An 80’s Throwback and a Present day Musical
Town Lit Theater’s new manufacturing, TWO Hrs IN A BAR, is a double monthly bill of new one functions. They are the environment stage premiere of a perform by Kristine Thatcher (with materials by Larry Shue) and the world premiere of a musical by Kingsley Working day. It is a night of just one acts with only two things in widespread: they choose location in a bar and have the very same roster of actors. They ended up both directed by Terry McCabe, Established Design by Ray Toler, Lighting by Mike McShane, Costumes by Andres Mota, Stage Managed by Hazel Flowers-McCabe and Musical Route was by Shraman Ghosh.
The to start with engage in, WAITING FOR TINA MEYER is the only collaboration concerning Kristine Thatcher, City Lit’s resident playwright, and Larry Shue, the late playwright of the farces THE NERD and THE FOREIGNER. Written even though they were being finest good friends and resident actors at Milwaukee Repertory Theater in the 1980s, it problems a pair of ideal-friend actors sitting down in a bar since one of them is anticipating to be fulfilled there by Tina Meyer, a female he doesn’t know who despatched him a note backstage before that evening.
The script is sharp and funny, the one particular-liners, observations, and banter smack of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld but with a heat and kindness that the previous have never ever captured. In reality, it is so reminiscent of a nicely penned sitcom of the 80s and 90s, that I was not astonished to master it experienced started as a spec script for Norman Lear’s Just one Working day at a Time. The established is a straightforward bar, a great deal like any you might see in Chicago. On the other hand the costume design and style and props trended a bit odd for case in point, it took rather a whilst to figure out the sales opportunities ended up supposed to be actors, as they had been dressed like 80s businessmen also, a tequila bottle that played a distinguished role was inexplicably a ceramic fish – lending an incongruous air of the absurd.
In supporting roles, Songs Director Shraman Ghosh performed a very good-hearted pianist who’s a little bit sluggish on the uptake and Kat Evans the sarcastic and poker-confronted bar operator. The most effective pals are played by Jimmy Hogan, a sleezy, in excess of-assured major person variety, and Freddy Mauricio as a gentle, intimate. Hogan and Mauricio have been stilted at initially, the words and phrases did not truly feel pure coming out of their mouths. Then came veteran actress marssie Mencotti, who commanded the stage the moment she entered it. She exuded a warmth, wry humor and mild knowledge that appeared to get everyone, solid and audience, all around her. Her presence elevated the performances of equally primary adult males, making a sincerity in them that had been missing at the start off. Then they in change delighted with an unforeseen climax: a hokey, ridiculous musical variety from a Richard III musical that Hogan and Mauricio are meant to be touring with. Both actors went all in and it was a delight to see. The ending has a little bit of a twist, that will depart you smiling.
The next enjoy, Textual content ME, is a globe premier by Kingsley Working day. This time, Jimmy Hogan performs a hopeless romantic conference a probable new boyfriend at a bar. Kat Evans performs his greatest mate and aid – she’s there to preserve him if the day goes south. Mauricio plays their waiter, and Mencotti is in a significantly smaller job as the bar supervisor. This time Ghosh stayed off phase, but played the music and was the voice of most of the texts that Hogan and Evans obtained.
In a lot of techniques, Textual content ME is an instance of why area theater is so crucial: it is a classic musical that will take place in the modern day working day, with cell telephones, text lingo and emoji. How to incorporate this integral aspect of present day life is some thing theater, tv and cinema have been grappling with for a number of years now. Some of it worked, some of it didn’t, but greater, nationwide productions have reached the money position of “too massive to are unsuccessful,” leaving the more compact businesses, the community artists, to experiment, an invaluable element of any residing art type.
The shining moments: Evans has a traditional, wonderful soprano, and Hogan is a reliable musical theater singer as perfectly. This was in particular obvious as the two of them sang almost each take note when seated – no simple feat when you are an octave earlier mentioned center C. They also acted out all the emojis with choreographed movements and facial expressions that were being resourceful, funny and impressively recognizable. Equally Hogan and Mauricio seemed to suit their roles a minimal far more comfortably in this perform, and Evans’ character was a full 180 from her job in TINA MEYER she was every single bit the heat and loving ideal friend.
The times for pause: In purchase to exhibit when they ended up texting (both each and every other, or Hogan’s probable day and Evans’ boyfriend) a highlight would middle them and the phase would go dark. Nevertheless, as talked about previously, with only one particular exception, they stayed in their seats for each track. This led to a instead static staging, and I couldn’t assist but marvel why not have them act out their conversations a very little more broadly. As it was, in a peak instant, when Hogan finally did get up to sing and dance his thoughts, it was startling.
In general, both of those exhibits elicited a number of laughs, and in the scenario of Waiting around FOR TINA MEYER, a moment or two of real pathos. Not a terrible way to commit an evening.
Rather Suggested
Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia
Presented at Town Lit Theater, 1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Mondays April 1, 8, 15 at 7:30 pm as a result of April 21st.
Tickets for TWO Hours IN A BAR are $34.00, seniors $29.00, learners and military $12 (all as well as applicable costs) are now on sale, on-line at www.citylit.org and by mobile phone at 773-293-3682.
More information about this and other area productions can be identified by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.