Vanya and Sonia and Cee Cee and Bertie

The Chicago premiere of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike began on a Monday night, which is a bit unsual since that's usually a day off for the cast. This is a story of two siblings who are named after Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya living in regret at a home owned by their sister who drops in for a chaotic visit one summer. The characters are often played over the top with tons of insider theater jokes that the Goodman's audience tends to really enjoy. Mary Beth Fisher is a stand out as sister Masha envoking a bit of Wendie Malick unentionally in the process. The script has fun with Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs involving a costume party and shirtless Spike gives us plenty of eye candy to enjoy. The gay character goes on a huge author's rant towards the end but overall the production and cast work well with what the material.

While it would have been fun to see Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce in the roles this is an opportunity for Chicago audiences to get a taste of the show, running now until July 26. Visit GoodmanTheatre.org for details on times and tickets.

Drive over the Drury Lane for a chance to see Beaches the Musical for a bit of a longer run than Vanya now going through August 16. Long is the key word with this adaptation from Iris Rainer Dart's book. This is not the Better Midler movie but has it's one voice. Crying for some cuts with a two and a half hour running time plus intermission Beaches has some excellent moments bot comedic and dramatic. Soshanah Bean steals the show from an already worthy cast by bringing a strong resume and voice. You can see why this singer filled the shoes of Idina Menzel after she left Wicked. There is a tone to her voice that has no problem conveying the story in the sing song format that moves the plot along. Three generations of Cee Cee Bloom and Bertie White convey a story through the generations that has a built in audience ready to head out to Oak Terrace. Click on www.drurylane.com for more information.