Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Douglas Carter Beane's 2013 play-with-music, "The Nance," now in a terrific local premiere with Pride Films and Plays, captures that fractious and fraught era through the lens of the title stock character. The "nance" in burlesque was an exaggerated effeminate sketch player — the gay equivalent of blackface, essentially. He was often played by a straight man (so to speak), but in Beane's story, he's Chauncey Miles, a closeted gay man whose strong Republican leanings lead him to dismiss LaGuardia's threats against burlesque joints as election time grandstanding. (Nathan Lane originated the role on Broadway.)"
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...An unexpected love affair will develop, with the romantic Ned (soon impressed into service as an actor) craving monogamy, and the self-punishing Chauncey still on the hunt. But it is events in the wider world that begin to take their toll as Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, caught up in a political campaign, decides to crack down on the gay aspect of the burlesque shows. A raid on the Irving Place Theatre results in Chauncey's arrest and eventually the closure of burlesque houses."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...In this Pride Films & Plays production directed by John Nasca, the tribute is fun and the exploration informative, but the portrait is nowhere near as compelling as it might be. Chauncey Miles is the "nance"-a comic whose onstage specialty is prancing caricatures of effeminate men. The script goes to considerable lengths to suggest that everything Chauncey does-including his acts of heroism-is animated by profound self-loathing."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Burlesque has largely gone the way of minstrel shows, its amusing properties nowadays viewed as a quaint reflection of a more parochial age. As staged for Pride Films and Plays with museum-accurate period authenticity ( fan dances, balloon dances, "Sister Kate's Shimmy" and the famous "Niagara Falls" sketch ) by John Nasca and a hard-working ensemble led by Vince Kracht's bravura performance in the title role, though, this forgotten art form cannot help but awaken nostalgia even in the most enlightened playgoer."
Theatre By Numbers - Recommended
"..."The Nance" is mirth and heartbreak. It's the last laugh you will have before your world falls apart. It's a quick and dirty vaudeville revue wrapped in a crisp, tailored jacket. You will love it, and it will hurt you."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Now a Chicago premiere, John Nasca’s spirited staging for Pride Plays drives home Beane’s bittersweet depiction of a showbiz dinosaur, ogling the crowd with his trademark “Hi, Simply Hi!” and confessing to be queer (“not that that makes me a bad person”). Until January 14, 1937, that is: Casting himself against type, Chauncey (Vince Kracht) takes a risk and declares his true colors (and they’re not lavender and mauve) when he lets himself fall for Ned, the closeted married man he clandestinely meets in a Greenwich Village automat."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The Nance is worthy entertainment as well as a significant cautionary tale of homophobic govenmental tactics. Once I realixed that young folks don't know what burlesque is, I reakize that The Nance is far more than merely a play with music. It is important for this generation to know and experience the craft of burlesque and vaudeville especially if they want to be effective musical comedy actors. The Pridc Center's peoduction is spirited, funny and heartfelt. Technically difficult yet flawlessly performed, The Nance continues the terrific production values that we saw in Priscilla:Queen of the Desert from the creatives at the Pride Center. Don't miss this fine show."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Pride Films and Plays production of "The Nance" takes us into the naughty world of burlesque in '40s New York City. In "The Nance", we not only see the skits and strips, we get to go backstage to see the company's offstage camaraderie as well. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane's script not only brings the Irving Park Theatre to life, but also shines a light on the perils which were inherent in the lifestyle of a gay man in the '40s."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...John Nasca is the perfect choice to direct Douglas Carter Beane’s glitzy, sadly comic drama. This is, after all, the director’s specialty: period plays and musicals that offer glimpses of backstage drama and insight into a by-gone era. It’s actually Beane’s second showbiz-based drama, along with his critically acclaimed “The Little Dog Laughed.” Ably assisted by musical director Robert Ollis, and his brassy quartet of backstage musicians, and assistant director Nathan Mittleman, particularly for his sexy striptacular choreography, this is a very entertaining production. Pride Films & Plays has an important story to share that offers both laughter and tears on a warm summer night. So, head over to North Broadway and, as they say in the play, “Meet me ‘round the corner, in a half an hour!”"
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...Director John Nasca (who also designed the productions vibrant, sparkling costumes) does an excellent job of setting the scene and putting us squarely in a time and place when gay men had to constantly look over their shoulders and meet up in parks after midnight. Setting the small but skillful group of musicians (conducted by music director Robert Ollis, who also plays piano) onstage was a brilliant decision, as was Jeremy Hollis' set design, which makes the most of the Pride Arts Center Broadway space."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...In a strange way, The Nance is itself like an old-fashioned striptease: it gives the audience just a hint at the goods and leaves it to their minds to work out the conclusion."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Nasca's direction keeps things moving briskly; the 2.5 hour play rarely drags. Scenic design by Jeremy Hollis outfits Pride's stage as the theater and Chauncey's apartment with the movement of a few furniture pieces and a projection screen above the stage, which identifies the location or the song being performed by the burlesque cast. Live music, directed by Robert Ollis, enhances the burlesque mood."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...For a small venue, the production seems larger than life with each character bursting on stage making it their own. This script has it all—from clever dialogue filled with double entendres to wonderful one line zingers. And A small band conducted by Robert Ollis is an unexpected and quite delightful backdrop to the beautifully choreographed burlesque dance and singing sequences They are flawlessly executed as the dancers repeatedly sing to the audience in sexually suggestive manners, “Meet me around the corner in a half an hour.” (Choreographer, Nathan Mettleman)."
Splash Magazine - Recommended
"...Deftly directed by John Nasca, who also designed the adorable 30's costumes, the show blooms with well-crafted music direction by Robert Ollis, versatile lighting by G. Maxin IV, cheery, clever choreography by Nathan Mittleman and a really fun set including the fictitious Irving Place Theater, designed by Jeremy Hollis, behind which the live musicians perform really jazzy tunes. On the night this reviewer attended, the talented musicians were Robert Ollis, conductor and pianist; Lara Ochoa Regan on saxophones and clarinet; Sean O'Donnell on trumpet and flugelhorn; and Tony Scandora on percussion."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Kracht’s Chauncey is an excellent juxtaposition to these strong and morally secure characters. Chauncey is a staunch supporter of the Republican Party yet defends burlesque and free expression. He believes in his performance as a nance but is full of self-hatred when he rejects Ned’s multiple attempts to establish a monogamous relationship with him."
