Sweet and Hot At the Theo
Ubique Cabaret Theatre By
Dan Zeff Chicago – Harold Arlen was one of the great
American songwriters from the 1930’s to the mid 1950’s, though he was never
associated with a hit Broadway musical or Hollywood film score, with the iconic
exception of the movie classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Arlen
wrote songs for over a dozen stage revues and musicals and more than two dozen
movies. Nobody remembers his Cotton Club musicals of the 1930’s, but Arlen’s
Hall of Fame contributions to those shows include “Between the Devil and the
Deep Blue Sea,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” and “Stormy Weather.”
Likewise the 1946 Broadway musical “St. Louis Woman” has disappeared into
obscurity but not so the standards “Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home” and “Come
Rain or Come Shine.” The
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre is inaugurating what looks like a welcome summer
tradition of songwriter revues by presenting a compilation of Arlen’s songs in
a show called “Sweet and Hot.” Next summer the theater is promising a revue of
sons by George M. Cohan. “Sweet
and Hot” is a no frills, “And then he wrote” show. The revue is all songs—no dialogue, no
thematic groupings, no reliance on production glitz. Three young men and three
young women perform, in varying combinations, about three dozen numbers from
the Harold Arlen songbook. Most of the songs are immediately recognizable, at
least to audiences on the windy side of middle age. There are also a handful of
less familiar tunes, some of them deserving wider recognition, like the
hilarious “Lydia the Tattooed Lady from 1939 and “Push De Button,”
chronologically the latest Arlen number, from 19i56-57. Most
of the numbers are love songs, no surprise there. Arlen covered a wide expanse
of moods in his romantic songs, from the aching sense of loss in “The Man That
Got Away” to the chirpy “Let’s Fall in Love.” Arlen composed “Down with Love” In
1937 and “Hooray for Love” in 1948, demonstrating the man’s broad perspective
on the topic. While
Arlen’s music is the heart of the show, equal credit does to an A List of
lyricists, who included some of the best in the business, notably Ira Gershwin,
E. Y. Harburg, Arlen himself, Ted Koehler, and best of all, Johnny Mercer.
Mercer’s words for “Blues in the Night” create a great stand-alone prose poem. Director
Frank Anzevino has made a virtue of necessity in his staging. Anzevino spreads
his six performers through virtually every open millimeter of acting space in
the ultra intimate cabaret theater. At times the performers are literally
inches from patrons sitting at ringside tables in the supper club-style theater
interior. Anzevino
moves his ensemble in assorted groupings, spotlighted by David Heimann’s
lighting (Heimann also designed the snippets of minimalist choreography). Aside from a couple of tables
and lots of filled cocktail glasses, the production has no real set. Bill Morey’s
costume design gives the show a distinct 1940’s look. The
female half of the cast consists of Sarah Hayes, Stephanie Herman, and Bethany
Thomas. The males are Eric Lindahl, Eric Martin, and Kristofer Simmons. The
ladies have the vocal edge, though Lindahl has some solid moments. First among
equals in the female trio is Thomas, who provides the show with its first
emotional highlight with a stirring rendition of “Stormy Weather,” enhanced by
Thomas’s striking resemblance to Billie Holiday. Thomas’s wrenching version of
the Judy Garland classic “The Man That Got Away” may be the dramatic apex of
the evening. “Sweet
and Hot” is an uncluttered feast of great songs, an artistic and nostalgic
commemoration of American songwriting that ended with the assault of rock ‘n’
roll in the mid 1950’s. Older spectators can bask in the music they grew up
with. Younger audiences can listen in surprise and pleasure to what they have
been missing in American popular music the last half century. “Sweet
and Hot” runs through August 8 at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in the No
Exit Café, 6970 North Glenwood Avenue. Performances are Friday and Saturday at
8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 with dinner packages available for
$45. Call 800 5954 849 or visit www.theo-u.org. The show gets a
rating of three stars. Contact Dan at zeffdaniel@yahoo.com
Visit Dan on Facebook. At
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre By Dan Zeff CHICAGO—“Chess”
opened on Broadway in 1988 and was hammered by the reviewers. The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire staged
the musical in 1990 and the result was one of the more boring shows of that
season. The bottom line is that “Chess” isn’t very good. So the revival at Theo
Ubique is all the more admirable for making the musical, certainly no neglected
classic, at least watchable and listenable. The mediocrity of “Chess” is particularly startling because
so many notable creative names were attached to the original production that
opening in London in 1986. The music was written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn
Ulvaeus, who composed all those hits for ABBA. Tim Rice, who collaborated with
Andrew Lloyd Webber so successfully, wrote the lyrics. The London version actually was a big hit, perhaps because
English audiences enjoyed its strident anti-American slant. American playwright Richard Nelson rewrote
the book for audiences in the United States but to little avail. “Chess” died
on Broadway and quickly dropped off the music theater radar. “Chess” is a love story with a Cold War backdrop. So not only
is the show poor artistically, it’s historically outdated. The chief characters
are the Russian world chess champion--a pleasant young man named Anatoly--and a
challenger named Freddie--an obnoxious young man represents the ultimate Ugly
American. The love interest comes from an attractive young Hungarian named
Florence, who starts the story as Freddie’s second in the chess competition,
and soon falls in love with Anatoly. Antaoly and Florence ultimately fall victim to Cold War
politics, betrayed by both the Russians and the Americans, represented by a CIA
type named Walter for our side and a secret service agent named Molokov for the
Russians. Both are cynical manipulators but Molokov seems a far nicer guy than
Walter. The storyline veers between the chess competition involving
Anatoly and Freddie and the star-crossed love affair between the Russian and
the Hungarian. None of it is intrinsically interesting, either in dialogue or
music. The original production produced a couple of numbers that became mini
hits in “One Night in Bangkok” and “I Know Him So Well.” Neither song sounds particularly notable
today, even though the Theo Ubique performers give both a good shot. The Theo Ubique revival demonstrates how less can be more in
the theater. Limited by a postage stamp-sized stage, the production omits
virtually all scenery and invests everything in the quality of its ensemble,
abetted by some vivid costumes designed by Bill Morey, Brian Hoehne’s
atmospheric lighting, and superior musical accompaniment by a small band
conducted by Ryan Brewster. There are only six roles that matter in “Chess” and they are
all cast handsomely. Courtney Crouse is perfect as the hateful young American
chess player. For some inexplicable reason, the composers give Freddie a second
act number that attempts to explain his nastiness (a difficult childhood, of
course) that rings totally false. Better to preserve Freddie as an unregenerate
louse, especially in Crouse’s spot-on portrayal. Maggie Portman has been an ornament on the musical theater
scene locally without really having a breakout show on a major stage. She comes
up big again, this time as Florence, singing beautifully and giving the
Hungarian a dramatic depth of feeling that provides the only genuinely moving
moments in the show. Jeremy Trager is a sympathetic and intelligent Anatoly and
he has the best male singing voice in the production. Complementing the love triangle are Anthony Apodaca and Jon
Leen as the amoral American and Russian secret agents, the ultimate winners in
the tawdry game of geopolitics. Stephanie Herman has some quality scenes as
Anatoly’s abandoned wife. Co-directors Fred Anzevino and Brenda Didier skillfully
maneuver their ensemble on and off the stage so the show never looks cramped.
In its necessary intimacy, “Chess” probably is more affecting emotionally at
the Theo Ubique than it was in the large Broadway theater. Didier spices up the
action with some sharp and inventive choreography danced to a turn by the
chorus of Jenny Guse, Jenny Lamb, Ben Mason, and Travis Walker, who also
play additional multiple roles along
with John Taflan as the chess match arbiter. There is so much talent on stage and behind the scenes that
one could wish that the Theo Ubique brain trust had selected a show more worthy
of its group of fine singer and actors. But the audience will happily take what
it can get from this enterprising company in its unique dinner theater space. “Chess” runs through April 25 at the No Exit Café, 6970 North
Glenwood Avenue. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 7
p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25. For another $20, the spectators can enjoy dinner
an hour before curtain time served by members of the cast. The entry for this
show is stroganoff, either beef or mushroom (the mushroom is better). Call 773
347 1109 or visit www.theoubique.org. The show gets a rating of three stars. March 2010 Contact Dan at zeffdaniel@yahoo.com
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Chess
The Taming of the Shrew
At Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
By Dan Zeff
CHICAGO—Shakespeare can be found in the most unexpected places in Chicago. Consider the charming and inventive staging of “The Taming of the Shrew” at the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre.
The Shakespeare comedy is performed in a small space in the No Exit Café on the far North Side. The audience sits at tables loosely grouped around a platform stage. The rear wall is a large picture window looking out on Glenwood Avenue, where passers-by gaze with bemused expressions at the play acting on the other side of the glass. Pedestrians occasionally wave at the actors, who wave back. Sometimes a performer will leave the café for the street, extending the action into the real world.
The 10-member ensemble operates throughout the café, often addressing spectators directly at point blank distance. Actors placed props on my table for use during the performance (I was alerted not to eat that apple or drink that glass of water). The performers double as sound-effects technicians and as musicians performing Ethan Deppe’s original incidental music. Actors also serve as waiters during the evening.
The production is intimate and personal, but it’s also good Shakespeare. The actors speak the dialogue cleanly and with understanding. This is the kind of accessible Shakespeare that would be an ideal introduction for anyone intimidated by the Bard’s work.
“The Taming of the Shrew” is an early Shakespeare farce that has been treated as a director’s plaything for generations. I’ve seen versions set in the Wild West of the 1800’s, the Commedia dell’ arte world of Italy in the 1500’s, and in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City in the 1950’s, with Petruchio making his entrance on a motorcycle, not to mention the Cole Porter musical “Kiss Me, Kate,” which may be an improvement on the original. The Theo Ubique revival has a hybrid look, with costumes ranging from faux Elizabethan to thrift store grunge. There is no scenery, the location being identified through the dialogue.
The story centers on the tempestuous romance between the fiery and headstrong Katherina and the fortune-hunting bachelor Petruchio. And that’s the hang-up for modern audiences. At its core, “The Taming of the Shrew” is a tale of wife abuse, with Petruchio harassing Katherina to break her spirit and turn her into a docile and compliant wife. Directors have tried mightily to finesse around Katherina’s beat-down, but there it is, to the discomfort of feminists.
The Theo Ubique staging meets the Katherina-Petruchio conflict head on and with no apologies. The battle is played for laughs. There is no sugar coating to assuage modern sensibilities. The result is a performance that delivers the play as written, a broad comedy with a happy ending.
Theo Ubique director Nick Minas is in complete control of the production. He injects clever touches from time to time, like moving performers onto the street. His production disregards gender in casting Matthew Sherbach as Katherina’s sister Bianca and Cheryl Roy as their father. But mostly Minas trusts the play to speak for itself. There might have been a bit too much slapstick in a scene or two, but the play invites farcical humor.
The production profits from solid performances by the well-cast Jeremy Van Meter as Petruchio and Jenny Lamb as Katherina. Van Meter is a good-looking hunk with the proper macho touch for the dominating Petruchio. Lamb provides the required high-spirited temperament for Katherina. Her realization that she is actually falling in love with her tormentor is deftly executed within the natural flow of the narrative. Maybe Shakespeare knew what he was doing after all.
The supporting cast does a first rate job of delineating a blur of supporting characters. Audiences can get lost in all the Gremios and Grumios and Tranios and Lucentios and Hortensios and Vincentios. It helps that the company has such vivid physical variety, from the rangy Ben Mason (Hortensio) and Ryan Jarosch (Grumio) to the comic portliness of the whimsically named J. Preddie Predmore (Gremio). There are good complimentary contribution by Steve Gensler, Mike Oleon, and Mikey Vines (in multiple roles of both genders).
The production is so refreshing that I wondered if I was overrating it because of my exceedingly modest expectations entering the theater. I don’t think so. This is a well-acted and well-conceived revival enhanced by its distinctive performing environment. Theo Ubique specializes in musicals but on the evidence of “The Taming of the Shrew,” the company should reserve one slot each season for a classic comedy.
“The Taming of the Shrew” runs through October 4 at the No Exit Café, 6970 North Glenwood Avenue. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 with dinner packages available. Call 773 347 1109 or visit www.theoubqiue.org.
The show gets a rating of 3 ½ stars. Sept. 2009
Contact Dan at Zeffdaniel@yahoo.com