Shrew'd! at First Folio Theatre

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Kriz's score lands squarely in the light jazz-and-pop songbook of the 1930s, masterfully rendered by a three-piece band of keyboardist Kevin Reeks, bassist Jake Saleh and drummer Andy Wilmoth (supplemented occasionally by flute and trumpet by ensemble members). Some of the Chicago references get laid on a bit thick, but "Shrew'd!" makes the case that finding someone who challenges you without trying to change you is a, well, shrewd recipe for romantic success."

Daily Herald - Somewhat Recommended

"...In "Shrew'd!" -- a breezy new musical adapted from William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" -- co-writers and lyricists David Rice and Lydia Hiller make palatable the sour notes that conclude this comedy about a man's efforts to "tame" an independent, willful woman."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...The show itself is intermittently charming. Some of Shakespeare’s best lines are preserved—and Miller’s sprightly direction and Ericka Mac’s choreography keep things moving. Clocking in at a little more than two hours with intermission, Shrew’d! is over before you know it."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...I always look forward to the evenings I spend watching First Folio's Shakespeare under the stars. Somehow, that atmosphere - an outdoor stage set in the lush Mayslake Peabody Estate - transports me into Shakespeare's world. That stage has been transformed into a 1930's Chicago jazz club as the backdrop for "Shrew'd", First Folio's brand new musical based on Shakespeare's misogynistic comedy, "The Taming of the Shrew". I fell in love with this show listening to the very first song, "City of Dreams", a tribute to Chicago. Don't miss "Shrew'd"!"

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Somewhat Recommended

"...However, this adaptation does not fair nearly as well in addressing the romantic focus of the play. Given that the strengths of this production lie specifically in light-hearted comedy, Rice’s and Hiller’s decision to shift the relationship between Petruchio (played in this production by Christopher W. Jones) and Katherine (played by Sierra Schnack) toward a serious “meeting of minds” presents jarring tonal dissonance in the work as a whole. Lucentio and Bianca play in the space of a riotously witty farce, while Petruchio and Katherine sing cloying want songs to the audience in the dramatic space of a soap opera."