The Mikado presented by The Hypocrites at Steppenwolf Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...The Steppenwolf Garage Theatre — a theater jury-rigged into the ground floor of a parking garage — hardly is the Savoy Theatre in London. But compared to the basement of the Chopin Theatre, a venue in Wicker Park where remarkably creative things seem to originate, that Steppenwolf Garage is like a Broadway palace of varieties. There are no pillars therein — a prosaic fact that you wouldn't think ever would have an impact on a production of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's "The Mikado" but turns out to matter a great deal in director Sean Graney's promenade production."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The Hypocrites' 80-minute reimagining of Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 operetta is high-energy, family-friendly fun. The teasing wit and absurdist comedy of W.S. Gilbert's libretto is bolstered by the Monty Python clownishness of director Sean Graney's adaptation, and Arthur Sullivan's lovely, lilting melodies come through well in musical director Andra Velis Simon's folk/pop interpretations."

Centerstage - Recommended

"...I wonder if some audience members unfamiliar with The Mikado might be somewhat confused as to what was going on. While the circus setting circumnavigates the issues of race, it also could deny some critical plot context. But if anyone in the audience (which included a number of small children) was confused, they didn’t seem to care. If you missed the show the first time around, be sure to check it out."

Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...The terrific likes of Matt Kahler, Rob McLean, Zeke Sulkes and Christine Stulik display a confidence in one another that allows them to improvise here and there as warranted by their interactions with the audience. Shawn Pfautsch and Emily Casey's comedic chops have only improved in their respective dual roles as Nanki-Poo/katisha and Yum-Yum/the Mikado. And whether it's better acoustics and sound tech in the Garage or music director Andra Velis Simon and the cast upping their games, the Hypocrites' musicianship has never sounded better."