Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...With decent pacing, throbbing music and a very attractive cast, Snyder comes up with a much livelier than usual “Lion” that maintains a very fresh and fluid landscape around the dysfunctional royals. Along with some delightfully gilded trappings from the designers, there are several hot, emotionally alive performances here from newcomers to the intimate Writers’ stage."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Jack Magaw's gorgeous Romanesque-style set (beautifully lit by J.R. Lederle) adds immeasurably to the atmosphere, with Nan Zabriskie's costumes fit for any castle. As for the play, it's Mommy and Daddy dearest, and the kids bear the psychic scars."
The Wall Street Journal
- Highly Recommended
"...Writer's Theatre is putting on a ferociously funny production of The Lion In Winter that is one of the finest shows I've seen in recent seasons, not just in Chicagoland but in all of America."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Michael Canavan and Laura Coover find flashes of tenderness as Henry and Alais (the French princess central to Henry's lusts and dynastic imperatives), while among the boys, Robert Belushi stands out as pimply sniveling Prince John. This is a wise, full-bodied take on a familiar chestnut."
Windy City Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Under Rick Snyder's direction, the show is like a train that starts slowly and gathers speed. Once the extended exposition is out of the way, the show chugs at a good clip. And the straw-scattered scenery ( Jack Magaw ) , lighting ( J. R. Lederle ) and costumes ( Nan Zabriskie ) create a handsome environment. But there's not much Snyder can do about plot repetitions or, more difficult still, the repetitive emotional beats. Sometimes the production just looks and sounds stagy."
Gay Chicago Magazine
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Writer’s Theatre delivers an extremely attractive, albeit less than incredible, production. Director Rick Snyder compiles a strong but uneven cast. His pacing is awkward and several excellent lines are lost. The direction lacks dramatic cohesion and most of the performances, although technically excellent, lack sincerity. Scenes are rushed, thereby loosing nuance and thus failing to lay the groundwork for the script’s full dramatic build and impact. The presentation is charming with little below the surface."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...At first look, Goldman's play does seem a little forbidding in its subject matter, centering on a medieval English king named Henry II and his family one Christmas season in 1183. There¹s nothing there to grab the interest of an American audience, except that the play is really a masterful comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family, and heaven knows we've seen plenty of those in recent seasons, but rarely with the wit and intelligence of The Lion in Winter."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...As mounted in a dapper, assertive production by Snyder, it proves a more-than-roadworthy vehicle for married actors Canavan and Cochran, both of whom tear into their roles as flustered aristocrats at loggerheads over which of their three sons should inherit the throne (they’re not crazy about any of their choices)."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...This is a wonderful written script expertly performed by a superb cast of “A” list Equity actors. Michael Canavan and his wife Shannon Cochran produce a marvelous spark that carries the play. Robert Belushi, Christopher McLinden and Lea Coco are the brooding sons—each turned in terrific performances. Laura Coover was extremely effective as the beautiful mistress Alais."
