The adage “You have to laugh or you’d cry” applied to the vicissitudes of middle age should lead audiences straight to the superb “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical” at Pheasant Run.
Michael Weber directs Noble Fool Theatricals’ talented ensemble of veteran performers in a high-energy string of vignettes tackling everything from madly ticking biological clocks to hair loss, menopause and related crises.
Heads nodding in delighted recognition, audience members punctuated opening night with a steady stream of laughter.
Actor Anne Gunn of Downers Grove said she initially worried about whether the show was a little too crass. At the reception after the show opening night, an older audience member shook her hand and thanked her.
“This stage in life is crass,” Gunn said she realized. “There’s no nice way to say what you’re going through. Maybe that’s what makes it neat, that we don’t beat around the bush. It’s not fun. This is the first time I can remember being in a musical that reflects my life a little bit,” she said, confessing she too has walked into rooms and forgotten why.
It’s a condition that garners an amusingly off-color designation in the show.
Clever lyrics, crisp choreography, rapid costume changes and six strong performers with well-matched voices combine for a fast-paced, highly entertaining show.
Their apparent ease on stage belies the tough rehearsals.
“It took us forever to get (the numbers down),” Gunn said. “Every little moment is choreographed. There’s barely a second to think, ‘what do I do next.’ That makes it go by very fast. It’s nice when the audience is so appreciative.”
Gunn has performed at Chicago-area theaters for the past 25 years, including the Goodman, Apollo, Marriott, Drury Lane, Candlelight and Briar Street. She said the Noble Fool ensemble was itching to perform in front of an audience, calling it “the last element that you need, the final character.”
John Gawlik, artistic director, selected the show, which has had only a handful of productions.
“It finds a good depth,” said the former Wheaton resident, noting he likes to mix both light and deep comedy. The musical fits the bill, spanning the silly to a delicately touching tribute to the fading memories of Alzheimer’s in the song “The Long Goodbye.”
Part of the stellar cast is Mary Nigohosian of Batavia, who calls the show “gut-bustingly funny.”
“We were eager for an audience,” she said, adding the play strives to be uplifting, not depressing about the human condition. “We might as well laugh and have a good time.”
Nigohosian recalls being a kid who watched only westerns and Tarzan films, and had no clue about musicals.
“A high school music teacher noticed my talent and gave me opportunities,” she said, explaining she was cast in a principal role while only a sophomore. “It hooked me in.”
With 3-year-old and 2-month-old daughters at home, she’s already back on stage.
“I’m a determined individual and I have a support system,” she said.
That support system includes her husband, David Niekamp, a clinical psychologist whose own musical outlet is with the worship team at Christ Community Church in St. Charles.
“It’s very rewarding to be able to model it for my daughters,” said Nigohosian of her career, adding her toddler already is a diva-in-training.
With “Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical,” the award-winning director has crafted a winning production, whose other stars are Michael Accardo, Jane Brewer, Thomas Shea and John Vessels. Kudos also go to choreographer Rachel Rockwell, who even works four-legged canes into the mix.
The multimedia set is reminiscent of the paintings of Rene Magritte, a perfect backdrop for the surreal feel of mid-life and the fleeting vignettes. The hedge in front of a distant flamingo-spotted suburban landscape doubles as home for Ken Jones, the deft piano accompanist.
This show lends a whole new meaning to “intended for mature audiences,” although those friendly with people ages 40, 50 and older are just as likely to enjoy themselves.
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What The Chicago-area premiere of “Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical” is presented by Noble Fool Theatricals at Pheasant Run Resort.
Where 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles.
When Through Saturday, Nov. 3, with shows at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays. A 2 p.m. matinee starts Thursday, Oct. 11.
Tickets Tickets are priced at $27 on Thursdays and Fridays, $38 on Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner-show packages are available at $49 and $60, respectively. Call the Pheasant Run Box Office at (630) 584-6342 or visit www.ticketmaster.com. For more on the troupe, visit www.noblefool.org.
