Cast
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Janet Ulrich Brooks * + Maria Callas
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Eric Anthony Lopez * Tony
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Stephen Boyer Manny
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Molly Hernández Sophie
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Keirsten Hodgens Sharon
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Raymond Hutchison Stagehand
Production Team
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Nick Bowling ~ + Director
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Andrew Hansen ^ Sound Designer and Composer
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Eva Breneman ^ Dialect Designer
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Maren Robinson + Co-Dramaturg
- Terrence McNally Playwright
- Doug Peck Music Director
- Alka Nayyar * Associate Director
- Leah Raidt Assistant Director
- Arnel Sancianco # Scenic Desiner
- Jessica Neill Lighting Designer
- Sally Dolembo # Costume Designer
- Vivian Knouse Properties Designer
Understudies
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Cecilia Iole Sophie
* Member of Actors Equity Association
# Member of United Scenic Artists
~ Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
+ TimeLine Company Member
^ TimeLine Associate Artist
§ TimeLine Playwrights Collective
Reviews
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Chicago Sun-Times
October 26, 2018
★★★ “Engrossing. Like opera itself, TimeLine’s staging is filled with huge emotions. There’s ecstasy and agony in Master Class, both writ huge … the performances Bowling gets from his cast are impressive, the stories they tell fascinating. … [TimeLine] has created something beautiful and troubling and fascinating. Callas’ bright, short life is at its white-hot center. The students in her orbit get burned. But like the audience, they emerge from class with a deeper appreciation of art, beauty and the elusive quest for greatness.“
—Catey Sullivan
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Chicago Tribune
November 28, 2018
“[Janet Ulrich Brooms] is one of the [the] most distinguished actors playing one of the contemporary theater’s toughest roles … The hugely talented young actress Molly Hernández … is terrific.”
—Chris Jones
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Chicago Reader
October 31, 2018
RECOMMENDED. “[Brooks’] magnetic, mercurial performance anchors TimeLine’s portrait of Maria Callas … A superb Master Class.“
—Albert Williams
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Newcity
October 29, 2018
RECOMMENDED. “Is this a story that we need to continue to tell? With Janet Ulrich Brooks in the role, under Nick Bowling’s heartfelt and purposeful direction, the answer is a resounding yes. … In a transcendent performance without a false moment, Brooks clears every hurdle, with sharp wit and total honesty. … It is far too easy to say that TimeLine’s production is a master class in making art, but it is also true.“
—Erin Shea Brady
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Broadway World
October 30, 2018
“Chicago favorite Janet Ulrich Brooks schools the audience with her commanding performance as famous opera singer Maria Callas. … Brooks has always struck me as something of an acting chameleon; she truly changes her shape with each and every role she assumes. … Master Class assuredly earns its title.”
—Rachel Weinberg
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Stage and Cinema
October 26, 2018
“Contradictory, volatile, capricious and caustic, Brooks’ bella donna manages to suck up all the air in the room. … She did it with intensity and immediacy: As much a queen as she ever was in TimeLine’s The Audience, Brooks captures the mercurial moodiness and perplexing insecurities of a one-woman constellation. … Viva La Callas!”
—Lawrence Bommer
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Around the Town Chicago
October 26, 2018
★★★★★ “[Janet Ulrich] Brooks … is one of Chicago’s treasures and in this tour de force, proves just how talented she is. If you love history and opera, you should find away to get to Stage 773 for this one.“
—Alan Bresloff
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Picture This Post
October 26, 2018
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. “There are many reasons to change your schedule to make sure you see TimeLine’s production of Master Class … By this writer’s lights, what we see – and hear!‑ are talents that make you eager to re-read the program notes to try to discern if they are Lyric regulars. … Bravo Director Nick Bowling and Music Director Doug Peck—BRAVO!”
—Amy Munice
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Third Coast Review
October 27, 2018
“Funny, moving and insightful … Brooks rises to the occasion, channeling every bit of her petite frame into becoming the legend herself. … [An] impressive staging of an acclaimed show that delves into both [Callas’] psyche and her lasting impact on generations of performers and audiences alike.”
—Lisa Trifone
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Chicago On Stage
October 27, 2018
“Master Class is indeed masterful… Nick Bowling may have been the perfect director for this production. … The result is something that even a non-opera-aficionado such as I found entrancing. When the singers ‘get it right,’ they transport us to some other plane.”
—Karen Topham
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Picks in Six
October 30, 2018
“Master Class delivers the lessons of a lifetime … Uniformly the voices of the students are exceptional. … It is Brooks, however, who is captivating… Callas’ legacy is summed in her teaching of the art – be passionate, feel it in your gut, show up prepared, be willing to sacrifice and give everything to the work and, ultimately, to the audience.”
—Ed Tracy
Features
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Pro Media Magazine
October 23, 2018
Pro Media Magazine sat down with Master Class singer and actor Eric Anthony Lopez for an illuminating interview on Eric’s experiences in Chicago, his past projects and the “crazy” way he won his role in this acclaimed production.
Discussions & Events
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Opening Night Celebration: MASTER CLASS
October 25, 2018 at 7:30pm Read More -
Cabaret Connexion: An Evening with Faith Prince
Tuesday, October 30 at 7:30 pm Read More -
Open Captioned Performance of MASTER CLASS
Saturday, November 10 at 4:00 pm Read More -
MASTER CLASS: PRE-Show Discussion
Various dates Read More -
MASTER CLASS: Company Member Discussion
Sunday, November 18 Read More -
MASTER CLASS: Sunday Scholars Series
Sunday, December 2 • 4:15 - 5:15pm Read More -
MASTER CLASS: Post-Show Discussion
Various dates Read More -
MASTER CLASS Closing Night
Sunday, December 9 Read More
Pre-production photo by Joe Mazza / brave lux, inc.
Photo by Lara Goetsch.
Photo by Lara Goetsch.
Photo by Lara Goetsch.
Photo by Lara Goetsch.
Photo by Lara Goetsch.
Audience Reactions
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"Maria Callas was a force of nature! Janet Ulrich Brooks captured her spirit, her personal presence and her impact on those around her."
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"I gave two tickets to a friend. He absolutely loved the productions, and now he is telling all the people he sees to go get tickets."
Sponsors of Nick Bowling’s 30th TimeLine production Master Class
