“The Lion in Winter” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

**** “The Lion in Winter” by James Goldman is a historical pageant: a story about Henry II, King of England (John Hoogenakker), who learns that life’s struggle to find paradise on earth is elusive—and that he must lay the groundwork to choose his successor. While the performance is held together by Hoogenakker’s fine acting, it is Henry’s articulate give-and-take that audience members will remember most when watching this snappy play with humorous barbs in modern vernacular.

The setting is Christmas 1183. Henry II’s eldest son (also named Henry) has died prematurely in June of that same year, leaving his three younger sons Richard (Shane Kenyon), Geoffrey (Brandon Miller), and John (Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton) to aspire to their father’s throne. Their sibling rivalry is unabashed, as all seek to become heir to all of the lands that Henry has inherited previously or acquired in the course of his lifetime. Richard and John are the legitimate offspring of Henry’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Rebecca Spence), whereas Geoffrey’s matronage is more in doubt. Regardless, all three are not without their peculiarities—their wiles and their wherefores—as they battle among themselves to demonstrate their will and fortitude to their father. Yet Henry likens his family situation to that of King Lear: Rather than having three difficult daughters, he has three difficult sons and believes that none of them are good enough to inherit his kingdom. Despite this, Henry and Queen Eleanor both believe that Richard is the most capable of the three to succeed their father, even if John is reputably the King’s favorite.

Henry previously married Eleanor for political reasons: to add territory in France to his kingdom—but only after her first marriage to Louis VII, the French King, was annulled. It is never made clear during the show whether Henry truly loves Eleanor or not; but much of the time, she is treated like a pawn among his possessions. If anything, it is the supposed evil side of her nature that demands his attention. In sharp contrast, Henry is in love with his mistress Alice (Netta Walker), who was originally promised to Richard to be his lawfully wedded wife. Alice happens to be Eleanor’s offspring from her first marriage to Louis, and she has raised her as a daughter in King Henry’s court. Note that Henry was once friends with Eleanor’s former husband Louis, but Louis passed away three years prior: to be succeeded by Philip Capet (Anthony Baldasare), who is quite friendly with  Henry’s sons . Also note that Alice is Philip’s sister. (Oh, what a tangled web we weave!)

So when Henry dismisses his sons as being incapable, he develops a scheme to marry Alice instead and have the son she might bear him as his heir apparent. To accomplish this, he would have to go to the Pope in Rome and have his marriage to Eleanor annulled and his current sons declared illegitimate. Needless to say, this idea does not sit well with the three brothers, who don’t want to be treated as bastards. Eleanor, of course, would lose her title of wife and the legitimacy of her status as Queen of England. Plus, Alice would have to fear Henry’s three sons who would hold their dethronement against her. Already apparent is the tension between Eleanor and Alice, that is, between wife and mistress, not to mention their competing with memories of Henry’s former mistress, the deceased Rosamund. The long and the short of it is that Henry is very calculating not only when it comes to politics, war, and military matters but also when his whims dictate who will be on the right or wrong side of his bed.

Skillful direction by Ron OJ Parson makes the show bustle with drama. The use of various areas of the stage is beautifully done. Scenic design by Linda Buchanan is right on target. The set is relatively stark with just a few pieces of furniture, but it works extremely well to tell this tale. Movement of additional props from left to right (and right to left) on stage is smooth and appropriate for each scene. Lighting design by Jared Gooding is wonderful, and I especially liked the depiction of the cellar/dungeon—and the way the lighting indicated whenever the door opened and closed above ground. Sound was not perfect at the beginning of the opening night performance, and the voices sounded too hollow. When the characters turned away from one side of the audience, it was difficult to make out what they were saying. After a rocky start, the sound improved. Christopher Kriz’s sound composition is excellent whenever we hear bold and crisp tones between scenes. Costume design by Christine Pasqual is elegant and befits the era. Above all, violence and intimacy coordinator Nick Sandys has brilliantly imparted realistic fight choreography and emotional support sequences throughout the entire presentation.

In all, what sabotages Henry’s dream for control over his life is that he desperately wants to control the lives of others. His irrepressible desire to acquire more power, dominion, and status than he already has contributes to everybody surrounding him to snap to attention, and this pits people against each other. Ultimately, domination is not what makes Henry happy but rather thoughts of his legacy, as he sets in motion what might happen to his future kingdom once he is dead and buried.

Fans of Shakespeare’s histories will delight in this story. Parsons’ direction injects just the right touch of humor, lightness, and romance into such a serious subject matter. This 2-1/2-hour show (with one intermission) goes by very quickly.

“The Lion in Winter” is playing through December 3, 2023, at the Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, in Chicago, on the University of Chicago campus.  FREE PARKING in Adjacent garage

Tickets are $56 – $88.
Student, group, and military discounts are available.

Performance schedule:

Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays – 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays – 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Accessible performances:

Touch Tour on December 2, 2023, at 12:30 p.m.
Audio Description and ASL Interpretation on December 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Open Captioning on December 3 at 2:00 p.m.

For information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.courttheatre.org/, or call 773-753-4472, or visit the box office, located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Lion in Winter”.