Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended
"...We all know the mere presence of movie stars will not generate major money these days, so already the audience is forced to squint very hard to see this premise as even slightly credible. Imagine a world in which the director of a big studio production forgets to turn the camera on, and you'll get a sense for the strange level of humor here. It all makes "Entourage" look like a searing docudrama by comparison. But Marra's production has one thing going for it: a cast that is giving its all despite the thinness of the material."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...It's a cute conceit-a variation on the familiar hate-you-till-I-love you screwball narrative of which both The Taming of the Shrew and It Happened One Night are examples-and it could make for an engaging musical if the complications were rolled out cleverly enough. But they aren't. Ronan Marra's book and Jon Steinhagen's mostly undistinguished songs are tediously pat, tending to illustrate the Conor-Kate relationship rather than develop it. And the production, directed by Marra, lacks spark. Still, I hope the authors continue to work on the idea: maybe the next draft of The Next Thing will realize its potential."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Fortunately, Courtney Jones and Christopher Selefski are instantly charming, with a cuddliness increased by their unconventional Stiller-and-Meara physical pairing. Joseph Stearns as would-be auteur Sam, Eleanor Katz as big-wheel Laura and Vincent Lonergan as naughty geezer Herb provide muscular support-but watch for Elizabeth Bagby's scene-stealing trio of female armpieces sporting three dialects-French, British and Fry. This marshmallow-fluffy Signal Ensemble romp, tucked snugly into a corner of the North Center district and running a brisk two hours-plus, could become the perfect date-night play for our belated spring."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Steinhagen’s numbers, while pleasantly tuneful, too often serve to establish and reestablish character traits rather than to advance the story, and Marra’s stiff staging, swallowed up in the abyss of scenic designer Melania Lancy’s red velvet theater curtains, seems unmoored from the real world. Perhaps it’s meant to be fantasy, or at least fanciful, but if so, that’s not coming across in its current form. The next thing on the creators’ agenda has to be making clearer what The Next Thing wants to be."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...Marra’s book and Steinhagen score suffer from casting that finds few players who can sing. That spells trouble for a musical. True that Joseph Stearns and Vincent Lonergan adequately deliver their clever tunes and Courtney Jones sings her ballads with heart and an adequate voice, but the rest of the cast can’t sing well enough to do justice to Steinhagen’s score. While Christopher Selefski work hard, he is miscast as Conor Williams, the film star. Selefski never conveys the charisma nor the vocal chops necessary to carry the male lead. When a musical has too many weak singers and dancers who labor to land basic Broadway-style choreography, it makes for a long evening."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...The show is light musical comedy fare and an actor’s dream. With such wit and charm this musical shows the great talent that is in our own backyard. Jon Steinhagen is a musical genius and Signal Ensemble Theatre has a winner in The Next Thing."
The Fourth Walsh - Recommended
"...As a play, it feels more like a revue. Because the storyline is predictable, the songs by Jon Steinhagen (music, lyrics, and musical direction) become the showcase. The book by Director Ronan Marra serves as the playful banter between the songs. THE NEXT THING is song centric. Steinhagen’s original score and lyrics pulls us through the Hollywood love story. In the leads, the straitlaced Courtney Jones (Kate) and the wannabe rapper Christopher Selefski (Conor) are the match made in Hollywood. From the get go, we are rooting for the pair to unite offscreen too. Their duet “All an Act” is a charming relational teaser. Jones, in particular, has an outstanding singing voice. Her two solos, “The Next Thing I Say” and “Some Direction” have the wistful allure of Taylor Swift songs."
