Plastic Revolution Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Somewhat Recommended
"...This is a very promising idea for a musical, and New Colony, which has had New York hits before, including "5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche," is made up of some talented folk. But New Colony, which based this show on a previous effort, "Tupperware: An American Musical Fable," has to take its cue from its subject, Tupperware, which is a very clear and simple product."
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
"...In Tupperware we got a pretty solid grounding in Wise, but Delores's story was practically unintelligible. Here the situation is reversed. Especially in Cassie Thompson's portrayal, Wise is just plain crazed. Also, I wish playwrights Will Cavedo and Andrew Hobgood had taken note of this little irony: That the villain of the piece—Lilah, the garden club Mussolini—might be considered a heroine now for her stance against plastic and in favor of fresh food preparation."
Time Out Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...The New Colony shows up to deliver entertainment. Its productions run on their excitement for their ideas, and Plastic Revolution has an undeniable energy that guarantees its success. And the Den is only going to give the company bigger places to go. We should all be as excited as they are."
ChicagoCritic- Somewhat Recommended
"...The New Colony will hopefully solve those sound problems and Plastic Revolution can emerge as a cute little musical. The creatives at The New Colony will improve this show as they get use to The Den's space. I'd love to hear and understand more of the witty lyrics."
Chicago Stage and Screen- Recommended
"...Though Plastic Revolution is not a perfect show—in need of a little pruning and focusing—it nevertheless is a consistently entertaining riff on a historical moment. Director Evan Linder keeps the action flowing seamlessly and quickly, and has wrangled his talented team into an ensemble that energetically and generously works together, inviting the audience to join a revolution that certainly was not this much fun in real life."
Chicago Theatre Review- Recommended
"...This musical, which never takes itself too seriously, has moments of unexpected brilliance, absurdity and nostalgic playfulness. The show is simply a romping good time. True, there’s a tiny educational component buried within the story, but mostly this musical’s simply fun, offering a Tupperware container of heart. It’s a chance to join some quirky characters in an escape to a more innocent time, and, when all’s said and done, it’s an opportunity to laugh out loud."
The Fourth Walsh- Somewhat Recommended
"...The more problematic areas of Plastic Revolution involve the book and the characterization of the secondary characters. As led by the ringleader of the neighborhood garden club, Lilah (Danny Taylor), Delores’ female neighbors are suspicious of the strange woman (Brownie Wise) they’ve seen visiting Delores’ home recently. Lilah declares in song that the garden club must “protect our homes” from interlopers and suspicious strange women. As we get to know these women a bit more, it’s unclear what they are so fiercely protecting."
NewCity Chicago- Not Recommended
"...Had "Plastic Revolution" consisted only of its first act, I would have thought it to be an unpolished musical of the ilk that often graces stages of Fringe Festivals around the country. As a full-length musical on a stage that The New Colony now inhabits as a resident company, the piece is a disappointingly rough around the edges work in need of a good workshopping."