Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The actual selections in this revue are light on ballads and I could make a list of other worthy Kander and Ebb songs I'd rather hear now that some of the content chosen here. But there are still riches: "All That Jazz," "Maybe This Time," "My Coloring Book." All are well performed by a skilled and honest cast of total pros: a mere pandemic has yet to excise my memory of Murphy in "City of Angels" on this very stage and she anchors things beautifully here again."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Music Director Ryan T. Nelson and longtime Marriott conductor/music supervisor Patti Garwood create a marvelous soundscape. Little touches from Garwood's seven-piece orchestra (the insistent thrum of bass underlining Blackwell's yearning, soaring "Maybe This Time") and large ones (the manic, jangly discord of "Money, Money") amplify the emotion packed into the lyrics."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...If all Marriott Theatre had to recommend "The World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb" was the celebrated duo's colorful, character-driven tunes and the golden-voiced quintet and instrumentalists who perform them, it would be enough. But Marriott has another, not-so-secret advantage in director/choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge, who does for the Lincolnshire production what she did so brilliantly five years ago for Drury Lane Theatre's revival of "Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller.""
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...The Marriott Theater is reopening for business with a revival of “The World Goes ‘Round,” a review (originally titled “And the World Goes ‘Round”) that features songs by the Broadway music and lyrics team of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Patrons expecting a predictable “and then they wrote” compilation of greatest hits will rejoice in the Marriott’s exhilarating and often stirring production that approaches the material with continual creativity and artistry."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...The 90-minute performance struggled somewhat with being either a play or a musical; however, their harmony and vocals make this musical worthy of your attention."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The five cast members truly shoed their range as they strutted their stuff. The concept that they used to re-imagine this revue is that the five performers reflect on what they missed, their relationships, their songs and dances ( including a tribute to choreographer Bob Fosse ( many Kander & Ebb shows were his choreography) with the black bowler hats and gloves."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This production marks the reopening one of Chicagoland's longtime favorite musical venues, the unique arena theatre that is the Marriott Lincolnshire. Marcia Milgrom Dodge's superb musical revue is a colorful celebration of everything that makes life worth living, especially in the theatre. It's a tribute to the 50 year brilliance of legendary songwriting team John Kander and Fred Ebb, known for their countless Broadway shows, movie musicals and television specials. This reimagined production also honors the thousands of performers who, for the past two years, haven't been able to what they were born to do: perform for a live audience. The show examines, through song, what may have been lost but has now, thankfully, been restored. Relationships emerge, love blossoms and the sheer joy of the theatre burns again, hopefully never again to be extinguished."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Recommended
"...From this reviewer perspective, the tight harmonies, particularly heard among the ladies in “Trio” and others, are the show’s absolute highlights. So, too, are the reimagined, more purposefully jazzy versions of “Cabaret,” “New York, New York” and others that showcase the terrific Marriott orchestra, led by Patti Garwood."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...It was all brought back to life with superb solos, duets, trios and dance numbers by Broadway, regional and Marriott performers Amanda Rose, Allison E. Blackwell, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Meghan Murphy and Kevin Earley."
PicksInSix - Recommended
"...There is something for everyone in Marriott’s high-stepping, emotional return that reminds us of the broad and significant contributions of Kander and Ebb to musical theatre and the careers of so many who have interpreted their music. That list includes Chita Rivera and a young Liza Minnelli who starred in the title role of their first Broadway show Flora The Red Menace which was a quiet thing all its own. Despite only 87 performances, Minnelli won the 1965 Tony Award, a harbinger of things to come."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Thirty years ago, a team of musical theater pros (director Scott Ellis, choreographer Susan Stroman and librettist David Thompson) crafted a selection of Kander and Ebb's songs into an Off-Broadway revue. Debuting Marriott's 2012-22 season in a production directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, The World Goes 'Round encapsulates the Kander-Ebb notion of romance and adventure. It's a tattering, battering experience that's hard to resist, in this writer's view."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"..."THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND," is a delightful musical revue featuring the esteemed works of John Kander and Fred Ebb, one of the most prolific and acclaimed musical creative teams on Broadway. It's a tribute to your favorite musical memories."
