'Notes & Letters is an earnest historical slice-of-life musical.' | kerryreid
on PBS, then you can probably relate to Annabelle Lee Revak’s impulse to create a musical out of the World War I-era letters of her great-great-grandfather, Joe Loula. As in Gates’s program, the most interesting details in Revak’swith Underscore Theatre Company come from the personal relationships uncovered that illuminate our images of what a particular time in history must have been like.
Here, we meet Loula , a recent immigrant from what was then known as Bohemia , newly arrived in Chicago in 1916—and very happy to be far from the war raging over Europe. A skilled carpenter, he finds work building pianos in the shop owned by Charlie Williams .
What’s odd is that, though Revak is drawing on family history, there’s a sense of the schematic running through these characters and their relationships that undercuts the generally strong songs.
Leah Geis’s staging does allow the charm to come through even as the storyline feels a little forced, and it’s hard not to empathize with these characters. They may be living over 100 years away from us, but when they connect with all the hope and passion of young lovers,Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chicago bassist Nick Macri celebrates some roots and branches on his first solo release - Chicago Reader'Chicago bassist Nick Macri is the model of versatility. He has appeared with a formidable gallery of jazz, folk, and rock musicians, including Ken Vandermark, James Elkington, Laetitia Sadier, Bobby Conn, and instrumental combo Stirrup.' | Bill Meyer
Read more »
The price of exposure - Chicago Reader'The Chinese Lady is a testament to important swaths of history that have previously been swept under the rug—including the Opium Wars, and the debt we owe to Chinese Americans for building the railroads with their sweat and blood.' | SheriFlanders
Read more »
Bewjeweled butt plugs and the war on abortion - Chicago ReaderSavageLove: 'We live in a large city, and there is a nonzero chance that we might run into someone on the apps we are connected to professionally or socially. Are any of the apps out there geared toward folks who want to go about this carefully?'
Read more »
The Janes is a call to action - Chicago Reader'What we know for a fact is that making abortion illegal does not stop women from seeking abortions, it just keeps them from getting safe abortions.” New documentary The Janes follows the underground abortion collective started in Chicago. | KatSachs
Read more »
The Studebaker gets ready to roll - Chicago ReaderLast August, I caught up with Jacob Harvey just as he was taking over as the new (and first-ever) managing artistic director of theaters for the Fine Arts Building. At the time, he noted that with the loss of the Royal George as a midsize rental house, the soon-to-be-remodeled Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts […]
Read more »
This bird has flown - Chicago Reader'With the mass murder of Black people in Buffalo just last weekend, seeing this show now feels especially discomfiting.' | kerryreid
Read more »