Displaying items by tag: Kareem Bandealy

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues its tradition of staging visually inventive and thought-provoking world premieres with its latest production, Untitled Vampire Play. Written by Lookingglass Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas - who has previously crafted well-received work for the company, including Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure - this comedy-drama uses supernatural lore to dissect the vulnerabilities of modern relationships.

The story centers on a delightfully bizarre “meet the parents” scenario. Dom (Jordan Anthony Arredondo), an everyman bartender, introduces his parents to his new girlfriend, Val (Courtney Rikki Green). The twist? Val is a centuries-old vampire. But don’t worry - she gets her blood from ethical sources, not human victims. Dom’s parents laugh it off, though, thinking their son’s girlfriend has a few screws loose.

Meanwhile, Val’s “brother” Roderick (Walter Briggs) resurfaces, wanting to reconnect. In reality, they are former lovers, but after his betrayal, she ran away. Val doubts that he’s changed, but her progeny, Rose (Jin Park), gets sucked into his orbit despite being under Val’s supernatural control. As Roderick carelessly makes kills in Chicago, bodies begin piling up, drawing the attention of Dom’s mother - a police detective - and a vampire hunter descended from Van Helsing. Who said love was easy? The result is a look at relationships in all of their messy, bloody glory.

Briggs turns in an excellent performance as Roderick, playing the charismatic bad boy with ease. He channels the classic Hollywood vampire aesthetic with immaculate fashion and a distinct, formal vocal cadence that commands the room. Sure, he’s a villain, but he’s fun to watch, especially with the little flairs he adds to his characterization.

Kareem Bandealy is another standout, tackling two completely contrasting roles. He plays Dom's father, Louie, with a relentless barrage of corny vampire dad jokes, then completely transforms into Lance Tardis Van Helsing, a fierce vampire hunter with an equally fierce hair flip.

Courtney Rikki Green as Val inUntitled Vampire Play at Lookingglass Theatre. Photo by Justin Barbin.

Anchoring the whole cast, though, is Green, who brings immense emotional weight to her performance as the complex Val. Serving as the real window into this hidden world, Green charts her character's profound transformation, as Val wrestles with whether she is seeking genuine love or simply trying to outrun eternal loneliness.

Beneath the fangs, the play asks a deeply human question: What does it mean to love someone? It explores the underlying selfishness that often masks itself as romance. Val wants Dom to turn into a vampire so they can be together forever, viewing his reluctance as a rejection of her identity rather than a defense of his own humanity. Meanwhile, Dom uses Val as an emotional security blanket to quiet his own intense insecurities. Through these characters, Douglas examines how control, weakness, danger, and even lust can taint love, or at least the illusion of it.

The script could use a bit of trimming in its exploration, as there are moments that feel repetitive, alongside a few minor plot weaknesses. For instance, it seems odd that a police detective would wait so long to investigate self-proclaimed vampires once gruesome deaths with animal-like attack marks begin happening. Furthermore, one thing I certainly could have gone without was a gruesome scene where the vampires feast on a victim, using gummy worms to simulate intestines. Still, beneath those rough edges, the play’s core story has real spark, offering a fresh, funny twist on vampire mythology that keeps the audience engaged.

I’d be remiss not to praise the play’s design. The technical execution is a masterclass in atmospheric world-building. Scenic designer Alyssa Mohn delivers an expert landscape featuring coffins that seamlessly rise from and sink into the stage floor. This clever staging pairs beautifully with Andre Pluess’s precise sound design and Jason Lynch’s lighting choices - ranging from moody washes to stark spotlights and flashing accents - to wrap the theater in an escalating sense of intrigue and peril. The atmosphere creates moments when you’re not sure if you might be the next victim.

Inventively directed by Devon de Mayo, the production also incorporates fun moments of audience engagement, whether it’s handing theatergoers caution tape to hold at a crime scene or a rather messy vampire kill that sprays stage blood into the front row.

While it doesn’t entirely break new ground, Untitled Vampire Play is creative and visually arresting. At a time when modern relationships are being heavily dissected in media - such as in the hit Obsession - Untitled Vampire Play tosses its fangs into the conversation, leaving the audience to wrestle with what should encompass the core tenets of love.

Recommended.

Untitled Vampire Play is being performed at Lookingglass Theatre through July 12^th.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Robert Falls is back! Well, for a short time at least to direct his adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” Falls retired as the Goodman Theatre artistic director in 2022, but his productions of Chekhov’s classics have become events to anticipate. “The Cherry Orchard” is the endcap to Falls’ Chekhov series that began with ‘Three Sisters’ and has included “The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya”. Each a definitive production that was met with critical acclaim. “The Cherry Orchard” is no exception, in fact, it might even be his best.

“The Cherry Orchard” premiered in Moscow in 1904, just a few decades after the end of serfdom in Russia. The story follows Lyubov Ranevskaya (Kate Fry) as she returns to her family’s estate after years of living abroad. The estate has fallen into disrepair and unless the taxes are paid, Lyubov is certain to lose the property her family has held onto for centuries. Her childhood friend, a former serf, Yermolai Lopakhin (Kareem Bandealy) eagerly awaits her return, and offers her family solutions that would allow them to keep the estate. It’s also implied Yemolai is in love with Lyubov. As with any Chekhov play, the lives of the serving class are also highlighted in all their unrequited loves and general discontent.

This “The Cherry Orchard” is a veritable who’s who of the Chicago theatre scene. Kate Fry plays Lyubov with an almost manic vacillation between childlike naiveté and a crazed addict. Her powers are immediately illuminated from the moment she walks on stage. Regular Goodman player Amanda Drinkall plays the maid Dunyasha. Her giddy and absurd physical humor brings a much-needed sense of humor to a role that doesn’t offer much kindness to the family accountant Semyon—played with as much physical humor but perhaps more guttural pathos by Will Allan. Chicago stage favorite Janet Ulrich Brooks returns with another wonderful performance as the governess/trickster Charlotta. Her sleight of hand magic tricks make you wonder if she really is magic after all. Perhaps nobody is as affective as Francis Guinan as the servant Firs, who may just be the last vestige of serfdom on the property. The pottering body language and stammering delivery are devastating.

Adding to the roster of Chicago theatre staples, set designer Todd Rosenthal’s staging is nothing short of epic. There’s a striking blend of minimalism mixed with the kind of over-the-top spectacle that Goodman audiences expect. While it’s not always a necessity to have larger than life sets, some occasions just call for it and a theatrical event like this is fitting to pull out all the stops. Costumes by Ana Kuzmanic play nicely against Rosenthal’s backdrop.

If you’re going to see a classic, the team behind “The Cherry Orchard” is your best bet. Robert Falls has had an influential career turning Goodman Theatre into the institution it is today and Chicago audiences will likely continue to be enchanted by his work for years to come. His own adaptation of “The Cherry Orchard” digs deep on the idea of what it means to be free. It also showcases some terrific performances from some of Chicago’s most beloved performers. This production feels like a love letter to the theater that made Robert Falls the mastermind Chicago has come to expect. You won’t be quick to forget this epic night at the theatre.

 Through April 30 at Goodman Theatre. 170 N Dearborn. www.goodmantheatre.org.

Having seen (and adored) Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol 17 years ago, I was thrilled to experience this holiday classic once again this year. Though having undergone many changes over the years, Goodman’s gorgeous production of Charles Dickens’ timeless Christmas tale has kept the most important bit: the message of kindness and redemption. Now in its 41st year, under Artistic Associate Henry Wishcamper’s direction for the sixth year, it’s still a reassuringly uplifting Christmas story.

As the story goes, one Christmas Eve Ebenezer Scrooge, a banker, is visited by four ghosts: The Ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley (Kareem Bandealy) who died on Christmas Eve seven years ago, The Ghost of Christmas Past (played by Molly Brennan), The Ghost of Christmas Present (by Jasmine Bracey), and The Ghost of Christmas Future (Brean Arzell), in succession. Larry Yando returns for his 11th season as Scrooge, and he’s wonderfully expressive in his portrayal of a stingy bitter old man undergoing character transformations as the Ghost of Christmas Past unrolls Scrooge’s life events, helping him recall himself as a frightened young boy at a boarding school all the way through his failed marriage. Yando’s Scrooge is vaguely aware of how terribly unkind he’s being to everyone around him but seems to see no reasons to change. But that’s because playful Molly Brennan’s Ghost of Christmas Past, dressed in pink and black and wearing pigtails, floating above the stage like a circus acrobat, is a mostly friendly ghost. It is not until Scrooge is presented with grim visions of his future by the cloaked Ghost of the Future that he begs for a second chance.

Children actors are especially wonderful in this production; their singing and dancing, along with live band under the Music Director Malcolm Ruhl, add plenty of charm to the play. The impressive stage design with everything from luxurious bed draped in soft fabrics, props silently appearing from under the stage, and frequent effortless movement of scenes which somehow doesn’t require a pause or light dimming - it’s like a well-oiled Swiss clock. That mastery combined with wonderful acting and beautiful singing make up for a high-quality entertainment. But as I’m watching the show, I can’t help but think of how I could try to be better, nicer and a more generous person. It is indeed the moral of the story that resonates with us all and brings audiences back every year: a reminder that it’s never too late to be better. Not just on Christmas, of course, but that’s a good start.

For more information on showtimes and tickets, visit www.goodmantheatre.org.

Chicago has no shortage of Christmas traditions. In other words, if you’re looking for holiday fun it’s not very hard to find something to do with your friends, significant other or family. Rich traditions such as Zoolights at Lincoln Park Zoo, Joffrey’s Nutcracker, Christkindlmart, Christmas film classics at Music Box, and the official Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Millennium Park are fantastic choices that are sure to put a little zest into your holiday spirit, but Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol might have to top the list.

Celebrating its 40th year of warming hearts through the holidays, this year’s production of A Christmas Carol might just be the best yet. Larry Yando returns to Goodman as Ebenezer Scrooge, a role he has taken on with brilliance for the past nine years. Yando is just about as fun to watch as it gets from his miserable, miserly like behavior to his reborn childlike love of humanity after three spirits visit him to show him his past, present and future.

As the story by Charles Dickens goes, Scrooge is a man with little heart. He is a man who pinches every penny, treats his employee like a flunky without mercy, as he works his fingers to the bone, wants nothing to do with his remaining family and has nothing but miserable rebuttals for those who wish him a Merry Christmas, replying with “Bah Humbug!” When his former, and now deceased, partner, a man much like Scrooge appears to him on Christmas Eve to warn him of his horrid ways and the cost it has on so many and will on himself, we learn that Scrooge will be visited by three spirits – Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.

As each spirit visits Scrooge, more and more is revealed about his nature. He remembers he didn’t start out as he is now. He was a good-natured boy with hopes and dreams once upon a time. In the present he sees how those who know him feel about him. Though mean and cruel to many, they still thank him and toast to him. He see’s the hardships his mistreated employee Bob Cratchit and his family face on his meek salary. He is obviously embarrassed as they still find reasons to be thankful to Scrooge. He sees a future that is bleak. He is just a miserly old man quickly forgotten.

“Are these the things that will be or the things that may happen?” He asks the spirit, hoping for a chance to redeem himself.

While Yando undoubtedly is a tour de force in the role as Scrooge, the entire cast is a powerhouse. Ron E. Rains is highly believable as the tenderhearted Bob Cratchit and is easy to feel for almost immediately. Joe Foust as Jacob Marley is also tremendous as is Lisa Gaye Dixon who wows the audience with her incredibly strong performance as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Kareem Bandealy also gives the production a strong assist as he skillfully fields a handful of roles including that as the show’s narrator, Topper and a hopeful young Scrooge who misses his chance at love choosing a chance at making more money instead -a decision that haunts him his entire life.

The ever-changing set is visually stunning as it changes from Scrooge’s house interior (curtains surrounding his bed and all) to the Cratchit’s humble kitchen where the room is crowded as the family sits around a table to eat a meager portion of roast duck for Christmas. Stars shine amongst the blackness as Christmas Present takes Scrooge on a ride he’ll never forget.

Goodman also breaks the mold casting a girl in the role of Tiny Tim Cratchit. Fourth grader Paris Strickland who delivers the famous line at show’s end “God bless us, every one” is excited to play Tiny Tim telling the Chicago Tribune, “I feel excited and proud of myself for getting a really inspiring role. Tiny Tim can bring hope to everyone, and I can bring hope to everyone.”

Goodman’s A Christmas Carol is not only rich tradition in Chicago, it is a fun-filled holiday treat that is sure to warm the heart and remind us that giving is better than receiving.

Highly recommended.

A Christmas Carol is being performed in the Albert Theatre at Goodman Theatre through December 31st. For more show information visit www.goodmantheatre.org.