Displaying items by tag: Daniel Zaitchick
'Darling Grenadine' A Romantic New Musical Theater Piece about Overcoming Addiction to Find True Love
‘Darling Grenadine’ is a completely original musical with music, lyrics and book all written by the extremely gifted Daniel Zaitchick. I'm often talking about how many musicals are derived from other sources and about how I long for a wholly original play to come out that can stand up to some of the great musicals of the past - and this production really delivers. Marriott Theatre’s stage in the round is the perfect setting for this unique and inspiring new production.
The lead character, Harry, is a songwriter who made a lot of money on one of his commercial jingles. But he often downplays his successful TV ad melody, contributing it to luck and four simple notes. The talented musician now struggles with high functioning alcoholism while trying to come up with his first real play. Harry is played by the amazing Heath Saunders who recently wowed Chicago audiences as Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at The Lyric.
This part could have been written for Saunders and he deftly pulls the audience into his blossoming love affair with an up and coming Broadway actress, Louise, with all of the smooth Jazz romancing of a young Gregory Hines. Harry has secretly seen Louise appearing in her own show, the aptly titled ‘Paradise,’ more times than he can remember and at first comes off as a little bit obsessive compulsive but is rewarded when Louise played by the lovely and vocally expressive Katherine Thomas returns his affections and they fall deeply in love.
The opening song “Swell" is really fantastic, a standard classic in the making, as Harry tells his friends and all the world that he has finally met someone "Swell" - someone SO swell, they go together like "peanut butter and jelly, like Tanqueray and tonic..". Harry gently sways and dances around the stage like a lover in love with a grace and pure joy that is infectious to all around him.
Heath Saunders and Katherine Thomas in 'Darling Grenadine'. Photo by Liz Lauren.
But alas, like many great artists who make enough money to live on before having their major breakthrough success, Harry has "too much time on his hands" and alcohol addiction causes him to run his relationship with Louise into the ground by being overly controlling even as he is trying earnestly to help her succeed in her own career which is also on the rise without his assistance.
Nick Cosgrove (who has played the Frankie Valli role in ‘Jersey Boys’ on Broadway) plays his best friend and kind of adopted brother, Paul. Cosgrove is wonderful in this role as the show's anchor in relation to Harry's freewheeling, almost manic, enthusiasm for musical theater and his love for Louise but eventually their relationship becomes his inspiration for the show he has always been destined to write.
Two dogs appear in the show, one being a marionette handled with full emotional expression by Phillip Huber with a voice created ingeniously by a trumpet played by musician Mike Nappi. Dog lovers be prepared, these two canines, one live and one animated are not played for comic relief but for reality and are a very crucial part of the story - some of the darker scenes in the play will move you to tears.
I loved the sets and how many of my favorite New York scenes are romantically recreated including the skyline, city streets, the swank Jazzy Standards Bar.
This show is already set for a New York production and I'm so glad. I agree with other audience members who felt that the fact that only two ensemble members were juggling so many supporting roles just by changing costumes got a bit confusing’ but that's my only note.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show from beginning to end and although I wasn't at all expecting or prepared for the emotional roller coaster it took me on, felt that it tackled how addiction to alcohol or drugs can fan the flames of an important love affair and then extinguish those flames if not conquered successfully with help of your friends and especially your furry, canine friend's love and unconditional support.
‘Darling Grenadine’ is being performed at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire through August 18th. For more information on this heartfelt production, visit www.marriottheatre.com.
Harris Theater Presents return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Aug. 28
16 July 2026 in Upcoming DanceFollowing last year’s smashing sold-out engagement, the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance proudly presents the return…
Oil Lamp Theater Announces its New Home
15 July 2026 in Theatre BuzzOil Lamp Theater, currently at 1723 Glenview Road, announces its new future home will be at the former Ten Ninety Brewing Co.…
Nothing Without a Company presents The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am - Five Performances across Chicago, August 21st-30th
15 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreNothing Without a Company (NWaC) is proud to announce five performances of The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and…
Theater Wit presents the Chicago premiere of Adolescent Salvation, August 14-October 3
15 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOver the course of one night, through a haze of tequila, texting, and Taylor Swift, three teenagers banter, bicker, and…
No Dogs’ Delivers an Unfamiliar Earnest
15 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewOscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the greatest farces ever written. His wordplay caricatured high society,…
Northlight Theatre inaugurates the first season in its new home in Evanston with the World Premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher's new adaptation of The Front Page
14 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreNorthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, opens its new theater in Evanston with The Front…
TimeLine Theatre announces cast & production team for world premiere THE BIRTH OF THE PILL
14 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreA bold story about the controversial creation that reshaped women’s lives is the focus of The Birth of the Pill,…
City Lit announces World Premiere adaptation of SHANE, playing August 21 – October 4
13 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFull cast and production team have been announced for City Lit's season-opening production of SHANE, Mark Pracht's World Premiere adaptation…
PrideArts' World Premiere of WINDOWS, August 7 – 23
13 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewPrideArts' 2026-27 season will open in August with the world premiere of Chicago-based playwright Matt Schutz's WINDOWS, a comedy of LGBT…
Steppenwolf Presents ALEX EDELMAN: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO - August 12 – 16, 2026
13 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFollowing a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run of Just For Us at Steppenwolf Theatre and around the globe, Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedian Alex Edelman returns…
DIRTY DANCING: the MUSICAL WILL PLAY BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE SEPTEMBER 9 – 20
13 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreGet ready to have the time of your life! Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that single tickets for DIRTY DANCING:…
A Thoughtful Evolution of Her Own Making: Overshadowed Theatrical Productions’ My Fair Lady
12 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewOvershadowed Theatre Productions brings fresh energy to one of musical theatre’s most enduring classics, offering a spirited and thoughtful take…
A Legendary Transformation: John Mulaney’s Historic Night at Wrigley Field
12 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewJohn Mulaney didn’t just perform at Wrigley Field. He made history there. In a venue synonymous with baseball legends, rock…
Powerhouse Performances on Display in Gwydion's Dry Powder
11 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIn the sharp-tongued world of Sarah Burgess’s Dry Powder, presented by Gwydion Theatre Company at the Greenhouse Theater Center, the…
The Beautiful Overthinking of Gary Gulman’s 7th Hour
10 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewGary Gulman brings his new tour, 7th Hour: An All New Standup Show, to The Den Theatre, offering Chicago audiences…
Production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Does Not Fully Recognize Its Importance at Oak Park Festival
09 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIt is possible that Oak Park Festival Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 “trivial comedy for serious people,” The Importance…
Suffs and the Women Who Refused to Wait
09 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSuffs is a musical about history, yes, but more importantly, it is a musical about momentum: who creates it, who…
Court Theatre presents the Spotlight Reading Series A Century of Black Progress August 7 – 22
09 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreUnder the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, Court Theatre proudly presents the Spotlight Reading…
Great Lakes Operetta presents Orpheus in the Underworld at Bramble Arts Loft July 10-19
08 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreGreat Lakes Operetta is delighted to present its first full-length, fully-staged operetta, Jacques Offenbach’s seminal work, Orpheus in the Underworld! Originally…
Nonesuch Releases Natalie Merchant’s Cabinet of Wonder, Music from Singer-Songwriter’s Collaboration with Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Children’s Theatre, August 21
08 July 2026 in Theatre BuzzNonesuch Records releases Natalie Merchant’s Cabinet of Wonder—a digital collection of seventeen songs and accompanying videos from the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s…
Oil Lamp Theatre to present I Love You Because August 14 - September 13
07 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOil Lamp Theater, currently presenting The Last Five Years, now extended through July 19, is proud to announce the cast and creative…
Sandbox Theatre Collective to Stage HENRY IV, PART 1 at North Center Irish Pub
07 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSandbox Theatre Collective has announced their production of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1. Directed by Alex Albrecht and running…
Making its Broadway in Chicago debut, Jekyll & Hyde will play a limited engagement at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
02 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago announced today that tickets for Kokandy Productions’ critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning revival of JEKYLL & HYDE will go on sale…
Absurdist Satire ‘Do You Feel Anger?’ Captures Toxicity in Workplace Today
01 July 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSet in a debt collection call center, Do You Feel Anger? captures how a toxic workplace manifests itself in today’s…
Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid
01 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe Broadway musical - Disney's The Little Mermaid - will hit the Uptown Music Theater stage this summer in Deerfield,…
Collaboraction Theatre announces July shows and events in its new House of Belonging in Humboldt Park
01 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreCollaboraction Theatre Company’s new House of Belonging is now fully activated in the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave…
Babes with Blades Presents the World Premiere of the Queer Pirate Joy play, YO HO. Beginning Saturday, July 25th
01 July 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBabes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by…
Goodman’s Iceboy! Is a Full‑Tilt Blast of Comic Mayhem
30 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewGoodman Theatre’s Iceboy! arrives as a gleefully off the rails musical that blends Broadway glamour, Neanderthal chaos, and theatrical myth…
Collaboraction’s The Light Youth Ensemble, 19 Chicago teens intent on careers in the arts, each passionate about positive social change, announce 2026 Summer Tour
30 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWhat’s on the minds of Chicago’s youth?Find out when Collaboraction Theatre’s 2026 The Light Youth Ensemble brings their talent, fused…
All The World's a Stage and Chicago Merely The Best Player: 'As You Like It' in Chicago Parks this summer
30 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIs there anything more alluring than a summer night in Chicago? The lakefront beaches, the meandering pathways, the festivals and…
Latest Articles
-
TimeLine Theatre announces cast & production team for world premiere THE BIRTH OF THE PILL
Written by Buzz Center StageA bold story about the controversial creation that reshaped women’s lives is the focus of The Birth of the Pill, a world premiere play launching TimeLine Theatre’s 30th Anniversary season in September. The Birth of the Pill —by playwright Jessica… -
Nothing Without a Company presents The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am - Five Performances across Chicago, August 21st-30th
Written by Buzz Center StageNothing Without a Company (NWaC) is proud to announce five performances of The Trouble With My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am. This is a solo performance, written and performed by award-winning storyteller Ada Cheng, which intimately…
-
Theater Wit presents the Chicago premiere of Adolescent Salvation, August 14-October 3
Written by Buzz Center StageOver the course of one night, through a haze of tequila, texting, and Taylor Swift, three teenagers banter, bicker, and push each other to the edge of danger — with consequences that could prove lethal. Theater Wit presents the Chicago…
-
Harris Theater Presents return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Aug. 28
Written by Buzz Center StageFollowing last year’s smashing sold-out engagement, the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance proudly presents the return of Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project in a one-night-only performance themed Dancing the Archive: Embodied Histories, Collective Power. As performed by ten extraordinary…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.