Circle Theatre Presents THE VIEW UPSTAIRS Review – Reinventing Paradise

You walk into a distinctly seventies gay bar, complete with an old-fashioned jukebox. The walls feature a golden gilded ornate clock, colored with age, an enormous nude portrait of Burt Reynolds, and gaudy maroon velvet curtains. String lights cascade from the ceiling, with an inconspicuous disco ball hiding the corner for later, and a blue and purple neon sign reading “Cocktails and Dreams”. The bartender encourages you to stay for a while and talk back to her, and a pianist wearing a sparkling blazer starts to jam with the ensemble and the patrons. As the lights change to start the show, a few minutes further pass without anything occurring but the continuing hustle and bustle of this diverse and vibrant community. This is a home for those who feel lost, a sanctuary for those who need it, and a party for those who deserve it.

Characters to Love and Remember

The character work in this show is reason alone to see it, at least from the perspective of this actor and playwright. Frederick Harris and Cailin Jackson are Willy and Henri are downright delightful, and bitingly funny. Willy is a wise “old queen”, having spent time in the gulags and turning tricks in his youth, while Henri is the aforementioned sassy bartender, who keeps everything in order and fiercely loves her patrons. Put them together and you have an explosive reaction. Harris started one song with impressive passionate riffs, only to be topped by Jackson interrupting a few measures later, to his surprised chagrin. Another wonderful relationship you’ll get to see blossom is between Freddy, a Puerto Rican drag queen, and his ever-supportive mother Inez, played by Ruben Melendez Ortiz and Selene Perez respectively. They create a deep familial love on stage, complete with cute and caring winks and lip smacks, that stands strong through many trials and tribulations. Look out for Completely Overdone, where Ortiz and Perez adorably argue about exactly how risque Ortiz’s drag should be, as well as stealing each other's lipstick.

Circle Theatre Breaks the Musical Monotony

You, like this writer, might feel that the true pop of this show comes in how the direction subverts the traditional musical theatre format. During a traditional love ballad, for example, the audience guffaws as one unlucky ensemble member realizes that he is stuck in the middle of the two partners’ choreography, and makes an awkward but hilarious exit. In the middle of another exciting party number, the bartender has a relatable exasperation at the explosion of glitter over her previously fresh floors. If you love musical theatre but get bored with the repetition, or hate musical theatre because of the cliche, The View Upstairs is a welcome step forward, and a damn good time.

Highly Recommended

Note: This is now added to the Picture this Post round up of BEST PLAYS IN CHICAGO, where it will remain until the end of the run. Click here to read – Top Picks for Theater in Chicago NOW – Chicago Plays PICTURE THIS POST Loves.