Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...When T and L (thanks, copyright law!) are conjured by a queer punk band, they finally embark on a relationship, only to grapple with their place in today's queer community. The tension between Gen X's embrace of openness and Gen Z's penchant for jargon plays out in the heroines' conversations with the band, but Chary's book trips over itself with a few too many interludes, circling its points without biting."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...For the Midwest premiere of TL;DR: Thelma Louise: Dyke Remix, a rock musical by Ellarose Chary (book & lyrics) and Brandon James Gwinn (music and lyrics), the entirety of the Theo Ubique space is transformed by set designer Rose Johnson into the world's coolest garage; an entirely appropriate location for the world's coolest punk rock garage band; they don't have a name yet but the selection process yields some of the biggest laughs in the show."
Around The Town Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The show is in two acts, running about 2 hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. While there were a few musical numbers that were nice ( "Love Yourself" and "Powerful Love" stand out, I felt that the rock music was overbearing and loud. I must tell you this show is NOT for everyone. I think a young person who might be sitting on the edge about their own life might enjoy this show, but I would think the average theater-goer, say in their 50's and up would find this not their style."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The problem with this musical is that's it's almost always extremely loud. It also tries to tell far too many different stories from a large number of viewpoints. Quite simply, the show feels like a fluid, mish-mash of information and character exploration. The musical's premise is unquestionably admirable. It may even speak to theatergoers who are confused and questioning their own LGBTQ+ identities. But, for this audience member and his younger guest, TL; DR: THELMA LOUISE; DYKE REMIX mostly comes off as merely interesting. At best, the show's a very confused concoction about what it means to be out, loud and proud."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Recommended
"...Singer-songwriter Neko Case is supposed to be working on a musical adaptation of “Thelma & Louise”, but EllaRose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn have beaten her to the punch, or at least can claim punk-ish cred for getting there first with their unsanctioned adaptation “TL;DR”, or “Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix” for short."
Third Coast Review
- Somewhat Recommended
"...From the writing team of EllaRose Chary and Brandon James, TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix premiered in 2024 at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego. This fall, the rock musical is enjoying its Midwest premiere at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. When you walk into Theo for TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix, you see the space is completely transformed. Instead of a simple stage with seating all around it, and a few cafe-style tables, we are in a garage band space, with loads of retro rugs and bean bag chairs, and all the tables are plastered with pop art posters."
Allie and the After Party
- Recommended
"...If you love straight forward parody shows, TL;DR doesn't quite fall into that category as the show uses the titular couple more so as a representation for many people's journey into the LGBTQ+ community. But for those where Thelma and Louise holds a special place in your heart, you like new works and queer centered rock musicals, or if you may have experienced a similar journey, this show would be a good fit for you!"
