** I have always been a fan of Theo Ubique ( now referred to as THEO). I felt that its founder, the late Fred Anzevino, did an amazing job of picking the right musicals , and the perfect talent to bring musicals to a storefront, cabaret theater in a neighborhood. Fred always found great talent ( or perhaps they sought him out), making the shows extraordinary. I for one never missed one of his shows. When the city of Evanston, offered Theo the opportunity to have a new home at the border of Chicago and Evanston, I was excited for Fred and his crew. Imagine going from a few empty stores on Glenwood with the “L” trains running right next door, to a building with parking available, and built to accommodate larger audiences- this was it!Fred passed away recently, and I know that if he was still with us, the production now on stage at Theo, would not be as it is. Fred Had a vision for his creation and would be wondering what has happened to his baby? I am not criticizing the new regime, but think this one may have been picked in order to beat out other local theater companies. They won, but did they?. The play is titled “TL;DR:Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix”, a rock musical, fantasy driven queer musical. This is the Midwest Premiere.
Evidently, this musical did well in San Diego, so why not bring it to Chicago where our large LGBTQ community can be exposed to the story. It is part rock concert, part examination of the queer experience, and takes two characters that many of us loved in the film “Thelma & Louise” to a whole new perspective. It takes us from the car crash that ended the film to a whole new perspective on these ladies and their lives. We all have seen plays that are about finding ones self. They are often called “coming of age” and most of them are about self discovery. I suppose we can put this one into that category, but to be honest, I for one, do not believe that this was what Fred had in mind for his cabaret theater.
There are some talented people in this hard working cast. The direction by Claire Divizio does bring out the rock concert part along with the story-telling that allows each member to express their own feelings and possibly allow them to “come of age”.The music for this play is very “rock” and is conducted by Ellie Kahn. The characters in the play, other than Thelma /T (Carolyn Waldee) and Louise/L (Claire Guthrie) are: Cubby ( Jack Chylinski), Blazer (Jeff Rodriguez), Marie (Bailey Savage) and Henrietta (Crystal Claros). All of them play instruments as well as sing some wild music. The music is by Brandon James Gwinn who also wrote the lyrics with Ellarose Chary ( Chary wrote the book).
The show is in two acts, running about 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. While there were a few musical numbers that were nice ( “Love Yourself” and “Powerful Love” stand out, I felt that the rock music was overbearing and loud. I must tell you this show is NOT for everyone. I think a young person who might be sitting on the edge about their own life might enjoy this show, but I would think the average theater-goer, say in their 50’s and up would find this not their style.
I do want to mention the amazing props that were assembled by Ab Rieve. They did a great job! The costumes (kClaire McKellaston, were perfect for a rock concert and the lighting (Ellie Fay) and sound ( Isaac Mandel) were spot on. The set design by Rose Johnson, is hard to explain, but there is a couch that represents a convertible as well as a couch and lots of items that are more props that truly help propel the show. I understand that the purpose of doing this show is to express that Theo is a space where people can share their queerness openly, loudly, and proudly ( to quote Divizio), but as far as I am concerned, this play doesn’t do it. I am open to hear from others as to what they feel.
“TL;DR” will continue thru – Oct 12th with performances as follows:
Thursdays:7:30pmFridays:7:30pm
Saturdays:7:30pm
Sundays:6:00pm
Show Type: Musical
Box Office: 773-939-4101
THEO i slocated at 721 West Howard Street in Evanston.
The parking meters on each side of Howard Street have different rules and hours, so please, follow the instructions on YOUR side of the street.
THEO Lovers: the next plays this season are “Urinetown” ( Fred would be happy), “Souvenir”, and “Damn Yankees” !
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “TL-DR:Thelma Louise: Dyke Remix”
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