Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The overall ambience of the show, which is vaguely themed around the seasons, puts you in mind of such musicals as "A Little Night Music" and "Romance/Romance." Pains were taken, clearly, to explore a variety of relationships: gay, straight, married, casual, older/younger, younger/younger, older/older and so on. The seasons of life. This allows for many poignant Schmuckler ditties on love, and the difficulties of the practical application thereof, all of which Schmuckler executes spectacularly well. One brilliant musical sequence, well-staged by Halberstam, is designed to reflect the confusion inside Tessa's head. There's also a hauntingly honest song, "Warm Autumn Night," with a lyric that mostly just goes "Love, oh my love," but that somehow expresses that feeling so uncommonly well in its musical swell and fall."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Directed by Michael Halberstam, with musical direction by Doug Peck, the real star here is Schmuckler’s score — with songs ranging from interior monologues and gorgeous multi-voiced fugues to an homage to Tuscany that stands in for all dreams of paradise. Gorgeously played by conductor/pianist Austin Cook and a compact onstage “wedding band,” it makes you wish he would jettison the brief sections of dialogue and make this an entirely sung-through musical."
The Wall Street Journal - Recommended
"...Like most musicals whose makers hope in time to bring them to New York, "Days Like Today" is still in the process of becoming itself. At this point, Ms. Eason's book is farce-flavored in a way that detracts from its emotional impact, while Mr. Schmuckler's Sondheim-influenced lyrics are cluttered with too-easy rhymes ("People aren't blind to me / That's not what I find / Just wrapped up in their grind to me"). But the folk-pop score, also by Mr. Schmuckler, is both tuneful and harmonically fresh in a way that recalls Adam Guettel's "The Light in the Piazza," and the show's overall feel is romantic in a distinctively up-to-date way. Factor in the fine performances of the ensemble cast and the sensitive direction of Michael Halberstam and you've got a warm, heartfelt musical with what looks to me like a bright future. See it now and you can say you were present at the creation."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...As these thumbnail portraits suggest, this is a rarefied bunch, the sort of people who have a favorite Montrachet, spend time in Tuscany, and think they suffer even though they've got access to a perfectly nice summerhouse. The sort who're always saying "We need to talk." Susie McMonagle and Jonathan Weir charm their way out of this cramped circle as the parents, but director Michael Halberstam can't get the stink of narcissism off the others—which wouldn't be a problem except that it seems we're expected to like them. Alan Schmuckler's neo-Sondheimian music and lyrics are witty at times but, like the characters in Laura Eason's script, get a little too full of themselves."
Chicago Stage Review - Recommended
"...Days Like Today is an unconventional love story full of actors and songs you will likely adore, actors and songs that are able to largely make up for residual pretentiousness in the characters and story that adapting playwright Laura Eason did not quite delouse from the original Charles Mee source material."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Schmuckler's score is on the whole an enticing blend of styles (orchestrated by Schmuckler and musical director Doug Peck to include as much acoustic guitar as bowed strings) that embraces multiperspectival musical storytelling. The Act I closer "Welcome to My House," which culminates in the entire cast lending its voices to amplifying Tessa's raging self-doubts, is the kind of number to make you sit up and take notice. And Schmuckler and Eason, along with director Michael Halberstam and the impressively stacked cast, seem less interested in Mee-esque satirizing of the varieties of love in the modern world than in celebrating them."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"...Under Michael Halberstam’s masterful direction Days Like Today is a Sondheimesque inspired sketch about 6 couples and the change/deterioration/rebuilding of their love relationships that occur over 1 full year. Broken down into 4 Seasons and 2 hours it begins with the main character Tessa (played by the talented but miscast Emily Berman) who has vowed that, after being jilted at the alter on the day of her wedding, that she is through with love. Her mother Maria (played by the magnificent Susie McGonagle) and father Frank (the talented Jonathan Weir) although still married have lovers. Maria is having an affair with Tessa’s ex-teacher Francios (the sexy Richard Gere like Jeff Parker) while Frank is involved with Edmund (Stephen Schellhart in one of the strongest performances)."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Days Like Today is an art piece that has enough charm, sophistication containing a wonderful score that will leave audiences satisfied and entertained as they empathize with the honest characters in their struggle to find love. We love their journey."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Theater is like a great recipe in the kitchen coming together , and the new, World Premiere, that opened in tiny Writers Theatre, in Glencoe, could be called a "chef's delight". The title is "Days Like Today" and it has many of Chicago's finest talents in this particular kitchen. The book is by Laura Eason ( based on the writings of Charles L. Mee )with the music and lyrics by Alan Schmuckler. It is a musical, but not what is called "Musical Theater"; more of a "Chamber Musical"- a small, intimate story telling experience with music to make the points being expressed. Writers Theatre in its current home- Tudor, is the perfect space to house this type of show as the audience is very close to the action, almost feeling that they could easily be drawn to the action."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"..."Days Like Today" requires special care and feeding to display its virtues. It will never be at home in a large theater, so its commercial potential will be limited. There has to be perfect rapport among the performers and insightful guidance from the director. But some off Broadway or regional theater should be willing to present a show with this much warmth, understanding, humor, and passion. The characters and their assorted romantic plights are continuously entertaining, thanks to the Eason/Schmuckler team. As a rewarding, adult evening of theater, "Days Like Today" immediately moves to the top of the Chicagoland theater pyramid."