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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Girls & Boys' by Griffin Theatre is a devastating solo memory play
As I walked out of Griffin Theatre's extraordinary production of 'Girls & Boys,' in that dazed state that sets in after a show really messes with your head, two thoughts immediately ran through my mind. First: Cynthia Marker just gave a hell of a solo performance — one of the best I've seen in a long time. Second: how on earth am I going to convey the impact of this play without spoiling too much of the plot? I'll give the latter my best attempt. In this one-woman play, British writer Dennis Kelly (a Tony Award winner for the book of 'Matilda the Musical') manages a tricky balancing act, tackling an extremely dark subject in almost surgical detail while softening its harshest blows for the audience and maintaining some sense of hope in humanity. Oh, and the show is also hilarious. Griffin's Midwest premiere of this 2018 play is directed by Robin Witt, who excels at the helm of intimate dramas, as recently demonstrated by the moving two-handers 'A Case for the Existence of God' and 'A Slow Air' at Steep Theatre. Her knack for shaping exquisitely paced, quietly devastating emotional arcs works equally well in 'Girls & Boys.' With a skilled writer and a sensitive director in her corner, Marker holds the audience in rapt attention for 100 minutes straight in the role of the unnamed narrator, a quick-witted, irreverent Londoner from a working-class background. She launches her opening monologue with a bit worthy of a stand-up comedy set, recalling how she first met her future husband while waiting to board a JetBlue flight in Naples, Italy. As he sarcastically dashes the hopes of two gorgeous models trying to flirt their way ahead in the tense queue, this previously unremarkable man starts looking like a Greek god to our narrator. The attraction proves to be mutual, and Marker's character rhapsodizes about their passionate physicality and seemingly perfect compatibility in the early stages of their relationship. Suddenly, a sound cue and a shift from white to blue lighting indicate a leap in time, and this woman begins to relive a mundane interaction with her two young children, Leanne and Danny, while speaking to thin air and miming her motherly motions. Although we don't initially understand the purpose of this disorienting scene, in which the narrator no longer addresses the audience but instead seems wrapped up in her own memories, it does begin to make sense of the striking scenic design by Sotirios Livaditis. The set's ground level consists of a simple couch, throw rug, end tables and lamps in grays and off-whites — an ensemble that is mirrored by blue furniture suspended from the ceiling and strewn with children's toys and two stuffed animals. The overhead set pieces light up during the blue-tinged memory sequences, with lighting designer Brandon Wardell and sound designer Thomas Dixon working in tandem with Livaditis to toggle back and forth in time as the play inches toward revealing how the narrator's own life was turned upside down. When the action flips back to the brightly lit, right-side-up look, Marker's character recounts how her husband, a successful entrepreneur, cheered her on as she pursued a new career in documentary filmmaking. In another comedic moment, she tells the story of her first job interview in the industry, which pitted her against a horde of posh young people who could afford to pad their resumes with unpaid work experience. But with a combination of grit and humor, she gets her foot in the door and works her way up. A happy marriage, a fulfilling job and soon, a growing family — her adult life seems off to a promising start. Of course, that's not where the story ends. I won't reveal more here, but the script drops enough hints of the horrors to come that when the crisis finally arrives, the narrator acknowledges that the audience probably knows where it's going. Then, she gives the gentlest, most generous trigger warning imaginable. When the story gets difficult, she tells us, remember two things: this did not happen to you, and it is not happening now. But in this fictional world, the unspeakable did happen to her, and the narrator's reflections on violence, grief and memory are both poignant and profound. Marker never succumbs to a full breakdown in the telling, and her character has had years to process the trauma, but her pain is no less palpable for this restraint. It's a performance that will haunt me for some time, I suspect. Don't miss 'Girls & Boys' (4 stars) When: Through Aug. 16 Where: Griffin Theatre at the Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N. Clark St. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Tickets: $30-$43 at
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Directing ambition sought
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES It's time to pour yourself a cup of ambition. Showbiz Queenstown's announced it'll stage 9 to 5: The Musical next May, featuring a rip-roaring score from the queen of country, Dolly Parton. Pushed to boiling point, three female co-workers — Violet, Judy and Doralee — concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, the women live out their wildest fantasy; giving their boss the boot. Inspired by the iconic 1980s movie, the blockbuster musical comedy premiered in Los Angeles in 2008 and opened on Broadway the following year, receiving 15 Drama Desk Award nominations — the most received by a production in a single year — along with four Tony Award nominations. Showbiz is now on the hunt for its next creative team. They're looking for a director, music director, choreographer and production manager — applications close on August 31. For more info, or to apply, visit Showbiz Queenstown's Facebook page and follow the Google doc links.
Black America Web
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
‘The Chi' Exclusive Clip: Reg & Jackie Join Forces For A Heist
A new episode of The Chi streams this Friday, July 18, and BOSSIP has an exclusive clip of Reg enlisting his new shooter for a heist. Source: Chris Lowe After shooting Emmett, a seemingly carefree Reg settles in at Candice's house and beats Keith at Connect Four. He says he enjoys the kids' game because it 'forces you to pay attention,' even as Keith accuses him of cheating. Source: The Chi / The Chi Source: The Chi / The Chi Reg then shifts the conversation and tells his new shooter, Jackie, that he has a lead on a jewelry store job, thanks to a friend who works security. He estimates there's $50,000 in the safe, and Jackie immediately demands half. 'No,' says Reg. 'I'm not your little bro,' Jackie retorts. 'I'm worth the money, trust me.' 'You better be,' Reg replies. Source: The Chi / The Chi Take an exclusive look below. In the seventh season of The Chi , the women of the South Side are stepping into the spotlight with Alicia leading the charge, reclaiming their power amidst rising tensions, tested loyalties and fierce new rivalries—all in pursuit of a single, coveted crown that promises high stakes and heavy consequences. This season welcomes powerhouse talent to the cast, including Tony Award winner, Phylicia Rashad, NAACP Image Award winner, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and Emmy Award winner, Karrueche Tran, in guest-starring roles. They join the show's dynamic ensemble, featuring Jacob Latimore, Lynn Whitfield, Yolonda Ross, Shamon Brown Jr., Michael V. Epps, Birgundi Baker, and Luke James. Fan favorites Kadeem Hardison, Chris Lee, Brett Gray, Rotimi, Jackie Long, Jill Marie Jones, and others also return. Created by Emmy winner, Lena Waithe, and executive produced alongside Justin Hillian, Jewel Coronel, and Academy Award winner, Common, the new season promises powerful storytelling that continues to reflect the heart and hustle of Chicago. The post 'The Chi' Exclusive Clip: Reg & Jackie Join Forces For A Heist appeared first on Bossip. SEE ALSO 'The Chi' Exclusive Clip: Reg & Jackie Join Forces For A Heist was originally published on
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You only have one month left to see Gypsy and Audra MacDonald's staggering performance
There she goes, boys! The Audra McDonald-led revival of Gypsy, directed by George C. Wolfe, abruptly announced that it will be ending its Broadway run sooner than expected. The musical will play its final performance at the Majestic Theatre on Sunday, August 17; tickets had been on sale through October 3. The run itself was open-ended, with no closing date announced. When the show closes, it will have played 28 previews and 269 performances. This marks the sixth Broadway show to announce a closing date since the Tony Awards. The fifth revival of the classic musical, with a book by Arthur Laurents and a score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, opened at the Majestic on December 19, 2024, co-starring Danny Burstein as Herbie and Joy Woods as Louise. As previously announced, Tony winner Montego Glover will play Rose at Sunday matinees for the rest of the run. McDonald's turn as Rose (a role played by Broadway legends from Ethel Merman to Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone) earned her a record-setting 11th Tony Award nomination, making her the most-nominated performer in Tony Awards history. (With six wins, she is also the most awarded performer in Tony Awards history.) The show itself earned five Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, and one for Burstein, which made him the most-nominated male performer in Tony Award history. The significance of this Gypsy is not just in its record-setting nominations, however. As staged by Wolfe, this was the first Broadway production of the musical to cast a Black performer as Rose, revealing new layers and depths to a show that was last seen on Broadway in 2008. 'There's a specific Blackness to McDonald's magnificently acted Rose as well,' Time Out New York's Adam Feldman wrote in his review, making it a Critic's Pick. 'This Rose has a defiant pride and an aspiration to higher class, and they come together in McDonald's unique voice; it's like a physical manifestation of Rose's will-to-fanciness. Yes, it's an unconventional sound for Rose. Every song is a bit of a test, a rite of passaggio between McDonald's chest voice and her head voice; she hits you with a switch instead of a belt. But she makes the tension work to her advantage. The big notes that land in her upper register are not delicate; they throb with intensity and grandeur. Some people, Rose sings dismissively in her first song, have 'the dream but not the guts.' McDonald's voice has equal parts of both, and she uses it to deliver an unforgettable star turn.'
UPI
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Daniel Radcliffe 'Merrily We Roll Along' production coming to theaters
1 of 5 | Daniel Radcliffe, seen after wining the Tony Award for "Merrily We Roll Along" in 2024 in New York City, starred in the show until this month. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo July 16 (UPI) -- Sony Pictures Classics announced Wednesday that it is bringing a filmed performance of Merrily We Roll Along to theaters. Fathom Entertainment will release the production December 5. This performance stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. Maria Friedman directed the 2023-24 production. Originally staged in 1981, the Stephen Sondheim musical follows the 30 year friendships between Franklin Shepard and his friends Charley Kringas and Mary Flynn. Sondheim and George Furth adapted the George S. Kauffman and Moss Hart play. The Broadway production had its last performance July 7. Groff played Shepard, Radfcliffe, Kringas and Mendez, Flynn. Krystal Joy Brown, Katie Rose Clarke and Reg Rogers also starred. The show won four Tonys for Radcliffe, Groff, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Orchestration. The filmed version is expected to play in the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, U.K. and additional territories. Fathom previously released Broadway productions of Waitress: The Musical and Kinky Boots along with National Theatre Live performances. Richard Linklater is directing a film adaptation of Merrily, We Roll Along, to be filmed over 20 years like his Boyhood filmed over 12 years.
