Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...this show boasts a soaring and sympathetic performance from Neala Barron as Lizzie Curry, the “plain” (and plainspoken) daughter of rancher H.C. (Peter Robel). Lizzie can’t pander to shallow male fantasies of what a woman should be, no matter how much her brother Noah (Billy Dawson) tells her that she has “gotta get a man the way a man gets got.” Her father tries to get the choleric town sheriff, File (Denzel Tsopnang), to take an interest in Lizzie, to no avail. (At least, unlike “The Fantasticks,” H.C.’s plan to get Lizzie a man doesn’t involve staging an abduction.)"
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...BoHo Theatre delivers an earnest, likable rendition of this 1963 musical version of N. Richard Nash's 1954 romantic comedy The Rainmaker, which BoHo produced six years ago. Enhanced with a score by lyricist Tom Jones and composer Harvey Schmidt-it was the songwriters' follow-up to their 1960 off-Broadway hit The Fantasticks-the story focuses on Lizzie Curry, the daughter of a rancher whose cattle are dropping dead during a drought in the Depression-era southwest."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...It’s a “big sky” story with a ton of heart, this other musical created by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, composer and lyricist of The Fantasticks and I Do! I Do! Wonderfully revived by BoHo Theatre at Theater Wit, 110 in the Shade deserves packed audiences for a sweet show steeped in down-home decency and wise in the lore of love."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Peter Marston Sullivan’s swan song as BoHo’s Artistic Director will be remembered for all the warmth and wholeheartedness he’s brought to this wonderful production. Ably assisted by Ellen K. Morris’s musical direction, with Andrea Swanson’s perfectly conducted backstage orchestra, and some spirited choreography from Aubrey Adams, BoHo Theatre closes its 2018 season on a high note that offers hope and promise for next year’s theatrical offerings."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by BoHo Theatre Artistic Director Peter Marston Sullivan, this production is rich in emotion, converting this simple romance into a deeply moving story of family conflict, loneliness, love and hope. While this entire production, because of its strength, could transfer easily to a bigger stage, I am happy to have been able to experience the intimacy and the emotion in this mid-size venue. The ensemble size fit the production and filled the stage nicely; the production never felt cramped in this sized theatre."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Great work, all around, really. (Robel’s solo guitar was especially lyrical.) If anything, this musical about the open plains needs that much more open plains. Two-thirds of the stage are devoted to the Curry house, and finely detailed as it is, a more Jones-and-Schmidt-like approach — a few tables and chairs — would’ve sufficed."
Chicago On Stage - Somewhat Recommended
"...110 in the Shade is not the greatest musical in theatre history. Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones’ songs are a bit hit or miss. The story, derived from book writer N. Richard Nash’s own The Rainmaker, is a bit too pat in many aspects. File’s character particularly gets short shrift, as does Dawson’s Noah; the both feel a bit one-dimensional at times. And the possible relationship between Lizzie and File is not developed enough for us to care that much. This is a case where an excellent cast working hard is limited by the play itself. If you come for the performances and just ignore the play’s shortcomings, you should have a good time."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...As much as 110 in the Shade is a story about hope and love, it is also one of trickery. In this writer’s view Thurston does an excellent job bringing that to life through The Rain Song – which not only demonstrates his physical acting abilities, but also his top-notch vocal talents. Starbuck has to win over the crowd in order to convince them to hand over the funds for him to “bring rain”. and Sullivan and Choreographer Aubrey Adams help his cause with The upbeat choreography by Aubrey Adams begins with Thurston and spreads out to the rest of the ensemble. It is easy to see his influence spread through the movement, and by the end, we too are tapping our feet to the beat."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...it is Barron's work as Lizzie that wins the day and provides the real reason to see 110 IN THE SHADE. Barron delivers all of her vocals flawlessly but constantly reminds audiences of her considerable talent as an actor. This particularly comes to a head in the act one finale "Old Maid." Barron makes the number a dizzying, emotion-filled tour de force. It's fitting for a number that embodies both her character's strong-willed nature and her loneliness all in one."
