Playwright: Concept by David Heimann and Fred Anzevino. At: Theo Ubique Cabaret at No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave. Tickets: 1-800-595-4849; www.theo-u.com; $29-$34. Runs through: Aug. 31
Perhaps the 2013 death of the last survivor of the Andrews Sisters, lead singer Patty, explains why two Andrews Sisters shows currently are running in Chicago, the one reviewed here and also Sisters of Swing at the Fox Valley Repertory ( at the Pheasant Run Resort ), playing through July 27.
Both shows feature mostly identical line-ups of the trio's many greatest hits, but Sisters of Swing is biographical—tracing the sisters' career from early success in their native Minneapolis, through huge stardom and up to later-career break-ups—while Theo Ubique will have none of that. A Musical Tribute to the Andrews Sisters is pure musical revue with no story at all and devoid of even a factoid of information. It never mentions the sisters by name individually or collectively, nor does it offer a shred of detail about their lives or career. I note this not as a judgment, but merely to stress the different approaches of the shows.
The Andrews Sisters are indelibly identified with World War II and such huge hits as "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy, "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and "Rum and Coca-Cola," which are featured at Theo Ubique. Indeed, Act I finds them in Army uniforms performing a wartime USO tour ( as they did tirelessly throughout the war ), coupled with a brave but lame stand-up comic who doubles as a male singer when needed. They became stars, however, in the mid-1930s and still were performing in the 1970s ( after periods of hiatus and LaVerne Andrews' early death in 1967 ), so Act II has them in cocktail dresses in a semblance of a club act.
Whatever the bookends, the Theo Ubique show offers 31 songs recorded by the Andrews Sisters ( some with partners such as Bing Crosby or Danny Kaye ), ranging from famous swing hits to tunes by the Gershwins, Porter, Berlin and Arlen all performed in the sisters' signature close harmony style. Performers Sarah Larson ( in splendid blonde wigs by Michael Buonincontro ), Jordan Yentz ( brunette ) and Casi Maggio ( redhead ) are all smiles and precision musicality under musical director Alex Newkirk, who leads a tight piano-trumpet-drums trio. William Lucas is the game stand-up comic burdened with hoary period jokes. Through no fault of his own, he shines when he sings rather than when he talks.
The music is wonderful, but the total effect is amiable rather than electric. Despite the intimate space, the completely unamplified voices lack presence as the performers sing into a dummy microphone. We know the Andrews Sisters as recorded artists, not live artists, and it's that crisp recorded or broadcast presence that's missing along with the complete absence of context. There must be a halfway ground between what Theo Ubique and Fox Valley Rep are offering.
