Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Schwartz fans will still greatly enjoy the use of his music, especially songs you won't have heard in a while, or that are used here in a way that makes you understand and appreciate them anew. Many great pleasures this way come. And there are moments when these Chicago actors score a few points for truth and honesty: McMonagle is that way throughout and, in the final scene, Weygandt is very moving. "Snapshots" is a sound premise (actually, to my mind, an inspired premise) that could be greatly improved simply by all involved asking two questions: Is this believable? And does this fit with and enhance this beautiful song?"
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...On the one hand, familiarity can generate comfort, identification and confirmation. On the other hand, even if it doesn’t breed contempt, familiarity also can induce a certain level of boredom. I confess, I prefer theater that astonishes rather than lulls. But I have no doubt that many of the empty-nesters who find themselves in the Northlight audience in the coming weeks might delight in seeing something of themselves onstage."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Schwartz is fond of making his point in the first minute of a song--it's all for the best, it's good to be popular, relationships are complicated--and then repeating that point without variation. The performances in Ken Sawyer's staging are strong and energetic overall, with superb star turns from Gene Weygandt and the amazingly versatile Megan Long."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"... Those Schwartz fans here for the music are likely to be frustrated as well. Though the talented cast more than does justice to Schwartz’s ’70s folk rock–influenced harmonies, the reams of new lyrics and repurposing for plot reasons often undermine our ability to enjoy the songs on their own merits."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...The cast has remarkable voices, clear and compelling and their dramatic ability marches the timbre – moving from humor to nostalgia with ease as past and present intermingle and advice is exchanged back and forth, neatly breaking barriers as they address their earlier selves. It is an imaginative tour de force – brilliantly executed. What might be clunky in other hands, flows smoothly under the expert direction of Ken Sawyer."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"..."Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook" is the well-intentioned 'new' Stephen Schwartz musical opening Northlight's 37th Season. Book writer David Stern has taken songs from Schwartz' hits like "Pippin," "The Baker's Wife," and of course "Wicked," and shoe-horned them into the story of a disintegrating marriage. Northlight and the entire creative team deserve great credit for undertaking this project. While the result is not yet completely successful, the effort must be applauded. And those who love Schwartz's music will surely be surprised and delighted."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...The show is all about Sue and Dan. And Suzie and Danny. And Susan and Daniel. Susie McGonagle, Megan Long and Jess Goodwin play the female. Gene Weygandt, Nick Cosgrove and Tony Clarno play the male. McGonagle and Weygandt are the old married couple. Musical veterans, McGonagle and Weygandt anchor the show with solid singing and bittersweet contemplation. Always onstage, they delightfully interact with their younger versions. There are hilarious moments as they try to get their young selves to act differently. (Aw, it was that easy to change the past.) The entire ensemble is incredibly talented. The singing is a melodious powerhouse multiplied by six. A standout, Megan Long belts out a bright, pleasing rendition of “Popular.” But it’s her multiple character portrayal in bed that’s unforgettable. Long showcases an impressive range."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"... The music is from “Wicked”,”Pippin”, “Godspell”, “The Baker’s Wife”,”Working” and many other lesser known shows from Schwartz, but with some lyric changes and some added numbers by David Crane,Marta Kaufman,Alan Menken, Charles Strouse and Seth Friedman and under the smooth direction of Ken Sawyer, this production truly worked for me. Karl Christian handled the musical staging, which as another way of sayng limited choreography and the on the layered stage designed by Jack Magaw it all fit. The stage is designed so that we feel we are in an attic, where all their memories are stored and with soe wonderful projections ( Mike Tutaj) we go back to their first meeting and all the stops that brought them here. I must say that the properties/props in this production deserve to have the propmaster mentioned in the program- they are super"
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"... A Chicago premiere from Northlight Theatre, Ken Sawyer’s superb staging is perfectly paired and packaged—players and roles, singers and score, set and photo-album projections, songs and situations, and orchestra and ensemble. Jack Magaw’s sprawling attic is the perfect repository for mementos that will trigger recollections and songs from the grown-up Sue and Dan (flawless Susie McMonagle and all-purpose Gene Weygandt). Strolling down that very crowded Memory Lane, they sort through the stuff of their lives and second-guess their decision to move to New York, to have a kid in order to get married, and finally to end it all (divorce, not suicide)."
