Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Mader's peripatetic choreography is zesty and ebullient throughout - Levy stops the show with his Act 2 tap number, with Lupp matching him step by step. At one point the romantic couple are on a desert island (you don't want to know why) and Lupp and Smart - both of whom are eminently likable throughout, if something of an unlikely couple - get to hoof it in a shallow trough of water, designed by Thomas M. Ryan. On the night I saw the show, that shower of hooves sent the front rows into a kind of splashy ecstasy that carried until the final ovation. The ensemble is tiptop, and Nancy Missimi's costumes and bobbed wigs are especially glamorous. Of course, you'll leave humming the likes of "How Long Has This Been Going On?" - which is always an interesting question."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"... Although “My One and Only” was created in the early 1980s(the book is by Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer), it harks back to the pure fun and fancifulness of a much earlier time on Broadway in its style and storytelling. And its score incorporates the altogether foolproof songs of George and Ira Gershwin, inserting them in ways that make them feel wholly conversational and perfectly in synch with the characters singing them. On top of all this, as director-choreographer Tammy Mader’s easily effervescent Marriott Theatre revival suggests, there is something irresistible about a witty yet altogether unadulterated, feather-light, dance-til-you-drop entertainment."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Lupp and Summer Naomi Smart play out a cute, screwballish romantic comedy in between dance bits that recall cleated-shoe greats from Fred Astaire to the Ritz Brothers. One charming novelty bit has Lupp and Smart doing the ultimate soft-shoe, barefoot in a pool of water. And Ted Louis Levy methodically goads the audience into hysteria during his extended solo. Paula Scrofano, meanwhile, does a great Thelma Ritter as Billy Buck's mechanic."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"... It is fun, I suppose. The audience all enjoyed it tremendously, and the performers seemed to be having a good time. A few of them were apparently known to the audience; at times an easy conviviality revealed itself between actor and audience, where the veil dropped for a moment and the actor just grinned out at the crowd and acknowledged the applause, gratefully. The designers did what they could to jazz up the space. There are a few fun scenery gags, and some of the costumes will make you grin. If you like winning singing and dancing, and you like Gershwin tunes, go check it out."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
".. My One and Only is a perfect show for Marriott Lincolnshire. The “in the round” stage provides a great view for the dancing talents of the cast. The venue provides an “up close and personal” experience that you are not able to experience at a traditional theater."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"... Comic support comes from Paula Scrofano as Billy’s no-nonsense tomboy mechanic and from Mueller as the nasty Russian full of xenophobic malapropisms and a stereotypical Moroccan purveyor of pleasure. Singing up a storm in “Kickin’ the Clouds Away,” Felicia P. Fields raises the roof as a rhythm-preaching minister. Recalling the tap-dancing, harmony-loving Nicholas Brothers, Quinn M. Bass, Jarran Muse, and Clinton Roane are terrific as the scat-singing, be-bopping New Rhythm Boys. (Well, some rhythms never get old.)"
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"... Gershwin’s songbook features “I Can’tBe Bothered Now,” “High Hat,”“He Loves and She Loves,” “‘S Wonderful,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,’ “Funny Face,” and the rousing“Kickin’The Clouds Away.” Loads of tap,soft-shoe, theCharleston dancing was nimbly performed by the sleek ensemble. Besides all those show-stopping big dance numberswas themachodance-off between the fleet-footed Levy and Lupp to the song “My One and Only. These two guysputon a tapclinic!"
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...Lupp is a perfectly gawky hero in his best Fred Astaire mode, although there is only a passing chemistry with his pretty leading lady, Summer Naomi Smart. Lupp and Smart are at their boisterous best when Set designer Thomas M. Ryan's donut-shaped stage flies up to provide a wading pool just right for a splashy "'S Wonderful" number. No less 'S Wonderful is the talented and integrated supporting cast, something that should be more of a rule than the exception at the Marriott. Even in roles that hardly show off their full talents, it is a pleasure having such stalwarts as Felicia P. Fields, Roger Mueller, Paula Scrofano, and the great Ted Louis Levy on hand. And Quinn M. Bass, Jarran Muse, Clinton Roane embody suave sophistication as the "New Rhythm Boys". All in all, a most pleasant bit of escapism in the true spirit of the pre-Great Depression musical comedy mystique."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...There is nothing like a show with great tap dancing! There is nothing like the music and lyrics of the Gershwin brothers! There is nothing more fun than an evening at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire when the musical features dance! This being said, while I enjoyed the talent assembled on Marriott's stage under the direction of Tammy Mader, the script ( book by Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer) of their newest production, "My One and Only" is lacking in story! It is a corny little tale about boy meets girl- love at first sight- boy and girl have different lifestyles and in the end, after a great deal of wooing and sacrifice, they end up married and tap dancing their way to a perfect life. Wow! If this could really happen!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"... If ever there was an old-fashioned musical tailor made for the dance enthusiast it’s this show. Jam-packed with more time steps, shuffle ball changes, riffs, pull-backs and cramp rolls than any musical currently playing in Chicago, with a delectable score selected from the George and Ira Gershwin songbook, this sweet love story has just the right amount of spice to satisfy the tastes of contemporary audiences. This musical is brimming with style, musical classics, romance, colorful characters and some of the most brilliant choreography ever seen on the Marriott stage."
