Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"... the marquee event is executed extremely well and, as a bonus, the night ends strongly with Schmidt's song "The Little American Dream." Penned in something close to a Bernstein style, this aptly sardonic piece reminds us further of Schmidt's prodigious talent and the possibilities of his burgeoning urban career."
Chicago Sun Times
- Recommended
"...Rank and Doerr are splendid actor-singers, shifting moods on a dime as a spicy trio (Bernadette M. Garza, Jason Bayle and Brandon Dahlquist) offers worldly commentary. Bernstein's score is absolutely glorious (and hugely difficult), and music director Jeremy Ramey, his band and the performers handle it artfully."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...An erudite chamber opera exposing the reality behind the myth of the perfect 1950s American marriage and satirizing the vacuous consumerism behind the suburban ideal, the brief and haunting "Trouble in Tahiti" gets few revivals. When a good one comes along, aficionados flock. I expect they'll flock to Next Theatre for Jason Loewith's intimate, thoughtfully imagined and vibrantly sung production."
Windy City Times
- Recommended
"...The first and weightier half of The American Dream Songbook is Leonard Bernstein's 1952 Trouble in Tahiti, which concerns the marital rift and existential disappointment of Dinah and Sam ( Bernstein's father's name, not coincidentally ) . The jazz-influenced opera shows musical hints of Bernstein's Candide, four years down the road, plus thematic ideas Bernstein explored all his life: the search for happiness, the garden as metaphor—”a quiet place”—for harmony and contentment. The music is punchy, theatrical, accessible, not startlingly original but always vigorously identifiable as the Bernstein idiom: very American, sometimes parodistic and by turns sardonic and wistful as was Bernstein himself (whom this writer knew)"
EpochTimes
- Recommended
"...Director Jason Loewith has done a remarkable job of casting and using the small stage at The Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston to its best advantage. Tommy Rapley's choreography is slick and Jeremy Ramey's musical direction strong. While there are a great many songs and scripts that might serve the purpose of this evening of entertainment, I found this to be a treat in seeing something new ( despite it being written over 50 years ago) and I applaud this group for taking the initiative to do something like this. Bravo!"
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...The American Dream Songbook explores the American Dream in words and music and finds this elusive holy grail drenched in disillusion, alienation, and false values. That would make for a pretty glum evening if the songs and performances weren’t so entertaining."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...This is a massive undertaking for a director, and Loewith has missed a few spots. Collette Pollard’s mirrored backstage scenic design, for instance, feels terrific in concept but shoddy in its execution. And the revue still seems scattershot. Jeremy Ramey’s musical direction, at least, is top-notch, and the ensemble couldn’t be better."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...The American Dream Songbook is a special evening of sang, it is expertly sung by a cast of strong musical talents. Karen Doerr and Brandon Dahlquist were especially excellent. For a different take on the American Dream, this show has blend of styles with something for everyone."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The cast of five (Jason Bayle, Brandon Dahlquist, Karen Doerr, Bernadette M. Garza and James Rank) are as charming as they are musically proficient. So what is the cumulative effect of this ambitious experiment? Largely a bore with the Bernstein, but the second act offers flashes of talent. Linking the past and present was a worthy proposition, and musical theatre fans may enjoy the juxtaposition."
