Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The trio at the core of "Merrily," played here by Christopher Johnson (a fine young vocalist), Dustin Rothbart (a company co-founder) and Brittney Brown, all are deeply invested in what they're doing. And there's a really searing and sad take on "Not a Day Goes By" from Justine Cameron. This is the kind of show where the audience soaks up all the young talent, forgives any rough edges and appreciates that this is the kind of crew capable of rejuvenating the city's storefront theater scene just when it needs them the most."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...But Merrily isn't a star vehicle. It's an ensemble piece, as director Danny Kapinos's minimalist Blank Theatre staging amply demonstrates. There is virtually no set, just a bare square playing area with the audience seated around three sides. There are also chairs along the back wall, but they are for the 14 cast members to sit in or stand on as they wait for their cues. The entire non-Equity cast-all fine singers-comprise a Greek chorus who guide the audience through the story's sequential flashbacks, commenting on the action and themes and stepping forward to portray characters as needed."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The new production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along, which just premiered at the Reginald Vaughn Theatre, is a reminder of everything that live theatre is, or should be, all about. In a shoebox-sized black-box space on Thorndale Avenue, the Blank Theatre Company has conjured up a poetic miracle of a musical production, with hardly a wrong note at any moment from beginning to end, and with a wonderful surprise at its conclusion. In a long lifetime of theatre-going, I don't think I have ever seen a better or more heartfelt small-theatre production, nor even a better musical of any size."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Recommended
"...Directed simply in a minimalist, John Doyle-ish vein by Danny Kapinos, Blank's Merrily is solid proof that this musical's troublesome past is only opening a door to a brighter future."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...Since they don’t come much smaller than the Reginald Vaughn, don’t expect much in terms of spectacle from this Blank production, but the company more than makes up for that in heart: this tiny space, where the audience is mere inches from the performers on three sides of the stage, comes alive under director Danny Kapinos as this play rolls backward through the years to show how a great friendship can be crushed under the weight of ambition."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...Blank Theatre Company embodies the true essence of Chicago storefront theatre that’s drawn so many aspiring artists to Chicagoland for decades. Presenting a challenging work as Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” not only proves that Blank Theatre has what it takes, but they are in it for the long haul."
