Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"..."Aspects of Love," which can be amusing in moments its creators did not intend, is no "Piazza." Its plot - which reminds one partly of "La Ronde" and partly of the lazy sensual ambience of the movie "Stealing Beauty" - ultimately involves the potential seduction of a young girl, a theme that has not aged well. But the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre continues its remarkably consistent run, turning out a beautifully sung non-Equity production that showcases, along with Harrington's, the formidable talents of two other women who revolve in and out of each other's love lives, the delightfully ironic Colette Todd and the remarkably intense Rochelle Therrien. Partly by necessity in such a small space, Anzevino wisely stays away from the florid qualities of a piece that can bog down in its own portentousness, focusing instead on the desperate nature of the sensualist lives it takes from the David Garnett novel of the same name."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...It hardly needs saying that Lloyd Webber is a supremely lush melodist and here he does some complex musical experimenting that the cast (which also includes excellent work by Daniel Waters, Stephanie Hansen, Adam Fane, William Lucas and Jamie Finkenthal) finesses. Applause for James Beaudry's stunning, fearlessly executed choreography, Jeremy Ramey's flawless music direction."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Director Fred Anzevino and music director Jeremy Ramey play to the show's strengths, packing it with strong singer-actors who are capable of giving Webber's characters the illusion of depth while making his songs soar. Three in particular-Kelli Harrington, Colette Todd, and Rochelle Therrien-set the stage on fire whenever they're on it."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Yet director Fred Anzevino and his ensemble lavish an inordinate amount of work and passion into the show, even though Aspects of Love is clearly not a musical for the ages. They all do an admirable job, even if the overwrought style and structure of Aspects of Love frequently bursts against the seams of this tiny cabaret dinner theater."
Centerstage - Somewhat Recommended
"...The show has a shall we say Continental attitude towards love and sexuality. It might be enjoyable if one could sit back and enjoy the intrigue. Unfortunately there's not much of that. It's also difficult to maintain any cynical detachment during the second act, which prompts frequent exclamations of "Dude, she's thirteen!""
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...The show is almost completely sung-through, though Lloyd Webber, as is his wont, has only composed about an hour's worth of music, repeating to fill as necessary. At least musical director Jeremy Ramey, leading a four-piece band, strips the score of its bombast, and the cast is filled with strong voices. Director Fred Anzevino makes his usual smart, efficient use of the intimate No Exit Cafe space, though some of his actors seem to be playing to a nonexistent balcony."
ShowBizChicago - Recommended
"...There are many wonderful moments in "Aspects of Love" which included a circus scene with the ensemble dressed as harlequin clowns singing "Journey of a Lifetime; Jenny, (Rochelle Therrien) singing the "Mermaid Song", and Alex, (Matthew Keffer) and Rose, (Kelli Harrington) singing "Seeing is Believing". This does not limit the enjoyment of the reminder of the music."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...This may then be one of those rare occasions when production value actually outweighs the triviality of the material. Thus Theo Ubique's Aspects of Love might be best enjoyed as a loosely structured cabaret performance or as a showcase for some extraordinary Chicago talent. As a treatise on the varied nature of love, it suffers. Therefore, a word of advise: keep its "high-minded" pretenses at bay. But for the love of god, go for the music..."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...The *SINGING* is the reason to see this show. The Maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber triumphed in this score. The Playwright ALW didn’t fare as well. Based on the novella by David Garnett, the story should be called Aspects of Lust. Who knew Telemundo made porns? The story is one big soap opera that is dissatisfying. I do believe “Love changes everything.” I just don’t believe any of these characters ever really learn what love is."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...This musical is a story of love triangles and relationships. They are between a noted painter, his nephew, a French actress, the painter’s mistress and then the daughter of the painter and the actress. Sound confusing? Well, as the musical is presented, we get the real stories of these people and the relationships between them. The two most memorable songs in the score are “Love Changes Everything” and “Anything But Lonely”, but if you listen closely to the melodies, you will hear bits and pieces of other Weber musicals interspersed, and while the music is haunting at times, it is the emotion that is expressed in the lyrics along with the melody that allows us , the audience, to peer into the hearts and souls of these people."
Chicago Magazine - Recommended
"...As the title implies, Aspects of Love is all about chemistry. Make that chemistry and orchestrations/vocals, thanks to the gorgeous score by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This is, arguably, one of Webber's best scores-low on the bombast-o-meter and high in richly moving love songs. What it lacks in spectacle (no crashing chandeliers/dancing cats here), it makes up for in sheer sonic gorgeousness as it spins a web of multi-generational love (and lust). The story lines weave between men and women, women and women, and parents and children."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...Throughout this ever-moving, sung-through melodrama lush ballads and pointed recitatives wash over the audience like the Mediterranean Sea. From the musical’s opening anthem, Alex’s “Love Changes Everything,” the audience knows it’s in for an evening of romanticism. As Alex, Matthew Keffer owns the space. His rich tenor voice fills the theatre, often in a beautiful partnership with Kelli Harrington, the Jeff Award-winning actress (for Theo Ubique’s “Light in the Piazza”) who plays Rose. Ms. Harrington lights up the tiny space with her soulful, heart-felt portrayal and gorgeous soprano."
