Chicago Musical Theatre Review by Erin Fleming: The cast dives in joyfully, fully committing to the vintage camp and stylistic tropes of the piece, many of them going for broke with highly entertaining, over-the-top comic performances, such as scene stealers Mark Ponatrelli and Maddie Dorsey as Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin and sassy moll Erma Latour, and Connor Murray as the Lord Evelyn Oakley.
The final production in the Metropolis 2018-19 Main Stage Series, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” is a magnificent blockbuster. Director Joe Keene has assembled a spirited, vibrant ensemble of 20 who leap, dance, twist and shout across an authentic period set designed by Eric Luchen.
The 1978 film The Buddy Holly Story featuring a career defining performance by Gary Busey brought the music and the artist’s story of his meteoric rise to fame into the limelight for a new generation of fans. The Alan Janes script for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, now on stage through August 31 at the beautiful Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, lacks the same charm as the movie predecessor, but the uber talented cast and nuanced direction by Joe Keefe creates a plethora of magical moments.
There are several reasons to recommend "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story," the jukebox bio-musical and tribute concert running through Barbara Vitello Aug. 31 at Arlington Heights' Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Most of those reasons have to do with the score, which consists mostly of Holly's songs plus a few tunes by other rock 'n' roll innovators. Few of those reasons have to do with Alan Janes' by-the-numbers book that trades in music biz tropes offering little insight into a seminal artist.
When telling a story with a well-known ending, both to the performers and likely to the audience, it’s easy for a production to lose its sense of urgency and give into a sense of dread. These high energy performers, however, remain expectant and engaged, leaving the audience with no choice but to wait and see what might happen next.
Farces are arguably the toughest shows to get right. Daffy dialogue and slapstick situations can fail to land if vocal inflections or physical timing are even slightly off. This becomes clear with Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," which strikes the right chords vocally but misses a few comic beats.
If a joyous evening of an entertaining, albeit dated, classic musical is in your theater sights, then "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is your ticket. Director Lauren Rawitz keeps this Forum’s pace moving with an extremely talented and energetic ensemble of twenty and an unseen eight piece orchestra led by Kailey Rockwell. Forum is part vaudeville, part comedic Shakespeare with chases, mistaken identities, satire, double entendres, plot twists, and a lot of hanky-panky.
Metropolis’ third show of its 2018-2019 Main Stage season, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, delivers on the promise of its properly prophetic opening number “Comedy, Tonight!”. Director Lauren Rawitz has created a raucous Roman romp with a little “something for everybawdy.”
For a delightful evening of sidesplitting laughter and great entertainment, look no further than A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Executive Artistic Director Joe Keefe and his staff have quietly built Metropolis into a true theatrical destination to rival any theatre in Chicago.
Joe Lehman’s Metropolis cast is spot on from their accents to their characterizations to the sheer fun they radiate performing this well-traveled thriller. If you have heard about this legendary play and wondered why it is so successful, this is your chance.
