[rating=3] As you read this, let me tell you a little about why I am giving this a recommended. I love physical comedy! I love slapstick! I grew up with The Three Stooges” and couldn’t stop laughing. Well, in Chicago, we have a trio of players called “500 Clown” that has been pleasing audiences with their zany antics since 2000 and continue to stay alive in our hearts and to make us laugh. Yes, younger audiences will appreciate their style as will those of my age who were “Stooge” fans. They are a combination of action based performers ( almost circus like) who can ad-lib with the best and without much in the way of a script can tell a story allowing everyone to forget their troubles and have some fun.
While the original “500 Clown” troupe is not as involved on the stage, it is their original zaniness and creativity that we see onstage and in this remount of “500 Clown Frankenstein” is very close to the original, except, even the original changed from performance to performance base don audience reaction. This re-telling of the “Frankenstein” story is told in roughly 70 minutes with no intermission using a rotating cast of player and is geared for audiences 8 and older ( the sky is the limit). It is a fun-filled physical show.
The story follows three clowns who are telling us the story. They have very little in the way of a set, with the key unit being a table with leaves that becomes a circus act in itself. The cast members rotate from performance to performance. The performers are Adrian Danzig ( one of the original Clown)Dean Evans,Jay Torrence, Pam Chermansky and Leah Urzendowski-Courser. The opening night cast was composed of the very funny Jay Torrence as “the Helper”, Dean Evans as the Scientist, Nigel and the adorable and quite agile Leah Urzendowski-Courser as Lily, the Story Teller. I have seen this production ( in fact, many times) performed in different venues and the use of the theater at Viaduct works very well. There were a few instances when they went through the audience where it was a bit scary and I suggest that if you do bring a beverage into the theater, you hold it ( tightly).
“500 Clown” will continue at The Viaduct Theater located at 3111 N. Western ( just south of Belmont) through November 18th with performances as follows:
Thursdays,Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $25 ( $20 for students)
Since the show changes from performance to performance, there is an option to return for $15 ( other players may change the entire show) order online using “anothermonster” on website
hhhp://500clownfrankenstein.brownpapertickets.com
There is street parking and a lot at the southwest corner of Western and Belmont.
For other information or to orser by phone call 773-223-4174
to see what others think, go back to my home page, find theatre in Chicago and ling to it, then go to review round-up and click on “500 Clown Frankenstein”
To follow these characters, visit http://500clown.com
More Stories
“Barefoot in the Park”
“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”
“How I Learned What I Learned” reviewed by Julia W. Rath