Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Finally, Osetek got his wish. And you could see all those years of pent-up ideas crammed onto the Drury Lane stage in a production born of a fully engaged heart and (I suspect) the backs of many a napkin, but that lacks a clear, unified aesthetic. The staccato sensibility has messy moments (Osetek had enough for three different productions), but I swear there is nary a second of stage time here that's not brimming with talent, excitement, fragility, risk-taking and raw desire. And that's what matters the most in any "Chicago," especially in Chicago, which deserves to have this John Kander and Fred Ebb (and Fosse) show finally come home. With a production that does not force you to look at the orchestra all night where the set is supposed to be."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The revival of “Chicago” now at Drury Lane Theatre is sensational. And with director William Osetek, choreographer Jane Lanier, music director Roberta Duchak, a small but formidable orchestra led by Chris Sargent and a volcanic cast all putting their distinctive stamps on the show (whose 1996 Broadway revival now holds the distinction of being the longest-running American musical in Broadway history), this tawdry, tragicomic tale has lost none of its allure."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...The hit musical "Chicago" famously uses vaudeville acts to take aim at two manipulative "murderesses" and their rivalry to become showbiz celebrities. But it's the media this time around that is held up as a major target in Drury Lane Theatre's flashy homegrown "Chicago" in Oakbrook Terrace."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...it's finally back, and everything works in this razzle-dazzling production directed by William Osetek. Comparisons with the film adaptation are inevitable, but for my money Drury Lane's version puts the corrupt social order of the play in a much more sober light than the movie does. Felthous, alongside Alena Watters as Velma Kelly, heads up a superb cast predominantly of out-of-towners."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...These ladies have some fierce competition on the Oakbrook boards, with Chicago's own diva E. Faye Butler raising the roof as Matron Mama Morton, and the soulful and debonair Guy Lockard slipping effortlessly into the sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn. Not content to simply turn these considerable talents loose in a reproduction of the long-running Broadway and touring versions, Director William Osetek places his company within a freshly minted vision that surges with creative life. Every element of the production from Kevin Depinet's multi-level set to Sully Ratke's period costumes evokes the spirit of the Roaring Twenties. Now, whoever says that crime doesn't pay hasn't been to "Chicago" or Oakbrook."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Leave it to Drury Lane Oakbrook, a Chicago landmark theater, to do a new version of "Chicago" the musical as pert of their 2017/2018 season. Over the years, I have seen countless productions of this Award Winning musical, and in most cases, they have always followed the original pattern. The story is simple: It is Chicago during the "Roaring-Twenties" and we get to watch women who kill people prepare for their trials with a flim-flam attorney. The book was written by Bob Fosse (a Chicago treasure) and Fred Ebb with the music by Ebb and the music by John Kander."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...For the first major, regional production in its namesake city, audiences should drop everything and rush to Oakbrook Terrace to catch this incredibly effervescent production. For theatergoers unfamiliar with this scathing musical lampoon of our judicial system and criminals as celebrities, or for those who only know this musical from its Oscar-winning 2002 film version, this majestic production is calling your name. But, for patrons who are already big fans of the Kander & Ebb classic, but may have forgotten the magical brilliance of this piece, treat yourself now. The name on everybody's lips is gonna be "Chicago.""
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...Director William Osetek guides the production with a respect for its 1970's roots. The only major embellishment I noted was expanding the role of the Hungarian prisoner who was the first woman to be hung for murder in Cook County history. Choreographer Jane Lanier was mindful of Bob Fosse's original choreography in the Drury Lane dancing while keeping her talented chorus moving athletically through almost 20 numbers."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...With Bob Fosse protege Jane Lanier's stunning choreography and Roberta Duchak's steady choral direction both expertly executed by the lithe, ghostlike ensemble, patrons are appropriately allowed to focus on Director William Osetek's three leads. Each of them provides enough of the ole razzle-dazzle necessary for a tremendous night of musical theater."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...CHICAGO is a show that will always feel choppy due to its vaudeville nature - each song becoming a separate “act” in the production. Unlike the most recent production that passed through Chicago last year, Drury Lane plays to the vaudeville style without losing the cohesiveness of the story. This production flows well as we follow each character from Guy Lockard as Billy Flynn, to E. Faye Butler as Mama, to the ladies of the Cook County jail. The entire cast elevates the music and keep us engaged."
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Other elements of the show such as the smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn (Guy Lockard) appearing in an Uncle Sam costume, the gullible reporter Mary Sunshine (J. London) dressed as a cross between Lady Liberty and Lady Justice and Roxie and Velma (Alena Watters) appearing with gloves that look white but blood-splattered in "Nowadays" also raise the questions. In this age of "alternative facts" and Black Lives Matter, when African Americans are incarcerated at far higher rates than other ethnicities, when murder and violence is an epidemic, are these really the best choices for this production especially when it's actually playing in Chicagoland?"
