Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...That leaves the quite lovely score -- the one and only reason to head to the Bailiwick (and keep an eye on Dolginoff's subsequent career). At times, its incongruous melodies and harmonies leap from the arpeggios in truly delightful fashion."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...Sometimes the simplest, most primal explanations make the most sense. That is precisely why "Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story" -- Stephen Dolginoff's spare, compulsively engrossing two-man musical about the notorious Leopold and Loeb case -- works so well."
SouthtownStar - Highly Recommended
"...A 1½-hour psychological murder mystery, this tale can't help but fascinate because of its unusual subjects. And because it is well done and ends with a surprise twist, "Thrill Me" will hold your attention from beginning to end."
Pioneer Press - Highly Recommended
"...Best of all and most gripping is watching the two characters shift positions. Before the murder, dominant Loeb leads and submissive Leopold follows in a master-slave relationship. After, everything changes as the balance of power shifts.Kudos to Dolginoff for smoothly weaving into this shift in his well crafted, fascinating drama, and to scenic designer Anthony Churchill who creates an echo of coffins and prison bars from tables and walls of slatted wood."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...In his two-character musical, Stephen Dolginoff explores the power dynamics between Chicago's notorious "thrill killers" Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, emphasizing the ways they manipulate each other in an escalating sadomasochistic game. But his preoccupation with the sexual string pulling between the murderers pushes their horrific crime to the periphery, robbing it of its social and moral context--ultimately the piece seems little more than a well-crafted exercise in sensationalism."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Scott Gryder and Eric Martin are perfectly cast, their voices blending with the silken grace of aerialists, while Lee Peters’ direction keeps the pace briskly seamless throughout the 90-minute running time—the vocal equivalent of a marathon for only two singers. And in 2006, the horror of the events depicted are sufficiently removed from our moral consciousness to permit the mythologizing of these legendary (but oh-so-lovable) bad boys."
Chicago Free Press - Recommended
"...Lee Peters’ staging of this Chicago premiere crackles like its off-Broadway predecessor, the one problem being the over-amplified accompaniment by music director Gary Edward. (Martin’s lyrics particularly suffer from the lack of balance.) But, as the title promises, this is thrilling musical drama. If the songs necessarily seem less important than the 78-year-old scandal, they tell it tautly."
Gay Chicago Magazine - Somewhat Recommended
"...When watching Bailiwick’s studio staging of this piece, I questioned if the piece would play better if placed in the hands of more skilled theatre artists. Under Lee Peters’ scaled-down mounting, two young actors, Scott Gryder and Eric Martin, portray Leopold and Loeb respectively. While the two were obviously cast for their glorious voices and musical director Gary Edward gets elegantly executed harmonies from the duo, both lack varied acting choices to give their performances any gravity. They also lack the necessary chemistry for a persuasive bonding as cohorts and lovers."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...it’s hard to prove that it should be a musical at all. Rendering the story as a two-person chamber musical, Dolginoff is mostly concerned with the couple’s domestic squabbles (sweet Leopold was so stuck on hard-to-get pretty-boy Loeb he committed murder to impress him). Yet considering how intimate and personal Thrill Me tries to be, it’s still pretty generic (and a tiny production budget exacerbates problems rather than forcing creative solutions)."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Sung wonderfully by Gryder and Martin, Thrill Me unfolds as a chamber musical long on sensuality and short on in depth motivation. Yet there is something compelling and enticing about Thrill Me. We become fascinating by the power of Loeb’s dominance and we strain to understand Leopold’s attraction to Loeb."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Bailiwick's scintillating 2-man production, directed with verve by Lee Peters, shows the contrast between the two young men and the one-sided passion that ultimately lands them together "for life plus 99 years." Eric Martin's sly, seductive Mephistophelean quality makes the tall, fair, handsome Richard Loeb seem to be the controlling force. The smaller, dark and seemingly dependent Nathan Leopold, as created by Scott Gryder, also shows surprising cunning and manages in the end to stay one step ahead of his friend."
