Theater patrons in the Evanston area are very familiar with the Noyes Center where we have watched The Piven players and the Actors Gymnasium, and we know that we will be treated to some 
great musicals, large scale from Music Theater Works and intimate through TheoUbique, but until a few days ago, I was unaware of another venue in town. The venue is called Studio 5 and is contained within Dance Center Evanston located in a shopping center at 1934 Dempster ( at the corner of Dodge and Dempster).
Yes, the facility is primarily a school of dance with lots of classes: “itty bitty ballet” ages 3-4, Mini Musical Theater ages 5-7, Broadway Bound” ages 8-12, Intermediate Contemporary ( Ballet for grades 3,4, and 5) and much more.
Of course, they put on shows and the dance studio walls of mirror become theater walls , the floor a stage and wonderful ( and comfortable) seats are added with great sight lines to the stage. The stage area is easy to view and yet one can see it all from just about every seat in the house.
We were there for one of their “specialty shows” “Big Holiday Bag O’ Fun”, an evening of classic “Practical Theatre” sketches & music, with some of the original players and with them, some new stuff and some of their kids ( yes, a next generation of Practical Theatre). Only four performances ending Tuesday night for New Years Eve. This one includes an after party with the wild and crazy cats- sounds like a ball!
Some of you might recall the original Practical Theater, which played in Old Town ad well as Evanston. The show at Studio5 is a revisit to their original show of 1980 ( that is 39 years ago, friends) that played at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center.
I must tell you, this show was as good as anything you might see at Second City, and despite it being almost 40 years old ( they have upped the political material to include a tweeter we all know) the show is a riot and the performers, both the originals and their offspring, terrific! This is the third year of doing a holiday show at Studio 5 and I am kind of sorry that I just found out about them. I missed two years of hilarity, but will not do so again!
Victorio Zielinski, Paul Barrosse and Dana Olsen anchor the “Big Holiday Bag O’ Fun” with music by Steve Rashid and his Studio 5 All-Stars. Added to the cast are Saturday Night Live veteran Gary Kroeger and Evanston native Rockin’ Ronny Crawford and th ewonderful vocals by Eva B. Ross are powerful. Daniel Rashid ( a bit of nepotism, if you will), Emilia Barrosse and Reilly Anspaugh round out the cast. A special treat is vocalist Paul Marinaro ( a true crooner).
The skits are hysterical, the music a real treat, so if you can get in, this could be the best new Year’s Eve of your life ( until they come back next year).
Can’t do Tuesday? Understood! But make this a website to look at because when there is not a dance program or a school theater project, Rashid likes to follow the advise of Mickey Rooney and “Put on a show”!
www.studio5.dance 847-328-6683
By the way, my rating– [rating=5]
Take a peek at the picture to the right- notice some of the performers, who you have seen on stage, film and TV?
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