On Thursday evening, November 29, my wife and I were dumbfounded to find ourselves as the sole audience members for "Old Wicked Songs" at the Chopin Theater on Division Street. Apparently, this was a day or two before the positive reviews of the play appeared in the Chicago Reader and other media. The producers offered to have us attend on another night when we would experience the full audience reactions to the play, but our schedules precluded that. So, incredibly kindly, the cast and crew proceded to give us a "command performance" of the full play, complete with lighting, sound, intermission, etc.
The actors, Shawn Pfaustch and Vincent Lonergan, were magnificent. Both combined the skills of fine acting, piano playing, and singing (particularly Schumann's Dichterliebe) with an effective script that was highly entertaining and moving.
My wife and I were so appreciative of the efforts and hard work of the cast and crew who were not the least bit diminshed by the diminuative audience. It made for an unforgettable evening for us, and we thank everyone associated with the production.
Here is the review from Centerstage:
"This 1996 Pulitzer finalist tells the story of an American piano prodigy who visits Vienna in order to study, find himself, and bond with a cranky anti-Semitic master teacher over Schumann. As in any two-person play, Shawn Pfaustch (as the prodigy) and Vincent Lonergan (as the crank) are required to act up a storm. They have also astonished Chicago critics by playing remarkably good piano. According to some reviews, the play itself is overlong and formulaic, but praise for the virtuoso performers has been unanimous. "Old Wicked Songs" closes this weekend, so if you want to see these show-offs on the keys, move fast."
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