The Theater Loop

On rare occasions, we theater critics see an understudy and, in the case of last night, I was just very glad I had the chance to see Jackson Mikkelsen play Jack in Kokandy Productions’ “Into the Woods.”

The systemic flaw of this show is that it is so anxious to keep its audience engaged and excited by its overall imaginative landscape that it forgets that the two teens at the core are supposed to be driven crazy by all of that Montague-and-Capulet nonsense and want only to be with each other’s souls and bodies. Put more simply, the world of this show is so busy and intense, actual s*x and love with one person cannot compete.

Leah Karpel is just so wonderfully good in this show at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company.

Paywall free.

Review: In ‘Romeo + Juliet’ on Broadway, it’s hard to hear the young love amid all the excitement Visit the post for more.

There’s no more gilded cage for Norma in director Jamie Lloyd’s red-hot, straight-from-London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s noir 1993 musical, “Sunset Boulevard,” not with Nicole Scherzinger sizzling in the lead role. At the St James Theatre, Norma Desmond has morphed from deranged diva to s*xy beast, from an object of creepy pity warbling emotional ballads of regret to an eroticized star at her s*xual peak, making wide-eyed love to a camera even when dripping with her lover’s blood. Wowza!



Review

David Mamet wrote a piece for us today. Posting it here just to p**s everyone off.

I am sorry to say that Kathryn Lamkey, former central region director of Actors Equity died yesterday. I liked her very, very much and she cared deeply about her members and her role in Chicago theater.

In my 25+ years of going to the Equity Jeffs (not missed one in a long time), I've never seen a ceremony where so few artists actually showed up to pick up their wins. It was so striking that it made you wonder whether it was worth having a live ceremony. Even one of the special honorees was not present. Making this worse, the Jeffs changed their rules this year to allow others to pick up trophies and deliver their own speeches for awards they did not win. It all felt, frankly, provincial, which is not the message the Chicago theater wants to send, nor the truth of what happens in this town.

The 2024 edition was really not so good for what I have long thought is one of the most special nights of the year. There were some lovely actual acceptance speeches to enjoy and many a fine performance. But let me suggest the Jeffs, for whom I have great respect, rethink time and location. Drury Lane is not the easiest venue to reach, especially for those without cars, lovely and generous it is. And this ceremony takes place much too far into the following season; demonstrably, artists are too busy to attend and the ceremony also has gained the reputation of an absurdly long running time.

And if it is known someone will not be there, better to wait a year so they can be honored in person, as they so richly deserve.

Jamey Lundblad is the new managing director of the Lookingglass Theatre Company. More details in my newsletter today.

Here is a gift link to my review of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” as totally redone for Chicago.

Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ is magnificently acted and created anew for Chicago J.K. Rowling has said that this is the end of the “Harry Potter” saga and it is just a wonderful thing that she chose the theater to conclude her story, told through the next generation…