Raves

It’s a good day to be the TimeLine Marketing Director.

This morning we received our first-ever national review, an overwhelmingly positive notice in the Wall Street Journal. Terry Teachout wrote things like “it’s as good as any of the first-class revivals now gracing Broadway,” and “one of the smartest shows I’ve seen all season long.” You can read all of his elegantly quotable prose here.

Also today, we announced that The History Boys will extend for six additional weeks, now through August 2. The initial, already lengthy by Chicago off-Loop standards, 9-week run sold out in record time. My biggest job in the last couple of weeks has not been trying to persuade folks that they want to see the show, but just staying ahead of already intense demand.

The critical raves have come fast and furiously. A tiny sample:

Chicago Tribune:
“More intimate, more enveloping, more stirring, and in places more emotionally sophisticated … [a] simply astonishing level of authenticity in sound, look and mood.”

Chicago Sun-Times:
“One of those Chicago productions that exults in the glory of the ensemble … altogether remarkable … in many ways better than the excellent Broadway edition … no theater could have done a finer job.”

WBEZ 91.5FM:
“This TimeLine production is just a superior effort on a play that really deserves all the effort it can be given. … See it, absolutely. Two thumbs up!”

Time Out Chicago:
“[Director Nick] Bowling’s Chicago premiere, a high-water mark for both him and TimeLine, exudes charm from every pore”

Read all 15 raves (and counting!) on our Web site.

“What is going on????” asked one of the cast members, seemingly incredulous at the overwhelming response to his show, in a recent post on Facebook. My answer: Well, the script is quite brilliant, the director endlessly creative, the production team top-notch, and the cast a seamless, uniformly talented ensemble.

When all of these — and many other not as easily understood — elements come together, magic happens.

We’ve experienced magic at TimeLine before. The Midwest premiere of Tennessee Williams’ Not About Nightingales, in 2000 when we were still a very young company, was one of our first tastes. Later Hannah and Martin, This Happy Breed and Fiorello! all took off in thrilling ways. Countless other shows have been exceptional experiences. But is The History Boys that moment “when history rattles over the points” for TimeLine? I don’t know yet if that is what is going on. But it sure feels exhilarating none-the-less!

Mostly, today I am grateful to be part of a hit show and plan to cherish every moment, professionally and personally. And we look forward to sharing the magic with you in the weeks (wow, months!) to come.