Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Had the young British writer Jack Godfrey made up the plot of "42 Balloons," his new musical with Broadway aspirations now in its North American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, he'd have been obliged to justify its eccentricity. But a California man who came to be known as "Lawnchair Larry" Walters really did attach 42 helium-filled weather balloons to a Sears lawn chair, take a seat and leave terra firma in 1982, reaching a whopping height of 16,000 feet during his 45-minute flight before popping some balloons with a pellet gun and floating back down to Earth."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Determinedly upbeat, even when the story gets darker, the show has plenty of charm and truly charismatic performances from its leads, who include Charlie McCullagh as nerdily obsessive Larry, Evelyn Hoskins as his initially reluctant but ultimately super-supportive girlfriend Carol, Broadway veteran Lisa Howard as Carol’s gently caustic mother, and Akron Watson as Ron, an old friend of Larry’s who filmed the takeoff."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...The show (which premiered in the UK in 2024-Chicago Shakespeare nabbed this North American premiere) is nearly all sung through. And the pop score is ingratiating and upbeat enough. But it's only in the second act-when Larry has to capitalize on his tabloid fame in order to help pay Carol back-that real conflict emerges. (Which is also where Hoskins, who is a charming presence throughout, actually gets to play something other than a supportive partner.)"
Stage and Cinema
- Highly Recommended
"...Under Ellie Coote's masterful direction, the production hums with an infectious energy. Coote maintains a delicate balance between the absurd and the profound, guiding her cast through moments of comedy and genuine pathos. It's clear she and Godfrey have a healthy respect for the true story, particularly the real Larry and Carol. While the story is outlandish and sometimes laughable, the musical paints Larry and Carol has folk heroes."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...42 Balloons is a lesson in fortitude, and listening to that small inner voice that tells you who you are, and it's a message of hope even in the darkest of times. And that's exactly what we need right now. It's a show for the whole family if you can have a serious talk about sometimes people struggle and want to un-alive themselves before your family ventures into the wild blue skies of Navy Pier."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Recommended
"...42 Balloons, inspired by the true story of Larry Walters, a man determined to become a pilot, but his childhood dreams were stolen when the Air Force turned him away due to his poor eyesight. Undeterred by their decision, and with the loving help of his girlfriend, Carol, he crafted an unconventional aircraft made from a lawn chair and a colorful array of helium-filled balloons, hoping to achieve flight and prove his doubters wrong."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Ellie Coote on a clever set designed by Milla Clarke and extraordinary choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento, this is more a work of art than a play. For the most part there is no dialogue, it is all sung, making it almost a "chamber musical". With the aid of a strong ensemble this entire piece works and for two hours and twenty minutes ( one 15 minute intermission between acts), the audience is caught up in the story and the main characters. The two main actors are supported by Daniel Assetta, Kailin Brown, Devin Cortez, Cameron Anika Hill, Josh Hoon Lee, Minju Michelle Lee ( who is amazing as The Kid), Austin Nelson, Jr. ( who does a cool David Letterman), Morgan Schoenecker, Akron Watson and Lisa Howard, who portrays Carol's mother. A terrific group of performers who do it all."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"..."It was something I had to do. I had this dream for twenty years, and if I hadn't done it, I think I would've ended up in the funny farm." This is what Larry Walters, a man with a passionate dream and a fiery fascination with flight, told the press following his unbelievable adventure in space. 42 BALLOONS is a high-flying theatrical tribute to anyone with a burning ambition or a flight of fancy. It's a marvelous musical metaphor about "What Dreams Can Do.""
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Written by Jack Godfrey, 42 Balloons follows Larry Walters (Charlie McCullagh) - a man with a dream to fly in 1982. With the help of his girlfriend, Carol (Evelyn Hoskins), he set out to complete an experiment - what would happen if he attached 42 balloons to a lawn chair and let it soar 16,000 feet above LA? He may have succeeded, but from the moment he lands, he and Carol would find that nothing following quite goes according to plan."
The Fourth Walsh
- Highly Recommended
"...42 BALLOONS is an astonishing feat from Godfrey's conception to Coote's execution. It engages as a beacon of hope in these difficult times. Larry wanted to achieve his dream. And Carol decided to help him do it. As unbelievable as 42 BALLOONS sounds, it did happen. And as the ensemble repeatedly and hilariously sings, 'you can look it up after the show.'"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Not Recommended
"...Musical theater writers don’t have to tell their audiences everything—they don’t need to hand-hold and underline every beat in bold—but they should certainly have an idea of what they are doing. “42 Balloons,” making its way from the British fringe over to the States via Chicago Shakespeare Theater. is a case of a musical with question marks aplenty."
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Move over, Marilyn McCoo... step aside, Nena... there's a new balloon song in the air. A whole bunch of 'em, actually, at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where they're producing the most whimsical, hummable, '80s-throwback-MTV-able little musical in town. 42 Balloons, a delightful British dirigible on its North American maiden flight, is here to charm, to uplift and to touch the hearts of all but the most crusty bubble-popping meanie."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Fresh off a buzz-worthy UK run at The Lowry–where The Times gave it five stars and called it “exceptionally touching”–42 Balloons is the product of a powerhouse producing team—Kevin McCollum (Rent, Oh, Mary!), Andy and Wendy Barnes (SIX), and Sonia Friedman (Merrily We Roll Along). Skillfully directed by Ellie Coote, the show features an electric Greek chorus of eight, fully aware they’re in a musical about a man who floated into the sky on lawn furniture."
PicksInSix
- Recommended
"...It's a simple premise, really. On July 2, 1982, a man named Larry Walters piloted a lawn chair attached to weather balloons to an astounding elevation of 16,000 feet over Los Angeles. Once Larry was airborne, all sorts of things began to happen. And there's even more to the story when he returns, all playing out in Jack Godfrey's Broadway-bound musical "42 Balloons" directed by Ellie Coote that opened in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Tuesday night."
Allie and the After Party
- Highly Recommended
"...A new musical in a pre-Broadway tryout, 42 Balloons tells the story of "Lawnchair Larry" a man who wanted to fly and couldn't stop thinking about that dream. The musical tells his story complete with emotional ups and downs, catchy songs, and a modern narrative style and set design."
BroadwayWorld
- Recommended
"..."What makes a man try to fly in a lawn chair?" is 42 BALLOONS most repeated lyric. It's on the nose - and it's repeated across six interludes in Jack Godfrey's new musical. Based on the real-life story of Larry Walters, who in 1982 reached a height of 16,000 feet flying a lawn chair accompanied by 42 leather balloons, the musical is squarely focused on that answer. It's ambitious and charming to make a musical about one plotline (there's no "B" storyline). The musical endears audiences to Larry (played as a true charming nerd by Charlie McCullagh)."
