Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...But there is an obfuscation and melancholy behind so many of these songs, a spirit of unfulfilled longing and latent desire. When this cast performs "So in Love" - gorgeously - that's all you can think about as you sit in the No Exit Cafe, pondering the passing of another summer in the city to the soundtrack of a bygone era."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The show (which arrives on the heels of the sparkling national tour of Porter's "Anything Goes"), features zesty direction by Fred Anzevino, ingenious choreography by David Heimann, superb musical direction by the engaging pianist-arranger Aaron Benham, and a savvy, big-voiced cast of four. And it takes audiences on a two-hour jaunt through two dozen of Porter's most familiar tunes from both stage and screen, with some unknown gems tossed in for good measure."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...None of this would matter if the quartet assembled by director Fred Anzevino didn't have the versatility required to deliver a sizzling "Too Darn Hot" and a ditty rhyming "orgy" with "Lucrezia Borgy." Jill Sesso vamps like a sugar-frosted dominatrix for "Let's Misbehave," Christopher Logan shows off some Donald O'Connor acrobatics in "They Couldn't Compare to You," while Sierra Naomi and William Lucas bring vocal muscle to generate the necessary soar for Porter's melodic climaxes. Anyway, who can resist a "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" employing three costume changes? Oh, and did I mention that flowers are distributed to lucky playgoers in the course of the show? As the maestro says, "Let's Do It"-soon."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...All four cast members are in fine voice; each song or medley is an individual pleasure. Those who like their revues with a through line, however, won't find one in A Cole Porter Songbook. The actors' personas reset to zero between each number, and the flow of songs can be inelegant: A static staging of the Roy Rogers tune "Don't Fence Me In," for instance, sits awkwardly between a long medley of six Parisian numbers ("C'Est Magnifique," "Ca, C'est L'amour," "Allez-Vous-En" et al.) and a combo of sexy comic ditties "Experiment" and "Let's Misbehave." Jarring transitions aside, though, this is a fine opportunity to brush up your Porter."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...Four-time Jeff Award winning Director, Fred Anzevino has another hit on his hands. One of his recent successes was “Smokey Joe’s Café” which was not only extended at The No Exit Theater, but has been brought to The Royal George Theater, playing there for the past several months. In fact, I am very anxious to see his next season’s shows which will include “Masterclass, a solstice celebration of “A Very Merry Madrigal”, Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion”, and “A Tribute to The Andrews Sisters”."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Of course, given the many marvelous musical treats this Indiana phenom lavished on grateful audiences (despite the non-stop suffering he endured from 1938 to his death in 1963 after horrific complications from falling from his horse), nobody can expect to savor all their preferred Porter. Anyway, pain aside, at the intimate No Exit Cafe we only get the pleasure. That's as "de-lovely" as it comes."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...featuring a solid selection of some of Porter's best-loved songs (the complete list can be found below), this artful revue featuring top-notch arrangements and an impeccable cast should not be missed. So if you find yourself at some point this summer taken up by that greatest of evils-boredom-you thankfully know where to turn."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The magic in Rogers Park continues at The No Exit Cafe, where TheUbique Cabaret Theatre continues to amaze its audiences. Whether they do a "book" musical ( reduced to fit the intimate space on Glenwood) or opt to create an evening of "Cabaret", audiences continue to delight in the experience. They are currently saluting the delightful songbook of Cole Porter, who brought musicals to the stage during the late 1920′s into the 1950′s. Hit musicals such as "Anything Goes" ( Chicago just had a taste of this show), "Can -Can" and "Kiss Me Kate". Many of Porter's hit songs were recorded by stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Rosie Clooney and of course, "Old Blue Eyes"/ Frank Sinatra."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Fred Anzevino has another big hit on his hands in Rogers Park. Complete with the option of a delicious three-course dinner or just a favorite beverage, this energetic young company gives audiences their money's worth in every way. This show, this cast is, quite simply, the top!"
Huffington Post - Highly Recommended
"...Theo Ubique performs at the No Exit Cafe, and serves dinner and drinks there as well at cabaret tables clustered around the performance space. And when I say "the company serves dinner," I mean that literally, with the actors rushing pell-mell off the stage at intermission to bring your desert and refill your coffee. The casual atmosphere this creates makes every Theo show feel like an evening spent at the home of some remarkably talented friends, a quality exemplified by A Cole Porter Songbook."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...One would have liked "The Cole Porter Songbook" performed by Broadway caliber singers, but the Theo Ubique production certainly has its merits. Patrons of a certain age weary of generations of rock 'n' roll cacophony can happily bask in two hours of songs that value melody and literacy and emotion and adult wit. Not a bad way to spend a summer evening."