“Celebrate Me Home” 4 Chairs Theatre reviewed by Edie Reese

[rating=5] Producer Lauren Berman, with her knack for discovering young talent, created a cozy holiday cabaret last night at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights. It was like an intimate gathering of family and friends, some joyful, some lonely, some with heartache, and some just a little bit goofy. The five very capable vocalists (Carolyn Sundlof-Boudreau, Nick Arceo, Derrick Mitchell, Emilie Rose Danno and JoJo Farrell) took the audience on a two-act tour of traditional and not-so-traditional seasonal songs.

Carolyn Sundloff-Boudreau led off the program with a Chicago-personalized version of “We Need A Little Christmas,” (Mame,) throwing in offhanded references to “Snowmageddon” and other features of winter in Chicago. Emilie Rose Danno brought her powerhouse voice to a touching portrait of her abuelita in “Everything I Know” (In The Heights). Nick Arceo, with his boyish face and razor-sharp timing, has a talent for presenting the “comic song.” He did this twice, first in a duet with Danno— “Therapy” (Tic,Tic, Boom!) and again with a jazzy number proclaiming to heck with calories during the holidays—“Sugar and Booze.” JoJo Farrell also put in a humorous turn as that relative who gives out advice which sounds profound, but which is absolutely useless: “As We Stumble Along” (The Drowsy Chaperone). Derrick Mitchell, a warm-voiced baritone, easily handled the complex rhythms of “Waving Through A Window” (Dear Evan Hansen) and well as giving a poignant rendition of “Bring Him Home” (Les Miserables). This is only a taste of the delicious repertoire. For the finale, the entire cast led the audience in the Kenny Loggans classic “Celebrate Me Home.”

The evening would not have been as magical without the piano accompaniment of Tyeese Braslavsky, a classically trained pianist who deftly kept tempo and melody moving along.

Hey Nonny, located at 10 South Vail Avenue in Arlington Heights, IL, is in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights. The venue is two separate entities—a music listening room and a midwestern bistro. The bistro has a more extensive menu; the listening room has more limited food options and a full bar. Reservations for the bistro and the listening room can be made on the Hey Nonny website, https://www.heynonny.com

Reservations for the listening room can also be made at the host stand. The listening venue doors open one hour before the performance. Visit the Hey Nonny website to learn about the three tiers of seating at the listening room venue. Special accommodations can be made by calling 224-202-0750 or by e-mailing Contact@HeyNonny.com at least 24 hours in advance. The listening venue is also available for private events. Please visit the website for further details. There is a parking garage nearby and the Arlington Heights METRA station is two blocks away.

The listening venue’s hours are:
Closed Mondays
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 5 to 10 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays: 4 to 11 p.m.
Sundays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The venue will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and January 1 through 4

For more info on 4 chairs theatre and their upcoming events visit www.4chairstheatre.org