Love, Unexpectedly: Surprisingly Delightful 'Bridges of Madison County' a High-Water Mark for Marriott Theatre -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Reviews

The Bridges of Madison County 

Music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Nick Bowling

Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

Thru August 13

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Beyond loving theater of many types--and most of all, musicals--I'm often intrigued by how local self-producing venues (and/or troupes) determine what shows they're going to a stage in a given season or year.

This is particularly so when it comes to the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, which--unless things have changed since I read this factoid--boasts the largest subscriber base of any theater in the U.S.

I first went to Marriott in 2000--not so incidentally the year I began to voluminously embrace live musical theater--to see Evita, at that point a show 21 years past its Broadway debut. 

Assuming the theater's Show History dating back to its 1980 origins can be trusted, the in-the-round venue at the Marriott Resort had previously staged Evita in 1988, and also did it in 2016. 

Though it seems Marriott Theatre has always tried to mix up its show offerings, I don't think I'd be insulting anyone to suggest that well-known classics of the musical theater canon have been its stock and trade--with shows like The Music Man, West Side Story and My Fair Lady occasionally recurring--and to a certain this remains the case. 

But, understandably, in order to retain and satisfy its existing, traditionally older subscribers--both those who mainly want the classics and those who have already seen them enough to appreciate something new--as well as bring in new season ticket holders and ad hoc attendees with a variety of preferences, the theater has seemingly expanded its focus and oeuvre in recent years.

Perhaps due to its drawing power, Marriott Theatre has been able to offer audiences the first regional productions--or close to it--of Broadway hits such as The Producers, Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Les Miserables, the latter being one of the best shows I've ever seen there. 

But they've also commissioned & created brand new shows (Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, Hero, October Sky), reached deeper into the canon for more rarely-staged oldies (On the Town, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, She Loves Me, City of Angels), presented a younger-skewing show like Spring Awakening as a subscriber add-on, and recreated screen-to-stage adaptions (Sister Act, Elf) not long after their first national tours.

While I've never been a Marriott subscriber and haven't seen everything, I've made a point of getting to several of their off-the-beaten-path efforts. (Only recently have I been graciously invited to see & review every show).

I've considerably liked several and have typically applauded the daring to do something different in my reviews. 

Yet, truth be told, few of the original or obscurer musicals have wowed me as much as phenomenal Marriott takes on known entities like La Cage aux Folles, Man of La Mancha and Mamma Mia. 

Currently and up next, Marriott has slotted two recent Broadway flops, The Bridges of Madison County and Honeymoon in Vegas, both created by the same well-regarded composer/lyricist--Jason Robert Brown, who also wrote Parade, presently quite well-done at Glencoe's Writers Theatre--but the type of name-brand titles that can make one wonder, "Does everything need to be turned into a musical?"

While I again found Marriott's programming choices gutsy, I can't say I wasn't a bit dubious before arriving at Bridges on Wednesday night. 

So I wouldn't blame anyone for being a bit dubious about this @@@@@ review, but I honestly believe the theater's attempts to mount something phenomenal beyond the tried & true has never been more fully realized.

I don't think I can quite say this is the very best thing I've ever seen in Lincolnshire--Les Miz and Man of La Mancha are simply better musicals, delivered superbly at Marriott--but between the show itself and its cast, direction, costuming, scenery and the performances, I found this to be a grand slam. 

That it was so surprisingly so makes it even better. 

Perhaps it was because I was sitting five feet from the stage at Marriott as opposed to the upper balcony of the cavernous downtown Oriental Theatre, but though I had seen a sublime rendition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic The King and I just the night before and declared, "It's quite possible you won't see The King and I done any better elsewhere," I actually enjoyed myself more witnessing The Bridges of Madison County onstage for the first time.

This isn't to say there are songs anywhere near as delectable as "Getting to Know You" or "Shall We Dance." Brown writes sumptuous tunes, but more of the drive-the-story than hum-along variety.

Just in reading the Playbill pre-show, I was impressed by the caliber of the cast, which seems akin--on paper and in performance--to what you might expect on Broadway or a full-Equity first national tour.

I still recall Broadway vet Kathy Voytko being fantastic years ago in Stephen Sondheim's Passion at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and in Les Miz at Marriott (alongside her husband, John Cudia), and she is simply fantastic here as Francesca Johnson, an Iowa housewife born in Italy who follows her soldier husband to back to his farm, circa 1965. She isn't unhappy as the mother of two, but aware that certain dreams have gone unfulfilled.

As no surprise to those who have read Robert James Waller's 1992 mega-selling novel or seen the 1995 Bridges of Madison County screen adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, just as Francesca's husband, son and daughter have headed to a state fair without her, a ruggedly handsome, mildly iconoclastic photographer for National Geographic named Robert Kincaid ambles up her driveway asking for directions to one of the famed covered wooden bridges of Madison County. (Here, if the link works, are some of those bridges as photographed by me in 2013.)

Playing Robert is Nathaniel Stampley, who has starred in The Lion King, The Color Purple and Porgy & Bess on Broadway and was truly sensational heading Man of La Mancha at Marriott just last year, also under the direction of Nick Bowling.

Along with having one of the best singing voices I've ever heard, Stampley exudes an easygoing charm that never allows the adulterous affair between Robert and Francesca to feel cheap.

I read the book years ago near its release--supposedly it has sold 60 million copies--and saw the movie much later after visiting Iowa, and wasn't overwhelmed by either.

I'm unable to cite specifics, but won't debate suggestions of mawkishness in how the novel and film presented the clandestine, extramarital romance.

But onstage, in these hands, abetted by other superlative performances--including Bart Shatto, who humanizes Francesca's husband Bud in a way that doesn't make one go, "She's married to a jerk so why not?"--a believable case is made for the possibility (likelihood?) of decent people being smitten & stimulated beyond longstanding & largely gratifying monogamy...and acting on it without seeming abominable or even immoral. 

I'm neither married nor a hardcore moralist, so I don't mean to sugarcoat adultery or how anyone might view this depiction, but whereas an entanglement such as Francesca's and Robert's could easily feel tawdry, Voytko--employing a fine Italian accent--Stampley and director Bowling never let it.

Beyond Shatto, who has played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables on tour and Broadway, excellent work is done by Wydetta Carter as Francesca's lovable yet nosy neighbor Marge, whose husband Charlie is well-played by a frequent favorite of mine, Terry Hamilton, who doesn't even get to use his estimable vocal abilities.

The same can be said--just to illustrate how deep this cast is--about Nick Cosgrove, who played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on Broadway and tour but has a relatively minor, non-singing role here.

As Francesca's and Bud's children, Michael and Carolyn, Taylor Hake and Brooke MacDougal also merit note.

Two nights after seeing The Bridges of Madison County, which came after a bit of Spotifamiliarization with the Broadway cast recording, I can only name "To Build a Home," "Wondering" and a song that seems not to be named "Just One Second" but repeated those words in its refrain.

But with the wonderful voices of Voytko, Stampley, Shatto, Carter, Emily Berman and others, everything sounded delectable in person, including "Home Before You Know It," "What Do You Call a Man Like That?," "Another Life," "The World Inside a Frame" and "It All Fades Away."

Far more than upon taking my seat, I understand why director Nick Bowling--who hails from small-town Iowa himself--said of Brown's score:

"It's the kind of music you fall in love with the first time you hear it."

The decision to employ still images of Iowan landscape across the the theater's back walls works well thanks to Projection Designer Anthony Churchill, and while I would've liked to have seen photos of some of the actual bridges, Jeffrey D. Kmiec's inventive set design includes a skeletal yet impressive onstage bridge.

The costumes by Sally Dolembo are first-rate while often appropriately understated, and while I can't delineate the responsibilities of Music Director Ryan T. Nelson versus a Musical Staging credit for William Carlos Angulo, clearly they, the musicians and everyone involved in this terrific show deserve to share in the praise.

Obviously, I'm not telling you much of what unfolds or revealing Francesca decision when torn between Robert and her family.

Yet while timelines get rather rushed near the end, which could possibly be handled a bit more smoothly--I don't know how much is, or has to be, indebted to the source novel--I  clearly feel this iconic love story translates exceptionally well to the Marriott Theatre stage despite it lasting just 3 months on Broadway and my never having been a Bridges acolyte. (The musical's book was written by Marsha Norman.)

While I certainly wouldn't mind seeing this show again and am already looking forward to Honeymoon in Vegas--and also plan to revisit the movie version of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years--I applaud Marriott's artistic team for not only being a bit adventuresome in programming shows but, clearly in this case, getting it so right in every respect.

The result is a bridge--from the tried & true to the new & terrific--almost anyone should enjoy crossing.

Watching the Detectives: Despite Deft Doppelgänger of a Production, Marriott Theatre Doesn't Quite Solve 'City of Angels' -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

City of Angels
a musical

Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

Thru August 2

@@@1/2

It might seem somewhat odd for me to have a longstanding sentimental attachment to a relatively obscure, rarely staged musical such as City of Angels.

Although I like film noir, which inspires the show's gestalt, and lived in Los Angeles from 1990-1992, during which time the show ran both on Broadway and in nearby Century City, neither factors heavily into my nostalgia.

In fact, I'm pretty sure I was oblivious to the musical's existence at the time, having avoided the Broadway form--and passing on opportunities to see early tours of such shows as Evita, Cats, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon--after having been indoctrinated to the art form through The Wiz, A Chorus Line and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas well before I was a teenager.

But in 1993 I went to London for the first time, and while there got myself a ticket for a West End musical, which happened to be City of Angels.

This made it the first musical I ever opted to see, as an adult, of my own volition--and I recall liking it a great deal as a 24-year-old in London.

It took several more years before I started  going to theater with regularity, and then quite voluminously, but City of Angels still stands as something of a cherished  reintroduction to musical theater, which I now wholeheartedly love.

Such was my fondness for the musical--written by Larry Gelbart, a creator and writer of the M*A*S*H TV show, with music by Cy Coleman and witty lyrics by David Zippel--that in 2003 I ventured to a community theater production many miles from home, though I found it to be just OK.

I honestly can't recall any other local stagings, so I was happy to note it scheduled at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, which always does excellent musical productions, adapted to its in-the-round setting.

But though I was happy to see it, and commend director Nick Bowling and a fine group of actors for an inspired staging of a sophisticated show, I can't say I found City of Angels to be as newly satisfying as my sentiment for it from years ago.

Who knows if City of Angels was truly outstanding at the imposing Prince of Wales Theatre near Piccadilly Circus, or just seemed that way to someone who wasn't all that versed in large-scale musicals.

Certainly, as a hip, innovative show (sans chorus lines, etc.) that weaves together the art and mercenary challenges of Hollywood screenwriting--the dream of which had in part led me to Los Angeles, though nothing material developed--with a noirish detective story, it's understandable why it elicited my affinity.

And somewhat still does.

But perhaps in seeing more than 450 productions of 200+ different musicals over the past 15 years, it may be true that City of Angels--at least as presented at Marriott, with strong singing and overall production values--no longer seems like one of the best, even though it won 6 Tony Awards in 1990, including Best Musical. 

While the show's set-up--with onstage action and songs involving a "real-life" writer named Stine, a movie producer/director, both their secretaries, Stine's wife and assorted others, as well as "reel" characters enacting the movie Stine is writing (led by a Sam Spadesque detective named Stone)--is complicated enough to warrant an explanatory program insert and pre-show announcement, that in itself is not a reason for aversion or antipathy.

The doppelgänger plotlines and characters aren't really that hard to follow, although it doesn't help at Marriott that two of women playing principal dual roles bear a physical resemblance.

But director Bowling obviously has gone to great lengths to delineate the "real" (lit and costumed with vibrant colors) and "reel" (muted hues to connote black & white) scenarios. 

The always-stellar Rod Thomas--fresh off playing Javert in an outstanding Les Miserables in Aurora--does a nice job and sings well as the writer, Stine, although I felt a bit more sardonic humor may have helped his characterization.

Similarly, as the movie's detective, Stone, Kevin Earley--on stage at the theater where his recently-passed mother, Dyanne Earley, long-served as Artistic Director--is definitely good, but doesn't exactly embody Humphrey Bogart.

Three of the five key cast members who play dual roles are much more prominent in either the real or reel narrative, and thus don't engender too much confusion.

Local stalwart Gene Weygandt, so good in Marriott's La Cage Aux Folles, is charmingly smarmy as producer/director Buddy Fidler and his fictional counterpart, Irwin S. Irving.

As Alaura, the movie's femme fatale who hires Stone, Summer Naomi Smart is alluring as ever, and also plays Buddy's wife, who happens to be the actress playing Alaura. As the beautiful young wife of an rich old man (played by David Lively), Alaura engages Stone to find her sexy step-daughter, Mallory (Erin McGrath).

These performers are all excellent, with Smart dueting coyly with Earley on "The Tennis Song"--whose lyrics are perhaps the wittiest in a show full of them--and McGrath delivering a smoldering "Lost and Found."

There is nothing deficient in how Meghan Murphy and Danni Smith handle their dual roles, of reel/real secretaries Oolie/Donna and Stone's ex-lover Bobbi/Stine's wife Gabby, respectively, but the two actresses look enough alike that it added to the challenge of following a plotline--or two--that eventually mystified more than ideal.

I certainly won't give away the ending--as I still feel that this is a worthwhile production of a rare and unique musical--but I don't think I could properly explain it, anyhow.

Yet confusion over exactly what is happening, and why, is only one of the culprits in making me rethink the extent of my longstanding innate affinity for City of Angels.

Despite the shrewd staging, strong performances and careful calibration to distinguish the intertwined plots and characters, I felt hard-pressed to develop any emotional engagement to Stine, Stone or whatever was unfolding onstage.

The show intrigued at times, but rarely sizzled. Which could also be said for the score, despite music by the legendary Cy Coleman and often brilliant lyrics by David Zippel.

Despite some recall from seeing this show twice before, owning the Original Broadway Cast Album and listening aplenty before attending it anew, I would say "You're Nothing Without Me"--sung as a duet between Stine and Stone--is the only truly standout song from a musical that time has largely forgotten.

Other tunes certainly serve the narrative well and demonstrate Zippel's wit--"What You Don't Know About Women," "The Tennis Song," "Lost and Found," "It Needs Work"--but would likely render me clueless if interrogated about City of Angels' music a few years hence.

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this inventive musical caper, and I'm happy Marriott Theatre has brought it back to life.

But as much as I would like to impart that it brilliantly cracked the case of my suspect memory, I regrettably can't say that it truly arrested me.

With Impressive, Intimate Staging, La Cage Aux Folles Is What It Is ...and Then Some -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

La Cage Aux Folles
Marriott Theatre, Linconshire, IL
Thru March 22
@@@@1/2

I have now seen La Cage Aux Folles live on stage 3 times, all coming in the past 7 years.

Each time I have very much enjoyed it, with several Jerry Herman songs being terrific and the story of a gay couple--Georges, who owns a nightclub featuring lively dance performances in drag, and Albin, who is the star attraction--making for a show that is fun, humorous, vibrant, sweet, poignant and much more.

But both in 2008 at Theatre at the Center in Munster, IN, and 2011 in downtown Chicago on the national tour of a Broadway revival, I rated La Cage @@@@ out of 5.

Though this means I thought it--the particular productions, but at the time, the material itself--was excellent, I perceived it a step below the very best musicals ever created.

I probably still do, but the current staging at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire elevated my appreciation another step higher.

Photo credit on all: Mark Campbell

Gene Weygandt, who has been superb each of the numerous times I've seen him onstage in the Chicago area--across a nice variety of musical roles--is especially terrific here, imbuing Albin with a resonant pathos beneath the fancy gowns.

His rendition of the show's renowned gay anthem, "I Am What I Am" is spot-on, with just the right amount of pride, hurt and indignation.

It comes at the end of Act I, after Georges has shared that his son, Jean-Michel--whom Albin has mothered for 20-some years--has asked that Albin makes himself scarce when the uber-conservative parents of his fiancé Anne come to visit.

As Georges, David Hess is also excellent, with his love for Albin apparent but well-balanced with his role as impresario and in his initial acquiescence to Jean-Michel, whose insensitive demands he tries to heed, also out of love.

Brian Bohr plays Jean-Michel with a bit more brattiness than may be necessary, but there is nothing really deficient in his doing so, and his singing is strong on "With Anne on My Arm."

In addition to the strong performances--including by Joseph Anthony Byrd as Albin's assistant Jacob, Elizabeth Telford as Anne, Fred Zimmerman as her father, Susan Moniz as Jacqueline, a local restauranteur, and by all "Les Cagelles" who dance in drag at the club that gives the show its title--what helps to make this production especially enjoyable is the staging at Marriott's in-the-round theater, just 9 rows deep on each side.

I was in the 4th row, and much more so than from the balcony of the Bank of America Theatre downtown, I felt like I was at La Cage Aux Folles--the nightclub--abetted by Georges and the "girls" interacting with audience members.

Such intimacy also enhanced my appreciation for the nuances with which Weygandt and Hess imbue their characters, and Melissa Zaremba's choreography plays well to all sides of the stage.

La Cage has to be one of the most fun shows for a costume designer to work on, and longtime Marriott Theatre collaborator Nancy Missimi certainly has created a vibrant array of dresses, robes and more.

Though I've always loved the highlights of Jerry Herman's score--"I Am What I Am," "We Are What We Are," "The Best of Times," "With Anne on My Arm"--I also found myself better savoring many other numbers, including "A Little More Mascara," "Song on the Sand" and "Look Over There."

So although I didn't know if I really needed to see La Cage Aux Folles yet again, director Joe Leonardo's stellar production makes me glad I did.

And maybe Marriott's loyal crowds born from the biggest subscription base in the country would have been just as receptive to this gay-themed, drag queen musical closer to its creation in 1983, but that in 2015 the audience universally bestowed a standing ovation--and laughed heartily throughout--was also gratifying to behold.

Updated in 2010 for a Broadway revival, Harvey Fierstein's book is both poignant and terrifically funny.

(Just on a personal note, I liked noting that the last 3 musicals I've seen on stage were either written by Fierstein--who also penned the book for the recent Newsies--or originally directed on Broadway by Arthur Laurents, who famously helmed West Side Story in 1957 in addition to La Cage years later.)

So whether you've previously seen La Cage Aux Folles or never have, with Marriott Theatre's joyful up-close rendition that makes you feel you're on the French Rivera--rather than Lincolnshire in the heart of winter...

"The best of times is now."

A Practically Perfect Mary Poppins Helps Marriott's Production Rise Above Restricted Airspace -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Mary Poppins
Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL
Directed by Gary Griffin
Thru January 5, 2014
@@@@

My affinity for Mary Poppins, the stage musical, is a bit surprisingly--mostly to myself--substantially more tied to the musical itself than to the classic 1963 movie.

I certainly saw the Disney film as a kid and have always retained an affinity for infectious Sherman Bros. tunes like "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Let's Go Fly a Kite" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

But until I watched a good chunk of the movie on Thanksgiving night, it had been eons, while even before catching a performance Friday night at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, I had seen the stage version four times since 2005--first in London and then 3 times on two national tours at Chicago's Cadillac Palace.

And I really loved it onstage, certainly in no small measure due to the classic songs, but also due to a smart "book" by Julian Fellowes that deviates from the film a bit--and supposedly gleans a bit more from P.L. Travers' books--and strong original tunes such as "Being Mrs. Banks" and "Anything Can Happen."

I had the good fortune of seeing the original London Mary, Laura Michelle Kelly, and Gavin Lee as Mary's painter-park dweller-chimney sweep pal Bert. Lee reprised his role on Broadway and he & Broadway's original Mary, Ashley Brown, were in the first touring cast that I saw twice in Chicago. A subsequent 2011 tour with Rachel Wallace and Nicholas Dromard was also stellar (as I offered in this review).

But along with excellent performers and some terrific production numbers--for "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Step in Time," among others--part of the magic from up high in a large theater was seeing Mary Poppins quite literally (well, almost) fly.

It was a thrill--accompanied by audible gasps--when the nanny and her umbrella soared to the rafters of the Prince Edward Theatre and Cadillac Palace.

Certainly, the creatives at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire--which, as we were reminded while being asked to subscribe, has the largest subscription base of any theater in the country--have regularly devised ways to offset the staging challenges posed by their theater in the round. 

While I actually pay a good bit more (ad hoc) for musicals at Marriott than for Broadway in Chicago downtown musicals (I'm a subscriber to the latter), I understand their spatial limitations but have been routinely impressed by the quality of their productions.

Although I was looking forward to seeing Mary Poppins at Marriott--especially upon reading that Summer Naomi Smart, one of Chicago's best and most beautiful actresses, would be starring in it--my expectations were dampened by a disparaging review by the Tribune's Chris Jones, whose opinions I highly respect.

While praising Smart and other performances--deservedly--Jones belittled the ring of video screens on
which certain scenery was depicted and Mary's "flying" was enacted.

Though I may have been swayed by Jones' aversion, I too found the video screens to be unnecessary, especially as the projections were rather amateurish and cheesy.

But though I didn't love this production as much as the London/touring Broadway versions I'd seen—largely due to the video screens and the concomitant inability to ever let Mary take flight—unlike Jones, who award 2 stars out of 4, I found much more to enjoy about Marriott's Mary Poppins than I didn't.

Beginning with Summer Naomi Smart.

Like the song goes, as Mary she was “practically perfect in every way,” looking lovely, singing wonderfully, acting engagingly and even doing a good bit of dancing.

It's a good thing Mary Poppins is no longer running on Broadway as it's easy to imagine Smart being smartly swept up by NYC (though that possibility would still seem to loom).

But Smart isn't the only standout in this cast. Longtime Chicago actor and Marriott veteran Bernie Yvon is fun and well-sung as Bert, and key roles are filled with highly talented performers, including Susan Moniz (Mrs. Banks), Rod Thomas (Mr. Banks), Paula Scrofano, John Reeger, Rebecca Finnegan and at the performance I saw, Madison Glora Olszewski (I believe, though it could have been Caroline Heffernan) and Johnny Rabe as Jane and Michael Banks. 

Truly, the entire ensemble was quite impressive.

So by no means did I feel this rendition of Mary Poppins—helmed by Chicago's most acclaimed theatrical director, Gary Griffin—was predominantly subpar. Rather the contrary, despite the spatial challenges and some choices that were made.

The blissful songs, strong book, excellent performances, appealing—if not quite downtown-dazzling production numbers--and luminous leading lady were sufficient enough to keep a smile on my face most of the evening.

And while I can't quite rave like I did upon seeing Mary Poppins at full-tilt, I wouldn't dissuade anyone taking in a jolly holiday performance, with or without their kids. 

For even if Mary here is unable to fly—and the kite in “Let's Go Fly a Kite” gets only slightly more elevated--the musical itself remains not only uplifting but... (see photo below). 

A Phantastic Revue ... or Just a Well-Composed Memory? -- Now & Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Now & Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL
Thru March 24
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I have mixed, and somewhat conflicting, feelings when it comes to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I have seen, and enjoyed, enough of his musicals to appreciate his formidable talent, ambition, success and impact as a composer, and subsequently, producer and impresario.

His early works with lyricist Tim Rice, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar, helped to marry rock ’n roll with musical theater (after the pioneering Hair), and Evita—also with lyrics by Rice—remains, IMHO, the best musical Webber has written and among the best that anyone has.

In the ’80s, mega-blockbusters Cats and Phantom of the Opera forever redefined the musical theater landscape, and while I don’t like the latter nearly on par with its status as the most successful musical of all-time, it has its moments.

Sunset Boulevard was the first musical I ever saw on Broadway, and in London I saw two Webber shows—The Beautiful Game and The Woman in White—that either didn’t reach or succeed on Broadway. I even saw Bombay Dreams, which he didn’t write but produced and brought to Broadway, and I still remember how a musical aficionado aunt of mine long championed Aspects of Love as his most beautiful composition.

All told, I’ve seen 10 ALW musicals on stage and have the Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies, waiting on my DVR.

One of my "Once Upun a Time" cartoons, from 1996

So it’s not like I hate Sir Andrew and the musicals he’s written. It’s just that somewhere along the line—in what I consider a demarcation of personal and musical maturation—I realized how much better Stephen Sondheim was.

And that while Andrew Lloyd Webber is likely the greatest ‘name brand’ maker of musicals since Rogers and Hammerstein, he also isn’t as good as them nor others, including Lerner & Loewe, Kander & Ebb, Bock & Harnick, Boublil & Schönberg, Jerry Herman and Leonard Bernstein.

Still, I’ve liked enough of what ALW has written to be intrigued by Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire’s world premiere revue Now & Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. And having heard and read good things about it, I decided to check it out late Sunday afternoon, the least expensive of its 8 weekly performances.

Conceived by Marriott Theatre lead artistic director Aaron Thielen and longtime director Marc Robin (who directs it), and featuring songs from 14 Webber shows--including Love Never Dies, as yet unstaged in America--the revue essentially serves as a microcosm of my feelings for Sir Andrew, for better and worse.

There were enough good songs, great vocal performances from a stellar cast and impressive dance interludes to make Now & Forever pleasurable, at least in the moment.

But it took a late blast of trademark ballads—“Think of Me,” “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Gethsemane,” “Memory”—and a show closing, full-cast “Music of the Night” to get my rating up to @@@@ (out of 5), and did nothing to change my opinion about Webber being lesser than a number of other composers who haven't nearly accumulated his wealth.

I am fairly certain I would prefer a revue comprising some of the greatest hits of Sondheim, Rogers & Hammerstein, Kander & Ebb, etc., and I know that Snapshots--a 2011 Northlight Theatre show employing songs from the Stephen Schwartz catalog in service of a new narrative--was far more imaginative and satisfying.

Stephanie Binetti and dancers performing "Buenos Aires" from Evita

And while the revue had plenty of highlights, some of which I'll cite below, I also assume I would have been more enamored seeing any of the strong Webber shows--Evita, Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Joseph, Aspects of Love, even Phantom--in full, even though I already have (several at Marriott Theatre).

But I can't deny that I joined the near full house in giving the performers of Now and Forever a hearty standing ovation at the end of the 135-minute affair.

The show began with nary a performer onstage, as the unseen 11-piece orchestra played the Phantom of the Opera overture to accompany a large chandelier and flashing lights (harkening to a famous scene from that show). I would suggest a different opening, but the following "As If We Never Said Goodbye" allowed the cast--including several Broadway and/or Webber show veterans--demonstrate their superlative singing voices and/or dancing skills.

Erin Stewart

Standout performers were many, including Erin Stewart, who literally shone on "Think of Me" and also performed some nice duets, Linda Balgord, a Cats vet who delivered an emotive "Memory," Susan Moniz, whose "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" was just about perfect and Max Quinlan, who was good on several songs, including the solo "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar.

Stephanie Binetti, Ben Jacoby, Jameson Cooper, Brian Bohr and Catherine Lord also merit mention, while Travis Taylor--despite being one of few featured vocalists seemingly without Broadway or National Tour experience--clearly had the most resonant male voice. I would have liked to hear him get a solo turn other than "Til I Hear You Sing," from Love Never Dies.

Particularly sublime was a version of "Love Changes Everything" from Aspects of Love, pooling the talents of Taylor, Quinlan and Jacoby.

Travis Taylor

I'm sure if I looked through the songlists from all ALW shows, I could cite a number of songs I would have liked to hear, perhaps in lieu of some included, but the only one that readily comes to mind sans research is "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," from Evita and probably the best song Webber & Rice ever wrote.

Perhaps it's because they were unfamiliar, but the songs from Love Never Dies didn't wow me, while it seemed there were a few too many selections from Song & Dance, a lesser known ALW show that was actually a combination of two other Webber musicals, Variations and Tell Me on a Sunday.

While the solo renditions were likely the highlights of Now & Forever, there were also some terrific choral numbers, such as "Superstar," "Requiem for Evita" and the closing "Music of the Night."

"Masquerade," which might well be the best song from Phantom, could have used a bit more oomph--while appreciating the cast had done a 1pm performance before the 5pm I attended--but it was nice that some costuming was employed, unlike "The Phantom of the Opera" duet between Erin Stewart and Max Quinlan, who should've been armed with a mask and cape.

Linda Balgord

There was also some excellent dancing, with several--perhaps a few too many--instrumental dance interludes between the vocal numbers.

If you love Andrew Lloyd Webber, Now & Forever should serve as a satisfying tribute with many superlative performances.

If you merely like him, like me, you'll likely appreciate the entertainment value of Now & Forever, but your regard for the celebrated composer is apt to  pretty much stay the same.

Marriott's Original Musical 'Hero' Is Very Good and Rather Admirable, If Not Quite Super -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Hero
a world premiere musical by
Aaron Thielen and Michael Mahler
Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
Thru August 19
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The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is a very-well established in-the-round venue with a huge subscription base comprised largely, from the looks of things, of patrons over the age of 75. It also, I presume, does considerable business accommodating group outings from nearby retirement and nursing homes.

Thanks to its vast audience base, the theater has been able to program early regional renditions of recent (and/or long-running) Broadway hits, such as The Producers, Hairspray and Les Miserables.

In recent years, Marriott has also commissioned and/or self-created new musicals such as The Bowery Boys, Once Upon a Time in New Jersey and For The Boys. While I admire their gumption in doing so, these originals--or their reviews, word of mouth, etc.--have never prompted me to attend as have the recent hits and the venue's real bread & butter: classic musicals.

My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Damn Yankees, 42nd Street, Evita and Funny Girl are just some of the shows I've seen there--along with the first three cited above--almost all to terrific enjoyment.

Given all this, although I was intrigued upon hearing about it, I wasn't sure I cared enough to see Hero, a world premiere musical produced in-house, until the Tribune's Chris Jones gave it a positive review, as did a family friend who saw it.

I'm glad I did, even if it wasn't as fantastic as any of the all-time great musicals that are the Marriott's forte. But beyond being an admirable attempt by the Marriott to do something new, with a show whose young-skewing conceit and language are not entirely congruent with the preponderant clientele, Hero is genuinely entertaining throughout.

While I heard decidedly mixed reactions from older audience members--some seemed to really like it, though one man offered his wife $20 if they could leave at intermission--more telling was that the 5:00pm Sunday crowd was the smallest I've ever seen at the Marriott Theatre. And if part of the motive behind Hero was to bring younger fans to the theater, achieving this mission wasn't readily apparent as I seemed to be the youngest person there, by at least 30 years for the most part.

Despite its name and use of comic book imagery, Hero isn't actually about a superhero or anyone who aims to be one, which I think may disappoint any teens or twenty-somethings who are enticed to check it out.

Instead, the fictional, Milwaukee-based story--conceived and written by Marriott's lead artistic director, Aaron Thielen--is about a 28-year-old man named Hero (played by Erich Bergen) who lives with his father (Don Forston) and works at his comic book store while harboring dreams of becoming an illustrator within the genre.

Two cousins, a kooky older one (Alex Goodrich) who serves as Hero's "wing man," and a wise-cracking 12-year-old (Jonah Rawitz) also factor in, as does an ex-girlfriend, appealingly embodied by Marriott stalwart Heidi Kettenring.

The show's music and lyrics were crafted by Michael Mahler, who has done other impressive work as a composer/lyricist and an actor. Most of his songs here are overtly-thematic--including "My Superhero Life," "Phone Booth," "By Our Powers Combined" and "Powerless"--but for the most part come off as witty without being overly hokey.

But though they moved the story along well while being melodic and somewhat stylistically diverse, only a couple tunes sounded like they really might resonate on their own. I don't mean this as a harsh criticism for a musical score--unlike most I hear--that I was experiencing for the first time, but perhaps more strikingly so within a venue where most shows are packed with classics, the songs of Hero felt appreciably lesser than those by Bernstein, Sondheim, Lerner & Loewe, Andrew Lloyd Webber, etc. But then, so does most everything else.

Storywise as well, Hero engaged much more than it ever dragged, but a bit oddly, Kettenring's Jane was more overtly heroic than the title character, who faced adversity with aplomb but not much verve. The romantic aspect was sweet if a bit slight and trite, and comic relief by cousin Kirk and two store regulars couldn't help but to harken--with much less zest--to Jack Black's turn in High Fidelity. A secondary romance between Kirk and a repressed friend of Jane's named Susan (Dara Cameron) offered some laughs, but was largely predictable.

Still, while I didn't enjoy Hero quite as much as I did Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, it was better--in some cases considerably--than several other recent new musicals with original scores, such as Ghost, Bring It On, 9 to 5, Little House on the Prairie, Shrek and even (IMHO) the Tony-winning Memphis.

So Thielen, Mahler and the entire Marriott cast & crew have much to be proud of, even if Hero's story and songbook may need to go back to the drawing board before any Broadway aspirations seem warranted (though there's no reason why they couldn't be).

The in-the-round limitations of the Marriott Theatre, well overcome on the classics by imaginative directors (including David H. Bell, who helms Hero), seem a bit constraining here. And while I'm not looking for spandex tights, a bit more animated action and songs of greater ebullience could add to the appeal as this show evolves.

Also, especially given the sparse crowd on Sunday, the Marriott would do well to offer some ticket discounts, on its own or through HotTix or Goldstar, which it seemingly never does.

Though tickets in the $40-$55 range (depending on performance) are low for a mostly Equity show compared to top end Broadway or Loop prices, they're about twice what I typically pay for most theater I see.

I was willing to spend a bit more to explore a well-reviewed world premiere, but if the Marriott really wants to reach fan boys in addition to its graying fan base--as well as anyone unsure about taking a chance on something new--it really should make tickets available in the $25 range, particularly for undersold performances. They might even go so far to offer free tickets to anyone under 25 years of age.

Otherwise I suspect this admirable--if still evolving--new show won't reach its target audience: new fans for a first-class theater that is expanding its repertoire, likely with some concern about who will be filling its seats 10 years down the road.

Maybe Next Time -- Brief Reviews of Two Shows Recently Seen But No Longer Running

Theater Reviews

Passing Strange
a recent musical
presented by Bailiwick Chicago at
Chicago Center for the Performing Arts
Run Ended
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I was really hoping, and even expecting, to like Passing Strange a good bit more than I did. I was aware of the show--an autobiographical rock musical written by and originally starring an African-American musician named Stew--when it received raves on Broadway in 2008...and even had a ticket only to have it close before I got to NYC. The movie by Spike Lee, which essentially just captures a performance of the Broadway production, remains the only movie I've ever ordered through Comcast, and I remember liking it.

The Broadway show never toured, but I took note of Bailiwick Theater's local production, the first in Chicago. I didn't know how well the show would play without Stew, but JC Brooks was certainly adequate in his stead. In fact, the entire cast was quite strong, but not enough songs really caught me (even on the original cast recording). "Keys," which I've always liked, is a clear highlight and "We Just Had Sex" is prurient fun, but little else really stood out. And though Brooks was fine in his own right, perhaps Stew's story lost a little edge without him telling it.

If you have a chance to see the movie, it's probably worth your while more so than this production, but that's OK since the run has now ended.

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42nd Street
a classic musical
Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL
Run Ended
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Although I have seen numerous excellent productions at Marriott Theatre, tickets are a bit pricey--and seemingly never discounted due to a huge subscriber base--so I was obvious to 42nd Street playing there until its last performance. Which I attended because it was what my sister Allison wanted to do for her birthday.

And once again, I was extremely impressed with the quality at this north suburban, theater-in-the-round venue. With a full Equity cast, including performers with Broadway credits, the singing and particularly the frequent tap dancing were truly first-rate.

Based on a 1933 movie musical of the same name, 42nd Street has a somewhat hokey narrative, with songs that seem out of place. Although it has quality material, it isn't near the top tier of my favorite musicals (I'd seen a touring version some years ago). And while the performers at Marriott were universally great, I think the production values necessitated by in-the-round staging suffered a bit.

But it was still 2-1/2 hours of excellent entertainment, performed quite splendidly. The "Lullaby of Broadway" is alive and well in Lincolnshire, although this production has reached the end of its road.