Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...In my view, the future of Black Ensemble - which has hardly been full the last couple of times I've been - demands significantly less business-as-usual and more embracing of new challenges, styles and, well, material. I have a great fondness for this company after watching its shows, and its hugely important influence on Chicago musicals. But based on a viewing of "The Jackie Wilson Story" last Thursday, it remains plagued by what you'd call production-management issues - unacceptably uneven sound, clunky transitions, tardy entrances, props and scenery that fall apart in the actors' hands. To put it bluntly, it's time for some soul-searching and a fresh commitment to polishing a final product that commands north of $50 per ticket."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Black Ensemble Theater has been spending the current season revisiting its greatest hits. And without question, "The Jackie Wilson Story" - artistic director Jackie Taylor's music-driven bio of the singer and songwriter with the four-octave vocal range, whose electrifying stage persona earned him the nickname "Mr. Entertainment" - is at or near the very top of that list."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Directed and written by Jackie Taylor, with dynamic choreography by Rueben Echoles, the show doesn't whitewash the downbeat side of Wilson's saga-his drinking, his womanizing, his volatile temper, his depression following the murder of his teenage son, his exploitation by corrupt record executives, and his final years in a semicomatose state following an onstage heart attack in 1975. But the production's raison d'etre is the music-rousing renditions of classic hits such as "Lonely Teardrops," "Reet Petite," "A Woman, a Lover, a Friend," the 1967 crossover smash "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," and even Wilson's gospel-tinged reworking of the Irish ballad "Danny Boy.""
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Be thankful for the stalwart ensemble of seasoned company players, Rueben Echoles' precision-drill dance choreography and Robert Reddrick's likewise high-stamina stage band. An actor tasked with portraying the artist who taught Elvis, Michael and Prince why he was called "Mister Excitement" needs a rest break sometime."
Stage and Cinema
- Highly Recommended
"...The latest rouser in Black Ensemble Theater's 40th anniversary celebration/season, The Jackie Wilson Story, a retrospective on an R&B Legend, showcases terrific talent. It also revives a 2000 hit that went on to a 2002 national tour, culminating in a record run at Harlem's Apollo Theater. The blast from the past more than earns a welcome return."
ChicagoCritic
- Recommended
"...Certainly Robert Reddrick’s band was in top form, and from where I was sitting, seemed to have a done a better job than usual of balancing their sound. Viewed on its own, The Jackie Wilson Story is tragic, yet oddly redemptive. Bookended by The Marvin Gaye Story and the upcoming Story of Teddy Pendergrass, it’s the centerpiece in a dark trilogy which has a lot of repeating motifs, and whether that’s good or bad comes down to personal taste. But the music is always excellent."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...As we celebrate the 40th Anniversary season of Black Ensemble Theater with them, we are able to revisit some of the hits of their history. For some, a trip down memory lane, and for others a whole new experience, as they learn about the music and the people who brought that music to our lives. The current trip down memory lane is “The Jackie Wilson Story”, written and directed by Ms Jackie Taylor. We saw the first production of this show detailing the life of Mr. Wilson back in 2000 and the remount in 2011 . There was also a national tour of the production which ended its journey on the stage of The Apollo Theater in New York (where Mr. Wilson had been a starring light). There are many who say he was one of the greatest entertainers of our time. In watching the production and the story that Ms Taylor has written, one gets the sense that had he lived a little different lifestyle, he may have created even more for posterity."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...But Kelvin Roston, Jr. IS Jackie Wilson, and this talented performer is truly the reason to see this show. His beautiful voice, energetic performance and unbridled charm is the stuff from which stars are made. Backed by a terrific ensemble cast, particularly the incredibly talented Kora Kishe Green, as Eliza Mae, Melanie McCullough as Wilson’s first wife, Freida, and Rueben Echoles as B.B., this show simply sings. Robert Reddick’s top-notch musical direction is supported by his talented six-piece instrumental combo, that’s always the pride of this company. Yet it’s Mr. Roston who is Mr. Excitement in this production, truly making this another must-see offering during Black Ensemble Theater’s stellar 40th Anniversary season."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews
- Recommended
"...“The Jackie Wilson Story” is serviceable entertainment that suggests the heights the production could have reached with more show-stopping numbers like “Lonely Teardrops” and “Higher and Higher.” But Roston recreates enough of the flavor of the real Jackie Wilson to keep the customers content."
