**** Highly Recommended **** Porchlight Music Theatre’s new production, “The Scottsboro Boys” has a serious message hidden inside a toe-tapping good time. Kander and Ebb, the duo who brought us “Chicago” and “Cabaret”, specialize in turning dark and difficult history into dazzling musicals. Celebrity criminals sensationalized in the press – “Chicago”; corruption and the rise of the Nazis in the Weimar Republic – “Cabaret”; African-American boys jailed, accused of raping white women – “The Scottsboro Boys”. Set inside a minstrel show, “The Scottsboro Boys” is a grim story told with joy, ragtime music, cakewalks and dance. 4 Spotlights
Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of “The Scottsboro Boys” runs through March 12th at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Running time is 1 hour, 50 minutes, no intermission. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays at 8:00 pm; Saturdays at 4:00 and 8:00 pm; and Sundays at 2:00 pm. There is an added matinee on March 2nd at 1:30 pm; there will be no 7:30 pm performance on that day. Tickets range from $45-$51. Valet parking is available. FYI (773) 327-5252 or www.porchlightmusictheatre.org.
Read my entire review at www.spotlightonlake.com.
