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Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Always Something There …' at Marriott Theatre is a fun and escapist cavalcade of '80s hits
What human fantasy is more powerful than the do-over, the chance to relive your life and fix your lousy youthful decisions? Most of us are stuck with our mistakes, but Samantha Craig, the heroine of the exuberant world-premiere jukebox musical at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, falls asleep one night on a business trip in a dull hotel bedroom and wakes up to find herself roaming the halls of her old high school. She's 18 again. Rick Astley's 'Together Forever' is the soundtrack of the moment and Samantha has the foreknowledge of a woman in her 40s and the ability to remake her sad lot. Out with that lousy boyfriend who became an even worse husband! Out with that job at the toilet manufacturer! Out with that soul-sucking material world, and in with the sensitive hunk, and with Samantha following her destiny of musical stardom. The search is over! (You were with me all the while.) 'Always Something There …' is not exactly original. At various moments, its plot recalls 'Freaky Friday, 'Back to the Future' and 'Peggy Sue Got Married,' not to mention the final acts of 'Our Town' and 'Carousel.' But Billy Bigelow, the humbled fool from that last musical, did not get to warble in the vogue of Johnny Hates Jazz or Boy George, nor did he get to declare 'I Want to Dance with Somebody' or that 'Love is a Battlefield,' unlike the characters in writer Sandy Rustin's show, a veritable plethora of 1980s music. A mostly youthful cast performs (among many others) songs made famous by Madonna, H.E.R., Thompson Twins, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar and The Go-Gos. The playlist (or mixtape, if you will) contains 23 hits of the 1980s, by my account, mostly pop by one-hit wonders but with a few gentle nods toward New Wave. Most haven't shown up in jukebox shows before. This is my era of music, of stalking the dancefloor at Mean Mr. Mustard's, my club of youthful choice. And at several times during this show, I came to the realization that I was sitting here watching a bunch of mostly early career performers, reviewing a song filled with the songs that will be playing in the nursing home I hope to avoid. Can't say I look forward to a robot giving me a sponge bath with 'Even the Nights are Better' rolling out from the bathroom speaker, but better than existential silence. (I guess. We'll have to see.) The fabulous Heidi Kettenring, who plays adult Samantha, performs these 1980s dance-and-angst hits as if she were doing a Chekhov play with a score by Sondheim — so that ennobles the proceedings, you might say. And as her younger doppelganger, the wide-eyed and talented Christina Priestner certainly does all she can to match Kettenring's vocal chops, although just a hair more irony would not go unappreciated. Beyond those two leads, we get fun performances from Samantha's best pals (Emma Ogea, who I believe was in as an understudy at my performance, is an especially stellar singer), boyfriends bad and good (Ty Shay and Ian Coursey), Leah Morrow essaying a variety of 1980s adults, loosely speaking, and the various other detritus of the 1980s high school genre. As writ jukebox. You should know 'Always Something There …' (really not the best title in my view, especially with an ellipsis) is a modestly scaled show, production-wise, and it comes in at just one hour and 50 minutes, even with an intermission. Most of that is taken up by the songs. Not that the show needs to be much longer. The location mostly is non-specific (although apparently Chicagoland), conflicts are mild, situations familiar by design. Tyler Hanes' amusing choreography is carefully tailored to young singers rather than dancers. But the performers are enthusiastic in that theater summer camp way, it's all fun and, this being a theater in the round, I stared all night at row after row of grinning, nodding faces. Director James Vásquez's laudably zippy (thank god) production holds together, staging-wise, just fine until the last few minutes, where the production peters out a little and lacks a conclusionary button, the necessary cherry on the 1980s Cool Whip. Those final sequences need more work, and I think the script needs both more era-specific edge (Duckie Dale would be better than a nerd transplanted from the 1950s) and beefed-up, self-referential gags, but I'm tellin' ya, that do-over theme sparks emotions even if you are listening to a song first recorded by Debbie (now Deborah) Gibson, who I once sat next to at a show, and not only in my dreams, either. But I digress. 'Always Something There …' is the first new musical at Marriott in something like a decade, even though this theater used to develop many of them, including one based on 'Peggy Sue Got Married.' So that's a real positive this summer. This particular premiere doesn't feel Broadway-aimed (although you never know), so much as an affordable, good-time musical with aspirations to be performed at colleges and summer-stock operations at theaters like the Goodspeed Playhouse, or on some Royal Caribbean megaship off the coast of Curaçao, which I don't mean as condescending. I imagine future cruisers will be as delighted as many in the Marriott audience seemed to be, as we all sat together, nodding our heads to familiar beats and cycling back over our lives and pondering those shattered dreams, shattered dreams. Hey, there's still time. Or so musicals like to lead us to believe. Review: 'Always Something There' (3 stars) When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Tickets: $73-$89 at 847-634-0200 and
Chicago Tribune
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Marriott Theatre preparing to open 50th-anniversary season; ‘The focus is always on quality, affordable entertainment'
Who needs to land a helicopter onstage when innovative lighting and sound designers can evoke its arrival? That's how they did it in the stunning 2001 production of 'Miss Saigon' at the Marriott Theatre. Clever solutions to staging challenges are one reason that the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, has thrived for so long, according to executive director Peter Blair. 'I think we do several things in a special way,' he said. 'Part of it is taking shows that are coming out of New York or off tour, and reinventing them for not just a theater-in-the-round but a regional marketplace.' He noted that includes producing shows, like 'Miss Saigon,' 'which are known for their spectacle and incredibly large design elements, and proving that you can present the shows in ways that are more intimate with a creative, artful design.' In the case of 'Miss Saigon' — which is known for actually landing a helicopter onstage in the Broadway production — that involved artfully employing sound and lighting elements, as well as fans, to evoke the illusion of a helicopter landing, while simultaneously creating a more intimate production. Blair, who has worked at Marriott since 2005, starting as a production assistant and working his way up to his current position in 2022, also attributes the longevity of the theater to 'the loyalty of the subscribers.' 'That has been the backbone of Marriott Theatre for so many years,' Blair said. He noted that subscribers are willing to attend, 'shows they've never seen or they've never heard of.' Peter Sullivan, who has worked at Marriott since 2004, starting as a production assistant and rose through the ranks to become artistic director in 2022, agreed with Blair's assessment. 'We really value our subscribers,' Sullivan concurred. 'It's always been our goal to ensure we keep those subscribers. The only way to really do that is to do the best job that you can and make the best product possible.' He noted that subscribers seem to enjoy getting to know their favorite actors. Through the years, subscribers have been willing to come to world premieres produced at Marriott, both men noted. The theater company is at it again in the 50th anniversary season with the world premiere of 'Always Something There…' by Sandy Rustin, an homage to the teen flicks of the 1980s. 'It's always been really big for us to try and foster new works even though it's very challenging, especially post-pandemic,' Sullivan said. 'Getting some new shows is always a goal of ours.' The theater has also successfully staged relatively new shows, like its 1990 production of 'Chess,' directed by David H. Bell, which was staged just two years after the Broadway opening of the show. Blair added that the quality of the shows over the years has also been an important factor in Marriott's successful half-century. 'We put so much care into the shows — the casting, the designing, the quality of the sound,' he said. 'I think we deliver great shows and that's why subscribers keep coming back. Hopefully, we're here for another 50 years.' And the theater doesn't skimp on the cast. The 1995 production of 'Hello, Dolly!,' starring Alene Robertson, gave Dolly a half-dozen backup dancers for company. Prior to the pandemic, the theater had a huge number of subscribers. Blair didn't want to cite the current subscriber numbers but admitted, 'It's definitely gone down after the pandemic. But I think that's an industry trend. That being said, it's still quite robust for this industry. Partly, people are looking for more flexibility in their schedules,' rather than being committed to dates far in advance, he said. Marriott is addressing that issue by offering more flexibility in season subscriptions, Blair reported. Single-ticket buyers are also an important element in Marriott's success. Sullivan indicated the theater has been attracting single-ticket buyers by producing, 'really exciting shows.' In terms of future plans, Blair said, 'Along with restarting our new works, we would like to build back our subscriber base. We are interested in taking classics and rethinking them for a new generation with directors and choreographers who weren't around for the first iteration of shows, that are coming to them with fresh eyes.' Blair cited the case of last year's production of 'The Music Man,' which was directed and choreographed by Katie Spelman. 'It is an older show, but it felt so fresh and vital,' he recalled. 'A lot of people are surprised what life there is in these older shows that they think they know.' The 50th anniversary season kicks off with audience-favorite, 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' directed and choreographed by Jeff Award nominee Amber Mak, with previews beginning Feb. 5, and running from Feb. 12-March 30. ''Joseph' is our number one requested show, all the time,' Sullivan reported. That will be followed by 'Titanic the Musical,' directed and choreographed by Connor Gallagher, with previews beginning April 9 and running from April 16-June 1. 'We always do a little something that may challenge our subscribers a little bit,' Sullivan said. 'This year, it's 'Titanic.' Last year, it was 'In the Heights.' They're shows that we think are fantastic that may be a little different for our audience.' The Sandy Rustin world premiere musical, 'Always Something There…' begins previews on June 18, and runs from June 25-Aug. 10. 'Our subscribers always enjoy being the first to see something,' Sullivan noted. 'Catch Me if You Can,' based on the hit film from a true story, begins previews Aug. 27, and runs from Sept. 3-Oct. 19. Sullivan reported that Jessica Fisch, who directed 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' last year, 'loved the show so much that she sold us on it.' He described the production as, 'flashy and exciting in a heartfelt way.' The 2025 season concludes with 'Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,' a new holiday musical based on a meeting of rock 'n' roll legends Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley. Previews begin Nov. 5, and the show runs from Nov. 12-Jan. 4, 2026. The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences will present 'The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System,' Feb. 21-March 29; 'Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!,' July 11-Aug. 10; and 'Disney's Finding Nemo,' Oct. 10-26 and Nov. 15-Jan. 4, 2026. When it comes to highlights of the Marriott Theatre's history, Sullivan declared, 'Being around for 50 years is our highlight — To be still going so strong and being one of the premier regional houses.' Blair is confident that theater officials have figured out the way to succeed. 'The focus is always on quality, affordable entertainment,' he said.
