Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...Rather than meaningful character development, we're offered a dozen too-obvious Arlen tunes ("Fun to Be Fooled," "One for My Baby," "That Old Black Magic") and the occasional head-scratcher ("Lydia the Tattooed Lady") shoehorned into a meager, lurching narrative. The cast's singing ranges from impressive to thrilling, even as musical director and accompanist Kingsley Day inhibits any sense of jazz, blues, or swing, draining the soul from the soulful score. Why the ill-matched couples return together for act two is a mystery."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Kingsley, a fine composer in his own right, brings a Midas touch to Arlen’s art. With deft interplay, McCabe puts the sextet through plausible actions that reflect the lyrics as much as they showcase the scores. This is not the show that got away."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...This 80 minute revue is either a nostalgic memory trip or a fine introduction to the genius of the great Tin-Pan Alley composers of the 30’s – 60’s with Harold Arlen being one of the finest of his era. City Lit Theater needs to be proud of I’ve Got The World On A String as it also pays tribute to Sheldon Patinkin."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...The evening, which passes by all too quickly, is a pleasant reminder of Harold Arlen’s remarkable musical talent. Teaming up with such great lyricists as Billy Rose, Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg Arlen’s music recalls a more innocent time when a simple song could tell an entire story…about love and about loss. Sheldon Patinkin would’ve been very proud."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...There's a lot of heartache in Joe's Bar, but a lot of happiness too, and certainly a lot of drinking. People drink to forget, but they also drink to remember. This musical is not only a toast to Harold Arlen and days gone by, but a tribute to its own deviser, the late, great Sheldon Patinkin. A titan of Chicago theatre for more than six decades, he had every intention of directing this revue before his unfortunate demise. In the vein of his spirit is Harmony France. She is a standout of the show, who sings the titular song twice, and dedicates her performance "to Sheldon." She looks the part, sounds the part and is the part, reprising "I've Got the World on a String" with two phenomenal permutations, changing in mood and even in tense. "I had the world on a string..." For 80 minutes, the audience had the world on a string, too."
