A director returns to Writers Theatre to work her magic on ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’
Spelman says her new Writers production of “Natasha,” which opens Sept. 13 as part of a busy fall weekend in Chicago theater (with three major openings in the area), will aim to evoke the glamor of the Russian setting with the intimacy that is the Writers calling card. Designer Courtney O’Neill will evoke an opera house in Versailles and “create a really beautiful playground for us,” Spelman says. “But at the same time, most of the scenes in this show are composed of a chair, a chaise, a thing. I just keep falling in love with this piece more and more as we rehearse.”
chicago tribune review: lovely ‘music man’ is all about marian the librarian
But in the very lovely “Music Man” now at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, the director Katie Spelman and the actress Alexandra Silber make it very clear that there is just one reason: Harold has saved Marian’s traumatized kid brother Winthrop by making him believe in himself. That’s all that matters to Marian. Game, set and match for Harold Hill.
When you see Spelman’s name in the director’s slot at a Chicago theater these days, there’s good reason to buy a ticket. She’s become a potent auteur, a believer in simplicity, honesty and unstinting truth, reminding me of the kind of work director David Cromer did that then launched a Broadway career. This is no ordinary “Music Man.” Indeed, it’s quite different from the most recent Broadway revival, a massive hit with Jackman and Sutton Foster, and from the earlier Susan Stroman revival which toured to Chicago, and from Gary Griffin’s prior Marriott staging, which starred the late Bernie Yvon, who remains the music man in many Chicago theater hearts.
entertainment weekly: the notebook leaps off the page in emotional new musical
The Notebook is well aware of what theatergoers are expecting from it before they take their seats: they want to laugh, they want passionate arguments, they want kisses in the rain, and, most importantly, they want to believe in a love that conquers all. With its stunning performances, beautiful songs, and supreme stage directing, the musical succeeds in delivering a fresh spin on its original material while also making sure that Noah and Allie’s story is never truly forgotten.
“The Notebook” the musical coming soon to Broadway
"Frustration and angst and separation," actor Dorian Harewood said. "But it's about commitment and perseverance."
The best-selling book by Nicholas Sparks has already been adapted into a hit Hollywood movie.
