Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"..."Master Class," which is a wonderful, proven piece of writing that has lost no power with time, does not need histrionics and certainly not diva cliches. Harrington and Anzevino are right to avoid those. But a show about Callas does need the tension put into the air by a volatile genius, long gone. And the closer she can get to us, and to our own insecurities, all the better."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Terrence McNally's 1996 Tony Award-winning play, expertly directed here by Fred Anzevino, is a marvel, too. Inspired by a series of master classes the fabled Callas gave at the Juilliard School of Music in 1971, McNally, a passionate fan of opera, gives us an intriguing dual portrait of the notorious artist. We see her as both the fiery believer in the divinity of art, and as the deeply troubled narcissist whose adoration by her audience never fully compensated for her feeling of being unloved by the man she loved most."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...By the time the opera singer Maria Callas died in 1977, her considerable talents had been overshadowed by dubious tabloid accounts of her personality. Terrence McNally's Tony-winning 1995 play, directed here by Fred Anzevino for Theo Ubique, doesn't exactly set the record straight, but it is a wickedly entertaining portrait of La Divina as an artist. In the twilight of her career, she's at the helm of a master class, interrupting her students for the umpteenth time to declare that "it's not about me!" McNally gives us a flavor of the storied voice with recorded arias, scripted over with lurid personal monologues."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Master Class is typically performed in large touring productions showcasing "name" actresses, not tiny neighborhood cafés with non-equity casts. Ironically, Theo Ubique's cozy room reinforces the illusion that we are participating in a tutorial. Fred Anzevino directs an ensemble led by multiple Jeff winner Kelli Harrington, who recites lyrics with such mellifluous relish that you swear she's actually singing. Filling out the stage picture are Ashlee Hardgrave, Rachel Klippel and Kevin R. Siembor ( who warbles a fine "Recondita Armonia" ), in addition to accompanist Jeremy Ramey and real-life stage manager Page Keedy."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...While the rest of the cast are written as foils for Callas, they do their parts with exactitude, offering Harrington the support her role requires. Set against Theo Obique's intimate backdrop, this is also a show about art's ability to imbue an artist's life with meaning. As Callas casts back to her homely teenage years when she chose a pencil to mark her score over an orange to nourish her, and then forward to her lauded debut, we see the fragility of a woman first sustained by then bereft of art's ephemeral fuel."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...It's the students, however, that fail this Class. For the play to feel like anything more than a monologue with interruptions, Maria's "victims" need be in both awe and fear in the diva's presence. There's hay to be made of these roles; Audra McDonald won a Tony Award as the final soprano in the original staging. Yet when they aren't singing, the three supporting actors in Fred Anzevino's production barely read even in a room as cozy as the No Exit Cafe, registering merely as wishy-washy. As written by McNally, one of the students protests Maria's attempts to guide her performance, saying, "I'm not an actress; I'm just a singer." This cast seems to have taken that line too much to heart. And that won't stand up to a Callas, whether the real thing or McNally's puppet Master."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...Fred Anzivino does such an incredible job directing this production, that his work is almost invisible as the Callas' class seems so real that you forget you are at the No Exit Cafe. Then there are the glorious arias sung by her students Ashlee Hardgrave, Rachel Klipple, and Kevin Siemborthatt that juxtapose the Callas monologues which show the emotional void that haunted her for her entire life."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...With outstanding piano work by Jeremy Ramey and nice acting by the terrified students, Ashlee Hardgrave, Rachel Klippel, and Kevin R. Siembor -who also demonstrate their vocal chops, we see Callas as she both attacks, then admires each. But, Master Class is essentially Maria Callas’ biography as well as her thoughts about the essence of performing art. Kelli Harrington dominates the stage as the fickle diva whose mere presence strikes terror into her students. She delivers Callas biting comments, her vivid facial expressions, as well as her glowing love of the beauty in bell canto singing when her students do it correctly – with feeling and respect for the music. Harrington’s performance justifies seeing Master Class- she , indeed, gives her own ‘master class’ on acting."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...Under the expert direction of Fred Anzevino, Kelly Harrington is the ultimate diva. Harrington transfixes with every word, every gesture, every movement. She has the perfect balance of pride and resignation. She demands a pillow with habitual entitlement. Later, she brutally critiques a student's outfit choice. Both moments are delivered with a sophisticated elegance that adds to the hilarity. Although Harrington is deliciously over-the-top affected, her performance is subtly controlled. Harrington, as Callas undoubtedly was, never drops the veil of professionalism. Her demand is for integrity to the art. Some of the best moments are Harrington modeling the passion she is requiring in her students."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Directed with sheer precision by Fred Anzevino with just the right touch on a set designed by Adam L. Veness, who seems to know how to use this very small spot to its best advantage for viewing, this is an enchanting production. The techinical aspects are as sharp as the onstage work with lighting (Brian Hoehne),props(Paige Keedy, who also serves as stage manager and who from time to time appears IN the story) and costumes by Bill Morey.The musical direction and pianist is Jeremy Ramey who handles the piano with great dexterity and hits the mark in playing the role of the pianist as well."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This brilliant production ultimately leaves audiences with the image of a perfectionist who expected nothing less from her students. Hoping to impart the wisdom from her collective experiences to music's future generation, the audience sees a woman who was first and foremost a hyper-critical artist, and whose personal happiness occurred only when she was on a stage performing for her adoring public."
