The Snow Queen at Victory Gardens Theater - Biograph

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...While there is plenty to feed the eye here, it is Smith's score that is the star here. The more you hear his whip-smart, alternately sharply sardonic and lushly poetic lyrics, and the more you consider the seamless way he has stitched together such wildly eclectic musical styles to create a beautifully unified but unusual tapestry, the more impressive it becomes."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Director Frank Galati's prettily designed production barely scratches the surface of the complex narrative, but Andersen's moral about innocence conquering evil and devotion melting an icy heart comes through clearly with the aid of Blair Thomas and Meredith Miller's puppetry. Since its debut in 2006, Victory Gardens Theater's Christmas perennial has acquired a slick kiddie-show quality that's at odds with the appealing quirkiness of Smith's score, but it's still an offbeat alternative to more traditional holiday fare, and the vocalists--especially Barbara Barrow--are terrific."

EpochTimes - Highly Recommended

"...From start to finish, you will love every minute. One can tell that this production was written by Smith and directed by Galati from the heart. It is almost as if Andersen himself held the brush as they reached for the canvas to paint a picture filled with love."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...This is enchanting family-friendly theatre. Andersen’s world of magical winter tales that include frozen shards from the Devil, talking animals, wooden soldiers, witches, mysterious spells and lost children come to life in song. Now a classic holiday show, The Snow Queen has grown up into a polished work of art."