Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Circle Theatre's intimate production, a remount of its 2015 hit, is driven by Tommy Bullington and Nicholas Reinhart's gag-packed, high-energy staging and by flamboyant, polished performances by an eight-person ensemble headed by Parker Guidry as the knowledge-seeking "Velociraptor of Innocence" and the wonderful Veronica Garza as a horny T. rex."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...The show is a sometimes awkward mix of pure meta irreverence and a surprisingly earnest (if simplistic and kind of dull) parable about science versus faith. The cast sings the hell out of the thing, but Triassic Parq is at its best when it's taking the piss out of musical theater tropes, not indulging them. It also has to be said that a few of the writers' comedic gambits, which probably seemed transgressive in 2010, now feel slightly tone deaf. (Exhibit A: Morgan Freeman is a character-the narrator, obvi-but is played by a white woman. Exhibit B: a story that literally revolves around sex-change panic.) Luckily, the songs about horny dinosaurs have held up just fine."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...The entire cast was a pleasure to watch and listen to. The vocal crispness and sincerity is why this show worked for me. Under the direction of Tommy Bullington and Nicholas Reinhart, these two pulled out some detailed moves and attitudes for this show."
Chicago Theater Beat - Highly Recommended
"...Triassic Parq is both unique (there's only one human character who appears sporadically, the rest are pure dino) and familiar (originally a best-selling novel by Michael Crichton, "Jurassic Park" has spawned a movie franchise and a reboot, the sequel to which just wrapped filming). The musical's book and score explore faith vs. science, and how the two can work for and against one another, in a lighthearted manner with a metric ton of sexual innuendoes in between. Again, a few of the gags are questionable or in poor taste - does a white woman really need to play a character named Morgan Freeman? - but overall, Triassic Parq is an excellent remount, a quick and dirty 90 minutes of pure entertainment."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Anyone who goes into TRIASSIC PARQ expecting “JURASSIC PARK! THE MUSICAL!” — full of toe-tappers like “Clever Girl,” diligent impersonations of Jeff Goldblum’s staccato phrasing, and endless jokes about replicating a Hollywood blockbuster on a microbudget…with songs! — will be surprised that it offers a little something more."
The Hawk Chicago - Not Recommended
"...While the premise is certainly innovative, the overabundance of musical numbers (this isn't Les Mis...) and the barrage of beaten-to-death, lengthy jokes ("Mime-a-saurus," played by Patrick Stengle, gives a lengthy mimed reenactment that went on for what felt like forever in front of the silent, staring audience) caused a cacophony which made the small theatre feel even smaller. When Pailet's book manages to reign itself in, paying homage to classic lines from the 1993 film without stretching the punch line into the abyss, the production offers a glimpse of the possible gem of a show that lies beneath the surface. The problem is that you'd need one hell of a paleontology team to dig enough of that up to make this into what it could be: a quick-witted, fun parody. As it stands, Circle Theatre should have let this one go extinct."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...Circle Theatre's Triassic Parq is a precious metaphor for the cultural shifts in gender identity and acceptance of queer identities we have seen over the course of the last decades. Presented by dinosaurs with humor, joy, baudiness and spectacular music, Triassic Parq makes shape-shifting an adventure. It is a perfect feel-good experience for musical theater lovers and feels destined to become a classic."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Circle Theatre presents the remount of their 2015 hit Triassic Parq, an off-the-wall musical comedy that borrows loosely from the classic film Jurassic Park. Set on an island populated by an artificially created tribe of all-female dinosaurs, Triassic Parq depicts the events that follow after one of the dinosaurs spontaneously becomes male. Wacky and hilarious, this bizarre 90-minute musical is an utter delight."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...Circle Theatre's remount of their hit 2015 production of TRIASSIC PARQ - THE MUSICAL, playing through Aug. 13 at the Heartland Studio (7016 N. Glenwood), is a triumph in every way. It's actually better than the original, high-recommended production. This is a must-see for fans of parody, camp and satire. Funny, heartfelt and occasionally moving, it's a great summer treat."
