Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if the kitsch factor is embraced, but this Brown Paper Box Co. production, directed and choreographed by Daniel Spagnuolo, attempts to play it straight, with chintzy, piped-in keyboards and downplayed variations on book writer Neil Simon's zingers. In an attempt to mitigate the script's cheesiness, actor Dan Gold transforms Hamlisch from a nerdy savant into a sarcastic jackass, and as Sager, Carmen Risi doesn't fare much better, stuck with rake-effect gags that offer diminishing returns. The vocals in a few ensemble numbers shine, surrounded by two hours of schmaltz."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...They're Playing Our Song is essentially a two-character show. Vernon and Sonia are the sole characters on stage; each character has a three-person Greek chorus acting as their inner voices. The Brown Paper Box Co's production uses pre-recorded music and a 70's flavored set. Basically, it is well-sung by Dan Gold and Carmen Risi with a tad too much use of the three-person male and three-person female Greek chorus. The over use of these six folks in dance routines was overkill. The choreography often coflicted with the mood of the song being sung. I'd advise cutting mush of the needless choreoraphy."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...It is not often that I miss an opening. In fact, when it is a show that I enjoy, hardly ever! But with the crazy schedule of late, I was unable to attend the opening of Brown Paper Box Company's "They're Playing Our Song", Neil Simon's delightful little "two character" play (with choruses) that takes a look at the lives of a composer and a lyricist ,represented as if this was the real life story of Marvin Hamlisch (who wrote the music) and Carole Bayer Sager (who wrote the lyrics), which at heart, may be what it is all about."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...It’s great to see and hear this wonderful musical again, almost 40 years after it first opened in the Big Apple. Since then, the show has seen productions all over the world and it’s become a staple among educational, community and regional theatres. An actor’s director/choreographer, Dan Spagnuolo has created a very entertaining production of a charming show that’s loosely based upon the real-life relationship between composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Carol Bayer Sager. It’s a story about what it really takes for a satisfying collaboration, both professionally and personally. The production not only beguiles, it showcases the talents of eight of Chicago’s triple threats and sends audiences back out into the summer night smiling and humming."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...They’re Playing Our Song, the beloved near-biopic of storied composer Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line) and lyricist Carol Bayer Sager (“That’s What Friends Are For”) is now, sigh, a period piece, along with other remnants of the Carter administration. Hamlisch, like the musical’s fictional therapist Tannenbaum, has died. But, thankfully, this story and both of these artists’ delicious music live on."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...The show is dripping with human emotion and will certainly make everyone remember the feeling of falling in love, getting hurt, and not being able to get someone out of our mind. It has all the ingredients for a perfect theatre date night."
