a little surreal. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike makes for a laugh riot that you’re not soon to forget.

Goodman Theatre: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Chicago Review – Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike is playing at The Goodman Theatre through 7/26/15. Tickets can be purchased at a discount through Goldstar or by calling (312) 443-3800. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago.

Goodman Theatre’s “Stop. Reset.” Is An Intense Ride

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If you are a fan of the heart racing, blood pumping thrillers that are available both in movies and in books, I have the play for you! Now in it’s last two weeks, Stop. Reset. will leave you clutching your seat and trying to calm yourself while not even being completely aware as to what you’re anxious about. With an ensemble cast featuring Eugene Lee and Edgar Miguel Sanchez, Stop. Reset. never quite lets you in on the secret until almost the end – and even then you’ll be scratching your head a bit.
With a script that features a history vs. future argument, Stop. Reset. is mostly set in the not so far distant future Chicago where snow drifts reach 6-feet, clothing style is slightly different (think pin-striped suits with bright embroidered designs or leather pants to the office) and books are becoming completely archaic. Sounds a little familiar, no? The other setting and details I am purposely leaving from this review so as not to ruin anything for the viewer.
The standout for this writer was Edgar Miguel Sanchez. While the audience wasn’t always sure what was happening with his character (information is divulged in bits throughout the show), the energy from him was palpable. Even when not participating in a scene and hovering in a balcony, you found yourself needing to see how he was reacting to what was happening on stage. As the sound, lights and words all built on the constant intensity of the show, Mr. Sanchez’s energy increased that tension tenfold in a way that I don’t think would have been there without him.

Stop. Reset. is an intriguing and thought provoking play that will have you thinking about whether books weigh us down or open us up. Whether the physical body is what we need for true freedom and what you would do to make sure that history – your personal history or general history – is remembered.

Goodman Theatre: Stop. Reset. Chicago Review – Stop. Reset. is playing at The Goodman Theatre through 6/21/15. Tickets can be purchased through the Goodman Theatre box office online or by calling (312) 443-3800. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago.

Goodman Theatre’s “The Little Foxes” Takes A Sly Turn

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Leaving the Goodman Theatre after watching a production of The Little Foxes, I was struck by two things: How much I needed to take a breath and then speak with someone who would be kind to me. This slow building, intense show will have you both raising your eyebrows and laughing out loud. With biting humor and mostly despicable characters, the audience is met with the idea that the Hubbard siblings are most likely far worse than your own family.

Written by Tony Award-Winner Lillian Hellman and directed by Henry Wishcamper, The Little Foxes presents the audience with a 1900’s richly-toned set, a grand and menacing staircase and a floor-to-ceiling window. As the maid (played by Cherene Snow) enters the room, she begins to turn on each of the lights in the imposing room. Slowly, the house lights begin to go down – one bit at a time. With lighting coming through the window to exhibit both the morning and later a rain shower, the sets and lighting marry effortlessly with the palpable tone of the show.
In our first scene we meet the majority of the main characters, most notably adult siblings Regina Giddens (played by Regina Cochran), Oscar Hubbard (played by Steve Pickering) and Ben Hubbard (played by Larry Yando). Regina is hosting a gathering at her home that will hopefully cement a deal between the three siblings and genial businessman William Marshall (played by Michael Canavan). Their plan is to pool their funds and build a cotton mill in order to exploit the cheap labor in the south. Each partner will pay in and own a share, making them all very rich. What we soon discover is that each of the siblings is willing to do what they have to to keep their money or swindle some more, family and partnership be damned.
The 10-member all-star Chicago cast owns the stage in such a way that the audience has visceral feelings about each character. There are only three (and a half?) with any redeeming qualities and the audience clings to them as a lifeline while watching the intense disaster all around. With three acts and two intermissions, this greed fueled drama releases you only for the laughs, but continues down a dark and twisted road all the way to the very last moment.

Goodman Theatre: The Little Foxes Chicago Review – The Little Foxes is playing at The Goodman Theatre through 6/7/15. Tickets can be purchased through the Goodman Theatre box office online or by calling (312) 443-3800. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago.

“Last of the Red Hot Lovers” Leaves a Lasting Impression!

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One of the best things about being in Chicago is that everyone has access to good theatre. Whether it be in a larger theater downtown, a black box on the North Side or a small space in the suburbs, it’s just a matter of finding it!

Tucked away in a Skokie theater, the Emergent Theatre Company recently opened their production of Neil Simon’s “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” Directed by Robert Costanzo (“City Slickers,” “Friends”), this is a classic show about a long-time married man who is contemplating having an affair with three different women. It is performed in three related vignettes, each focusing on the relationship between our leading man and one of the women. The concern that I think any audience has in these situations is “will the next vignette be as strong as the last one?” Quite enthusiastically I can tell you, each time a new actress entered the stage, I was engaged by the different energy, but the consistent strength of performance.

As the lights go down at the top of the show, the Jimmy Buffet song “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” begins to play. This fun nod to what you are about to experience tapers off and we are greeted by our leading man Jim Saltouros as Barney Cashman – a gentle and unfulfilled restaurant owner. Mr. Saltouros’ Barney is a man whose curiosity and anticipation leaves you remembering just how it felt to go on a first date.

The show’s talented leading ladies (Kelly Levander as Elaine Navazio, Rachel Rosen as Bobbi Michelle and Lisa Stran as Jeanette Fisher) each capture an energy unique unto themselves and propel their individual scenes forward. Ms. Levander is sassy and brash as the experienced other women, Ms. Rosen is boisterous and wacky as the actress who can spin stories and Ms. Stran is hilariously sorrowful. With Mr. Saltouros’ Barney trying to figure his way through each debacle, the show is energetic, full of laughs and may remind you that the grass isn’t always greener.

Emergent Theatre: Last of the Red Hot Lovers Review – Last Of The Red Hot Lovers is playing at the Mayer Kaplan JCC Theatre, 5050 Church St. in Skokie through 4/19/15. Tickets can be purchased through Goldstar at a discount.

First Wives Club On Broadway Debuts And Succeeds In Chicago

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If you have ever watched the First Wives Club movie and didn’t think it was possible to turn it into an entertaining musical, you were wrong. First Wives Club made it’s Pre-Broadway debut on our Chicago stage at the Oriental Theatre this past Wednesday with a full house and lots of applause. This was a show marked with the attendance of the great Motown legends Holland-Dozier-Holland and director Simon Phillips as well as other notable names and producers, all of whom could not have looked more pleased to see their show up and running.

First Wives Club is a story about four college girlfriends who promise to live their lives side by side, through marriage, children and anything else that should come. Years later, after falling out of touch – and mourning the death of one of the original four – the three remaining friends find each other and reconnect. After initially glossing over the problems in their marriages and lives, all three women find that they are in failing relationships, turn to each other for support and – eventually – revenge on their husbands.

The show started with an upbeat musical montage that introduced the audience to the girls as they were graduating college. You got to watch them meet their husbands and get married while singing familiar songs like “Reach Out” and “Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).” Then we met our leading ladies as adults. Tony Award-winner Faith Prince as Brenda, Wicked star Carmen Cusack as Annie, and Mamma Mia’s Christine Sherrill as Elise were all forces to be reckoned with, both separately and together. All three had excellent timing, clearly loved their characters and had voices that gave you goosebumps (more than once). In fact, every single member of this cast was on point and gave it their all. Even better, they were having fun, and that translated very clearly to the audience.

Two standout supporting actors who deserve some extra acknowledgement are Patrick Richwood as Duane Fergusson (Brenda’s friend) and Morgan Weed as Shelley Salem (Morty’s girlfriend). These two actors stole every scene that they were in and had the entire audience in stitches. Given two of the most quirky roles in the show, both of these performers used every moment to make their mark and often had the audience laughing well after each bit was finished. Watching a show is that much more entertaining when you know that the actors are having just as much fun as you are.

The few issues that I had with this production were with some of the musical numbers. While most were upbeat fun or intense ballads that drove the story, no versions of the “I’m So Lucky” numbers seemed to work. The first turn was just after the three leading ladies reconnected. As they glossed over any problems in their lives, they sang about how so very lucky they were. While the information needed to get to the audience, the song itself never seemed to gel or flow. It felt clunky and not as musically tight as the montage that we’d just been privy to. It’s easy to forgive one number (as in most shows, there are always stronger and weaker songs), but when it returned again in the second act (sung by the men), it still lacked flow. Let me be clear, the performers sang and joked their might out of these songs, but the musical numbers as they were written didn’t leave me feeling invested in the show.

Both the sets and lighting also drove this production. One of the unspoken characters throughout the show was the large crisscrossed windowpane that opened and closed at the back of the set. This set piece is in Cynthia’s opening scene as she feels that there is nothing left to live for as well as in the apartments and locations of the other women. It served as a subtle reminder of needing to be freed from a cage and served the story very well. Also, towards the end of the show, each of the three women (in spotlight) and their respective husbands sing together, yet the men are lit in blue. This is a beautiful moment of separation while attempting to to find their place in each relationship.

All in all, First Wives Club is a show worth seeing. The voices are powerful, the actors are hilarious and the sets move gracefully throughout every scene. You’ll find yourself recognizing Motown classics and hear them repurposed in great ways. Make sure to see this show while it’s in Chicago!

Oriental Theatre: First Wives Club Chicago Review – First Wives Club is playing at the Oriental Theatre through 3/29/15. Tickets can be purchased through Goldstar at a discount.

Goodman Theatre’s “Rapture, Blister, Burn” Stands Up For Women

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Being a woman isn’t easy. I say that not because I have preconceived notions about what a man should be, but because in this day and age, the expectations put upon women haven’t changed that much. As a child, I was raised to believe that I could be anything that I wanted to be if I just worked hard enough. I went to college, I got my graduate degree and then I got married and had a baby. After my son was born I was faced with a question that I never expected – did I want to forgo all of my personal dreams and dedicate 100% of my time to raising my child? If I answered yes, did that mean that I was making a sacrifice for my child in spite of my own ambitions? If I answered no, did that make me a bad mother?

Goodman Theatre’s Rapture, Blister, Burn addresses this exact question – what expectations do we have of ourselves and what does society expect in this arena? Is there a healthy place in the middle where a woman can be both a successful mother and wife as well as a successful career-person? And if she is successful in both or either capacities, can she also be happy?

The subtle, poignantly written and artfully portrayed show creeps up on the viewer and delves into the psyche. We begin the show by meeting Catherine, a renowned feminist scholar (played by Jennifer Coombs) who has returned home successful and single to take care of her mother (played by Mary Ann Thebus) who has recently had a heart attack. After being away for many years, she reunites with her former roommate (played by Karen Janes Woditsch) and former boyfriend (played by Mark L. Montgomery) who are now married with children. The two former roommates play both extremes of the fundamental question and lead the audience on a journey of “the grass is always greener.” What if you didn’t have to be a wife and mother anymore and could be free to explore what might have been? What if that you could sacrifice your beliefs (if not your career) for the love you once lost? It is these questions – that many of us have had and pondered – that we get to watch unfold on the stage.
One of the most exceptional qualities of this show is that it makes you think while you are laughing. Played with an inside humor and enjoyment, Cassidy Slaughter-Mason (as babysitter Avery) embodies the teenager in all of us – saying the things that we may have thought as a younger or college-aged person. We as women are in charge of ourselves and can manipulate a situation even if we are being manipulated in return. Is that healthy? Is that “normal?” Do we deserve more?

If you plan to see a play this season, I highly recommend Rapture, Blister, Burn. These questions are generational questions and ones that we need to keep asking in order to find some answers.

Goodman Theatre: Rapture, Blister, Burn Chicago Review – Rapture, Blister Burn is playing at The Goodman Theatre through 2/22/15. Tickets can be purchased through the Goodman Theatre box office online or by calling (312) 443-3800. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago.

“The World Of Extreme Happiness” Misses The Mark At The Gooman Theatre

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The World Of Extreme Happiness (playing at the Goodman Theatre through 10/12) was written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, who was born in Philadelphia and raised in Northern Virginia, Okinawa, Taipei and Beijing. Her intention with this piece was to create a show centered around a strong Asian woman with bigger dreams than the world that she was born into. And while the show does portray this strength in the main character of Sunny, this show itself felt like it didn’t always know where it intended to drive the audience.

The World Of Extreme Happiness is about a girl named Sunny who was unwanted as a baby – as her parents awaited a boy – and left to die. After being found alive after some time, her parents decided to keep her and raise her until she was old enough to be of some use. As Sunny grows up, she finds that she has bigger dreams and larger hopes, but that it has never been within her reach to grasp them. That is where the question of the show lies – Is it possible to change one’s destiny? This show teeters on the edge of showing you – through different eyes – how this is both possible and impossible at the same time. I would guess that you would have to define the word “change” in order to answer that question for yourself.

With some vulgarity in the show right from the beginning, I expected that this would either come off as a hard hitting comedy or a tough drama. Unfortunately, it never felt like the show settled on a tone. I am not saying that a show has to fit any particular category, but tonally, I never felt that it entirely clicked. That said, there were some standout scenes and technical choices.

Meeting Mr. Destiny was a pleasure. His entrance brought a breath of fresh air and direction into the show. The use of the webcam to project his image – as well as the guests he brought on stage – onto the wall behind him gave the distinct feel of watching a televangelist or “stage healer.” The actors all committed and seemed to enjoy the many parts that each played, so this was a fun bonus for the audience as well.

At the top of the show, the lights went out with both the pattern and the sounds that you would hear in a warehouse as the lights are being shut down section by section. This immediately clued you into the fact that you were entering the world of sweatshops and institutionalized work environments.

The World Of Extreme Happiness gives an extremely interesting glimpse into a world that most Americans aren’t familiar with, but it never quite hits the mark on connecting with the audience. This missing connection is what leaves it lacking.

Goodman Theatre: The World Of Extreme Happiness Chicago Review – The World Of Extreme Happiness is playing at The Goodman Theatre through 10/12/14. Tickets can be purchased through the Goodman Theatre box office online or by calling (312) 443-3800. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago.

Goodman Theatre’s “Smokefall” Ignites Again

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Goodman Theatre made an unprecedented move when they decided to bring their production of Smokefall – which had been performed in their smaller Owen Theatre in 2013 – back exactly one year later into their larger Albert Theatre. That being said, had I been given the pleasure of seeing Smokefall last year, I would have gladly and most excitedly watched it again.

Smokefall is the moving and thought-provoking story of members of a family over several generations. It is told through a fragmented timeline that gives you glimpses into the reasons behind the daily storytelling that is taking place. The narrator for the first half (played by a charismatic Guy Massey) provides pointed moments with footnotes, leaving the audience either chuckling or thinking. All of the characters provide moments where they crack you up and then break your heart. That is the genius that is Smokefall.
The cast of this season’s Smokefall is the same as the cast that performed in The Owen last year – and for each you feel as if the character fits like a glove. Mike Nussbaum plays two characters – a frail, entertaining man struggling with dementia (and all that comes with it) and the other, a frustrated, angry man who has created a life in which he is now alone. The characters are related to each other and although I won’t mention how, knowing the first endears you to the second.
Catherine Combs as the non-speaking Beauty is one who starts the show with a slow simmer. By the end of the second act, her intensity and passion for the journey that she’s been on (which has bizarrely, but believably stunted her aging) boils over to reflect the emotion of the show. She is a reflection of how we relate to our families. She is the one who completes the journey and helps to draw a conclusion to the generations of questions. She is the one who really gets you thinking.

Smokefall is a show that brings up themes from “Why are we here?” to “How do we change to suit the needs of others?” to “Do people get to a point where they are past saving?” You will find yourself thinking about this show long after you leave and it earns every one of those pondering thoughts.

Goodman Theatre: Smokefall Chicago Review – Smokefall is playing at The Goodman Theatre through 10/26/14. Tickets can be purchased through the Goodman Theatre box office online or by calling (312) 443-3800. Goodman Theatre is located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago.

Museum of Science And Industry Discount!

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The best science museum in town is the Museum of Science and Industry. This is where many of us saw our first chicks in an incubator, took a walk on Yesterday’s Main Street and saw our first Fairy Castle. Currently – and for a limited time – you can also get a Museum of Science And Industry discount!

Groupon is offering your choice of two deals on The Museum of Science and Industry tickets.

$69 for Individual Premium membership ($118 value)

Free Museum Entry for member and two guests
$6 off parking
Three free or discounted passes to special exhibitions
Six free Omnimax passes per year, plus 50% off additional tickets
Regular membership perks

$89 for Household membership ($155 value)

Free Museum Entry for two adults, all household children under 18 (or up to four grandchildren), and one guest
Free indoor parking
Four free or discounted passes to special exhibitions
10 free Omnimax passes per year, plus 50% off additional tickets
Regular membership perks

The Groupon expires Oct 31st, 2015. Valid only for new members, or members lapsed for 1 year or more. Not valid for renewals. Limit 1 per household; may purchase 3 more as gifts.

The scientific method has helped humans answer the universe’s most puzzling questions, such as how many times a lab partner will fall for the old rubber-paramecium prank. Unlock nature’s secrets with this Groupon.

Current Visiting Exhibit: D23 Presents: Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, a collection of more than 300 artifacts celebrating the iconic animation studio’s hold on the American imagination. Spanning nine decades, the exhibition includes drawings, props, and costumes from films and attractions as well as an interactive opportunity to create your own animation. Ends January 4, 2015.

The interactive Coal Mine experience has been one of the Museum of Science and Industry’s favorite attractions since the Museum’s first visitors arrived in 1933. The Museum has added more and more attractions over the decades, but it’s always remained true to its founding mission: to inspire the inventive genius in everyone.

The Museum of Science and Industry is located at 5700 S Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, Illinois 60637 in Chicago.

Salata Has Arrived In Chicago!

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If you aren’t familiar with Salata, you are like many other Chicagoans. Salata, the “Next Generation Salad Bar” is known for it’s fresh, made-to-order salads and salad wraps and has been located only in Texas and Southern California – until now! Salata has opened it’s first location in Wheeling Il at 1083 E. Lake Cook Road in Lexington Commons Plaza.

The Salata philosophy is a bit different from other restaurants that you might be tempted to compare it to.

Unlike other salad bar restaurants, Salata’s salads and wraps are made and tossed for them customer, not by the customer from nearly 50 different ingredients including an array of lettuces, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, seeds and nuts.

Rather than pricing by weight, Salata offers unlimited toppings for one set price, and customers can add a chicken selection (including pesto, chipotle or herb-marinated) for $2 more or a seafood selection (including shrimp and salmon) for $3 more. Salata also offers freshly prepared soups, breads and desserts.

Committed to the highest possible quality and cleanest ingredients, all Salata’s dressings are made in-house with no added preservatives and are available for take-home purchase in 12-ounce bottles.

In addition, all Salata restaurants are certified gluten-free and the staff is well trained to handle food allergies or dietary restrictions. For someone who has dietary restrictions, as well as being a mom of children with some restrictions, that piece in particular is extremely appealing to both me, and likely many of you.

I was invited to visit the Wheeling Salata restaurant during the first few days that it opened, and I went in much like you would expect. I was asking myself what was different about this particular salad bar. I soon learned what the differences were. First and foremost, everything tastes and feels fresh. The chicken has a fresh texture, different from those salad bars at which the chicken was cooked and shipped to their location. The vegetables and fruits appear fresh – as well as hand chopped – and I learned that day that they were. Everything that you see on the Salata bar has been cooked, prepared and cut at your Salata restaurant. The fruit is ripe, flavorful and beautiful in your salad. The salad dressing that I chose, the Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, stood out with a brightness and freshness that made me think that they had prepared this liquid magic by hand ten minutes before serving it to me.

The Salata location in Wheeling is run and owned by Dan Campbell, his lovely wife and his no-longer-retired father. In being able to speak with each of them, I felt the passion for this business. These three people sought out Salata after falling in love during a visit to Texas and ultimately convinced them that they should also be in the Chicagoland area. It is to our benefit that they did that and I truly hope that you get to meet one of these three people during your visit to Salata. Their excitement and commitment to the freshness, consistency and customer-service is infectious.

I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be finding my way back to Salata in Wheeling very soon. I can only hope that they expand into different regions of the Chicagoland area so that we all get that opportunity! Until then though, it is worth the drive!

Salata is located at 1083 E. Lake Cook Road in the Lexington Commons Plaza in Wheeling, Il. Read more about the menu and hours on the Salata website.

Entertaining Chicago

Chicago Theater Reviews | Reviews of Chicago Shows and more!

Goodman Theatre: “Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike” Keeps The Good Times Coming

Goodman Theatre’s “Stop. Reset.” Is An Intense Ride

Goodman Theatre’s “The Little Foxes” Takes A Sly Turn

“Last of the Red Hot Lovers” Leaves a Lasting Impression!

First Wives Club On Broadway Debuts And Succeeds In Chicago

Goodman Theatre’s “Rapture, Blister, Burn” Stands Up For Women

“The World Of Extreme Happiness” Misses The Mark At The Gooman Theatre

Goodman Theatre’s “Smokefall” Ignites Again

Museum of Science And Industry Discount!

Salata Has Arrived In Chicago!