“Hello Again”

[rating=4] Please be advised before you read on, that this show is an X-rated one and that there is much material that some of you might find offensive. “Hello Again” with a book, music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa is based on or perhaps suggested by the work of Arthur Schnitzer called “La Ronde” written back in 1897, far before the sexual revolution that we have come to know. The story is a daisy chain of sexual encounters between ten characters in ten scenes. It has been around since 1983, but has probably not been viewed by many theater patrons, anywhere!

For roughly 80 minutes ( no intermission) we are taken on a ride through time, however, in no chronological order. The play opens with the entire cast entering the stage at TheoUbique to bring us “Hello Again”. It is 1900 and the Whore (Megan Elk has a powerful voice) and the Soldier (Christopher Ratliff, who is quite the dancer) will have an encounter before he leaves town. The scene is followed by The Soldier and the Nurse ( the lovely Nora Navarro) as they do three songs, or at least pieces of songs. The time is now 1940.

From there we move to 1960 and now the Nurse is involved with the College Boy ( deftly handled by Nik Kmiecik) and from there the college boy goes to a movie house where he meets his married woman “friend” ( but back in the 1930’s) and experiences a sexual encounter of an oral type and “The Story of My Life”. I told you this was X-Rated! The Young Wife is played by Molly LeCaptain.  In the next scene, we are in the 1950’s and the Young Wife is now with her Husband (Royen Kent ) as they are supposed to go out for the evening, but end up staying in bed ( three different songs are part of this scene).

We are then taken back to the early 1900’s. 1912 to be exact as the Husband seduces the Young Thing (charmingly played by Marco Tzunux) as the luxury liner they are on hits an iceberg causing their love to be incomplete. in the next scene, the Young Thing and the Writer ( played to perfection by Max J. Cervantes) are in the 1970’s, the “Disco Era” as we hear “The One I Love”. Later the Writer is with The Actress ( Neala Barron is terrific) as they  “Do a Little Rewrite”. It is 1920.

As I told you the order of time has little to do with the production except the chain of people or should I say “types” who take us from one bed to another. The Actress, now with The Senator (Courtney Jones) and the 1980’s. The play finishes in the present with the Whore and The Senator doing “The Bed Was Not My Own” and then the cast comes out to do the reprise of “Hello Again”.

Sharply directed and choreographed by Brenda Didier with musical direction by Jeremy Ramey and his four strong musicians, this is an unusual piece, but quite fitting for a special venue like TheoUbique. What causes people to fall for others? Why do some exist just for pleasure?  Have our lives been touched by others who might have gone in another direction if we had not been there? They say that one event or one person can influence how another heads into their future. I often think that this may be fact. In each of the scenes we see, we meet people who are searching for something. Is it love? Is it affection? Is it recognition? Each of us may see something different, but each of us will think about what we just saw and if any of what we saw could have changed our lives ,if that had been us!

On the tech side, the lighting (James Kolditz) and sound (Robert Hornbostel) were perfect allowing us to see and hear every minute of this experience. Rachel Boylan’s costumes are top-notch and the wigs (Keith Ryan) spectacular. Matthew Zalinski handled the great props. There are some great items to see and they all work!

TheoUbique is enjoying its second season in its new home and they are one of the Black Box Theatres that truly makes their stage as intimate as one can get. You can almost feel the passion of the actors in these scenes. One can only call this a musical fantasy, but if you are uncomfortable with sexual situations, wait for their next show, otherwise “Hello Again” will continue at TheoUbique located at 721 Howard Street in Evanston thru November 3rd with performances as follows:

Thursdays  7:30 p.m.

Fridays  7:30 p.m.

Saturdays  7:30 p.m.

Sundays  7:00 p.m.

Tickets range from $42- $57 and can be ordered by  calling 773-347-1109 weekdays or online at www.theo-u.com

Dinner packages can be added at $29 per person and must be pre-ordered as they food is catered. Part of the magic of the theater is that your waiter/waitress might be someone in the show ( probably is).

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Hello Again”.

DINNER

Hello Again is based on the play La Ronde, so Chef D’Andre has created a French menu that is as indulgent as the characters in the show.

Haricot Verts Salad

Green Beans, Iceberg, Tomato, Shallot Dijon Vinaigrette

Cog Au Vin*

Classic French Dish of Chicken Braised in Red Wine
Mashed Potatoes, Carrot and Mushroom, Bacon Garnish

Floating Island*

Meringue, Roasted Banana, Dark Chocolate and Toasted Almond Crumble, Caramel, Crème Anglaise

*Vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free and/or nut free options are also available. Please indicate those requests online or over the telephone when dinners are purchased.