Critics Enamored by GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER
Since the show opened on March 15, critics have released their reviews of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner:
“…If you like the movie, you’ll be fine reliving your memories. If you hate all that it represented, there is enough subversion here to keep you intellectually engaged. This material is just so interesting to see now…”
Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones, 3 Stars
“…In the iconic 1967 film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” a young interracial couple forced their parents – and the world by extension – to confront the ugly bigoted recesses festering in even the most outwardly progressive souls. Tim Kreidler’s stage adaptation hews close to William Rose’s brilliant screenplay. But key differences underline the story’s timeliness in a post-Obama world. Directed by Marti Lyons for Court Theatre, what could be a period piece has the bitter bite of today, a time when an actual Nazi just won (unopposed) a Republican congressional primary in Illinois.”
Chicago Sun-Times, Catey Sullivan, 3.5 Stars
“…The acting in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was great, but I loved the parts played by Sydney Charles as Tillie and Dan Waller as Monsignor Ryan. Charles almost stole the show with her portrayal of Tillie. She was amazingly funny with her spot on performance and Waller was equally brilliant. We have had the pleasure of seeing Sydney Charles in several performances, and she is an exceptional actress worth taking a serious look at as a Jeff Award Winner for her role as Tillie.”
Chicago Now, Rick and Brenda McCain, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“…It has been 50 years since the movie “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” brought our attention to interracial marriage and race relations. It was ground breaking at the time, but it was based on 1967 attitudes so how can a stage play drawn from the film be relevant today? Well, it is! Todd Kreidler’s smartly written adaptation adds a few updates to the classic film script and stays true to the story with a 21st century interpretation. It is the perfect product for the Court Theatre and this production, directed by Marti Lyons with Associate Director Wardell Julius Clark, is outstanding!”
Around The Town Chicago, Michael Horn, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“…Originating as a movie with a screenplay by William Rose, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” premiered in 1967 at the height of the civil rights movement. And while it’s tempting to credit its trio of lead actors-Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier-for engendering a mountain of good will large enough to endear this portrait of interracial love to a market audience, a reevaluation fifty years later suggests that “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” gets by on more than just charm.”
NewCity Chicago, Kevin Greene, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“…The tension is palpable. But the real fireworks begin with the arrival of Prentice’s parents. John Prentice Sr. (Dexter Zollicoffer, with a fine searing edge of bitterness), is, for his own reasons, even more opposed to the marriage than Matt, while his wife, Mary (Jacqueline Williams, in a fine mix of loyalty and reason), is deeply protective of both her husband and son.”
WTTW, Hedy Weiss, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“…Now, Hyde Park’s Court Theatre presents a stage adaptation of the script by William Rose, and it proves as timely and relevant today as it was in 1967. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (here adapted by Todd Kreidler and directed by Marti Lyons) is, at its core, a story of two world views at odds: those who see the world as it is, and those who see it as it could be.”
Third Coast Review, Lisa Trifone, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“…Interacting with the marvelous and interestingly symbolic stage setting by Scott Davis where the entire apartment, from carpeting on the floor to every piece of furniture and even the cactus house plants are white with black accents, the actors draw in the audience so effectively that you forget that you’re watching a play. Lighting (Paul Toben and Andre Pluess) and sound (Christopher M. LaPort) featuring 1960’s style music completes the atmosphere. All in all and evening of great, thought provoking and often humorous theatre.”
Picture This Post, Steve Bellinger, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
“…It was fun to be a part of this mixed age group audience for this particular play in the center of Hyde Park, long recognized as a liberal multi-racial and multi-cultural community. The laughs and gasps were more audible and more frequent then I have heard in a while and which I am certain was a result of many of the audience members understanding this material in a more intimate and first hand way, as either participants or witnesses to similar real life stories.”
Chicago Theatre and Arts, Jodie Jacobs, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner runs through April 15, 2018.
Photo of Michael Aaron Pogue and Jacqueline Williams by Michael Brosilow.