Royal George Theatre Hosts MIRACLE Review – Reliving the End of The Curse

Similarly this musical’s book by Jason Brett is a time capsule detailing the moments and mindsets of 2016 when the Cubs’ diehard fans were rewarded for 108 years of loyalty and believing that some day the curse would be broken.  We are reminded that there was a teachers’ union contract dispute and layoffs in the air, some equating a woman running for president as about as likely as the Cubs ever winning, gentrification upending neighborhoods, growing tax burdens  on longtime residents, and more.

Even better, all  this martian would have to do would be to take a gander at the audience, about half of whom are wearing their Cubs t-shirts or similar.

And best yet, thanks to the Cubs loan and the projection designs by Mike Tutaj that crown the stage and the show throughout, we get to relive the excitement of that last World Series game that went into overtime after a delay for the rain – adding to the drama of THE moment when the curse ended.  In fact the tagline for this production that you see on your program is “..A Musical 108 Years in the Making”.

The story is told through the lens of getting to know a multi-generation family that owns a Wrigleyville bar, exquisitely imagined in fine detail by Scenic Designer Collette Pollard.

The story is mainly told through 20 songs (Music and Lyrics by Michael Mahler).

In this reviewer’s opinion, there is little in this script or music—despite fine performances by the entire cast—that ignites as much as reliving the moment shown in video above the bar setting.  That said, there is obviously no shortage of devout Cubs fans that will likely keep this show as a commercial success throughout the run.  If you are ever on the look for a chance to sport your Cubs wear and share in fandom rituals- this is your top pick show for sure.  For the rest of us—and especially if you like this reviewer became a Cubs fan only in that last year when the team was clearly flirting with a break from  the curse—you may find better theater options and more engaging musicals on our stages now.

One rather critical “what on earth are they thinking???”  comment and nagging question that this reviewer feels compelled to make on behalf of friends who have been injured on a stage---Why did they put an opening to the orchestra pit front and center on the stage??? It not only grossly limited the potential for choreography but also seems to burden these performers unnecessarily.  This writer felt an undertow of anxiety throughout.  Please don’t do that again productions at the Royal George– please!

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

Music & Lyrics by Michael Mahler
Written by Jason Brett
Directed by Damon Kiely
Originally Conceived by William Marovitz & Julian Frazin
Produced by William Marovitz and Arny Granat

Cast:

Brandon Dahlquist, Norm Boucher, Amaris Sanchez, Elise Wolf, Jennie Sophia, Byron Willis, Veronica Garza, Michael Kingston.

Creative Team:

Choreography by Dina DiCostanzo, musical direction by Kory Danielson, set design by Collette Pollard, costume design by Izumi Inaba, lighting design by Christine Binder, sound design by Ray Nardelli, projection design by Mike Tutaj, and properties design by Angela McIlvain.

When:

Thru September 29
Wednesdays at 7:30pm
Thursdays at 2pm and 7:30pm
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm
Sundays at 3pm

Where:

Royal George Theatre
1641 North Halsted
Chicago

Tickets:

$59+

Check for Half-Price Deals from Hot Tix:

For full-priced tickets and ticket availability information please visit the Miracle, The Musical website or call The Royal George Theatre box office at 312.988.9000.

Photos courtesy of Royal George Theatre

Note: Picture This Post reviews are excerpted by Theatre in Chicago