Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Handsome princes are pretty out these days — dumb ones, especially — and no Wicker Park theater company worth its salt would dare traffic in Disney stereotyping, or suggest that patriarchal romance can save the day. So much is made in this freewheeling affair of how there is no evil stepmother (a stepdad does those honors), no fairy godmother and, heaven knows, neither pumpkin nor dainty slippers of glass. And it goes without saying that no prince, handsome or otherwise, saves any day of any woman as professionally accomplished as this Cinderella (even though the actual source does have a charming, life-changing royal). In this production, though, Velis Simon has combined elements of Viardot's own biography with the subject-story of her little 85-minute opera. It's a fine idea, but it also splits the aesthetics down the middle."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Enter the doorway leading to “Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes,” a world premiere adaptation by The Hypocrites, and you are immediately part of a topsy-turvy fairy tale world — one that bears hints of artist Frida Kahlo’s vividly painted house in Mexico City. At the same time it suggests a small-scale amusement park with a touch of the absurd, with a baby grand piano, a white metal kitchen stove and a clothes rack bursting with colorful dresses all part of the mix."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Adapter Andra Velis Simon has taken Pauline Viardot-García's Cendrillon-a belle epoque chamber-operetta version of the Cinderella story-and stripped away such backward elements as charmed mice and handsome princes. In their place she gives us a narrative in which talent will out, true sisterhood is powerful, and "extraordinary things are possible when ordinary people help each other." The forward-thinking maxims get a little much, tending to come in a flurry toward the end, and Sean Graney's brightly costumed 85-minute staging can tip over from the festive into the twee at times, but the songs and voices are strong (particularly that of Amanda Martinez, well cast as Cinderella) and the spirit overall is as affable as it is positive."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The show itself is based on "Cendrillon" and other compositions by Pauline Viardot-Garcia that tells a different type of Cinderella, "Happily-Ever-After". This musical piece is what might be termed a "chamber-musical" or even a "chamber-operetta" sort of "Gilbert and Sullivan-ish"! and as directed by Sean Graney ( an amazing mind filled with creativity that is unthinkable). This is 90 minutes of pure entertainment as we watch a familiar story with a slightly different plot, and ending!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The joy of Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes, and what Graney has done so well, is that it feel like a salon. It's not a performance, but a bathing of extremely talented people, sharing stories that they care about with great enthusiasm. The organic feeling that everyone is doing their part, even the audience, is a hallmark of the Hypocrites preferred aesthetic, and a cornerstone of Graney and Velis Simon's work. It makes one feel welcome, happy, and stays, warm and fluttering behind the breastbone, long after you've gone out into the cold."
Third Coast Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...For the talent of its actors, impressive musical arrangements, and messages of equality and kindness, Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes is commendable. Coming in at just under 90 minutes, it presents an outing for families that rivals the colorful worlds of Sesame Street or Pee-Wee's Playhouse. On the surface, the playground the Hypocrites presents us with is tantalizing in its whimsy, yet Simon's adaptation does little to scratch below the surface. In the end, that is a disservice to the potential of both ensemble and audience. We are all capable of digging deeper to sort the carnivale."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes is fun, whimsical, and a downright good time. It is definitely family-friendly as evidenced by the cast encouraging the audience to interact with the ensemble."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...As empowering as this message is, it is the impressive talents of the cast that make this a memorable theatrical experience. Charged not only with delivering operatic performances, they also play a variety of musical instruments. They succeed on both counts. Amanda Raquel Martinez is especially impressive in the title role. Sean Graney's playful direction nicely ties two acts together in under ninety minutes and the production even manages to dole out a dollop of soup to everyone in the audience. This is truly family entertainment at its best and very much a worthy replacement to its Disney cousin.
