Very few Chicago actors make their fortunes treading the boards. This ain’t Hollywood. But without great stage performances, all that hype you read about the strength, quality and diversity of the Chicago theater scene would be just that. Empty hyperbole. We theatergoers know that this a great town for stellar acting. And as anyone in the theater business will tell you, it’s the best city on Earth for committed ensembles and unselfish stars.
Knock-out performances sometimes mesh with great shows. Sometimes. And sometimes not. They’re often like bright stars in an otherwise troubled firmament.
In a Christmas tribute to Chicago’s actors–many of whom will be doing extra performances this week just when everyone else is taking it easy–here’s a 10-best list of top-shelf Chicago acting during 2005. In no particular order:
Kate Fry in “Oliver” (Marriott Theatre): Since old Chuck Dickens’ Nancy is dating what we would now consider a criminally abusive fellow, a.k.a. Bill Sykes, it’s easy to turn her into a soppy victim in denial. But Fry offers instead a woman of complicated passion and unequivocal intelligence. It’s a post-modern Nancy–but it loses none of the necessary romantic brushstrokes.
Through Feb. 12 at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire; call 847-634-0020.
Brian Pudil in “Of Mice and Men” (Shattered Globe Theatre): One of those stolid Chicago actors who looks like a blue-collar guy in a bar, Brian Pudil isn’t a flashy performer and his George had neither the usual quivering lip nor the emotional hyperventilating courtesy of some pompous actor. Pudil (who has been working in this town for years) offered instead the simple, unvarnished truth. John Steinbeck never intended George to wear his heart on his sleeve. And in Pudil’s remarkable performance, we saw a man suddenly leap out of his intensely hardened shell to save his friend.
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Ana Gasteyer in “Wicked” (Broadway in Chicago): The flashier Idina Menzel may have invented Elphaba, but for thousands and thousands of Chicagoans in 2005, Ana Gasteyer has encapsulated this not-so-wicked witch. It’s a skilled and warm-hearted performance reflecting this former “Saturday Night Live” cast member’s superior comic timing. And–appropriately in the theater city that demands truth and commitment–Gasteyer took this empathetic character further in the direction of honest credibility. Think of her as a more Midwestern Elphaba.
Through April 30 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St.; call 312-559-1212.
Heidi Kettenring in “Wicked” (Broadway in Chicago): Subsumed by the juggernaut of the show, Kettenring never got the acclaim she deserved for her role as Netta Rose, Elphaba’s tragically crippled sister in “Wicked.” But it’s a magnificently sung and superbly acted performance, reflecting this Chicagoan’s uncommon ability to act the dickens out of a song. If you’ve got tickets to “Wicked” in the nest few weeks, just watch the way Kettenring seamlessly shifts into song without losing any of her acting smarts.
Through April 30 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St.; call 312-559-1212.
K. K. Dodds in “AmeriKafka” (Trapdoor Theatre): As roles for actresses go, the part of Franz Kafka doesn’t exactly top the must-do list. And although few people saw K. K. Dodds play the younger version of the bizarre author in this Kafkaesque show from Ken Prestininzi, those of us who did won’t quickly forget her performance. Vulnerable, hip and head-scratchingly complex, this was acting that started from scratch and reached a resonant height.
Matt DeCaro in “Men of Tortuga” (Steppenwolf Theatre): You’ll be hearing more about “Men of Tortuga,” a blistering new play about corporate and governmental malfeasance from a Chicago actor named Jason Wells (who turned in the best piece of writing all year from a playwright). And when you do, hopefully Matt DeCaro will there again at the heart of the action. Wriggling, squirming and fighting like a worm in a suit. This performance took place in the Garage, but it was the equal of anything seen at the Steppenwolf Theatre this year. Steppenwolf is likely to revisit the show in 2006.
Charlotte Speigner in “Two Trains Running.” (Pegasus Players): Pegasus Players was in the midst of “Two Trains Running” when its author, August Wilson, died. But despite the pain of that loss, it’s worth noting that Wilson always paid unusual attention to the young African-American theater people who represent the future. He didn’t see Speigner’s performance as Risa, the wise-before-her-time waitress in “Two Trains.” But he surely would have been impressed and cheered by the thought of another young talent to watch.
Stephen Lang in “Beyond Glory” (Goodman Theatre): Playing recipients of the Medal of Honor is no easy task. The military men and women tend to be modest, self-deprecating individuals–and those types of folks are tough for an actor to play. But in his one-man show, Lang overcame this challenge with meticulous research and astonishing attention to detail. The result was a collection of characters portrayed with dignity and class but also uncommon veracity.
Lisa Joyce in “Red Light Winter” (Steppenwolf Theatre): She may have played a hooker with no more personal a title than “Young Woman” in Adam Rapp’s newest and best play, but it will probably make Joyce a star. This fearless and dazzlingly intense piece of acting will be on display again in New York in 2006 when this Steppenwolf production moves off-Broadway.
Ferruccio Soleri as Arlecchino in “The Servant of Two Masters” (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre): Ferruccio Soleri of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano is 75 years old. And he has played Arlecchino some 2,000 times over 40 years. No surprise, then, that this was a definitive performance of a iconic character. After seeing Soleri, you never need to see Arlecchino again. Nobody can do it like this.
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