Around the World in 80 Days Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...The dominant impulse of the new Lookingglass version—directed and adapted by Eason—is satirical. Suitable for families with kids 8 and older, the mood of the show remains light, cheerful and greatly entertaining. With Kevin Douglas' droll Passepartout at the comedic helm, a skilled cast of comedians—such talents as Joe Dempsey, Ericka Ratcliff, Rom Barkhordar and Nick Sandys—plays a bevy of international eccentrics, many of whom could be farcical refuges from a Peter Sellers movie."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...This production is Lookingglass at its very considerable best -- a high-spirited, imagination-filled escapade that makes use of a slew of theatrical tricks, among which the most notable is the ability of a polymorphous eight-person cast to suggest a cast of hundreds. And Laura Eason's exceptionally graceful adaptation of the Jules Verne classic -- which she also has directed with the lightest and most seamless sense of balletic whimsy -- manages to be both wise and fun-filled."

SouthtownStar - Highly Recommended

"...Written and directed by Laura Eason with joyful whimsy and fantastic invention, this stage adaptation of the Jules Verne novel comes to exhilarating life in a dazzling display of theatrical genius."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...a combination of sly visual wit, subtly effective digs at imperialism, and fine supporting turns (particularly Kevin Douglas as Fogg's French valet, Passepartout, and Ravi Batista as the Indian widow who cracks his stiff upper lip) add up to an engaging, family-friendly show."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...Laura Eason's adaptation and direction keeps the phlegmatic Fogg and his immediate entourage hurtling forward at breathless momentum, substituting vigorous sea chanteys and a cappella sleigh-ride lullabies for Lookingglass' trademark aerialist adagios. Even the locale changes are executed with the swiftness of conjuring tricks, thanks to Jacqueline and Richard Penrod's origami scenic design (which considerately includes a route map that keeps us oriented to the progress of the global voyage)."

Gay Chicago Magazine - Somewhat Recommended

"...Ensemble member Laura Eason just misses with her adaptation of Verne’s rich tale of mysterious, wealthy and precise Phileas Fogg. While putting this rich work to stage is a daunting task, it is a job one should be ready to take on fully. It is unclear whether Eason knew what she was getting into before putting pen to paper. What is clear is that the enormousness of the work got the better of her often and, while she does have ample help from a well-meaning and captivating cast, they can’t fill the holes her script leaves fully enough to fully engage us."

TheatreMania - Somewhat Recommended

"...Since Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days became an instant success in 1873, there have been dozens of stage and film adaptations, so the question is not whether it's worth telling yet again, but why? That question isn't fully answered by Lookingglass Theatre Company's charming if unremarkable version of Around the World in 80 Days, adapted and directed by Laura Eason and featuring an eight-person cast."

EpochTimes - Highly Recommended

"...This sparkling adaptation of Verne's story by Laura Eason ( who also directs) is perfectly suited to the intimate Lookingglass stage located in the historic Chicago Tower Water Works on Michigan Avenue and with the clever set design by Jacqueline & Richard Penrod, perfect lighting by Lee Keenan, music by Kevin O'Donnell and sound by Joshua Horvath, the eight actors bring this story to life in a unique and novel production.Ms. Eason chose wisely in a story to adapt for Lookingglass and has recreated this story as a much better work than others before her have attempted. This is a version that should be around for many years to come."

Copley News Service - Highly Recommended

"...The focus of the story resides in the character of Fileas Fogg, played with stiff-upper-lip British stoicism by Philip R. Smith. Under Smith’s beautifully shaded performance, Fogg’s icy exterior gradually melts under the stresses of his journey and even more from his growing regard for the beautiful Mrs. Aouda, a young widow he rescues from ritual death in India. It’s a very different Phileas Fogg we see at the end of the play, thanks to Smith’s sensitively wrought transformation of Fogg’s personality."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...Eason’s affable adaptation plays up elements of Verne’s novel that are sometimes forgotten: the romance between Fogg and Mrs. Aouda, for instance, or Verne’s portrait of British imperialism at its strongest. Above all, though, 80 Days is an adventure story, and Eason moves stylishly if not always swiftly from set piece to set piece in Verne’s tale, from the cuckoo-clock orchestration of Fogg’s London life to such minor motifs as teacups sliding across a shipboard table."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...What makes this epic so enthralling is the quick pace of the story, the theatricality, and the scope of images presented live, on stage. We see the elephant chase, the storm at sea, the speeding ice sled, and the unsteady movement of the ocean liner. Creating illusions that stimulate imagination is the key to successful stage craft. Lookingglass Theatre excels in such presentations."