PicksInSix Review: 2024 Year in Review

Tip The Hat. Turn The Page.
Memorable Performances for 2024
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

Singling out six of the most memorable performances of artists we covered in 2024 who turned heads and left lasting impressions long after the final bow was a daunting task. So difficult, in fact, that there is also special mention to others who have had terrific years on multiple Chicago stages.

It was a year that included the Royal Shakespeare Company’s return with “Pericles” at Chicago Shakespeare Company, pre-Broadway runs of “Death Becomes Her,” Steppenwolf’s “Purpose” directed by Phylicia Rashad—and, we expect, Sam Hunter’s “Little Bear Ridge Road,” a compelling new work starring Laurie Metcalf—and touring productions like the sensational “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” among others. While all deserving of mention, you will find others on the 2024 PicksInSix Year in Review list, our first post-pandemic yearend review.

A special note of thanks to every theatre company, their dedicated boards, administrative, artistic and technical teams, and the unending support of publicists who invest their time and talent in support of the Chicagoland theater community and made it possible to review these shows. It’s an honor to be invited and a responsibility that we take very seriously.

CONVERSATIONS|PicksInSIx® celebrates 10 years in 2025 and owes much to writers like Ronald Keaton, Scott Gryder and Kaitlyn Linsner who have contributed mightily to our archive of Chicago theatre during that time. Thank you!

And, a deserved tip of the hat to the brilliant Chicago theatre photographers Michael Brosilow, Liz Lauren, Brett Beiner, Joe Mazza and videographers HMS Media, among many others, whose expertise and professionalism continues to document these productions and preserve the image archive for future generations.

So here we go in alphabetical order and with a link to the PicksInSix Review (P6):

Sarah Bockel—Falsettos - TimeLine & Court Theatre - The critically-acclaimed co-production of director Nick Bowling’s “Falsettos” featured an ensemble of superb actors and singers in one of two sung-through shows on this list. In the role of Trina, Bockel delivered an extraordinary performance, navigating a delicate emotional path with heartfelt passion and homespun humor. Stunning! P6  

Mark David Kaplan—Fiddler on the Roof at Drury Lane Theatre - In the little town of Anatevka, director Elizabeth Margolius’s ‘memory play’ was, according to Kaitlyn Linsner, an opportunity for Kaplan to display “excellent comedic timing and whimsy” in the critically-acclaimed turn as Tevya. L'Chaim! P6

Beth Stafford Laird—FROZEN at Paramount Theatre - In an epic production directed by Trent Stork that includes several of Disney’s most popular songs and beloved characters, you just might take for granted a character whose youthful exuberance is at the heart of the story. The multi-talented Laird exudes unmatched charm in a rich performance as Anna that is marked by superb vocals, effortless company dance numbers and a shimmering presence all her own. Spellbinding! P6

Meghan Murphy—Anything Goes at Porchlight Music Theatre - Even a blizzard could not keep us away from director Michael Weber’s “Anything Goes” starring the captivating Meghan Murphy in a commanding performance as the seaworthy siren Sweeney. A topflight, take-no-prisoners, star turn. Anchors Away! P6

Aurora Penepecker—Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at Writers Theatre - The other sung-through musical/pop opera on this list—one of the most ambitious all-around artistic undertakings of the year by any theater directed by Katie Spelman—featured an extraordinarily multi-talented ensemble of players. And there, at the center of this glorious production, was Penepecker whose lyrical voice and pristine talent was simply intoxicating. Magnificent! P6    

Sawyer Smith—Little Mermaid at Drury Lane Theatre - When you hear the term “over the top” in stage performances, it is often afforded to a performer who has elevated their role beyond the script and score to a new level of excellence. The showstopping turn for Smith, in the Scott Weinstein directed “Little Mermaid,” set a new standard that is certain to change the trajectory of Smith’s exceptional career. Wowza! P6

There are six other artists who excelled in multiple productions deserving of special mention: 

Jackson Evans displayed his wide range for musical comedy in four critically-acclaimed roles: Porchlight’s “Anything Goes,” Drury Lane’s “Guys and Dolls,” Paramount’s “Full Monty” and the Timeline/Court production of “Falsettos.” 

Heidi Kettenring delivered her special brand of star power to Drury Lane’s “Guys and Dolls,” Marriott’s “1776,” “Cinderella” and her concert performance of “Something Wonderful.” A true Chicago stage treasure!

We have been watching Evan Tyrone Martin for years and his compelling and beautifully sung Pierre in Writers “Comet” was central to the overwhelming success of this challenging production.

In addition to all of the projects the busy Ron OJ Parson has been delivering, Ronald Keaton noted that “East Texas Hot Links” at Court Theatre “bears the unmistakable stamp of the great director Ron OJ Parson, who has a relationship with this piece that forces us, in its sheer professionalism alone, to see an unencumbered view of what Jim Crow has done to our world and continues to do today.”

And as much as we never really give credit to the people who support everyone else, the masterful career of Nick Sula has been elevating the work of Sondheim enthusiasts throughout Chicago. Sula followed last season’s stellar production of “Kokandy’s Sweeney Todd” with the unique two piano presentation of Kokandy’s “Into the Woods.”  We can hardly wait to see what the next project will be.

Last, but not least, a tip of the hat to Charles Newell whose long-standing career as Artistic Director has come to a close at Court Theatre, You can be sure we have not heard the last from him. The Newell directed “An Iliad” starring Timothy Edward Kane returns in early June 2025. Bravo!

Happy Holidays!

See you on the other side of the aisle!

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PicksInSix Review: Revolution - A Red Orchid Theatre

REVOLUTION’s Natalie West: “True comic acting.”
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

There’s a play running now through October 29 at A Red Orchid Theatre on Wells—”Revolution.” It’s a piece written by the fine writer and teacher Brett Neveu, and the play and story themselves become a real subject of conversation; they ask a lot of questions.  Mr. Neveu does so in touching on a great many different subjects along the way of its tightly-drawn 90-minute run. I enjoyed it muchly, don’t get me wrong here.  I’d recommend it to any aspiring playwright who wants to see how a first-rate writer can put together dialogue and conversation in an economic way, while still making its point.

Two friends, Puff and Jame, have just gotten off work and are in the back alley of the hair salon they work at together, a business called Revolution Cuts.  It really should be a celebratory moment for Puff.  She has just been promoted to salon manager. Today is her birthday and yet she seems unable to enjoy and celebrate the moment.  Puff (a strongly etched portrayal by Stephanie Shum) is a child of neuroses, as Mr. Neveu sees her.  Anxiety-ridden, with a fair lack of self-confidence, always asking the questions that push both these factors to the fore in her life.

Her best friend Jame, whose humor and lightness constantly supports Puff in the quest for calm, is an ever-present influence of wonder and positivity (in a charming, knowing performance by Taylor Blim).  The give-and-take between these characters shows Mr. Neveu at his best—sharp, sometimes repetitive, always encapsulating the generational feel of particular misgivings that often accompanies people in their 20s, starting out in life.

I say generational because now comes a twist in the story with the introduction of Georgia, a 50-something employee at a Ross store in the same mall.  Georgia (a pitch-perfect offering of true comic acting from Natalie West) is one of those folks we all know who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere, and she longs for it.  So she hangs out with Puff and Jame, telling stories that may or may not be true, wanting to be a part of the celebration, so she can find a way to distract herself from her own difficult life at home and at work. Director Travis A. Knight allows and encourages this uneasy-at-first melding of disparate minds to find their way to a common purpose, and it’s smooth and well done. But what that purpose is becomes the job of the audience to absorb and observe. And it magnifies a bit of the problem with the play for this writer.

There are lots of questions on several topics that affect the angst here:  Growing older. How to face your fears on a daily basis.  Making new friendships, while being loyal to those already in your life. Dwelling on life choices, wondering if they were the right ones. Dealing with regret and how it affects our lives.  All these ideas are righteously presented. The problem is that there aren’t many answers to digest; certainly there’s not that much of an attempt to do so, it seems.

But then again, maybe that’s the point.  Jame has taken on the role of being the rock for Puff in those panic-influenced moments, and she seems to do so gladly, as Georgia continually lobs little emotional one-liner distractions into the equation.  These are all ideas that we deal with in our lives.  Some are magnified more than others, depending on the circumstance. And remember, all this lands in the middle of what is to be a celebratory time.  In the middle of an alley after work.  It’s a little uneven and unfinished.  But boy, is it fascinating to watch and take in.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. www.solochicagotheatre.com  Coming soon, his new solo play “Echo Holler.” www.echoholler.com
PHOTO|Evan Hanover

A Red Orchid Theatre
presents

World Premiere
REVOLUTION
1531 N Wells St, Chicago
through October 29

TICKETS
WEBSITE
(312) 943-8722
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PicksInSix Review: It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!

A TONIC…THAT GOES DOWN EASY!
Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

Versatility. This writer asks you to hold this idea close; it is an important piece of the production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!”  The fine American Blues Theater presents their annual Christmas tribute at Victory Gardens Theater through New Year’s Eve.  And it’s directed with a deft eye and high respect for the Frank Capra material by ABT artistic director Gwendolyn Whiteside.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is presented here in a live radio format, complete with Foley artist Shawn J. Goudie doing all the sounds of the story you can recall—cars running away, babies crying, whistles blowing, on and on.  And Mr. Goudie is really fun to watch. The audience is also treated to a special kind of warmup entertainment, complete with requested “audiograms” from the cast that were read at commercial breaks throughout the evening.

Versatility…Commercials for local products and events and music of the holiday season—even a brief audience singalong—are arranged and lead by the endlessly talented Michael Mahler, who also plays a gruff Sam Wainwright as well as the WABT station announcer.  And Mr. Gower, the druggist. And as the general emcee for the festivities. Singing those holiday songs at various times throughout the production, the entire cast jumps, hearts first, into the preshow and then the story itself.

Dara Cameron shares that versatility in eloquent droves by playing George Bailey’s friend Violet Bick…and a couple of Bailey children…and various and sundry citizens of Bedford Falls.  Joe Dempsey surely shows it in stark, energetic portrayals of both Clarence, the Bailey guardian angel wanting to get his wings, and Mr. Potter, the American Scrooge character who can’t wait to get his hands on the Bailey Building and Loan.

Versatility…The elegant Audrey Billings lends her own tender touch as both Bailey women—Mary Bailey, whose unending support for her husband set the tone for family unity, and Ma Bailey, the matriarch who quietly points George in the right direction.  A wonderful new face to me, Yuchi Chiu, plays both Harry Bailey, George’s brother, and shares duties with Mr. Mahler in their brief turns as Ernie the cabbie and Bert the cop.

Manny Buckley brings his with emotion and awareness as Joseph, the angel-in-charge, and Uncle Billy, the loving and befuddled one. And then, at last, there’s the strong, heartfelt Brandon Dahlquist offering as George.  Both these men jump in hard in their exchange about lost money, which allows the joy at the end of the performance to be that much more touching. Honestly, it’s a great deal of fun and love that American Blues Theater shares with Chicago each year at Christmas.  I may go again…a tonic for all we’ve been through that goes down easy.  Cheers, ABT!  

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL www.solochicagotheatre.com

PHOTO | Michael Brosilow

AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
presents
It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!
Victory Gardens Theater
2433 N Lincoln Ave
through December 31, 2021

WEBSITE

TICKETS

(773) 871-3000

PODCAST: 2016 Conversation with Gwendolyn Whiteside and Shawn Goudie

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PicksInSix Review: I'm Not A Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce

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STUNNING CLARITY FRAMES MARMO’S “LENNY BRUCE”
Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

We have all witnessed moments of utter exhaustion and defeat for those among us who own a strength of character and a spirit to move forward on our behalf.  Sometimes doing the right thing in life requires an energy that we may not know we can share.  Such is the case in the tragic life of comedian Lenny Bruce, whose story is currently being told by actor/writer Ronnie Marmo in "I’m Not A Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce” at the Venus Cabaret Theater.  And it’s directed by a familiar name to Chicago – Joe Mantegna.

Right from the top, it is apparent that Mr. Marmo’s commitment is full-bore. The first sight of the character is the night he dies… sitting in his bathroom, nude and dead.  August 3, 1966. It takes a long time to justify doing so from a theatrical viewpoint, but it does happen, despite the fact that, at first, it seems quite gratuitous. Put that away for now.  We hear lots of Bruce in comic monologues, and the play quite confidently shares much of the debate about words that are acceptable to use—or not.  Retain that in your memory for the moment as well.

The first half of the play—roughly 90 minutes with no intermission—deals with Bruce’s efforts to stretch comedic boundaries with sensational material that makes perfect sense, given the kind of path he walks.  Mr. Marmo has the Bruce patter and delivery down absolutely spot-on, a reminder of all those Catskills comedians that the Boomer generation learned timing and skill from.  Every dirty word, every turned-illicit phrase becomes a weapon to use against authority and, more to the point, on behalf of free speech in America.  I offer this advisedly—it’s well done.  And absolutely exhausting at certain points.  As was Lenny Bruce, let’s face it.

And then a remarkable turn in the storytelling occurs.  Mr. Marmo chooses quite eloquently to offer at a halfway point in the play what we really want to know:  how Lenny Bruce does what he does, why he does it, and how it affects every corner of his life.  Bruce meets a stripper one night.  Begins some quiet conversation and flirtation.  And ends the evening in orgasmic pleasure…a logical extension of the man’s own spirit.  But then Bruce discovers something. He falls in love for really the first time in his life outside his work.  The shift in theatrical tone and in Mr. Marmo’s presence is dramatic.  And softer, more personal, more accessible.  It’s a surprising quality to see and much more reflective for what we want to know, I think, about Bruce, his family and the effects of it all on his wife and daughter. Such small, tender vignettes pepper the plotline.

The battles in Bruce’s life, of course, are legendary and loud.  He stands up to authority, he makes his presence known promptly in every situation, and he pays dearly for such aggression.  The truly climactic moment comes in a confrontation with a judge, one that Mr. Marmo handles with stunning clarity and technique.  He tells the judge in no uncertain terms “Please…you’ve taken everything from me.  Let me do my act for you, let me show you, your Honor, what this is all about.” When refused, Bruce says “Please, sir.  Please don’t take away my words…”  This is Mr. Marmo’s high point. Vulnerable.  Broken.  Exhausted.

The play ends as it begins, with Bruce expired in his bathroom from an overdose, and recorded comments from police on the scene. Whether one accepts it as good dramaturgy is a matter of preference and taste. This observer prefers to look at the story as a whole in how it’s told. It’s quite a tale, and it’s not for everyone. But in a unique turn, Ronnie Marmo makes it his own and deserves much credit.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL www.solochicagotheatre.com

PHOTO|Doren Sorell

I’M NOT A COMEDIAN…I’M LENNY BRUCE
Venus Cabaret Theater
3745 N Southport Ave
through December 4

WEBSITE & TICKETS

(773) 360-7365

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PicksInSix Review: Othello - Court Theatre

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A SINGULAR KIND OF OTHELLO
Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. It is a long title for what is generally a longer play. At over 3600 lines, it’s among the Bard’s longer pieces and would generally take around three hours to perform. Not so with the production currently playing at Court Theatre. It is compact, judiciously and smartly edited, and fits admirably into the hands of co-directors Charles Newell and Gabrielle Randle-Bent in a challenging and engaging 100 minutes or so. A real and unusual feast for all one’s senses. The presentation, a world of balletic physical battle, where few people touch each other (a marvelous response to the COVID battle we currently wage), is a uniquely timeless setting that also gives pointed contemporary commentary. It is accompanied by a complimentary soundscape created by the fine sound designer Andre Pluess. This writer admits that, at first, this use of an original body-expression language to help further the action was, in a word, unusual. It does take a little time to adapt to the way this Othello is offered. But in time, the audience is eventually taken into this new reality, and the new language itself becomes a character to understand and appreciate.

There is no “place”, per se, for all the action.  Indeed, the physical set makeup enacted by designer John Culbert and Court scenic artists has five separate seating areas of roughly 50 patrons onstage along with a small section of the traditional gallery offering another 50 seats or so.  The cast works in the bordered aisles among the audience, resplendent in costumes by Rachel Adorno and Gregory Graham in the stark hues of Keith Parham’s lighting design.  Additionally, canvased scaffolding and platforms hover over the main playing areas, all further comments on the continuing transition of time in this production and our present pandemic war. Whether or not it’s intended—and I give the Court folks all due for intent whenever I see a play there—it’s an effective theatrical contour.

The story itself is one of extreme jealousies—of power, of property, of love.  The script editing by Mr. Newell and Ms. Randle-Bent changes the focus of the story from one dominated by Iago’s treachery to one that shapes Othello’s foibles and weaknesses more succinctly.  And Kelvin Roston, Jr.’s visceral, physical Othello spares no quarter in his difficult transformation from arrogant leader to suspicious lover to murderous husband and, finally, to his own demise.  Mr. Roston shows us, in deep and short bursts, how the mind is deceived and how quickly he accepts such manipulation until he finally recognizes what he’s done, and what has happened to him.

Iago.  One of the great villains in Shakespeare, whose motivations are constantly characterized (and rightly so) as true evil.   But here, the wonderful Timothy Edward Kane—whose stunning turn in An Iliad at Court remains alive in this writer—actually makes Iago seem almost vulnerable.  It doesn’t last long, of course, because of all the control that Iago exerts throughout the story.  Mr. Kane imbues Iago with an almost touching, I-am-forced-to-do-so aura that is quite unique from other portrayals. Amanda Drinkall’s Desdemona was, at once, delicate and strong in standing up to Roston’s Moor.  A refreshing presence and relief from the intensity of the plot, even as she has her own to proffer to her husband and is unfortunately rejected. A striking and articulate presence, she is.

Two nice surprises in the evening. One was Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel as Emilia, Iago’s wife.  It’s a role that could be hugely difficult, as Emilia seems to accept much of what Iago says and wants with no explanation to her, until she realizes her husband’s truth.  Ms. Gonzalez-Cadel’s death scene, being murdered by her husband, capped a far-ranging portrait from an actor new to me.  More, please. Then there was Court stalwart Erik Hellman’s intense Roderigo, who combines with Iago in the manipulations to wound Cassio, gets wounded himself, and then ultimately is betrayed and killed by the very man he works with.

Sean Fortunato is his stylish, confident self in dual roles of Brabantio and Montano. Sheldon Brown, whom I’ve seen at About Face Theatre in the city, is energetic and clear-eyed as Cassio, one of Iago’s lieutenants and victims in the charade of evil. Darren Patin aka Chicago Drag Queen Ari Gato is simply invigorating as Bianca, Cassio’s lover. And starting at the top of the production, Karissa Murrell Myers’ Duke presents proper authority and wisdom, clear and concise.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL www.solochicagotheatre.com

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

COURT THEATRE
presents
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
through December 5, 2020

5535 S. Ellis Ave. (map)
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 753-4472
info@courttheatre.org

WEBSITE

TICKETS

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