Alas! Alack! Zorro's Back! at Quest Theatre Ensemble

Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...But 1995's "Alas! Alack! Zorro's Back!", featuring a book by Tim Kelly and a score by David Reiser, just doesn't contain the same charming sense of discovery as "The Drunkard." You can still boo and hiss at the villains -- Buck Badum (Jason Bowen), the scheming proprietor of the Hotel Cucaracha (and yes, there's a song about it set to the Eagles' "Hotel California") and his hot-tamale partner in crime, Conchita (Kieran Welsh-Phillips). It's odd that "The Drunkard," a true museum-piece melodrama, should feel fresher than the one crafted for contemporary audiences, but that's the situation with Andrew Park's staging."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...it's hard to know why Quest Theatre Ensemble director Andrew Park would present it as grown-up theater, or why he would push his talented cast to such broad extremes that the already flat jokes are mostly trampled. Only Stephen Barker as Zorro manages to play it straight and earn real laughs."

Windy City Times - Recommended

"...artistry all comes with Quest's hilarious execution and over-animated performances. Here Nick Rupard's scenery of scroll-drops and cactus cutouts is picture perfect, while the comic timing of the cast (in heavily exaggerated make-up) is a constant delight."

Chicago Free Press - Somewhat Recommended

"...The good news: Quest Theatre Ensemble returns with more completely free theater. (Donations cheerfully accepted, though never with any guilt-inducing expectations.) The better news: Artistic director Andrew Park again packs his stage with a highly talented cast, plus a crackerjack five-piece band. The not-so-good news: This time around, the material Park has chosen—a Zorro knockoff — is lackluster and dull, although the enthusiastic ensemble tries its considerable best to enliven the story."

Centerstage - Highly Recommended

"...Infused with can-do energy and delightfully misplaced pop-culture references, "Zorro" is a feel-good musical comedy that allows audience members to sit back and enjoy a mythical world where everything is clear-cut, where good always triumphs and where you are heartily encouraged to throw popcorn every time the bad guy comes on stage."