Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...Kokandy's hugely inventive production, which is a must-see for anyone interested in the long Chicago tradition of fresh and intimate takes on failed Broadway musicals, goes a long way toward giving Amelie back her crucial sense of self and worth. You might say it de-tropifies her. Most specifically, that is achieved by the delightful Aurora Penepacker, who plays the central character here and makes Amelie entirely her own, even though she comes with a Tautou-like Parisian bob and a day-glo vivacity that put me most in mind of Jasmine Amy Rogers in "Boop! The Musical.""
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...In Kokandy Productions' Chicago premiere of the musical running through Sept. 28, "Amelie" is an amiable romp that's at its best when in song. Fortunately, this is most of the time. Directed and choreographed by Derek Van Barham, it also has a saccharine, Pollyanna-ish feel that the movie somehow avoided. The plot is ripped from the pages of the Girl Scout manual: Do good, but don't show off about it."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...Kokandy Productions serves up a delicious Chicago-area premiere made sweeter by the beguiling Aurora Penepacker as the titular Amélie, a spritelike, young waitress turned anonymous do-gooder."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...The entire basement space is utilized for the production. Chairs, bistro tables, couches are arranged around a small performance area with two large doors at the back. Furniture and musical instruments move in and out according to the needs of the scene. Washing hangs on clotheslines above the audience, shutters are suspended in the air. The furniture is quaint and brightly colored. G "Max" Maxin IV's set and light design depicts not so much a French bistro but our idea of what a French bistro ought to look like. It's highly apropos for the fanciful silliness that will follow."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...t seems that Kokandy Productions has mastered the art of "chamber musicals". They have also mastered the art of space management. Let me start by telling you that this theater company continues to utilize the lower level venue of The Chopin Theatre as never before, and it is a delight to see. The current production, " Amelie the Musical" based on the French film, with a book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messe and lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Messe is a love story that is quite musical and is what I consider a "chamber" piece. For those unfamiliar with the term "chamber" it is a classic musical piece written for a small ensemble of instruments typically with one performer per part."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Director/Choreographer Derek Van Barham's incredible new production is absolutely pitch-perfect. There's not a false note in any of the performances in this wacky, way-out story. It's simply a joyful tale about a young woman who wants her friends and acquaintances to be happy-even if it surpasses her own bliss. The talented trio of Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Syd Genco (Makeup Designer) and Keith Ryan (Wig Master) work to help us to further understand each character."
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...With 'Amelie' Kokandy Productions proves again what makes Chicago such a thriving non-equity theatre scene. Creativity and talent intersect with their revival. There's a world in which an 'Amelie' musical could be the cringiest thing to ever trod the boards, but instead Van Burham goes for something more authentic. His version has found a refreshing balance of the artful and the wistful."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Highly Recommended
"...Essentially an opera in jazz manouche, it is a sort-of “Once”, but also a sort-of “Amour”—an actor-muso tale of anonymous do-goodery and unexpected romance, led by an impeccably bobbed Aurora Penepacker doing her gosh-darndest to brighten up her little corner of fin-de-twentieth-siècle Paris."
Third Coast Review
- Recommended
"...Kokandy Productions kicks off its 2025 season with the Chicago premiere of the musical adaptation of the 2001 French film, Amélie. The play is directed and choreographed by Derek Van Barham with music direction by T. J. Anderson and Anna Wegener, book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messé."
Chicago Theater and Arts
- Highly Recommended
"...The Chicago premiere of Amelie the Musical by Kokandy Productions based on the popular motion picture is a musical mosaic composed by Daniel Messe whose colorful jagged pieces eventually come together into an enjoyable if not perfectly clear image."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...The entire production team is deserving of their own standing ovation. They have certainly earned my tremendous respect. They threw all conventional wisdom to the wind, creating (what I imagine to be) a staggering amount of intentional obstacles. Such as the fact that there is no room for an orchestra pit in this space. One would assume that canned music would accompany the cast."
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...The Chicago premiere of "Amelie: The Musical," now playing in an exquisite Kokandy production at Chopin Theatre that opened Saturday in the intimate Downstairs Studio, is based on the 2001 award-winning French film written by Jean-Pierre Jenet and Guillaume Laurent. It was adapted for the stage-book by Craig Lucas, music by Dan Meese and lyrics by Meese and Nathan Tysen- and debuted in 2015 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater followed by a brief Broadway run in 2017, a UK tour in 2019 moving to the West End for a summer 2021 run."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Amelie The Musical, receiving its Chicago premiere from Kokandy Productions in a Chopin Theatre basement studio smartly reimagined as a romantic slice of Paris, hides a lively, engaging show under the weight of an aimless first act and a distractingly bad wig atop the head of its richly talented and charismatic young star."
BroadwayWorld
- Highly Recommended
"...With AMÉLIE, Kokandy Productions has turned an obscure musical into a charming and intimate production sure to give the warm fuzzies. Based on the 2001 film of the same name (notably starring Audrey Tatou in the title role), Kokandy Artistic Director Derek Van Barham’s staging captures all the charm and whimsy of its source material (and, to my mind, improves upon it even more with the musical treatment). With book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé, and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Messé, the show sweeps audiences up into the tale of the quirky Amélie and her desire to become a “do-gooder” and improve the lives of those around her."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...Director and choreographer Derek van Barham and team stage “Amélie” in the round in the Chopin Theatre’s basement cabaret space. The scenery by G Maxin IV and props by Julian Weslander are sparse and selected for practicality rather than aesthetics. A clever unfolding backdrop provides little hints of location throughout, while fog and strategically placed lighting disguise the basement’s nooks and crannies. Very “Paris Café” shab, the mismatched cabaret chairs and on-set tables for front-row audience members place you among the bustle of Paris and the Café des Deux Moulins."
Busking At The Seams
- Highly Recommended
"...There is an allure to Amelie, the character, the film, and now, the staged musical adaptation. The pull to revisit Montmartre and the crew of curiously connected strangers is all due to a special charm that fires up the second you hear those opening notes of the accordion. Amelie showcases that even in bustling Paris there is a far reaching net of connection but you do indeed have to open your door and say bonjour. Amelie is a true testament that a vibrant life is waiting outside of just our imaginations."
