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THEATER police and people who claim to be charitable. (Brecht underscores this by having the crook ask, “What is the crime of robbing a bank compared to the crime of owning a bank?”) Without that essential organizing principle, the show is just a series of not-very-interesting episodes as Macheath romps from bed to crime to bed. Kurt Weill’s score, which includes pieces relevant to the theme but completely ancillary to the plot (such as “Pirate Jenny,” a hotel maid’s fantasy of killing the guests) magnifies the problem of getting to and staying on point. Staging the show in every corner of the space while a number of audience members sit in the middle of the action exacerbates the problem of focus: wherever you’re facing is the wrong way. Under the music direction of Ryan Brewster (who also supplies the solo piano accompaniment), the show includes the fine voices we’ve come to expect of this company. Carl Herzog as Macheath and Liz Bollar as antiheroine Jenny have both the vocal and acting chops to put their songs across, but the piece as whole never gels. —KELLY KLEIMAN THE
THREEPENNY OPERA Through 4/30: Thu-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 6 PM, Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard, 773-939-4101, theo-u.com, $45-$55
Utopia for two
A Town Called Progress tackles “gender as performance.” Promethean Theatre’s world premiere of local playwright Trina Kakacek’s two-act dramedy, directed by Anna C. Bahow, is a unique and meaty thought experi-
Weill returns to Theo!
A multi-Jeff award winning creative team brings Weill’s jazzy score to life.
ment that would benefit from some cleanup and a tighter approach. Between Ida (a winning and scene-stealing Cameron Feagin) and Vivian (Kali Skatchke)—the lone inhabitants of Progress, Ida’s vision of matriarchal utopia rooted in equality—the story’s central relationship is strong and believable. Their banter and more heartfelt interplay are great examples of intergenerational feminist dialogue, as the story explores ideas around “living in a state of what we have being enough so we can have it all.” Ida is the mayor, Vivian is the minister of fertility, and now they just need to engage some men on their own terms to help with some heavy lifting and growing the population of Progress. Kakacek says a heavy focus of the story is gender as performance, and the idea takes further shape as the “male” side of the cast finds its way to Progress. Weed (Chris Woolsey) enters disguised as a literal tumbleweed and slides comfortably into caregiving in Ida’s old dress, while Slim (Teri Talo) is described as “trans-masculine-by-survival” and embodies the possibility of a world absent limited, binary thinking. The overall story is thoughtful but sometimes approaches ideas too obliquely to effectively deliver the intended message (e.g., overuse of symbolism and metaphors). It could also use some trimming and more fluid transitions to maintain the energy and overall emotional arc. — MARISSA OBERLANDER A TOWN CALLED PROGRESS
the
three penny opera Now- Apr 30 Many dates near sold-out!
Get your tickets today at theo-u.com • 773.939.4101
Through 4/15: Fri-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM; no show Sun 4/9; Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, 773-697-3830, prometheantheatre.org or thedentheatre.com, $26 ($21 seniors/$16 students/military) v
“A MUST SEE ON EVERY LEVEL!” -LaToi Storr, ToiTime
This critically acclaimed new musical celebrates the life, career and unforgettable songs of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lloyd Price, featuring such hits as “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “Ain’t It a Shame,” “Stagger Lee” and “Personality.”
PersonalityMusical.com
Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building • (312) 753-3210 Groups (8+): Group Tix & Tours • (312) 423-6612 • grouptixandtours.com
MUSIC AND WITH LLOYD PRICE LYRICS BY LLOYD PRICE B. JEFFREY MADOFF MUSIC CHOREOGRAPHY DIRECTED SUPERVISION BY SHELTON BECTON BY EDGAR GODINEAUX BY SHELDON EPPS BOOK BY
MARCH 23, 2023 - CHICAGO READER 49