Theater wonks prone to grousing over venues, contracts, subscriber bases or other foibles needn’t bother including Fred Anzevino in their gripefests.
He doesn’t have the time.
Because Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s artistic director is too busy discovering and fostering new talent, creating artistic community, directing, hawking tickets, laughing and secretly planning his next masterpiece to spend much time complaining.
Now in his 17th year, and 10th at the Rogers Park No Exit Café, Anzevino boasts a revolving door for young talent along with a loyal fanbase who come to experience performance, rather than merely watch a show.
Through April 27 at the 50ish-seat venue along the ‘L’ tracks, Theo Ubique offers its intimate rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion.” To say it’s a show requiring the aforementioned “experiencing” for full understanding is an understatement.
Anzevino’s non-Equity cast deftly takes its audience to 19th Century Italy, where a handsome, young, Italian soldier, Giorgio, is reassigned from Milan, away from his beloved Clara, a beautiful, married woman. In his new assignment at a rural military outpost, Giorgio meets Fosca, the colonel’s ill and unattractive cousin, who falls deeply in love with him. Through Fosca’s obsession, she and Giorgio ultimately learn that “to die loved is to have lived.”
Sondheim and collaborator James Lapine adapted the story in 1994 from a 1981 film, “Passione d’Amore,” which was based on the 19th-century novel “Fosca” by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti. A full production history and plot synopsis may be found here.
While Sondheim is considered by many to be the most respected and complex composer in contemporary musical theater, his “Passion” holds the infamous honor of the shortest-running musical ever to win the Tony Award for Best Musical, at 280 performances.
In Theo Ubique’s production, Jeff Award-winner Danni Smith as Fosca is alone worth the price of admission. Though her character in modern times would be slapped with a restraining order for stalking, 19th century patience permits Smith the time necessary to embody the concept of longing. Her dynamic performance sells the notion that one person’s passion is the catalyst for both loving and being loved, and her “Loving You” is undeniably the show’s musical highlight.
Young Chicago stage veterans Colette Todd as Clara and Peter Oyloe as Giorgio are, likewise, terrific. The talented 11-person ensemble is well dressed with elegant costuming by Bill Morey, the perfect complement to Adam Veness’ chic black marble set and Kory Danielson’s excellent music direction. And as is true with all Theo shows at the No Exit Café, every smidgeon of the room is well used.
To be sure, Sondheim’s haunting melodies and genuine angst leave an indelible impression. And while that might be a universal definition for good theater, “Passion” isn’t the show patrons will line up to see multiple times.
Still, musical theater aficionados ought to experience “Passion” at least once; and they ought to experience it at Theo Ubique.
Theo Ubique (pronounced thee-oh oo-bah-kway) is a combination of Greek and Latin reflecting the company’s mission to engage actors and audiences in an intimate conversation with great musical and theatrical works. “Passion” continues through April 27 at No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $34-39 (group, student and senior discounts available) and may be purchased by phone (800-595-4849) or online. Dinner packages for an additional $25 are also offered.
