White Rooster Reviews

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...From the creative mind of writer/director Matthew C. Yee (the 2023 musical “Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon”) and receiving its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre, “White Rooster” comes off as so energetic, well-performed and insistently intriguing that its sensual qualities provide an enjoyable vibe even if it never quite makes coherent sense."

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The storytelling, in scenes that flicker between puppetry, music, and movement, is the thing, and Lookingglass does it exceptionally well, with a charismatic cast that carries each scene with gusto."

Talkin Broadway - Recommended

"...The narrative is really several loosely bound stories that don't quite cohere into a single arc, but the blend of dance, music, choreography, puppetry, and pure stagecraft is funny, harrowing, and ultimately compelling."

Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended

"...Death, and coming to terms with it, have been fertile ground for the theatre since its inception. In White Rooster, multi-hyphenate Matthew C. Yee—he writes! He directs! He acts! He composes!—examines death through the prism of folklore, specifically Chinese folklore. This highly anticipated world premiere turns the stage of the Lookingglass Theatre into a haunted house, with ghosts and spirits—both vengeful and benign—everywhere you turn."

Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Somewhat Recommended

"...The production masterfully intertwines Lookingglass's distinctive puppetry, enriching the narrative with a captivating layer of historical intrigue. The cast includes Karen Aldridge, Sunnie Eraso, Elliot Esquivel, Mark L. Montgomery, Reilly Oh, Daniel Lee Smith, Louise Lamson, and Noelle Oh. The performances were captivating, with an exceptional performance by Elliot Esquivel as Fung/Wu, which held the audience's attention from start to finish. However, the storyline feels underdeveloped, leaving certain plot points and character arcs unclear. Boosting these elements and focusing more on the ghost marriage tradition can profoundly amplify the production's overall impact."

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...Elliot Esquivel, Sunnie Eraso, Karen Aldridge ( always amazing), Louise Lamson, Daniel Lee Smith and of course, the aforementioned Reilly Oh and Noelle Oh. These are extraordinary talents who move well, sing, handle puppetry and bring life to their characters. While I do not feel the play is for everyone ( in particular little kids who might want to see puppets) it is indeed a theatrical experience that a true theater person should make sure to see."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...Drawing from a Chinese legend told by family during the early 1900’s, multitalented Lookingglass Ensemble member, Matthew Yee, has written, composed the music and directed this strange and fascinating tale. It’s a story filled with fantasy and folklore. Mr. Yee’s play is an original, incredibly inventive saga that weaves together ghosts, puppets, movement and music. And at its core, Mathew Yee’s two-act drama, liberally laced with plenty of dark humor, is a tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit."

Buzz Center Stage - Highly Recommended

"...White Rooster arrives at Lookingglass Theatre with the kind of wild, genre?bending confidence that reminds you why this ensemble has always been one of Chicago’s most inventive storytellers. Ensemble member Matthew C. Yee - doubling as writer and director - conjures a darkly funny, legend-steeped ghost story that feels mischievously modern in this world?premiere production."

Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended

"...The mind of writer/director/co-composer and Lookinglass ensemble member Matthew Yee is a fertile and wild ranging one with a bent towards bizarre. So it's no surprise that his Lo Mein Western White Rooster that includes everything from Chinese myths to chicken soup is one heck of a ride through metaphor, music, and a hero’s journey. Oh, and this is a beautiful live action shadow puppet play too!"

Curtain Call Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...Lookingglass Theatre’s latest World premiere, “White Rooster” written by Matthew C. Yee, is a play with music that takes the stage with a striking blend of music, memory, and mythological folklore. It is filled with humor, heart, and a truly haunting magical beauty of the supernatural. In Yee’s hands, this original work (six years in the making) is more than a play — it’s a magical education on the complexities of family, self-identity, and mythological stories that get passed down through cultural (certainly Asian culture) generations."

Allie and the After Party - Highly Recommended

"...White Rooster is a multidisciplinary work incorporating movement, music, and puppetry seamlessly to craft a story that blends Chinese folklore with Western mysticism. Not knowing what is going to happen next, we follow Min’s journey as she uncovers her family’s and the land’s history to break whatever curses have descended upon them."

NewCity Chicago - Not Recommended

"...“White Rooster” weds fantastical Chinese folktale motifs to a laconic, vaguely Sam Shepard-like Old West sensibility, tied together with a minor-key rock-and-roll score. None of these elements is treated with particular sharpness or care. The result is an Osterizer brand of postmodernism, blending the disparate ingredients into a frothy mix that goes down like a Disney animated feature slated for global distribution."