Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Blank did not invent the very Chicago idea of postage stamp productions of full musicals, but they do it in a cool way and I admire the way director Danny Kapinos' production just throws this 1960s material out there at face value, trusting the audience to see it in the context of its moment, and thus allowing us to see the pain behind what superficially is a caper-driven romp. That's a great credit to Brandy Miller, who throws heart and soul into Fran Kubelik, the decent young woman trying to navigate the treachery of corporate men and their assorted enablers."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Blank Theatre has a capable cast on the whole, but director Kapinos misses any opportunity to provide satire or social commentary. Instead of using Simon’s glib wit to provoke thoughts about sexuality or gender or power, Kapinos packages the 1968-set story as a campy rom-com."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Blank Theatre Company’s small but spirited revival of Promises, Promises lands just in time for cynics and romantics alike to enjoy this holiday season. Directed by Danny Kapinos and featuring a tight live band (music direction by Aaron Kaplan), it wears its dated references comfortably without feeling too much like a dusty museum piece. (And let’s face it, it’s not as if our enlightened age of sexual harassment trainings has eliminated predatory bosses.)"
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...I always tell my readers and listeners that the beauty of “live theater” is that you always see a new production, even if it is a play you have previously seen. A different director, choreographer, set, venue and cast make all the difference in the world and tonight Blank Theatre Company of Chicago proved my point ( and then some!!). Their current production of “Promises, Promises”, the musical version of Billy Wilder’s and I.A.L. Diamond’s “The Apartment”, is being presented in the studio at The Greenhouse Theatre, which is probably the tiniest stage in Chicago for a musical, and under the clever direction of Danny Kapinos, it worked!"
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...Appropriately enough, the Blank Theatre company has revived the show for the holiday season (the show is set at Christmastime), and I am pleased to report that the production, under the direction of Danny Kapinos, is an absolute gem. Brimming with Bachrach’s catchy score, the show’s infectious tunes and witty story dazzle, thanks to the super-talented cast that knows how to land a laugh, touch your heart, belt a song and fill the tiny stage with dance."
Chicago On Stage - Recommended
"...It's a lot to deal with in such a small, oddly-shaped space, but Kapinos does an admirable job of controlling things, taking advantage both of his cast and Spencer Donovan's set design, which contains a few surprises. The show itself is a lot to deal with, too, for this reviewer. Do I recommend it, based on the performances, the direction, and the choreography, all of which certainly deserve a recommendation? Or do I allow my modern sensibilities to rule the day and pan it because of the contemptible conduct of so many of its (male) characters? In the end, I will make the choice I usually make in such circumstances and reward the actors and design team while holding my nose against the ugliness of much of the material."
Splash Magazine - Recommended
"...Promises, Promises is a show that is very much a product of its time. Much about the musical is dated, certainly not the “abandoning one’s moral principles” part, but, in particular, the idea of doing so in service to a soulless corporate conglomerate and the unfeeling bastards who populate its corporate suites. It’s hard to imagine very many young people today willingly sitting on a park bench in the rain while their apartment, and the person they love, are both being used by their corporate superior, merely for the promise of a promotion to Assistant Manager of Something or Other."
