Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...Infidelity and the pull of literature figured prominently in Nilo Cruz's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Anna in the Tropics," in which a man reading aloud Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" became an object of desire to a family of cigar-factory workers. Cruz revisits some of the same themes in "Beauty of the Father," now in a heartfelt but uneven production with Urban Theater Company under Cecilie Keenan's direction."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...In Cecilie Keenan's Urban Theater Company staging, neither Madrid Saint Angelo as the father nor Jasmin Cardenas as the daughter conveys much inner torment, which only underscores the static nature of the script. Still, as the third point in the triangle, Nicolas Gamboa is sultry and magnetic enough to seem worth all the fuss."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...While we're at it, how much of the audience's opening night response to Cruz' lyrically lush language was ignited by guitarist Armando Quintero's live pre-show conte jondo, or the faded majesty of St. Paul's sanctuary-turned-playhouse? In this brand of drama, analysis is counterproductive, the measure of success lying instead in the degree to which we become emotionally engaged. Fortunately, UrbanTheatre company member Madrid St. Angelo has charisma to spare, his fiery Emiliano contrasting with the cool gallantry of Ivan Vega's Federico, their fraternal dynamic enhanced by appealing performances from Jasmin Cardenas as the naive Marina, Nicolas Gamboa as the winsome Karim and Mari Marroquin as the matronly Paquita, under Cecilie D. Keenan's sympathetic direction."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"... Pulitzer prize-winning Nilo Cruz’s play, “The Beauty of the Father,” is thick with poetic brilliance and wisdom about the healing power of family, although somewhat tediously paced. The Urban Theater lives up to its name by presenting some of the city’s best talent: veteran actors Madrid St. Angelo, Ivan Vega, Mari Marroquin, and newcomer Nicolas Gamboa, a recent Columbia College grad whose strong presence and vivid characterization as the Moroccan lost boy/lover boy give the audience plenty to smile about."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"... Lighting designer Mac Vaughey turns the Wicker Park Art Center, a desanctified church, into warm and sunlit Andalusia. Not everything feels authentic; my Basque companion confirmed that Spaniards rarely interrupt their speech with passionate flamenco air-snaps and cries of “olé!” Gamboa has real chemistry with Cardenas, though, and St. Angelo, who projects with a room-filling brio, is a treat to watch. Vega’s Lorca, who holds a literal moon in his hands, is dapper and fragile, a wistful specter who lifts a prosaic story into enchantment."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"... As the conflicts are resolved, we cheer for these flawed yet likable characters. Can Emiliana learn to be a father? Will Karim and Marina become a flourishingitem?When will Lorca stop haunting Emiliana? The answerstoall theabove (andmore) is contained in Urban Theater Company’s engrossingdrama. Thisshow is well worth a visit. Cruz pens rich dialog and director Cecilie Keenan’s cast each delivered rich performances."
Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"... Marina and Karim find themselves infatuated with each other, falling in love, but when Marina finds out the truth of her fathers true lifestyle,things change in their newly rekindled relationship. Karim tells Marina of his love for her and that he was only using her father for gain, but she tells him that in order to have a life with her father, Karim must give himself to him, and his love is so strong he agrees to do so. This is a strong story about the man who wants to regain his daughter’s love and a daughter who would sacrifice for him what could be hers, but in all honesty, not one of Cruz’s best works. It is wordy and bumpy and while the program says 1 hour and thirty minutes, it felt like two hours ( there is a 10 minute intermission),. Perhaps the pews have something to do with that as well. There is no mention of translation, but I can see a little sharper one with this being 90 minutes, no intermission so we don’t lose the passion of the characters. This is a strong cast working very hard to make a slow paced manuscript work."
Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended
"...The greatest strength of Beauty of the Father is Gamboa, of whom we’ll hopefully be seeing a lot more action on the Chicago theatre scene. The story of the play is hardly memorable, but there are some tense scenes that will leave an impression. And the work’s language, which waxes poetic, is both one of its greatest assets and downfalls as it delivers linguistic beauty while stunting character development."
