Displaying items by tag: Anthony Crivello
Louis and Keely, Live at the Sahara- Brings Two Jazz Prodigies Back to Life!
From the moment actor Anthony Crivello as Jazz great, Louis Prima, is wheeled onto the stage on a hospital bed speaking to us from a coma, and snaps his fingers to begin the story of his life, the audience is absolutely enthralled by his manic yet superbly commanding presence until the last moment of the show 90 minutes later.
“Live at the Sahara” looks like another hit for very talented producer, Hershey Felder. Academy Award Winning director and writer Taylor Hackford and writers Jake Broder, and Vanessa Stewart have written a fast moving, compelling 90 minute version of Prima’s life beginning when his big band goes out of style and Prima reinvents his act by taking on a seventeen-year-old songbird he renames Keely Smith.
Vanessa Claire Stewart not only helped write this dynamite and very entertaining and touching true love story, she also stars beautifully and believably as the modernly talented Keely Smith.
The show is packed with Prima and Keely hit songs from their once very successful Vegas cabaret act performed with his over the top enthusiasm and her cool cat like deadpan nonchalance like, “What is This Thing Called Love”, “I Can’t Believe Your In Love With Me”, “Hey Boy, Hey Girl”, “Night Train”, “Ai,Ai,Ai” and of course their most famous “That Ol’ Black Magic”.
Prima helped Keely become a star then deeply resented and even hated her for it. Keely gave him two daughters and helped him completely revive his sagging career with her wonderful voice and youthful, ahead of her time hipster energy, but in the final analysis Prima cheated on her and drove her into the arms of friend and producer Frank Sinatra (played with swagger by Paul Perroni). Erin Mathews was a delight in her many ensemble roles as Keely’s mom and later as the many women who came between Keely and Prima.
I loved the seven-piece band that played the entire show onstage and became part of the play many times. The staging and costumes were true to period but I got the feeling this is just a build up for what should be a very nice, large Broadway show in the future. I wanted to see more of the duo in their complete stage act, about ten minutes more and more of the supporting characters. Also, I felt the show and script were so interesting, detailed and well written that there could have been a nice twenty-minute intermission without disturbing the flow at all. It actually makes Crivello’s performance even more impressive that he maintained his energy at such a high level almost nonstop.
Anthony Crivellos’ performance really has Tony Award written all over it (he previously won a Tony Award for best featured actor as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman). Crivello is so full of Prima’s hard to copy musical manic energy and rhythms it was mind blowing to watch. In the final scene where Prima has lost Keely, and his second family of daughters and suffered a heart attack leaving him comatose for three years before his death, Crivello sings another version of “Just a Gigolo” with a heart breaking and teeth grinding pathos that just shakes the audience to its core, making you realize his own tragic fatal flaw was written by him in this song years earlier.
“Just a gigolo, everywhere I go
People know the part I'm playing
Paid for every dance
Selling each romance
Every night some heart betraying
There will come a day
Youth will pass away
Then what will they say about me
When the end comes I know
They'll say just a gigolo
As life goes on without me”
Throughout Prima’s life, his friends and the women who loved him tried to convince him to settle down into the gift of family life but his ego and desire to be the sole STAR, even at the expense of his own wife’s devoted love and friendship, ruin every opportunity for healthy continuity.
Prima tried and failed to be a Svengali to one more young songstress after driving Keely way for good but never realized that Keely was his once in a lifetime, irreplaceable, creative soul mate.
I highly recommend seeing “Louis and Keely, Live at the Sahara”, it is a solidly written, dynamically played production that is filled with great classic music and a true life story of genius and showbiz both victorious and tragic.
“Louis and Keely, Live at the Sahara is playing at Royal George Theatre on an open ended run. For tickets and show info visit http://www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com/.
Standing Room Only Crowd for Chicago’s Leading Theater Artistic Directors
04 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzIt must have been heavenly for the creative leaders of Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Court, Chicago’s top regional theaters,…
The Best of Us: Marriott Theatre’s Come From Away
03 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCome From Away begins from a place of deep uncertainty, yet what emerges is a story grounded in the steady,…
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Revival of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG September 17 – November 1 / Rehearsals Underway
02 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning…
Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Gala: Radiant & Sumptuous at the Harris
01 September 2026 in Dance in ReviewThe first thing you notice about the meticulously curated Black dance performance held at the Harris Theater over the weekend…
Vape! The Grease Parody Is High-Energy Fluff
01 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewVape! The Grease Parody, currently running at Chicago’s Apollo Theater through January, takes a satirical swing at the iconic 1978…
BrightSide Theatre Announces "Monte Carlo Night" 15th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser on September 25
01 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzBrightSide Theatre will celebrate its 15th anniversary with "Monte Carlo Night," a gala and fundraiser, on Friday, September 25, 2026,…
GDC Hosts 19th Anniversary “Dancing With The Giordano Stars” Ballroom Dance Competition October 8th
01 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC) hosts its highly anticipated 19th Anniversary "Dancing With The Giordano Stars" ballroom dance competition 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8…
A Loving, Delight‑Packed Celebration: Joan Crawford Goes to Hell Marks 25 Years of Handbag
31 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewHell in a Handbag Productions celebrates its 25th year with a revival of Joan Crawford Goes to Hell, a sharp,…
An Immersive Sunday in the Park with George at Kokandy Productions
31 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewComposition, tension, balance, light, and harmony come together seamlessly in Kokandy Productions’ revival of Sondheim’s opus, ‘Sunday in the Park…
Robert Falls to Direct the World Premiere of FLYING MONKEYS, by L.C. Bernadine, at Redtwist Theatre, Dec 6 - Jan 17
31 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAward-winning Redtwist Theatre, launching its 22nd season with Prayer Circle, September 17 - November 8, by Erik Gernand and directed by Executive Artistic Director Dusty Brown, announces today…
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Names Daniel Millhouse as New Managing Artistic Director
31 August 2026 in Theatre BuzzBuffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), is pleased to announce that, in keeping…
Promethean Theatre Ensemble to offer talkbacks after selected performances BLOOD OF THE LAMB, opening September 5 and 6
31 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePromethean Theatre Ensemble announced today it will offer post-show audience talkbacks following two performances of their Chicago premiere of BLOOD OF…
City Lit’s Shane Saddles Up a Classic Western With Fresh Heart
30 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCity Lit Theatre’s world premiere of Shane, adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Pracht, brings a fresh, nostalgic…
In Sisters, Barrie Turns an AI Fable into an Impressive Character Study
29 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThe rise of artificial intelligence raises many questions about its effect on humanity. What does it mean if we become…
Buddy Holly’s Brilliance, Reawakened on the Drury Lane Stage
27 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewDrury Lane Theatre opens its latest musical with a warm jolt of rock ’n’ roll energy as Buddy – The…
Kokandy's JEKYLL & HYDE Extended by Popular Demand
26 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is pleased to announce a darkly delicious Halloween surprise: Kokandy Productions’ critically acclaimed revival of JEKYLL & HYDE will be extended…
Following Obama Center premiere, Manual Cinema's acclaimed productions return to Chicago's Studebaker Theater
26 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago-based Emmy Award-winning performance collective and film/video production company Manual Cinema premiered two new hand-animated films at the Obama Presidential Center Museum…
Playmakers Lab’s That’s Weird Grandma’s 25th Birthday is a fine place to giggle
25 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIf you need an energy boost, skip the can of Monster and get yourself, plus loved ones of any age,…
Victory Gardens Theater presents the World Premiere of Zayd Ayers Dohrn's The Humanities September 10 through October 4
25 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreVictory Gardens Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Avenue), an historic incubator for new play development, proudly announces the World Premiere staging of The…
Lookingglass Kowalski starring Johnny Galecki and Jacob Moskovitz September 15 through October 25
25 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJoining the previously announced stars of Kowalski Johnny Galecki ("The Big Bang Theory," "The Little Dog Laughed") as Tennessee Williams and Jacob Moskovitz ("Elle") as Marlon…
Shattered Globe Theatre Opens 36th Season with Midwest Premiere of VLADIMIR October 2 – November 14 at Theater Wit
25 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreShattered Globe Theatre is pleased to open its 36th Season with the Midwest premiere of Erika Sheffer's Vladimir, an unflinching drama of resistance directed by Ensemble Member Lou Contey*,…
TICKETS FOR A 20 RETURNS WITH SPECIALLY PRICED $20 TICKETS FROM HOT TIX AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
24 August 2026 in Theatre BuzzThe League of Chicago Theatres announces the return of Tickets for a 20. From Thursday, August 27 through Monday, September 14, 2026, theatregoers can…
Babes With Blades's announces William Shakespeare's KING LEAR, October 15 - November 21
24 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBabes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC), now presenting the world premiere of yo ho. through August 29 at The Edge Off-Broadway, shares the…
BrightSide Theatre announces THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL, to play October 2 - 18
24 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBrightSide Theatre has announced cast and crew for THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL - the kickoff production of BrightSide's 15th Anniversary season.…
35th Annual Dance for Life Saturated with Excellence
23 August 2026 in Dance in ReviewFrom its beginning in 1992 on the tiny stage of a modest theater, Dance for Life (DFL) has grown and…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces Two Shakespeare Productions in Repertory beginning October 13 - January 3
21 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for the company's fall Shakespeare Repertory productions, an unforgettable theatrical event at the heart…
Rising star Jacob Moskovitz to play Marlon Brando in the Chicago presentation of Kowalski at Lookingglass Theatre
20 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewRising star Jacob Moskovitz ("Elle") has joined the cast of Kowalski as Marlon Brando, alongside previously announced Chicago theater veteran Johnny Galecki ("The Big Bang Theory," "The Little…
McHenry Outdoor Theater: Nostalgia With a Modern Heartbeat
20 August 2026 in Theatre BuzzThere was a particular kind of magic to seeing a movie outside when I was a kid in 1970s Chicago…
‘Anatomy of a Suicide’ Is Hard to Watch, But Not Because of the Subject
18 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewPerhaps surprisingly, Anatomy of a Suicide is not an overwhelmingly emotionally gripping play, nor is it horrifying. Instead, it vividly…
Gwydion Theatre Company presents The Chicago Premiere of Por’ Knockers at the Greenhouse Theater’s Studio 44 September 10 - October 4
18 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThis narrative tracks five individuals within the "People’s Diasporatic Party"—outfitted in corporate attire—as they take refuge in a desolate East…
Latest Articles
-
Standing Room Only Crowd for Chicago’s Leading Theater Artistic Directors
Written by Bill EslerIt must have been heavenly for the creative leaders of Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Court, Chicago’s top regional theaters, to be greeted by a standing room only crowd. But there they were, on a panel moderated by the eminent… -
The Best of Us: Marriott Theatre’s Come From Away
Written by Kimberly KatzCome From Away begins from a place of deep uncertainty, yet what emerges is a story grounded in the steady, everyday kindness people offer when they have nothing else to give. Rather than revisiting the events of September 11 themselves,… -
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Revival of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG September 17 – November 1 / Rehearsals Underway
Written by Buzz Center StageSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon, who returns to Steppenwolf following his hit production of King James. Ensemble members Glenn Davis (Windfall, Purpose–Chicago/Broadway, King James) and Namir Smallwood (Windfall, The Book of… -
Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Gala: Radiant & Sumptuous at the Harris
Written by Mitchell OldhamThe first thing you notice about the meticulously curated Black dance performance held at the Harris Theater over the weekend is language. The eloquence and weight of the words used to explain why the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP)…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.