“Girlfriend” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

[rating=4]Exploring and pursuing a new relationship can be heartwarming and heartbreaking. Such is the subject matter of the musical “Girlfriend”, a coming-of-age story having to do with a summertime romance between two young men. Set in small town in rural Nebraska in 1993, the story is that of William (Joe Lewis) and Michael (Peter Stielstra), both of whom have just graduated from high school. Michael is a football player and guitarist, set to go to college in the fall, whereas William is a “bit of a social outcast” whose plans are not as focused. When the two men attend a drive-in movie together, their friendship triggers an intense bond that eventually becomes an intimate one. As their relationship deepens, Michael compares being with William to being with his girlfriend, giving the title of the show its double meaning. It becomes clear that Michael is a closeted gay man, whereas William is more open about his sexual orientation. In the back of our minds, we wonder whether Michael might have been following social dictates by having a girlfriend or if he is truly bisexual. But no matter, this question has nothing to do with the development of the tale.

At the beginning, William is the more forward of the two and is very anxious to see Michael again. Michael in particular utters sentences with misplaced referents, which demonstrates how uncomfortable he is in William’s presence. These lines and their responses are very funny: a credit to the fine writing by playwright Todd Almond. Later these comedic missteps give way to a much deeper examination of self, such that each man has to decide why he is the person he is and why he is so attracted to the other.

It is the fantastic acting by Stielstra and Lewis that makes the show! They do a super job portraying the chemistry between their characters through dialogue and singing, and it is their intense interaction that holds the story together. But it is Lewis whose performance is so spectacular that he could easily be on Broadway; he’s just that good! His dynamic energy, animated facial expressions, and pleasant yet forceful singing voice are an absolute joy to behold!

Director Jay Espano has done a great job taking a rather small blackbox theatre and turning it into a bowling-alley type stage, with the audience on either side. The blocking of the actors is handled very well, and he has them constantly turn so that the audience can see them from all angles, making every seat in the house a good one. Yet it is the songs and the music that take this otherwise simple tale to the next level. The music by Matthew Sweet bridges the gap between the two characters; it is not only heartfelt but entertaining, especially as performed by Robert Ollis, the music director (who also plays the keyboard). Not only do Stielstra and Lewis sing, but so do the backup singers in the orchestra, located on a raised platform at one end of the space. Sound engineer Kiera Battles has done a great mix between the voices and instruments, and dance choreographer Hannah Ottenfield and intimacy director Kayla Menz have beautifully portrayed the loving nature of the two featured characters. In addition, Magdiel Carmona has handled the projection design splendidly through projections which detail the various settings for the story; especially well done is the experience of being at a drive-in-movie. Kaeli Meno’s simple but clever prop design is great, especially when she mimics the front seat of an old beater and arranges for the couch section to be appropriately stashed away into a wall when not needed. Thanks to the work of scenic designer Isabella Noe (who doubles as the tech director), we see the two separate bedrooms that the characters reside in. Maggie Meyer is responsible for just the right lighting design, and costumes by Megan Hoppe are appropriate for the mid-1990s.

In short, the dramatization of a budding romance is told through story and song in this tender tale. Whether the relationship is gay, straight, or queer, it is always uncharted territory as to what might happen next.

“Girlfriend” is playing at the PrideArts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, in Chicago, through September 25, 2022.

General admission tickets are $35.
Seniors and students are $30.

Performances are Thursday  7:30 p.m

Friday 7:30 p.m.

Saturday  7:30 p.m.

Sunday  3 p.m.

For tickets and more information about this show and others, go to: https://pridearts.org/ or phone 773-857-0222.

COVID restrictions are still in effect, and audience members will be asked to wear their masks throughout the entire performance unless they are actively eating or drinking.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Girlfriend”

a second look- review by Frank Meccia

PRIDE ARTS PRESENTS:

GIRLFRIEND
DIRECTED BY: JAY ESPANO
REVIEWED BY: FRANK MECCIA

Do you remember your first love? Do you remember the feelings you were having? How nothing made sense, how your friends told you it was just a crush, your parents told you their will be more, just don’t ruin your future. And of course, you told yourself they are all wrong, this is it, this is the person I will spend my life with forever. Growing up, we all had those feelings, TV shows and the movies were filled with first time romance. Now, imagine how it must be like for a gay man. And what it must have been like 30, 40 50 years ago. Yes, times have changed. acceptance is more the norm, but it wasn’t always like that, and it wasn’t like that in rural America.

Girlfriend was written by Todd Almond, and the music is by Matthew Sweet, yes, the same rock/pop singer who began his career performing with R.E.M. Michael Stipes, and his first album in 1991 was called Girlfriend. This is a feel good, coming coming-of-age musical about a jock Mike, played by Peter Stielstra and the nerd Will played by Joe Lewis. The most unlikely pair that fall for each other over music and the drive in. Both gave stunning performances. You felt the passion, the hurt, the sorrow that they were going through in this 90-minute production. You understand the pain that Mike is going through, being a baseball jock, having to deal with what would happen if the team found out? or how is father being a doctor, and wanting his son to follow in his footsteps, And then you have Will, the young man graduating high school with no real ambitions in life, no dreams living in a small town in Nebraska, knowing that he is gay, and no real friends, but has a love for music. The force behind this 2 men show, is the music, and with a music Director like Robert Ollis, who has performed all over Chicago and New York, with numerous productions, and plenty of Jeff Award nominations under his belt, he leads this 4 piece musical group to pure joy. The music is compelling and very moving. A simple set design by Isabella Noe, makes this whole production feel alive and moving, from being in the drive in, to being in a car, to being in a bedroom, for such a small stage, this worked perfectly. I was so glad to find out that it was Jeff recommended. Girlfriend is playing through Sept 25. Performances are Thursday thru Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 3pm. I give this show 5stars, a highly recommend. Tickets can be purchased at www.pridearts.org