Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...At this stage in its development, this new musical is by no means a total bust. It is a lively entertaining piece of family-friendly theater with a spirited lead performance from Brian Sears, peppy Cohan-inspired ditties, uplifting choreography from the hard-working Bowery Boys working under Matt Raftery (if you saw the Disney movie "Newsies" you'll have a sense of the main style) and some pleasingly full orchestrations. Many people Wednesday were having a very warm and happy evening."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...This is, above all, a family show, with the band of Bowery Boy orphans singing and dancing up a storm. Jeff Dumas is full of comic panache as the aptly named enforcer, Kid Twist, with Sean Fortunato, John McFarland and Jeffrey Baumgartner as the supporting "heavies." Cheers, too, for costume designer Nancy Missimi who has dressed them all ideally, from rags to riches."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Inspired by Horatio Alger's inspirational stories, Bell's book also offers a central character so noble that he begins to seem a little retarded. Cohen's score is nicely crafted but forgettable. And yet, like Newsies, the show compensates for all shortcomings with a sharp cast and exuberant choreography."
Examiner - Recommended
"...Applause to the Marriott Theatre for giving “The Bowery Boys,” David Bell’s musical take on Horatio Alger, a world premiere of terrific production values and a robust cast. “Boys” needs some work – the plot is convoluted, the first act is sluggish – but it’s a pleasurable antidote to all those producers who would rather foist the 500th revival of “Grease” on audiences than try something new."
Chicago Free Press - Somewhat Recommended
"...Would it be that Bell and composer Jeremy Cohen had stuck closer to their musical model George M. Cohen (utilized as he was writing at the same time as Alger) when writing the show’s songs. The most successfully memorable numbers, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Mary,” stick closely to Cohen’s bright influence and are period appropriate. The rest of the numbers, despite their enthusiastic and deeply layered harmonies, all emerge with a synthetically modern twinge."
EpochTimes - Recommended
"...As this is a new production and knowing that Mr. Bell is a perfectionist, I am sure he will tighten a few things along the way and modify and change based on what he sees and the audience reaction, but this is an enjoyable evening of entertainment with some surprising twists and a message that tells us that through hard work and perseverance we can reach the goals that we set for ourselves and overcome the obstacles that fate has placed in our way- with what is happening right now in our lives, we can learn from this musical and at the same time have some laughs and watch some talented people reach the heights that they are aiming for."
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
"...Frankly, “The Bowery Boys” exceeded my expectations. I anticipated a sappy hymn celebrating the rewards of clean living in overcoming obstacles that would be insurmountable in real life. But Bell and Cohen and their fine cast don’t patronize their excessively sentimental raw material. They strike out on their own to entertain with an edgy, exciting, romantic story told with exuberance and commitment."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...Brimming with buoyant, bouncy songs (courtesy of Bell and composer Jeremy Cohen, with a nod to George M. Cohan) and high-energy dance sequences that are part turn-of-the-century music hall, part-Riverdance and part- boy band—all choreographed by talented Matt Raftery—David H. Bell’s rousing family musical seems like the perfect play. And given today’s economic climate and political scandals, the show is still as timely as it is entertaining, recalling musicals like “Oliver” and “Newsies,” and influenced by Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York"—but "The Bowery Boys" needs some judicious trimming."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...To his credit, Bell’s concocted a potboiler plot that zips merrily along. A bravura turn by Lesley Bevan, as the malevolent nanny at the heart of the machinations, anchors Marriott’s production, which never flags as urchins drop from the rafters to charm portly mustachioed bankers and brightly dressed belles. A bit tryingly, the play remains as relentlessly cheerful and exuberant as you might expect from a musical that contains a tribute to the assembly line, all the way up to the bittersweet final scene, when The Bowery Boys stops feeling like a theme-park show or Simpsons outtake and actually seems like something real."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...The storyline comes across as pure melodrama set to music featuring villains that the shoe shine boys deftly thwart. Cohen’s score moves from bouncy Cohan songs to modern pop anthems. The best parts of the show are the strong dance showstoppers."
