Iceboy! - Goodman Theatre - July 2026

Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write “The Iceman Cometh”

Playbill Cover

Music by Mark Hollmann, Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss

Directed by Marc Bruni

Review by Ernest Edwards

I had a fun day of shows in Chicago over the weekend. For the matinee I went to the new musical Iceboy!, which is having a PreBroadway engagement at the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago, before the show goes to New York City. Before the musical even started, I had seen actor Richard Kind enter the theatre and take a seat in the audience. I was thinking to myself, “he must be here to support Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman”. Later that same night, I would see Richard Kind for a second time, as he was the host for John Mulaney’s comedy tour Mister Whatever at Wrigley Field. John Mulaney was the first comedian to headline at Wrighley Field. That is how I got to see actor Richard Kind twice in one day in Chicago. 

Goodman Theatre marquee

I have never seen Megan Mullally, nor Nick Offerman live on stage before. This was a real treat for me. They were both so good with their respected characters. Nick Offerman plays Eugene O’Neill, who is both in the musical and narrates the story. Megan Mullally is Vera Vimm, who is an aging actress still clinging to her youth, and she has just purchased the frozen remains of a man who is over 40,000 years old incased in ice. (She outbid the British Museum and the Natural History Museum). It’s 1939 and she keeps him on display in her New York City Penthouse. The ice man eventually thaws and comes back to life, and although he is referred to as Iceboy, we also learn his name is Jeff. Now that’s funny. 

Another fun treat with the cast is that Cedric Yarbrough plays playwright Floyd Richards. Floyd’s muse is Vera Vimm herself. For Vera’s staff, the butler is non other than Frankenstein, and her made is Lambert. Lambert has been perpetually in menopause since she as a teenager. These two characters do bring a lot of humor to the musical. 

I remember seeing a sign in the lobby that this show is mostly fiction. It’s not exactly a true story. It is definitely a fun story. It may fall under the category of historical fiction. Eugene O’Neill is a real person, playwright, and historical figure. 

Something else I noticed in the program is the scenery was designed by Paul Tate DePoo III. I have been seeing his name more and more lately on Broadway shows and with some Broadway shows that have gone on tour. With it being 1939 in NYC, Vera’s penthouse did have a nice touch of Art Deco going on. 

With this being a preBroadway run. I also like that they did include a song list in the Playbill, but with the disclaimer that these were the songs as of June 1, 2026. There could have been songs added, cut or rearranged while the show was in previews prior to opening night in Chicago. 

It’s hard for me to describe this show. The show is so funny, and the cast is so great! I laughed so hard at this musical. If you planning to be in Chicago soon, check out Iceboy! The Goodman Theatre is closing out their 100th season with this fun musical that has been extended through August 16, 2026. Check out www.goodmantheatre.org for tickets. 

Brokeback Mountain - Chicago Shakespeare Theater - May 2026

Brokeback Mountain

Poster on Navy Pier

A play by Ashley Robinson

Review by Ernest Edwards

Brokeback Mountain, as a play is making it’s North American premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard Theater. The play premiered in London in 2023. The play is based on the novella, not the movie. The playwright made that very clear on a recent interview on a Chicago news segment. 

I must say, this play is a work of art. It is a work of literature live on stage. There are many reasons for that. First of all is the cast. Jack Twist is played by Jack Cameron Kay and Emmit Del Mar is played by Harrison Ball. These two actors were perfectly cast and portray these characters so well. I just can’t say enough about their performances and the strong cast supporting them throughout the play. These two leading men are part of this plays success. 

In no particular order all of these elements help to make this play a success. There is the direction by Jonathan Butterell, the Scenery & Costumes were designed by Tom Pye, the Lighting designed by David Finn, and the songs by Dan Gillespie Sells. This is not a musical, it’s a play with music. The music and vocals provide a nice undertone to what is happening on stage. 

Let’s talk about the scenery in a greater detail. The story takes place in various locations in Wyoming

Photo by Ernest Edwards

between 1963 and 1983. The scenery was universal, but had elements that took us to where needed to go for every scene. There’s patches of grass, there’s a fire pit for the campsite’s (with real flames and smoke), beds, tables and counters rise out the floor for the various indoor scenes, with the appropriate lighting fixtures that descend from above. The scenery was spectacularly designed and functioned very well. The scenery, along wth the costumes helped take us to Jack and Emmit’s Wyoming. 

Let’s talk about the story. Jack and Emmit meet in 1963 and are herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain. During the course of that summer. They two cowboys discover something that they can only share with each other. These two cowboys in the 1960’s become lovers. Eventually they both marry women. Emitt has two daughters. This is probably a lot to do with society, that these two cannot fully be themselves. They have their fishing trips multiple times a year. This goes on for 20 years. 

Society has come a long way since the time period when this play takes place. We still have a long way to go. 

The story is so moving, emotional and well executed that it received an instant standing ovation when the play was over. The run time is also 90 minutes with no intermission, which is the right amount of time for this play. If you in Chicago or want to make a trip to Chicago, this play is not to be missed. The play continues through June 28, 2026. Check out www.chicagoshakes.com for tickets. 

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Purple Rain - Hennepin Arts - November 2025

Purple Rain

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

Over the weekend, my friends and I went to the pre-Broadway engagement of Purple Rain the musical.  The musical was still in previews when we went to it. The official opening night is Wednesday November 5, 2025.  The purpose of the out of town tryout, and some weeks of preview performances is to engage the audiences reactions and to work out any kinks.  I just learned from a tour of Paisley Park, Prince’s home, that that first performance was almost 4 hours long.  Online it said the show was averaging 3 hours. The night we went, including the intermission, it was 2 hours and 45 minutes. I would say some bugs were fixed in the two weeks between the first performance and the night that we went to it. 

The stage musical is based on the movie of the same name. The screenplay was by Albert Magnoli & William Blinn.  The stage musical has the book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, musical and lyrics are of course by Prince himself.  Directed by Liliana Blain-Cruz. Choreography by Ebony Williams. The Kid is played by Kris Kollins. Apollonia is played by Rachel Webb. Morris is played by Jared Howelton. According to the introduction in the playbill, Bobby Z of The Revolution and Morris Hayes of The New Power Generation were serving as Prince Music Advisors for the musical.  That’s kind of cool! 

They were very careful in the playbill/program.  No songs are listed, not even the old “in alphabetical order” either.  What I will tell you, is all of the songs from the movie are in the stage musical. Including the two songs by the Time and the song by Apollonia 6.  The musical is rounded out by other songs that were all written by Prince.  

The musical is based on the story from the movie. I want to point out that it’s not Prince on stage, it is The Kid. Who is trying to make it in the music scene, and deal with his personal demons too. Another notable change for the musical is that the music club is not referred to as First Avenue, it’s The First in the stage musical.  

Kris Kollins as The Kid looked and sounded just like Prince.  Although much taller than Prince himself, who was 5 Feet and 2 inches tall.  His Kid has a bigger redemption story arc than in the movie. Rachel Webb made the role of Apollonia her own.  Rachel has a great voice. She was recently seen as Juliet in the national tour of & Juliet.  Jared Howelton as Morris, had really embodied the Morris Day character, and at times was also the comic relief for the story. In an effort to be spoiler free, I will say I liked the changes in the story for Wendy and Lisa.  

The scenery flowed effortlessly between The First, backstage at The First, the Kids apartment and Morris’s rehearsal space. 

Purple was the theme of the night. I was wearing purple myself, as were many other theater goers. The ambiance in the State Theater was purple before the musical started.  Also in LaSalle Plaza, where the State Theatre is located, is the Purple One exhibit.  Lots of images and information about Prince on the first and second floors. A purple motorcycle is part of the exhibit too.  

It’s a fun musical. The music is a rocking flashback to the 1980’s. As is the fashions from the musical.  

I would say the musical is a 7 or 8 out of 10.  It’s good, it’s fun, it’s entertaining, but it needs a little more work.  I think the musical has the same problem that the movie has. Lots of great music,  and costumes, but it’s the story/script that needs work.  

It’s only fitting that the musical Purple Rain made its world premiere in downtown Minneapolis, just two blocks away from First Avenue itself. Prince did put the Minneapolis music scene on the map with the film version of Purple Rain.  

Musical runs through November 23, 2025. Check out hennepinarts.org for tickets. 

Photos are by Ernest Edwards of the marquee and the stage before the musical begins.