to see Nevermore at JPAC

Last Sunday I saw a play called 'Nevermore' by Grace Barnes and Matt Conner, directed by Steve Calzaretta at Jedlicka Performing Arts Center.  I went with mommy.

The play was about someone name Edgar Alan Poe who was a famous poet. The characters were Edgar (Justin Stevens), Elmira (Laura Martino), Virginia (Sophia Vitello), Whore (Alli Braun), Muddy (Margaret Garofalo), and Mother (Lauren Miller). These characters were ghosts that were haunting Edgar while he was writing.

The set (designed by Michael Nedza) looked like a graveyard and the Orchestra was behind a fence in the grave yard and there were three houses and some benches. I liked the moon on the back wall and the trees. One of my very favorite parts was when the fog was coming off the stage into the audience and into me, because that was so cool and I caught some cloudy things.

The music (directed by Daniel Brottman) was very pretty. there was a full orchestra with violins (Kyle Walcott, Kevie Yu), a Viola (Elizabeth Bellisario), a Cello ( Wilson Smith) a Bass (Ben Krege), a Harp (May Im), and Percussion by Scott Simon.

I didn't understand why I could see everybody on stage when they were all ghosts, that confused me.

Everybody in the whole wide world should see this show because maybe they all like Halloween and this show made me think of Halloween.

I give this play 100 points because it's about Halloween and that's the best.

Love,
Gunnar

to see 'Annie' at the Cadillac Palace Theatre

Mommy's friend Micah gave us tickets to see the Broadway in Chicago production of 'Annie' at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in downtown Chicago, directed by Martin Charnin. Micah gave the tickets to us because he knew that we were sad that Trump won the election. It made my family happy because I love to see plays. I went with mommy, Margot and Daddy and I got to meet Micah at the theatre.

Tori Bates (as Annie) and Macy (as Sandy)

The play was about a little red head girl named Annie (Tori Bates) who is an orphan. An orphan is someone who does not have any parents. Annie lived with other orphans at an orphanage. Ms. Hannigan (Erin Fish) lived with the orphans and she was mean to them. One day Grace Ferrell (Casie Prins) came to the orphanage and took Annie to Oliver Warbucks' house. Oliver Warbucks (Gilgamesh Taggett) is a rich man who has a lot of money and people who work for him. When she got to his house Annie really liked his chair because she kept touching it. Then she met Mr. Warbucks and he told her to sit and then he took her to the movies. Mr. Warbucks loved Annie and wanted to be her daddy but Annie wanted to find her parents. So Mr. Warbucks tried to help her find them.

I loved all the funny dancing choreographed by Liza Gennaro. One of the funny dancing parts was in the song "EASY STREET" when Lily (Mallory King) did the Chicken dance. Another part I thought was funny was  in "YOU'RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE (Reprise)" and the orphans kicked their legs up really high.

The one thing I didn't understand was what they were doing when they were singing "EASY STREET". But mommy told me they were trying to come up with a way to take Mr. Warbucks $50,000.

I thought the set designed by Beowulf Boritt was really cool because it could change into other scenes really fast. There was an orphanage, the Bert Healy Radio show, Oliver Warbucks' office, The President's office, streets of New York City, a New York shanty and the big staircase in Oliver Warbucks' house with the Christmas tree. My favorite settings were the ones at Oliver Warbucks' house because the Christmas tree and the giant staircase looked really cool and his office was super big.

My favorite parts of the show were 'EASY STREET' and whenever Sandy (Macy/Sunny) the dog came on stage. My favorite song was 'THE SUN WILL COME OUT TOMORROW" because it made me happy and hopeful after a sad day. It made me hopeful that our next president after Trump will be good like Roosevelt!

I had a lot of fun. People who should see this show are Johanna, and everybody in the whole wide world because everyone should have some HOPE!

I give this show100 POINTS because it will give everybody Hope when they need it!!!!

LOVE,
Gunnar