Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Adapted by Michael Hollinger and Aaron Posner from Hollinger’s translation of the original, the script is studded with anachronistic turns of phrase and visual jokes. For example, Cyrano’s fellow Gascons settle in with large bags of popcorn to hear the story of how he felled 100 attackers in one night. When an antagonist offers to help Michael B. Woods’ Cyrano “test your mettle,” he retorts, “You would not like the test results.”"
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Hollinger (a Philadelphia playwright who cites Moliere and Mamet among his major influences) and Posner have concocted a witty, rhythmically vigorous script that melds classical elegance with contemporary accessibility. Director Steve O'Connell's intimate staging features exciting fight choreography by Jon Beal and Kai Young, well executed by a gifted nine-person cast."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...It's wonderful, therefore, to see an engaging and vigorously-performed version of Cyrano in accessible, robust ( although not slangy ) 21st century English, which nonetheless is faithful to the story, characters and values of Rostand's 1897 neo-classical work in rhymed verse. This version partly is in rhymed verse and partly in prose, but either way it puts language at the forefront. All of Rostand's brilliant and audience-pleasing set pieces——the sword fight while reciting poetry, the passionate balcony wooing scene, Cyrano's rejection of sycophancy, the tender death scene—are preserved here while also re-invigorating the text."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The cornerstone here is actor Michael B. Woods, whose Cyrano is spikily arrogant, for sure, but also kind, generous, and melancholic in equal measure. He’s a tragic hero worth spilling tears over. He’s supported by an energetic and likable cast, particularly Vahishta Vafadari as Roxane—the object of Cyrano’s affection, but also a formidable woman in her own right—and Zach Livingston’s rugged but dull-tongued Christian."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Jon Beal’s fight choreography is visceral and thrilling: Oddly the one scene here that’s enlarged from the original is Cyrano’s battle with 100 adversaries sent by De Guiche. Legion character work comes from Matty Robinson as the all-purpose pastry cook Ragueneau, Stephen Peebles as Cyrano’s supple confidant, Eleanor Katz as Roxane’s protective companion, and, in a trouser role, Kristin Hammargren, a dignified villain as Cyrano’s aristocratic rival and military superior, the Comte de Guiche. (Curiously, the production omits Ragueneau’s all-important wagon in the fourth act where Christian and Roxane finally consummate their marriage before the Siege of Arras.) The small ensemble dutifully double and triple up as Gascon cadets, patrons of the Theatre Beaujolais, pastry-shop patrons, and a nun in Roxane’s convent."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...BoHo Theatre has put together an updated but still thoroughly enjoyable production of "Cyrano". It's a more modern Cyrano but he's still the anti-hero with the humongous schnoz. "Cyrano" is still a swashbuckling adventure story but it's also got enough tongue-in-cheek humor and sight gags to keep everyone entertained."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Kudos to Jon Beal for his excellent fight choreography, absolutely essential for the successful portrayal of several swordfights. Patrick Ham’s scenic design backs the stage with a broad brick exterior wall, balcony at one side and a large chandelier overhead. Christina Leinecke’s costumes are basic leatherlike uniforms for the male characters and colorful silk and lace for Roxane."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Somewhat Recommended
"...Though this adaptation aims to “ditch the pretentions” it should not be at the expense of nuance and the basic humanity of the characters nor the charm of the language. Here the actors rely too heavily on the words to do all of their heavy lifting and doing little to breathe life into their respective roles."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...Boho's Cyrano is a truly wonderful night at the theatre. No matter what you wish to get from a show-laughter, pathos, love, high energy fight scenes, etc.-the play has them in abundance. You will be entertained. This is the play that introduced the world to the word "panache," and that is a quality the production has in abundance. It's a swashbuckling good time."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...CYRANO is a fantastic story to begin with - the love triangle, the band of Gascony brothers, wit, charm, war - every theme packed into one play. BoHo’s take is a good fit for anyone who loves the original play as it brings a fresh take to this work. CYRANO is engaging anyway you look at it and should not be missed for those who looking for a show that has it all!"
NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...BoHo Theatre presents Michael Hollinger and Aaron Posner's 2011 translation and adaptation of the Rostand, which largely renders the verse of the original in modern vernacular but gestures at poetry in moments of emotional intensity-love, death and swordplay. As directed by Steve O'Connell, the cast universally takes a heavy-handed approach to the text, striving to cry, strut, pose and shout at a volume disproportionate to the size of the stage, the propinquity of the audience, and the needs of the work."
